LTE-U Carrier Aggregation Traffic Accounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless communication technologies face challenges in effectively managing and optimizing the use of licensed and unlicensed spectrum for LTE and LTE-U networks, leading to varying costs, reliability, and quality issues.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a traffic accounting function at base stations to separately track data usage on a per-user and per-QoS basis, using carrier aggregation profiles to control the division of traffic between licensed and unlicensed spectrum, and transmitting usage information for billing purposes, while activating profiles based on factors like time, network load, and user preferences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If carrier aggregation is used to concurrently use both LTE and LTE-U spectrums, then throughput is improved, but device complexity and network management complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments spectrum management by introducing separate accounting functions for licensed and unlicensed spectrum usage. The network operator can independently manage, monitor, and optimize each spectrum type through separate charging policies and quality of service parameters, reducing the complexity of managing aggregated carriers while maintaining high throughput benefits
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary accounting function that mediates between the carrier aggregation function and the charging system. This intermediary tracks and reports usage separately for licensed and unlicensed spectrum, enabling independent policy control and simplifying network management by decoupling the complexity of spectrum management from the core carrier aggregation function
2Loss of energy
If unlicensed spectrum is used to reduce cost, then cost is reduced, but reliability and quality may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic spectrum management where the network can flexibly allocate traffic between licensed and unlicensed spectrum based on real-time conditions. Through separate quality of service parameters and charging policies for each spectrum type, the system can dynamically adjust the mix to maintain required quality levels while optimizing cost by utilizing unlicensed spectrum when appropriate
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter structure by introducing separate quality of service parameters, charging rates, and accounting methods for licensed and unlicensed spectrum. This enables independent optimization of each spectrum type, allowing the network to adjust quality and cost parameters separately to achieve the desired balance between reliability and cost-effectiveness
3Measurement precision
If separate tracking of licensed and unlicensed traffic is implemented, then billing accuracy and spectrum management are improved, but device complexity and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the accounting and reporting function for unlicensed spectrum usage from the core network elements and places it at the eNodeB level. This localized extraction enables separate tracking of licensed and unlicensed traffic with precise billing accuracy while minimizing the processing overhead in the core network, as the separation and reporting is handled at the access network edge
Data Source
AI summary
Carrier aggregation may be performed using licensed (e.g., LTE) and unlicensed (e.g., LTE-U) spectrum in which the amount of data associated with users may be separately tracked for the licensed and unlicensed communications. The tracking for the amount of licensed and unlicensed data may be performed at base stations associated with a wireless network. In some implementations, a base station may maintain a number of profiles that each indicate how and/or when carrier aggregation is to be divided or performed.