Movable Base Station Location Determination Using Virtual Terminals

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Solution Overview

Problem

The location of a movable base station in a wireless LAN network cannot be appropriately determined due to the unavailability of terminal station location information.

Innovation Solution

An information processing device performs three stages of determination: identifying base stations not meeting predetermined conditions, setting virtual terminals in their coverage areas, and determining the location of movable base stations based on these virtual terminals using clustering methods like k-means.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a movable base station is installed to accommodate more users and traffic, then the network capacity and coverage are improved, but the location determination becomes difficult due to unavailability of terminal station location information

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork capacityVSAvoidlocation determination

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates virtual terminal stations as copies or representations of actual terminal stations. These virtual terminals are positioned based on radio signal characteristics rather than physical location data. The base station location determination uses these virtual copies to infer optimal positions without requiring direct access to real terminal location information.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical approach of directly using terminal location coordinates with a radio-based measurement system. Instead of relying on physical location data, the system uses radio signal strength, propagation characteristics, and virtual terminal positioning to determine base station locations, substituting direct mechanical location tracking with electromagnetic field-based inference.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Area of stationary object

If the number of radio base stations is increased to improve coverage, then the network coverage is improved, but the cost for equipment, installation, and operations increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecoverage areaVSAvoidinstallation cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs movable base stations that can dynamically change their positions and coverage areas rather than deploying fixed base stations throughout the entire area. This dynamic approach allows a smaller number of base stations to provide comprehensive coverage by moving to where users are located, reducing the total number of base stations needed and thereby lowering equipment, installation, and operational costs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the operational parameters of base stations by allowing them to move and adjust their coverage areas dynamically. Instead of increasing the number of base stations, the patent modifies the position and coverage parameters of existing base stations to optimize network coverage, thereby avoiding the costs associated with deploying additional infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If the distance between radio base station and terminal station is reduced to improve signal quality, then the radio communication quality is improved, but the number of base stations required increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveradio communication qualityVSAvoidnumber of base stations

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses movable base stations that can dynamically adjust their positions to maintain optimal distances from terminal stations. Rather than deploying numerous fixed base stations, a smaller number of mobile base stations can move to positions that ensure short distances and good signal quality, thereby maintaining high communication reliability without increasing the total number of base stations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces virtual terminal stations as intermediaries between the physical terminal stations and the base stations. These virtual terminals serve as mediators that help determine base station positions based on radio signal characteristics, enabling the system to achieve optimal base station-terminal distances without directly requiring precise knowledge of terminal locations, thus maintaining signal quality with fewer base stations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS20230247441A1Method of determining location for installing moveable base station and information processing apparatus

Publication Date: 2023.08.03 NT T INC

AI summary

A method of determining a location at which a movable base station is to be installed is provided. In the method, an information processing device performs first determination processing of determining a base station providing radio communication that does not satisfy a predetermined condition based on information of a radio signal of each base station, second determination processing of determining a number of virtual terminals to be set in a coverage area of the base station providing the radio communication that does not satisfy the predetermined condition based on the information of the radio signal of the base station, and third determination processing of determining the location at which the movable base station is to be installed based on a location of each virtual terminal set in the coverage area of the base station providing the radio communication that does not satisfy the predetermined condition.