Overlapping Carrier Bandwidth Aggregation for Non-Standard Spectrum
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Solution Overview
Problem
The limitations of LTE/E-UTRAN Downlink and Uplink system bandwidths lead to inefficient spectrum exploitation, as operators with non-standard frequency blocks cannot fully utilize their spectrum, and future carrier aggregation techniques face limitations in spectrum utilization due to strict bandwidth constraints.
Innovation Solution
The use of overlapped carriers that combine multiple standard bandwidths to match available spectrum blocks, allowing for flexible bandwidth configurations and enhanced Inter-Cell Interference Coordination (ICIC) schemes, while maintaining backward compatibility with LTE Rel-8 and supporting LTE-Advanced releases.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If standard LTE/E-UTRAN bandwidth configurations are used, then device compatibility and standard compliance are improved, but spectrum exploitation efficiency deteriorates when operators have non-standard frequency blocks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the available spectrum into multiple component carriers, each with standard LTE bandwidth configurations (1.4, 3, 5, 10, 15, or 20 MHz). These segmented carriers are then aggregated to form a composite carrier that matches the operator's non-standard frequency block size, enabling efficient spectrum utilization while maintaining standard compliance for each individual carrier.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces carrier aggregation as an additional dimension for bandwidth configuration. Instead of relying on a single carrier with flexible bandwidth, the system uses multiple standardized carriers aggregated in the frequency domain, adding a temporal and spectral dimension to bandwidth management that enables matching non-standard spectrum blocks.
2Productivity
If carrier aggregation is implemented to match non-standard spectrum blocks, then spectrum utilization is improved, but system complexity and scheduling difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple standardized component carriers into a single composite carrier that presents a unified interface to higher layers. This combining approach allows the system to achieve non-standard bandwidth configurations while maintaining standard compliance for each component, reducing the overall system complexity compared to implementing truly non-standard carriers.
Solution Approach 2:
The carrier aggregation mechanism serves multiple functions: it enables matching of non-standard spectrum blocks, provides flexibility for future bandwidth adjustments, maintains backward compatibility with LTE standards, and enables efficient resource allocation across multiple carriers. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate mechanisms for each requirement.
3Adaptability or versatility
If overlapping carriers are used to match available spectrum, then spectrum exploitation is optimized, but interference coordination difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different resource allocation strategies to different parts of the spectrum. In non-overlapping regions, standard resource allocation is used, while in overlapping regions, coordinated resource allocation is applied. This local differentiation allows the system to match available spectrum efficiently while managing interference only where necessary, rather than applying complex coordination across the entire spectrum.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary coordination mechanism between overlapping carriers that manages resource allocation in the overlapping regions. This intermediary layer handles the complexity of interference coordination by providing a standardized interface for resource management, shielding higher layers from the complexity of overlapping carrier coordination while enabling efficient spectrum exploitation.
Data Source
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AI summary
An apparatus for controlling spectrum exploitation utilising overlapping channel bandwidths comprises a carrier utilization element configured to utilize a combination of pre-conf igured channel bandwidths for wireless communication within an available frequency spectrum, wherein the combination includes overlapping pre-configured channel bandwidths.