Cooperative Base Station MAC Synchronization via Buffer Management

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Solution Overview

Problem

In cooperative communication systems, there is a lack of detailed schemes for synchronizing Medium Access Control (MAC) layer data, which is essential for effective communication among Base Stations (BSs) providing service to a Mobile Station (MS), especially in high-density deployments where interference and frequent handovers occur, leading to reduced system capacity.

Innovation Solution

The proposed solution involves an apparatus and method for acquiring synchronization among BSs in a cooperative communication system, specifically through the allocation and management of Sequence Numbers (SNs) for MAC Service Data Units (SDUs) and buffer synchronization, ensuring that MAC layer data is synchronized across BSs within a cooperative communication cell, enabling efficient data transmission and reception.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If high density deployment of small Base Stations is implemented, then system capacity is increased, but interference from neighbor BSs and frequent handovers occur leading to reduced system capacity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem capacityVSAvoidsystem capacity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple Base Stations are merged into a cooperative communication cell to work together as a unified system. The BSs share buffer information and coordinate data transmission, transforming individual isolated BSs into a collaborative network that reduces interference and improves overall system capacity and reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

Buffer synchronization information acts as an intermediary mechanism between BSs. By exchanging and synchronizing buffer status information, BSs can coordinate their data transmission activities, avoiding simultaneous transmissions that cause interference and enabling efficient handovers without capacity loss.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If MAC layer data synchronization is implemented among BSs, then data transmission reliability is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata transmission reliabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The synchronization process is segmented into specific MAC layer procedures. Instead of synchronizing all protocol layers, the invention focuses specifically on MAC layer buffer status synchronization, dividing the complex synchronization task into manageable, standardized steps that improve reliability without overwhelming system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the parameter being synchronized from general system state to specific MAC layer buffer status information. By focusing synchronization efforts on this specific parameter with standardized exchange procedures, the system achieves reliable data transmission while keeping implementation complexity manageable through parameter-specific optimization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP2976859B1Apparatus and method for acquiring synchronization in cooperative communication system
Publication Date: 2022.01.12 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP2976859B1 patent drawingFigure 1a~1c
  • EP2976859B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2976859B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A method for acquiring synchronization by a serving Base Station (BS) in a cooperative communication system includes performing a Medium Access Control Service Data Unit (MAC SDU) synchronization process with a data Gate Way (GW) and at least one cooperative communication cell member BS, determining a first Internet Protocol (IP) packet which is received by the at least one cooperative communication cell member BS after performing the MAC SDU synchronization process, and performing an IP packet transfer operation with the data GW and the at least one cooperative communication cell member BS based on whether at least one IP packet of which a Sequence Number (SN) is less than an SN of the first IP packet is buffered. The other embodiments with respect to serving base stations, data GWs, and cooperative communication cell member BSs are also disclosed.