Relay Node Timing Advance Estimation for MTC Uplink Interference

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

In wireless communication systems with many Machine-Type Communications (MTC) devices, the base station faces challenges in efficiently managing timing advance (TA) for uplink transmissions, leading to interference among signals and reduced relay node reception success due to limited direct communication with MTC devices.

Innovation Solution

The system employs a relay node to estimate and report TA information to the base station, allowing the base station to determine and control the actual transmission timing for MTC devices based on the relay node's TA information, thereby adjusting the timing for reduced interference.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If MTC devices perform direct uplink communication to the base station, then the base station can directly acquire timing advance information, but the processing capacity of the base station becomes insufficient and radio resource utilization efficiency is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetiming advance information acquisitionVSAvoidbase station processing capacity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a relay node as an intermediary between MTC devices and the base station. The relay node receives uplink data from MTC devices, performs timing advance estimation, and forwards both the data and timing information to the base station. This mediator approach allows the base station to acquire timing advance information indirectly without directly processing all MTC device communications, thus resolving the contradiction between information acquisition and processing capacity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If MTC devices transmit through relay nodes, then base station processing capacity is preserved, but the base station has difficulty acquiring timing advance information directly from MTC devices

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebase station processing capacityVSAvoidtiming advance information acquisition
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The relay node serves as an information bridge that collects timing advance data from MTC devices during uplink transmission and relays this information to the base station. This allows the base station to maintain reduced processing load while still obtaining necessary timing information through the intermediary's data collection and forwarding capabilities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Device complexity

If the base station cannot control transmission timing of MTC devices, then device complexity is reduced, but interference occurs among signals and relay node reception success rate decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveMTC device complexityVSAvoidsignal reception success rate
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the relay node estimates timing advance based on received uplink signals from MTC devices and reports this estimation to the base station. The base station then generates timing advance commands and sends them back to MTC devices through the relay node. This closed-loop feedback system enables timing control without increasing MTC device complexity, as the devices simply follow base station commands relayed through the intermediate node.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3439335B1Wireless communication system, wireless device, relay node, and base station
Publication Date: 2019.11.13 FUJITSU LTD
  • EP3439335B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3439335B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3439335B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A wireless communication system includes: a base station; a relay node; and a wireless equipment configured to receive a downlink signal from the base station without the relay node being involved and to transmit an uplink signal to the base station via the relay node, wherein the base station is configured to control a timing at which the wireless equipment transmits the uplink signal, with the downlink signal, using information relating to first timing advance between the base station and the relay node.