Content Preserving RF Handoff in Multi-Frequency Networks
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In multi-frequency networks, devices experience content access issues due to random RF handoffs, leading to a lack of common and additional content availability, which adversely impacts user experience.
Innovation Solution
A handoff system that generates a content preserving handoff table to determine a new RF channel based on signal strength, content availability, and other factors, ensuring seamless access to desired and additional content by selecting an appropriate RF channel in neighboring Local Operations Infrastructures (LOIs).
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a device performs random RF handoff to any available channel carrying desired content, then the device can maintain content reception, but the device loses access to common and additional content from the current LOI
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-generates a content preserving handoff table that identifies neighboring LOIs carrying the same content multiplexes before handoff is needed. This preliminary preparation ensures that when handoff is required, the device can immediately switch to a pre-identified LOI that preserves content availability, rather than randomly selecting after handoff occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors LOI content configurations and updates the content preserving handoff table based on current network state. This feedback mechanism ensures that handoff decisions are based on real-time information about which neighboring LOIs carry the desired content multiplexes, preventing content loss during handoff.
2Loss of information
If the system implements a content preserving handoff mechanism with handoff tables, then common and additional content availability is maximized, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically generates and maintains the content preserving handoff table based on broadcast information from LOIs about their content multiplexes. The device independently performs handoff decisions using pre-configured criteria without requiring complex centralized control or manual intervention, reducing overall system complexity while preserving content availability.
3Speed
If the device hands off to any RF channel carrying desired content, then handoff speed is maintained, but user experience deteriorates due to content availability issues
Solution Approach 1:
The content preserving handoff table is pre-generated with identified neighboring LOIs that carry the same content multiplexes, allowing the device to perform handoff at full speed without content loss. The preliminary identification of suitable target LOIs eliminates the need for post-handoff content verification or additional switching, maintaining speed while improving user experience through continuous content availability.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus for RF handoff in a multi-frequency network. In an aspect, a method includes generating a content preserving handoff table that includes a current LOI and neighboring LOIs carrying at least the same wide and local content multiplexes as the current LOI, and determining that handoff conditions are met for a content preserving handoff, selecting a selected LOI from the content preserving handoff table and a selected RF channel associated with the selected LOI, and performing a handoff to the selected RF channel in the selected LOI if the selected LOI is different than the current LOI. An apparatus includes means for generating a content preserving handoff table, means for determining that handoff conditions are met for a content preserving handoff, means for selecting a selected LOI and a selected RF channel, and means for performing a handoff to the selected RF channel in the selected LOI.