LPWAN Coverage Extension via Replay Modules and Repeaters
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Solution Overview
Problem
Low Power Wide-Area Networks (LPWANs) face challenges in extending coverage reliably and cost-effectively, particularly in areas with limited line of sight or high noise and interference, where traditional methods like deploying additional Base Stations are costly and complex.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an extension network with replay modules and repeaters interconnected via a management cloud, using RF cables to emulate wireless communication with Base Stations, allowing for optimized message scheduling and filtering of redundant messages to enhance coverage and reduce interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If additional Base Stations are deployed to extend LPWAN coverage, then coverage area is improved, but deployment cost and network complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces repeaters as intermediary devices that receive signals from Base Stations and retransmit them to extend coverage. These repeaters act as mediators between the existing BS infrastructure and remote EPs, allowing coverage extension without adding full BS complexity. The repeater is a simpler device that only needs to receive and retransmit signals, not manage network protocols or handle complex base station functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the wireless communication link by having replay modules emulate the BS wireless interface through RF cables. This copying approach allows the system to extend coverage by replicating the BS-EP communication path without physically deploying additional BS hardware, thereby reducing deployment cost and complexity while maintaining protocol compatibility.
2Area of stationary object
If additional Base Stations are deployed to extend LPWAN coverage, then coverage area is improved, but deployment cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs repeaters as inexpensive, simple devices compared to full Base Stations. Repeaters have reduced functionality (only signal reception and retransmission) which makes them cheaper to deploy. The system accepts that repeaters are simpler, shorter-lived components that don't require the same level of infrastructure investment as BSs, enabling cost-effective coverage extension.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the Base Station functionality into two parts: the full BS at the network core and simplified repeaters at the edge. This segmentation allows the expensive BS functions to be centralized while the coverage extension function is handled by cheaper, distributed repeaters, reducing overall deployment cost.
3Reliability
If message repetitions are used to improve communication reliability in noisy areas, then reliability is improved, but traffic volume and network load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different quality levels of communication links at different locations in the network. The RF cable link between replay module and BS provides a high-quality, interference-free path, while the wireless link handles the noisy outdoor environment. This local quality differentiation allows the system to achieve high reliability through the cable link without requiring multiple repetitions over the noisy wireless channel.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potential harm of redundant message transmissions into benefit by using the high-reliability RF cable link. Messages that might require multiple wireless transmissions are instead transmitted once over the cable, where the same-level redundancy provides sufficient reliability without overloading the network, thus converting the redundancy requirement into a benefit of the cable medium.
4Reliability
If message repetitions are used to improve communication reliability, then reliability is improved, but noise interference increases
Solution Approach 1:
The replay module acts as an intermediary that captures the wireless message, converts it to an RF cable signal, and transmits it to the BS. This intermediary approach removes the message from the noisy wireless environment and transports it through the clean cable medium, eliminating noise interference while maintaining communication reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes the wireless electromagnetic transmission mechanism with an RF cable electrical transmission mechanism for the portion of the path between replay module and BS. This substitution replaces the noise-prone wireless channel with a shielded, interference-free cable channel, eliminating the harmful noise factor while preserving signal integrity.
Data Source
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AI summary
A communication network (20) includes one or more replay modules (64), one or more repeaters (68) and one or more processors (72), (84) and (70). The replay modules are configured to connect by Radio Frequency (RF) cable (82) to RF interfaces (52) of respective Base Stations (BSs) (32) that provide connectivity between wireless devices (24) and servers (26) over a packet network (28). Each of the repeaters is configured to wirelessly communicate with one or more wireless devices, and to further communicate with one or more BSs via respective replay modules. The processors are configured to receive messages originating from one or more of the wireless devices and destined to the servers, to process the messages to determine a scheduling plan for transmitting the messages to one or more selected BSs, and to emulate to the selected BSs transmissions of the wireless devices, by transmitting the messages to the selected BSs via the respective replay modules, in accordance with the scheduling plan.