Interference Control in Self-Organizing Access Nodes

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

In femto communication systems, neighboring nodes may make conflicting decisions regarding interference management, leading to ineffective interference control due to conflicting network level decisions and insufficient information for resolving interference issues between macro and femto stations.

Innovation Solution

A method for interference control in self-organizing systems where access nodes communicate interference management notifications and acknowledgments, allowing interfering nodes to evaluate and select actions based on network-level decisions and additional information requests to resolve conflicts and optimize interference mitigation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If access nodes make autonomous interference management decisions in self-organizing systems, then local interference control responsiveness is improved, but conflicting decisions between neighboring nodes occur leading to ineffective interference control

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinterference control responsivenessVSAvoidinterference control effectiveness
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where access nodes exchange interference management notifications and acknowledgments with neighboring nodes. When a node detects interference, it sends a notification to the interfering node, which then responds with an acknowledgment containing its selected action. This closed-loop feedback ensures that autonomous decisions are coordinated and confirmed, preventing conflicts while maintaining rapid local response.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary communication protocol that mediates between autonomous access nodes. The notification-acknowledgment mechanism acts as an intermediary layer that coordinates decisions without requiring centralized control. The interfering node serves as a temporary mediator by evaluating requests from other nodes and selecting actions that resolve conflicts, enabling effective interference control through distributed coordination.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If access nodes exchange detailed interference information, then interference management accuracy is improved, but network signaling overhead and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinterference detection accuracyVSAvoidnetwork signaling complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential interference information needed for decision-making into standardized notification messages. Instead of exchanging complete interference datasets, nodes extract and communicate key parameters such as interference level, affected resources, and suggested actions. This extraction approach maintains detection accuracy while minimizing signaling overhead and complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter representation of interference information by using standardized, quantized levels rather than continuous measurements. Interference is represented using discrete severity levels and predefined action options, which reduces the information dimensionality. This parameter transformation enables accurate interference management with simplified signaling, reducing network complexity while preserving essential detection capabilities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP2514110B1Interference control method and apparatus in self-organizing system
Publication Date: 2020.02.12 NOKIA SOLUTIONS & NETWORKS OY
  • EP2514110B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2514110B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP2514110B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

An interference control method and apparatus in a self-organizing system are provided. The method includes the following steps: interference information is received at an access node from at least two other access nodes, wherein the other access nodes serve communication devices interfered by the access node; then the interference information is evaluated at the access node to determine at least one action that could be taken because of the interference; information about the determined at least one action is communicated to at least one of the at least two other access nodes, and the recipient node is operated accordingly.