Frequency Hopping MTC Coverage Enhancement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Machine Type Communication (MTC) terminals face challenges in achieving adequate coverage and low power consumption, especially in environments with metal shielding or underground installations, where existing LTE coverage is inadequate, and require technologies that improve coverage by 20 dB while maintaining low power consumption and reducing manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
The method involves using frequency hopping and repetition transmission patterns at the base station to transmit system information, control information, and data to MTC terminals, with specific frequency hopping patterns generated using cell and terminal identifiers, and adaptive management of transmission channels to enhance coverage and data rate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If coverage improvement technology is applied to MTC terminals, then coverage is improved by 20 dB, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the downlink coverage improvement into two parts: (1) base station transmits at full bandwidth, (2) MTC terminal uses single receive RF chain at reduced bandwidth. This segmentation allows coverage improvement without requiring complex full-bandwidth reception hardware at the terminal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the bandwidth parameter from full system bandwidth to reduced bandwidth at the MTC terminal receiver. This parameter change enables the terminal to achieve coverage improvement through signal repetition and integration while using simpler, lower-cost hardware with single RF chain and reduced bandwidth capability.
2Ease of manufacture
If bandwidth is reduced for MTC terminals, then manufacturing costs are reduced, but downlink coverage deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs periodic repetition transmission where the base station transmits the same downlink data multiple times across different time intervals. The MTC terminal integrates these repeated transmissions to achieve the required 20 dB coverage improvement, maintaining adequate coverage despite reduced bandwidth hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
The base station performs preliminary actions by transmitting data multiple times in advance before the terminal needs to decode it. This allows the terminal to accumulate sufficient signal energy through integration of repeated transmissions, compensating for the reduced bandwidth receiver limitations.
3Use of energy by moving object
If single receive RF chain is used in MTC terminals, then power consumption is reduced, but downlink coverage is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The base station transmits downlink data in repeated intervals, allowing the MTC terminal with single RF chain to integrate multiple transmissions over time. This periodic transmission approach enables the low-power terminal to achieve adequate coverage through signal accumulation without requiring high-power or multi-RF-chain hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
The base station creates copies of the downlink data and transmits them multiple times. The MTC terminal processes these copies through integration, achieving the required signal quality and coverage while maintaining low power consumption due to the simple single RF chain architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of performing a downlink machine type communication from a base station to a MTC (machine type communication) terminal includes, at the base station, transmitting at least one of a system information—the system information excluding a Master Information Block (MIB)—, a control information and data to the MTC terminal using a system bandwidth having a predetermined size. The base station performs frequency hopping using a frequency hopping pattern in a unit of narrow band on the at least one of the system information—the system information excluding a Master Information Block (MIB)—, the control information and the data to transmit to the MTC terminal, and the narrow band is less than the system bandwidth.