IAB Node Route Selection via Predicted Transmission Delay
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Solution Overview
Problem
Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) networks face challenges such as vulnerability to blockages, variations in channel quality, and uneven load distributions, which can lead to increased buffering costs and end-to-end delays.
Innovation Solution
A method is introduced in a node of an IAB network to select a preferred route from multiple candidate routes by determining predicted transmission delays based on channel measurements and an error probability constraint, ensuring reliable data transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If wireless links are used for backhaul connections instead of fibre, then installation costs are reduced and deployment is simplified, but the network becomes vulnerable to blockages and channel quality variations
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically changes routing parameters based on channel quality measurements. When blockages or quality variations occur, the network switches between different routes (direct wireless, relay-assisted, or fibre-backhauled paths) to maintain reliable connectivity while keeping installation costs low.
Solution Approach 2:
Relay nodes are introduced as intermediaries to assist communication between source and destination. These relay nodes receive and forward data packets, providing alternative paths when direct wireless links are blocked or degraded, thereby improving reliability without requiring extensive fibre infrastructure.
2Reliability
If multiple routes are available for data transmission, then network reliability is improved, but route selection complexity and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary channel quality measurements and route assessments before actual data transmission. Routes are pre-evaluated and ranked based on current network conditions, allowing rapid selection without complex real-time computation during data flow, thus reducing processing overhead.
Solution Approach 2:
The route selection process is segmented into independent evaluation steps: channel measurement, route discovery, quality assessment, and selection. Each step handles a specific aspect independently, reducing overall complexity and making the system more manageable and efficient.
3Adaptability or versatility
If traffic is routed through multiple intermediate nodes, then network flexibility is increased, but transmission delay and buffering requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The routing system dynamically adapts the number of intermediate nodes based on traffic characteristics and network conditions. For time-sensitive traffic, the system prefers direct or single-relay paths to minimize delay. For less time-critical traffic, multi-hop routes through multiple intermediate nodes are acceptable, providing routing flexibility while managing transmission delay.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and nodes in an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) network. A method in a node in an IAB network for selecting a preferred route from a plurality of candidate routes for sending data from a first node to a second node in the IAB network is provided. Each candidate route includes at least one intermediate node between the first node and the second node. The method includes, for each candidate route, determining a predicted transmission delay associated with sending the data along the respective candidate route based on channel measurements between nodes along the respective candidate route and an error probability constraint, wherein the transmission delay is predicted for a transmission of the data that satisfies the error probability constraint in view of the channel measurements. The method further selecting a route from the plurality of candidate routes for sending the data based on the predicted transmission delays.