Radio Access Network Node Topographic Map Coverage Optimization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Mobile radio telecommunication networks lack the ability to utilize topographical information for optimizing radio signal propagation and resource management, leading to suboptimal service delivery and interference management due to the absence of environmental awareness in network nodes.

Innovation Solution

A radio access network node equipped with a system of radiating antennas and a processor that generates or obtains a topographic map to calculate coverage maps, creating data structures to describe service delivery capabilities and decide on optimal service strategies based on environmental and neighbor node information.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If nodes collect and process radio signal measurements and geolocation information to derive topographical knowledge, then service delivery capability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice delivery capabilityVSAvoidnode processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a centralized server as an intermediary that performs the complex topographical environment derivation and data structure creation. Nodes simply collect measurements and geolocation information, then send them to the server which processes this data to create topographical knowledge and service capability data structures. This mediator approach allows nodes to improve service delivery without bearing the computational burden of complex processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system divides the complex task of topographical analysis into separate functional segments: nodes perform data collection, the server performs data processing and topographical derivation, and both entities utilize the derived knowledge for service optimization. This segmentation allows each component to focus on specific tasks, improving overall system capability while managing individual device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If nodes are made aware of topographical environment information and neighbor node conditions, then interference management is improved, but information processing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinterference managementVSAvoidinformation processing load
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The centralized server acts as an intermediary that consolidates information from multiple nodes and neighbor reports. It processes this information to create comprehensive topographical environment models and service capability data structures, then distributes relevant information back to nodes. This approach improves interference management through better information availability while the server manages the information processing load centrally.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates data structure copies that represent topographical knowledge and service capabilities. Instead of nodes processing raw measurement data continuously, the server creates structured representations of the environment that nodes can utilize. These copied data structures provide the necessary information for interference management without requiring nodes to maintain and process the original complex datasets.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Productivity

If nodes use topographic maps and coverage maps to make operational decisions, then resource allocation efficiency is improved, but computational requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource allocation efficiencyVSAvoidcomputational power
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSPower

Solution Approach 1:

The centralized server serves as a computational intermediary that generates topographic maps and coverage maps based on collected data. Nodes receive these pre-processed maps and use them for operational decisions without performing the computationally intensive map generation themselves. This allows nodes to improve resource allocation efficiency while the server handles the heavy computational requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Adaptability or versatility

If nodes maintain data structures describing service delivery capabilities across geographic areas, then service optimization is improved, but memory requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice optimizationVSAvoiddata storage
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system creates structured data copies that represent service delivery capabilities across geographic areas. These data structures are generated by the server based on topographical information and node capabilities, then distributed to relevant nodes. The copied data structures enable service optimization by providing nodes with the necessary information about their service capabilities and environmental conditions without requiring nodes to store and process all raw measurement data.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentEP3443770B1Radio access network node
Publication Date: 2020.01.08 TELECOM ITALIA SPA
  • EP3443770B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3443770B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3443770B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A radio access network node (N; N1) of a telecommunication network is disclosed, comprising: a system of radiating antennas (205) comprising at least one radiating antenna (2101 –210p) for radiating radio signals through a geographic territory, and a processor configured to execute computer-readable instructions so as to: obtain or generate (310,315;320;323;1020) a topographic map (305) describing the topography of the geographic territory; based on said topographic map, calculate (325;1025) a coverage map (330) of the radio coverage of the geographic territory by the radio signals radiated by the system of radiating antennas; based on the coverage map, shrink (325;1035) the topographic map to obtain a reduced-size topographic map (305') describing the topography of a geographic area, within the geographic territory, that can be served by the node; based on the calculated coverage map (330), create (1030) a first data structure (335) comprising a plurality of first data structure records (605), one for each point of the calculated coverage map (330), each of the first data structure records (605) providing a description of a service delivery capability of the node in that point, and exploit the first data structure to decide how to serve user equipment located in the territory corresponding to the reduced-size topographic map (305'). A method of operating a radio access network node is also disclosed.