Network Node Collision Management for IAB Resource Conflicts

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wireless communication systems face challenges in managing resource conflicts among network nodes, particularly in integrated access and backhaul (IAB) configurations, leading to dropped communications due to overlapping resource allocations and interference.

Innovation Solution

A method where network nodes provide resource management indications to control nodes, enabling them to determine and implement collision management configurations, such as new resource or communication configurations, to resolve conflicts and optimize resource utilization.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If network nodes share available system resources (bandwidth, transmit power) among multiple users, then system resource utilization improves, but resource conflicts and interference increase leading to dropped communications

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem resource utilizationVSAvoidcommunication reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where network nodes report resource conflict information to a controller, which then determines and communicates collision management configurations back to the network nodes. This closed-loop feedback system enables dynamic adjustment of resource allocation to resolve conflicts while maintaining high resource utilization and communication reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The controller acts as an intermediary between network nodes experiencing resource conflicts. It receives resource management indications from network nodes, processes the conflict information, determines appropriate collision management configurations, and transmits these configurations back to resolve the conflicts. This intermediary coordination enables efficient resource sharing without direct conflicts between nodes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If network nodes allocate overlapping resources to multiple users, then resource efficiency improves, but resource conflicts occur causing communication drops

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource efficiencyVSAvoidresource conflict interference
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs dynamic resource allocation where collision management configurations are not fixed but are determined and updated based on real-time resource management indications from network nodes. The controller dynamically adjusts resource assignments, time slots, frequencies, or spatial parameters to resolve conflicts while maintaining efficient resource utilization, adapting to changing network conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The controller resolves resource conflicts by changing one or more parameters of the resource allocation, such as adjusting time slots, frequency channels, transmit power levels, or spatial beam directions. These parameter modifications eliminate overlapping resource assignments while preserving overall resource efficiency and system capacity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Device complexity

If network nodes operate autonomously without coordination, then system complexity is reduced, but resource conflicts increase leading to communication failures

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem complexityVSAvoidcommunication reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The controller serves as a centralized intermediary that coordinates resource allocation across network nodes. Instead of requiring complex autonomous conflict resolution at each node, the controller receives resource management indications, determines appropriate collision management configurations, and distributes these configurations to network nodes. This centralized coordination approach maintains system reliability while avoiding the complexity of distributed autonomous conflict resolution mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP4014540B1Techniques for network node conflict resolution
Publication Date: 2025.12.03 QUALCOMM INC
  • EP4014540B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4014540B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4014540B1 patent drawingFigure 3A

AI summary

Various aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to wireless communication. In some aspects, a control node may receive a resource management indication from a network node to identify a resource utilization with communications of the network node; determine, based at least in part on the resource management indication, a collision management configuration for the network node; and transmit information associated with the collision management configuration based at least in part on the determination of the collision management configuration. Numerous other aspects are provided.