NB-IoT Frequency Hopping for Diversity Gain

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Solution Overview

Problem

The Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) technology faces a challenge due to its narrow transmission bandwidth, resulting in a relatively small gain of frequency diversity, which affects its communication efficiency.

Innovation Solution

The introduction of frequency hopping in NB-IoT systems, where the NB-IoT base station determines time-frequency resource locations based on frequency hopping information, allowing for intra-group and inter-group frequency hopping within a larger frequency range, and positioning frequency hops within LTE system guard bands to enhance frequency diversity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If frequency hopping is not introduced in NB-IoT, then the transmission bandwidth remains narrow, but the frequency diversity gain is small

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefrequency diversity gainVSAvoidtransmission bandwidth
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies frequency hopping to dynamically change the frequency location of NB-IoT signals across different time slots. By introducing time-varying frequency transmission patterns, the system transforms from a static narrowband transmission to a dynamic multi-frequency transmission, thereby achieving frequency diversity gain without requiring a permanently expanded bandwidth allocation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extends the transmission from a single narrow frequency dimension to multiple frequency dimensions by implementing frequency hopping across different frequency locations. This dimensional expansion allows the system to access a larger effective frequency range while maintaining the narrowband constraint at any given time slot, thus improving frequency diversity without permanently increasing bandwidth occupation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Reliability

If frequency hopping is implemented across a larger frequency range, then frequency diversity gain increases, but the complexity of resource management increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefrequency diversity gainVSAvoidresource management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements frequency hopping by changing the frequency parameter of NB-IoT transmission across different time slots. The system uses predefined hopping patterns and frequency offsets to systematically vary the transmission frequency, transforming a static transmission parameter into a dynamic one. This parameter change approach enables frequency diversity while maintaining manageable complexity through standardized hopping rules.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Device complexity

If NB-IoT uses a narrow transmission bandwidth, then device complexity is reduced, but the frequency diversity gain is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice complexityVSAvoidfrequency diversity gain
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements periodic frequency hopping where the NB-IoT transmission frequency changes at regular time intervals according to predefined patterns. This periodic frequency variation allows the system to maintain simple narrowband device architecture while periodically accessing different frequency regions to harvest frequency diversity gains, thus resolving the contradiction between device simplicity and reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentEP3393147B1Channel transmission method, apparatus and system for NB-iot
Publication Date: 2019.12.18 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3393147B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3393147B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3393147B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

This application provides a channel transmission method, apparatus, and system for NB-IoT. An NB-IoT base station determines, based on the frequency hopping information, a time-frequency resource location of the channel after frequency hopping, and performs channel transmission with an NB-IoT terminal on a time-frequency resource corresponding to the time-frequency resource location, so that the frequency hopping is introduced into the NB-IoT, thereby increasing a gain of frequency diversity through the frequency hopping.