Customer Equipment Misrepresenting Signal Power for Load-Aware Handoff
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional handover methods in LTE networks fail to provide optimal wireless link quality for customer premises equipment (CPE) when the connected base station is overloaded, leading to poor communication quality due to the reliance on strongest signal strength without considering load conditions.
Innovation Solution
The customer equipment misrepresents the power level of signals from a candidate base station to the current base station, adding a delta value to trigger a handover when the actual signal strength is below a threshold, allowing for proactive handover to a less congested base station, thereby improving link quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If CPE connects to the base station with the strongest signal level, then signal strength is maximized, but link quality deteriorates when the base station is overloaded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the handoff decision parameters by incorporating base station load information alongside signal strength measurements. The CPE monitors both RSRP/RSRQ metrics and base station load indicators, using composite criteria rather than signal strength alone to determine handoff triggers, thereby resolving the contradiction between maximizing signal strength and maintaining link quality under load conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the CPE receives load information from the base station and uses this feedback to adjust handoff decisions. The base station provides load status information back to the CPE, enabling the CPE to make informed handoff decisions that balance signal strength with network load conditions, preventing connection to overloaded stations
2Extent of automation
If conventional handoff events are used to trigger handovers, then handover automation is maintained, but handover decisions fail to account for base station load conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the functionality of conventional handoff events (A1-A5) by adding load-awareness capabilities to existing automation mechanisms. The same handoff event framework that automatically triggers on signal conditions is enhanced to also evaluate base station load information, making the automated system versatile enough to consider both signal quality and network congestion without requiring separate manual intervention
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary actions by having the CPE proactively monitor base station load information before handoff decisions are made. The CPE retrieves load indicators in advance and uses this information to pre-assess potential target base stations, enabling more informed automated handoff decisions that account for future link quality rather than reacting only to current signal conditions
Data Source
AI summary
Customer equipment establishes a wireless connection with a first wireless base station in a network environment. The first wireless base station is operative to provide the customer equipment wireless connectivity to a remote network. The customer equipment detects presence of a second wireless base station in the network environment. In response to detecting a condition such as that the first wireless base station is unable to provide a satisfactory level of communication quality to the customer equipment, the customer equipment initiates a handoff of the customer equipment to the second wireless base station via a communication to the first wireless base station. The communication mispresents a power level associated with receiving the wireless signals from the second wireless base station. The indicated power level prompts the first wireless base station to handoff the customer equipment to the second wireless base station.