Peer Radio Site Scheduling to Avoid Cellular Dead Zones
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern cellular networks face service disruptions due to network service activities like upgrades and maintenance, which can leave user equipment in a 'dead zone' for extended periods, adversely affecting usability and reliability.
Innovation Solution
Implement peer-to-peer scheduling of network service activities among neighboring radio sites based on traffic predictions and bidding, ensuring that only the radio site with the lowest expected traffic performs the activity at any given time, thereby minimizing simultaneous outages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If network service activities are performed on all or most radio sites simultaneously, then network service activities can be completed efficiently, but user equipment experiences complete service outage forming a 'dead zone'
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the network service activities across multiple radio sites by implementing a bidding-based scheduling mechanism. Each radio site independently evaluates its own traffic conditions and generates bids, then activities are distributed to selected sites based on these bids rather than being performed simultaneously at all sites. This segmentation prevents complete service outage while maintaining overall network service progress.
2Reliability
If network service activities are delayed to avoid service disruptions, then service reliability is improved, but network maintenance and upgrades are postponed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic scheduling mechanism where the timing and selection of radio sites for network service activities are continuously adjusted based on real-time or predicted traffic conditions. The bidding process allows sites to indicate their readiness and suitability at different times, enabling the system to dynamically select optimal moments and locations for activities rather than using fixed schedules or indefinite delays.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses traffic prediction to perform preliminary assessment of future traffic conditions at each radio site. By predicting when traffic will be lowest, the system can proactively schedule network service activities at optimal future times rather than reactively delaying them indefinitely. This preliminary action balances maintenance needs with service quality.
3Stability of the object's composition
If centralized orchestration is used to schedule network service activities, then coordination between radio sites is improved, but system complexity and coordination overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a self-service mechanism where each radio site autonomously evaluates its own traffic conditions, generates its own bid based on predicted traffic and current state, and independently determines its readiness for network service activities. This decentralized self-service approach reduces coordination overhead and system complexity while maintaining stable coordination through the standardized bidding framework that all sites participate in.
Data Source
AI summary
When a set of neighbor radio sites requires that a network service activity (e.g., upgrade) be performed, each radio site determines (a) whether it needs the activity (i.e., it has not yet been performed), (b) whether it is in process of the activity being performed, or (c) what its expected traffic will be for however long the activity requires. Radio sites that still need the activity bid values that are inversely proportional to the expected traffic so the lower their traffic the more likely they are to win, radio sites that do not need the activity bid a number that ensures they lose, and radio sites that are still in process (if any) bid a number that ensures they will win, so that 2 neighbor sites are not unavailable at the same time. This automatically selects the radio site having the lowest traffic for the activity in a peer-to-peer manner.