Resource Allocation Clustering for Inter-Carrier Guard Band Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
In wireless cellular networks, access nodes operating on carriers with different subcarrier spacings can experience interference when providing collocated service, necessitating the use of wasteful guard bands to minimize interference, which is inefficient and wasteful in terms of frequency spectrum.
Innovation Solution
Access nodes are configured to cluster their resource allocations at different ends of the frequency-overlap region, allowing a single guard band to separate their concurrent allocations, thereby minimizing the need for additional guard bands and optimizing frequency usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If access nodes operate on carriers with different subcarrier spacings, then service coverage and adaptability are improved, but interference occurs necessitating guard bands which reduces frequency efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The frequency-overlap region is segmented into two parts: a first part for resource allocation on the first carrier and a second part for resource allocation on the second carrier. This segmentation allows different subcarrier spacings to coexist without interference while maximizing frequency utilization by eliminating the need for guard bands between differently-spaced carriers.
2Reliability
If guard bands are used to minimize interference between carriers with different subcarrier spacings, then interference is reduced, but frequency spectrum usage becomes wasteful
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a time-based guard band approach to a frequency-domain segmentation approach. By dividing the frequency-overlap region into distinct parts allocated to different carriers, the system eliminates the need for time-frequency guard bands while maintaining interference reduction, thereby preserving frequency spectrum resources.
3Quantity of substance
If resource allocations are clustered at different ends of the frequency-overlap region, then a single guard band suffices to separate allocations, but coordination complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-defining the segmentation of the frequency-overlap region into first and second parts before resource allocation occurs. This advance planning allows access nodes to autonomously allocate resources within their designated parts without complex real-time coordination, reducing both guard band requirements and coordination overhead.
Data Source
AI summary
When access nodes provide collocated service on overlapping carriers with different subcarrier spacing than each other, at least one of the access nodes could be configured to cluster its respective allocation of air-interface resources at an end of the frequency-overlap region, and a single guard band could then separate that clustered resource allocation from the remainder of the frequency-overlap region in which the other access node could allocate resources. In an example implementation for instance, the access nodes could be configured to cluster their respective concurrent allocation of resources at different respective ends of the frequency-overlap region so as to help maximize frequency width between transmission in the frequency-overlap region on one of the carriers with one subcarrier spacing and transmission in the frequency-overlap region on the other carrier with the other subcarrier spacing.