Relay Node Cooperative Transmission for Wireless Latency Reduction

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Wireless communication systems using relay nodes experience increased latency in downlink signal transmission, which affects the quality of service for time-sensitive applications like VoIP and video streaming due to the need for re-transmissions, leading to decreased performance and frame synchronization impairments.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a method where relay nodes cooperatively transmit downlink signals with base stations, using channel quality measurements to determine the integrity and timing of signal re-transmissions, and combining signals to reduce latency by avoiding unnecessary waiting for acknowledgement signals, thereby improving receiver performance and reducing packet delay.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If relay nodes re-transmit downlink signals to extend coverage and improve system capacity, then signal reception quality is improved, but transmission latency increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesignal reception qualityVSAvoidtransmission latency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The base station transmits the downlink signal in advance to the relay node before the relay node needs to forward it to the wireless device. This preliminary transmission allows the relay node to have the signal ready for immediate re-transmission, reducing the overall latency while maintaining the coverage extension benefit

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The base station acts as an intermediary by pre-providing the downlink signal to the relay node. This mediator approach allows the relay node to forward the signal without needing to request or wait for acknowledgment, thus reducing latency while maintaining signal reception quality

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If relay nodes wait for acknowledgement signals before re-transmitting, then signal integrity is maintained, but transmission delay increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesignal integrityVSAvoidtransmission delay
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The base station provides the downlink signal to the relay node in advance, before the relay node needs to forward it. This preliminary provision of the signal eliminates the need for the relay node to wait for acknowledgments or requests, reducing transmission delay while maintaining signal integrity through the pre-established signal path

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The acknowledgment and request signal exchange is extracted and eliminated from the relay node's transmission process. By removing this feedback loop, the relay node can re-transmit signals immediately based on pre-received downlink signals, reducing delay while maintaining integrity through the base station's coordinated transmission

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Productivity

If relay nodes cooperatively transmit with base stations, then system capacity is improved, but transmission coordination complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem capacityVSAvoidtransmission coordination
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The base station and relay node transmit the downlink signal simultaneously to the wireless device, merging their transmission resources. This combining approach improves system capacity by utilizing multiple transmitters for the same signal, while the complexity is managed by the base station's centralized control over the relay node's transmission timing and parameters

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP2383924B1Transmission in a relay node-based wireless communication system
Publication Date: 2016.03.09 BLACKBERRY LTD
  • EP2383924B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2383924B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2383924B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Methods, devices and systems for improved transmission in a remote node-based wireless communication system are provided. In one embodiment, a method of wireless communication comprises receiving a downlink signal from a first node, demodulating said received downlink signal, generating a channel quality measurement ("CQM") value of said demodulated downlink signal, determining said CQM value exceeds a first threshold, modulating said demodulated downlink signal to form a processed downlink signal, and cooperatively transmitting said processed downlink signal with said first node to a wireless device.