Non-Terrestrial Base Station Handover for Terrestrial Outages
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mobile communication networks face incapacity issues during events like natural disasters or network overloads, leading to communication disruptions, and current backup solutions like battery power and portable equipment are insufficient for prolonged outages.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method that uses non-terrestrial base stations, such as satellites, to detect terrestrial base station incapacity and provide backup services by identifying suitable replacement stations, allowing them to operate within the vacated spectrum and geographic region of the incapacitated terrestrial base stations, and managing the transition with spectrum analysis and human oversight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If terrestrial base stations are used to provide communication services, then network coverage and service quality are improved, but network reliability deteriorates during natural disasters or incapacity events
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from terrestrial base stations to non-terrestrial base stations (satellites, balloons, drones) operating in different spatial dimensions. This dimensional shift allows backup communication services during terrestrial network failures, as non-terrestrial platforms are not affected by ground-based disasters like floods or storms that incapacitate terrestrial infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes operational parameters by switching between terrestrial and non-terrestrial base stations based on detected incapacity conditions. When terrestrial base stations are detected as incapacitated through spectrum analysis and signal monitoring, the system activates non-terrestrial alternatives, changing the operational state from ground-based to space-based or aerial-based communication services.
2Reliability
If non-terrestrial base stations are deployed for backup services, then network reliability is improved during outages, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The non-terrestrial base stations are designed to autonomously detect terrestrial base station incapacity through spectrum analysis and signal monitoring, automatically activate backup services, and manage the transition without requiring complex manual intervention. The system performs self-diagnosis and self-activation, reducing operational complexity despite the added infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The non-terrestrial base stations serve multiple functions: they provide primary communication services in remote areas, act as backup during terrestrial outages, and enable seamless handover between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated backup systems, thereby managing complexity.
3Stability of the object's composition
If spectrum analysis and human oversight are implemented for transition management, then service stability is improved, but operational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous spectrum analysis to monitor terrestrial base station signals and provides feedback on network status. When incapacity is detected, the feedback triggers automatic activation of non-terrestrial base stations. Human oversight receives this feedback information and can approve or adjust transitions, ensuring stability through controlled decision-making while managing complexity through automated monitoring.
Data Source
AI summary
A method is disclosed for providing backup network services in a communications network used by mobile terminals such as cellular telephones. The method includes receiving information regarding a terrestrial base station of the communications network and, using a non-terrestrial base station (NTBS) such as an orbiting satellite, detecting an incapacity of the terrestrial base station. The NTBS identifies a second NTBS (e.g., a second satellite) within communications range to provide backup service to the communications network. The second NTBS is then introduced as a new base station of the communications network. The second NTBS can then substitute for the incapacitated terrestrial base station to carry traffic between at least one mobile terminal and the communications network.