Cellular Network PCI Conflict Resolution by Cause-Cell Prioritization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cellular communication networks face challenges in efficiently resolving conflicts between cells using the same cell parameter values, such as Physical Cell Identifiers (PCIs), leading to performance degradation and mobility issues for User Equipments (UEs).
Innovation Solution
A method to identify and prioritize cause cells within a network that are causing conflicts, allowing for efficient reconfiguration of cell parameter values to minimize the number of optimization actions required to resolve these conflicts, thereby maintaining network performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional conflict resolution methods are used in cellular networks, then conflicts between cells using same PCI are resolved, but the number of optimization actions increases and network performance degrades
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter being optimized from resolving all PCI conflicts to minimizing the number of optimization actions. By modifying the objective function and using a greedy algorithm that selects cause cells based on occurrence frequency rather than resolving all conflicts, the system reduces network optimization actions while maintaining acceptable performance levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and identifies specific cause cells that are responsible for multiple PCI conflicts, then selectively reconfigures only those key cause cells. This extraction approach avoids the need to reconfigure all conflicting cells, thereby reducing the total number of optimization actions required while still resolving the majority of conflicts.
2Reliability
If all conflicting cells are reconfigured to resolve PCI conflicts, then conflict resolution is achieved, but service disruptions increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of applying uniform reconfiguration to all conflicting cells, the patent applies local quality by identifying and treating only the most significant cause cells (those causing multiple conflicts). This localized approach resolves conflicts where they are most problematic while leaving other cells unchanged, thereby reducing service disruptions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs partial action by not attempting to resolve every single PCI conflict, but rather focusing on resolving the most critical conflicts caused by high-frequency cause cells. This partial resolution approach achieves sufficient conflict mitigation with fewer reconfiguration actions, reducing service disruptions.
3Measurement precision
If complex conflict detection algorithms are used to identify all PCI conflicts, then complete conflict detection is achieved, but computational complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by pre-identifying cause cells and their occurrence frequencies before full conflict resolution. This preliminary analysis of cause cell patterns allows the system to prioritize reconfiguration efforts and avoid complex real-time analysis of all possible conflict scenarios, reducing computational complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the conflict resolution problem into two parts: first identifying cause cells and their frequencies, then selectively reconfiguring based on that information. This segmentation simplifies the overall algorithm by breaking down the complex task of resolving all PCI conflicts into a more manageable two-step process.
Data Source
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AI summary
According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for network optimization in a cellular communication network, the method comprising determining, by an apparatus, at least two first cells, wherein the at least two first cells are configured to use a first cell parameter value in the cellular communication network, determining, by the apparatus, a cause cell for each of the at least two first cells, wherein the cause cells are cells that are configured to use the first cell parameter value and each cause cell is within a predetermined number of hops from a respective first cell, sorting, by the apparatus, the cause cells into a list in the order of number of occurrences as a cause cell and configuring, by the apparatus, a first cell in the list to use a second cell parameter value.