RF Power Redistribution for Attenuated Cell Site Channels
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Solution Overview
Problem
In cellular wireless networks, unequal attenuation between RF channels due to mismatched port configurations in remote radio heads (RRHs) and antenna systems leads to degraded performance, particularly in carrier aggregation and handover scenarios, causing load imbalance and service degradation.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that determine excessive attenuation in one channel by comparing it to another, identify underutilized channels, and temporarily remove them from service to redistribute their transmission power to the attenuated channel, thereby boosting its power and compensating for the attenuation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple RF channels are used in carrier aggregation to increase system capacity, then productivity is improved, but unequal attenuation between channels causes load imbalance and service degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors attenuation levels of each RF channel and dynamically adjusts power allocation based on real-time feedback. When a channel is detected to have excessive attenuation, the system responds by reallocating power from other channels to compensate, ensuring maintained service quality across all aggregated channels.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the transmission power parameter dynamically across different RF channels based on their individual attenuation characteristics. By adjusting power levels per channel rather than using uniform power allocation, the system compensates for unequal attenuation and maintains balanced load distribution across all channels in the carrier aggregation.
2Reliability
If transmission power is increased to compensate for attenuation, then reliability is improved, but power available for other channels decreases, reducing productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the power resources of multiple RF channels into a shared power pool. When one channel experiences excessive attenuation, power is dynamically reallocated from the combined pool of other channels, allowing compensation for the attenuated channel without requiring additional total power beyond what is already allocated across the channel group.
Solution Approach 2:
The power allocation across RF channels is made dynamic rather than static. The system continuously monitors channel conditions and adjusts power distribution in real-time, allowing power to flow to channels that need it most while maintaining overall system capacity. This dynamic reallocation ensures that total productivity is preserved while individual channel reliability is maintained.
3Device complexity
If fixed port configuration is used in RRHs to simplify device complexity, then ease of manufacture is improved, but mismatched port configurations cause unequal attenuation and service degradation
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of requiring uniform port configurations across all RRHs, the system applies local quality adjustment by measuring and compensating for attenuation on each individual RF channel. This allows different port configurations to coexist while maintaining channel balance through per-channel power adjustment, eliminating the need for standardized port configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements self-service by automatically detecting port configuration mismatches and compensating for resulting attenuation without requiring manual reconfiguration. The automated attenuation measurement and power reallocation process allows the system to adapt to various port configurations independently, maintaining reliability while preserving manufacturing simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a method and system for compensating for excessive attenuation on an RF connection between a remote radio head (RRH) and an antenna of cell site. In an example configuration, in which first and second RF carriers of a cell site traverse different RF paths between respective RRHs and respective antenna, the second RF carrier may be subject to more attenuation than the first. Consequently, antenna transmission power of the second RF carrier may be below one or another threshold. For communication services to user equipment devices that involve both the first and second RF carriers, the diminished antenna transmission power of the second RF carrier may cause service degradation. In accordance with example embodiments, a controlling network entity may determine that the power is diminished, and responsively reallocate transmission power from an underutilized carrier to the second carrier, thereby boosting its transmission power and remediating service degradation.