RAN Throughput Handoff for Priority Terminals
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Solution Overview
Problem
In wireless communication systems, higher priority access terminals may experience lower throughput than lower priority terminals within the same sector, leading to inefficient resource allocation and potential fairness issues.
Innovation Solution
The Radio Access Network (RAN) detects and responds by forcing higher priority access terminals out of their current sector and triggering a handoff to a new sector, where they are granted a relatively high scheduling priority, thereby increasing their throughput.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If scheduling algorithms grant high scheduling priorities to new ATs and ATs with favorable RF conditions, then overall system throughput is improved, but higher service priority ATs may receive lower throughput than lower priority ATs in the same sector
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors and compares throughput levels between ATs of different service priority levels within the same sector. When a higher priority AT experiences lower throughput than a lower priority AT, this feedback triggers a handoff decision to restore the expected priority-based throughput allocation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a comparative throughput evaluation mechanism as an intermediary between the scheduling algorithm and service priority guarantees. This intermediary layer detects throughput disparities and initiates handoff procedures to resolve conflicts between overall system throughput optimization and individual service priority guarantees.
2Reliability
If the RAN forces lower priority ATs out of a sector to improve higher priority AT throughput, then service priority guarantee is improved, but system productivity decreases due to frequent forced handoffs
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of forcing lower priority ATs out to benefit higher priority ATs, the patent inverts the approach by forcing higher priority ATs out when they experience lower throughput than lower priority ATs. This inversion resolves the contradiction by allowing lower priority ATs to maintain their throughput while the higher priority AT relocates to a sector where it can receive appropriate service priority treatment.
3Reliability
If the RAN implements comparative throughput monitoring and forced handoffs, then service priority guarantee is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service by automatically detecting throughput disparities between ATs of different service priority levels and autonomously initiating handoff procedures. The RAN compares throughput metrics, identifies violations of service priority guarantees, and executes corrective handoff actions without requiring external intervention or complex manual control mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are methods for comparative-throughput triggered handoff. According to one embodiment of the method, the RAN may determine that a higher priority AT is receiving a lower level of throughput than a lower priority AT in the same sector, and as a response, the RAN will cause the higher priority AT to hand off from the current serving sector. According to another embodiment of the method, the RAN may identify which of the ATs being served in a particular sector are receiving lower than a threshold level of throughput, and subsequently determine the highest service priority level of these identified ATs. The RAN will then cause one or more of the identified ATs that have the highest service priority level to hand off from the current serving sector.