Automated Indoor Base Station Location Using Air-Interface Delays
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Solution Overview
Problem
The inefficient and error-prone manual methods for determining the location of indoor base stations during operation and maintenance, leading to difficulties in managing and troubleshooting these stations, especially when installation locations deviate from planned sites.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a first network device that sends information to multiple second network devices to measure and determine location based on air interface delays between them, using pilot signals and optimal beam pairs to enhance accuracy and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual search methods are used to locate indoor base stations, then operation and maintenance personnel can find control nodes and location information, but the search efficiency is low and recorded information is prone to being lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical search methods with automated electronic measurement systems. Network devices automatically send pilot signals and measure air interface delays to determine locations, substituting human-operated manual processes with automated electronic systems that are both faster and more reliable.
Solution Approach 2:
The network devices perform self-location determination by autonomously measuring air interface delays with other network devices. The system serves itself by automatically collecting and processing location data without requiring external manual intervention, improving both efficiency and reliability.
2Productivity
If automated measurement methods using pilot signals are used, then location determination efficiency is improved, but the system complexity increases due to multiple network devices coordinating measurements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the location determination task into segmented measurement processes. Different network devices perform localized pilot signal measurements with their neighbors, and each device contributes partial measurement data. The central network device then integrates these segmented measurements to determine overall locations, reducing individual device complexity while maintaining high efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal measurement framework where any network device can serve multiple functions: acting as a reference device, a measured device, or both simultaneously with different network devices. This multi-functionality allows the system to achieve high productivity through flexible role assignment without proportionally increasing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, including: sending first information and second information to each of a plurality of second network devices, where the first information indicates the second network device to determine a first delay of a pilot signal passing through a transmit channel and a receive channel of the second network device, and the second information indicates the second network device to send the pilot signal to one or more third network devices, and receive the pilot signal from the one or more third network devices; receiving the first delay of each second network device and one or more second delays; determining location information of each second network device based on an air interface delay between second network devices, where the air interface delay between the second network devices is determined based on the first delay of each second network device and the one or more second delays.