Network Node Spectrum Opportunity Detection for Wireless Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing demand for spectrum resources in cellular communications networks, particularly for massive machine communication devices, poses challenges in geographic coverage and energy efficiency, as existing opportunistic spectrum access methods consume excessive power, which is detrimental to device operational lifespan and contradicts the goal of improving battery life.
Innovation Solution
A method where a network node conducts spectrum opportunity detection and indicates the results to the wireless device, allowing the device to utilize identified spectrum opportunities while minimizing its own power consumption, thereby shifting the burden of detection and reducing power usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wireless devices conduct spectrum opportunity detection themselves, then they can identify available channels for communication, but their power consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a network node as an intermediary that performs spectrum opportunity detection on behalf of wireless devices. The network node detects spectrum opportunities in a first spectrum band and provides this information to wireless devices, eliminating the need for devices to conduct their own detection activities. This mediator approach resolves the contradiction by centralizing the power-consuming detection function in the network infrastructure rather than distributing it to energy-constrained devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the spectrum opportunity detection function from the wireless device and relocates it to the network node. By separating the detection function from the device, the patent eliminates the power consumption burden from the device while maintaining the ability to identify spectrum opportunities. This extraction principle directly addresses the technical contradiction by removing the harmful power consumption element while preserving the useful spectrum access capability.
2Productivity
If opportunistic spectrum access is implemented, then spectrum utilization efficiency improves, but the power consumed in sensing and detection activities becomes highly detrimental to device battery life
Solution Approach 1:
The network node serves as an intermediary that performs spectrum opportunity detection centrally, enabling efficient spectrum utilization without requiring individual devices to expend power on sensing. The network node identifies spectrum opportunities and communicates this information to devices, maintaining high spectrum utilization efficiency while eliminating the energy loss associated with distributed detection activities.
Solution Approach 2:
The network infrastructure serves itself by performing spectrum detection for the entire network rather than requiring each device to self-service through independent detection. This self-service approach at the network level achieves efficient spectrum utilization while avoiding the detrimental power consumption that would result from each device performing its own sensing and detection.
3Reliability
If spectrum opportunity detection is performed continuously, then available channels are reliably identified, but device operational lifespan is reduced due to excessive power consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The network node acts as an intermediary that performs continuous or periodic spectrum opportunity detection on behalf of devices. This ensures reliable identification of available channels while the network infrastructure's power resources sustain the continuous operation without impacting device operational lifespan. The mediator absorbs the continuous detection burden that would otherwise drain device batteries.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the continuous spectrum detection function from the device and places it in the network node. This extraction enables reliable channel availability detection to continue without interruption while removing the power consumption burden from the device, thereby preserving device operational lifespan. The detection function is taken out of the energy-constrained device and placed in the energy-abundant network infrastructure.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method, in a network node, for managing a wireless device is disclosed. The method comprises conducting spectrum opportunity detection within a spectrum band (120) and indicating a result of the spectrum opportunity detection to the wireless device (140). For the purposes of the method, a spectrum opportunity comprises a channel within the spectrum band which is at least temporarily available for use by the wireless device. Also disclosed is a method in a wireless device in a network. The method comprises detecting an indication of a result of spectrum opportunity detection conducted by a network node within a spectrum band (440) and if the indication indicates a detected spectrum opportunity, conducting one of a transmission or reception operation on the detected spectrum opportunity (480). Also disclosed are a computer program product for carrying out the above methods, a network node and a wireless device.