IoT Sensor for Base Station Sleeping Cell Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Sleeping cell failures in wireless wide area networks are difficult to detect using conventional OSS systems, leading to network performance degradation and user quality of experience issues, as these failures do not trigger alarms or anomalous KPIs, and can remain undetected for several hours.
Innovation Solution
An IoT sensor and controller device monitors cell performance, initiates connection requests, and resets the cellular radio cell by rebooting internal processors if it cannot establish communication with a remote server, thereby detecting and recovering from sleeping cell states.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional OSS systems are used to monitor cell performance, then system complexity is reduced and ease of operation is maintained, but sleeping cell failures cannot be detected leading to network performance degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary monitoring device that acts as a mediator between the cellular radio cell and the OSS system. This device establishes a direct connection to the cell and performs independent monitoring of cell performance metrics, bypassing the limitations of conventional OSS monitoring. The intermediary device detects sleeping cell failures through direct measurement of cell responses and performance counters, thereby improving detection reliability without requiring modification of the existing OSS system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The monitoring device performs self-service by autonomously collecting cell performance data, analyzing performance counters, and detecting sleeping cell conditions without requiring external intervention or complex OSS system modifications. The device independently executes monitoring functions, generates alerts when failures are detected, and can trigger automated recovery procedures, thereby achieving reliable detection while maintaining system simplicity.
2Reliability
If manual reset procedures are used for sleeping cell recovery, then system complexity is minimized, but network downtime increases and user quality of experience deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring device performs preliminary detection of sleeping cell conditions by continuously analyzing performance counters and cell responses before complete cell failure occurs. When a sleeping cell condition is detected, the system proactively initiates reset procedures in advance of actual service impact. This preliminary action enables recovery to be triggered automatically based on detected anomalies, reducing the time cells remain in failed states and improving network availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the monitoring device continuously collects cell performance data, compares it against thresholds, and provides real-time feedback on cell health status. When performance counters indicate a sleeping cell condition, the feedback loop automatically triggers reset procedures. The system also monitors post-reset cell performance to confirm recovery, creating a closed-loop feedback system that minimizes downtime by enabling rapid detection and automated response.
3Measurement precision
If comprehensive monitoring of all cell performance metrics is implemented, then detection precision is improved, but device complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring device extracts and focuses on specific critical performance counters that are most indicative of sleeping cell conditions, such as RACH failure counters, cell activation status, and user connection metrics. Rather than implementing comprehensive monitoring of all possible cell parameters, the system selectively extracts and monitors only those metrics that provide the highest detection precision for sleeping cell failures. This extraction approach maintains measurement precision while minimizing device complexity by concentrating monitoring resources on the most relevant indicators.
4Productivity
If automated recovery procedures are implemented, then productivity is improved through reduced manual intervention, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service automation where the monitoring device autonomously detects sleeping cell conditions, triggers reset procedures, and verifies recovery without requiring manual operator intervention. The automated procedure includes self-diagnosis of cell status, self-execution of reset commands to the radio cell, and self-verification of recovery status by monitoring post-reset performance counters. This self-service automation significantly improves productivity by enabling rapid recovery while keeping system complexity manageable through the use of standardized automation protocols and pre-configured recovery procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosed technology provides a system and method for detecting and recovering from sleeping cell failures in radio cells of wireless wide area communication network by periodically communication with a remote server/host using the radio access network of a radio cell to be monitored for sleeping cell problems, and autonomously or manually resetting or rebooting the radio cell upon determining that failure to reach the remote server/host is a result of the radio cell going into a sleeping cell state.