Network Manager Scheduling for Broadcast Offload During Peak Demand
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing complexity and cost of cellular networks due to the growing number of communication devices, particularly in high-demand scenarios like live events, is exacerbated by the reliance on unicast communication models, leading to congestion and high latency issues.
Innovation Solution
A network manager system that integrates with broadcast networks to offload data from cellular networks, utilizing a data interface and scheduler to optimize the use of radio access networks for efficient multicast or broadcast data transmission, leveraging historical request data to allocate resources effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If cellular networks dimension for average load, then network infrastructure cost is reduced, but network experiences congestion and overload situations during high-demand events
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic network dimensioning that adapts between unicast mode for normal operations and broadcast/multicast mode for high-demand events. The system dynamically switches transmission modes based on load conditions, allowing the network to efficiently handle both average and peak loads without permanent overprovisioning infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes key network parameters including transmission mode (unicast vs. broadcast/multicast), modulation schemes, and resource allocation strategies based on detected load conditions. These parameter changes enable the network to optimize performance for different operational states without requiring separate infrastructure for each state.
2Reliability
If cellular networks provide unicast communication for each user, then individual service quality is maintained, but network complexity and cost increase with growing number of devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple unicast streams into a single broadcast or multicast stream when serving the same content to multiple users. This consolidation reduces the number of separate transmission channels required, thereby reducing network complexity while maintaining service quality for all recipients through efficient resource sharing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a universal transmission mechanism that can serve both individual unicast requests and group broadcast/multicast requests through the same infrastructure. The network dynamically determines whether to use unicast or broadcast/multicast based on the number of users requesting the same content, making the system adaptable to varying service patterns without requiring separate specialized infrastructure.
3Productivity
If cellular networks increase transmitter capabilities to serve more devices, then network capacity increases, but technical complexity and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs periodic assessment of network load conditions and dynamically adjusts transmission modes between unicast and broadcast/multicast. This periodic evaluation allows the network to maintain adequate capacity for peak loads while avoiding the permanent complexity of high-capability transmitters when operating under normal conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of increasing transmitter capabilities, the system creates additional transmission instances through broadcast and multicast copies of the same data stream. This approach increases network capacity by duplicating content delivery paths rather than upgrading individual transmitter hardware, thereby avoiding increased technical complexity and power consumption.
4Productivity
If cellular networks serve live media events to multiple users simultaneously, then user demand is met, but data distribution latency increases under high-load conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges individual unicast data streams into a single consolidated broadcast or multicast stream when multiple users request the same live media content. This merging eliminates redundant processing and transmission delays associated with multiple separate unicast connections, thereby reducing distribution latency while maintaining the ability to serve multiple users simultaneously.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure provides a network manager comprising a data interface configured to communicatively couple to at least one radio access network of a broadcast network, and to a load data source network; and a request database comprising data of at least one historical data transmission; and a network scheduler communicatively coupled to the data interface and the request database and configured to receive request data with regard to the transmission of load data, and to provide configuration data for configuring the at least one radio access network to use specific radio access network resources for transmission of the load data; wherein the network scheduler is configured to define the configuration data based on the request data and at least partially based on the data stored in the request database. The present disclosure further provides a respective method.