Signaling Relay Component for Base Station Latency Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In cellular communication networks, the long round trip time for exchanging signaling messages between base stations via fixed infrastructure can lead to delays in datagram delivery, particularly during soft handovers or simulcasts, affecting time-critical applications.
Innovation Solution
The method involves transmitting signaling messages between base stations through a relay component using radio links, allowing for quicker message exchange and synchronization, with the option to use either radio links or fixed communication paths based on determined round trip times, and ensuring cryptographic security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If signaling messages are transmitted via fixed network infrastructure, then transmission reliability is maintained, but round trip time increases causing delays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a relay component (which can be another base station or the terminal itself) as an intermediary to forward signaling messages between base stations. This relay component enables direct radio link communication between base stations, bypassing the fixed network infrastructure for signaling purposes while maintaining transmission reliability through the established relay mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the communication path into two distinct channels: fixed network infrastructure for data transmission and direct radio links (via relay component) for signaling message exchange. This segmentation allows each channel to be optimized for its specific function, with radio links providing low-latency signaling while fixed infrastructure handles bulk data transfer.
2Area of stationary object
If base stations are positioned far apart to cover larger areas, then network coverage is improved, but signaling message transmission time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The relay component acts as a communication bridge that enables direct signaling between geographically separated base stations through radio links. This intermediary solution allows base stations to be positioned far apart for extended coverage while maintaining fast signaling exchange times through the dedicated relay path, decoupling physical distance from signaling latency.
3Reliability
If radio links are used for synchronization, then capacity and reliability are improved, but transmission delays occur without proper timing coordination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary timing coordination by having the relay component and base stations pre-synchronize their clocks and establish timing references before actual data transmission begins. This preliminary action ensures that when radio links are used for synchronization, all parties are already aligned in time, preventing transmission delays while maintaining the reliability benefits of radio-based synchronization.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a method of transmitting signaling messages. In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the method is performed by a first base station of a communication network. The first base station and the second base station of the communication network provide simultaneously a service to a terminal. The first base station transmits signaling messages relating to the provision of the service to the second base station via a relay component. The relay component is linked with the first base station and the second base station via radio links of the communication network. The relay component may be comprised in the terminal to which the service is provided or another terminal with corresponding functionality or a dedicated relay component of the communication network.