Small Cell Activation via Discovery Reference Signal Thresholds
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for controlling the on/off state of small cells in communication networks are ineffective, leading to poor user offloading and reduced throughput in hotspot areas due to inadequate control over small cell activation and deactivation.
Innovation Solution
A signal sending method that involves sending discovery reference signals with varying transmit powers and periods to user equipment, allowing for signal quality measurement and determining the operation mode of small cells based on received measurement results.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If small cell sites are turned off to reduce energy consumption and interference, then operation costs and radiation are reduced, but the ability to activate and control small cells effectively deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The small cell site autonomously determines its own activation state by measuring reference signal received power (RSRP) and comparing it with threshold values, without requiring manual control or complex coordination with macro base stations. The small cell automatically activates when RSRP falls below a first threshold and deactivates when RSRP exceeds a second threshold, enabling self-service operation that reduces energy consumption while maintaining effective control capability
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback control by continuously monitoring RSRP measurements and using this information to dynamically adjust the small cell's operational state. The small cell base station receives feedback about signal strength and automatically adjusts its activation status based on predefined thresholds, creating a closed-loop control system that balances energy savings with operational effectiveness
2Stability of the object's composition
If macro base stations control small cell activation, then centralized coordination is achieved, but control effectiveness deteriorates when macro base stations are from different systems or lack precise UE location information
Solution Approach 1:
The control function is segmented from the macro base station and transferred to the small cell base station itself. Instead of centralized control from macro base stations, each small cell independently makes activation decisions based on local RSRP measurements, eliminating the dependency on macro base station control while maintaining system stability through standardized threshold-based decision-making
Solution Approach 2:
The control relationship is inverted: rather than macro base stations controlling small cell activation, the small cell base stations autonomously control their own activation based on measured signal conditions. This inversion eliminates the limitations of cross-system coordination and imprecise location information by making the controlling entity the small cell itself, which has direct access to relevant measurement data
3Productivity
If small cells are deployed to improve throughput in hotspot areas, then data transmission capacity is increased, but the complexity of controlling on/off states and user offloading deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses parameter changes in RSRP threshold values to control small cell activation. By comparing measured RSRP against predefined thresholds (first threshold for activation, second threshold for deactivation), the system automatically adjusts network configuration to optimize throughput in hotspot areas while maintaining simple control logic that does not increase device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The small cell activation state is made dynamic rather than static. Small cells automatically transition between active and inactive states based on real-time RSRP measurements and threshold comparisons, enabling the network to dynamically adapt to changing traffic conditions in hotspot areas without requiring complex control mechanisms
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a signal sending method and device. The method includes: sending a first discovery reference signal to first user equipment by using a first transmit power and a first transmit period, where the first discovery reference signal is used by the first user equipment for signal quality measurement; sending a second discovery reference signal to second user equipment by using a second transmit power and a second transmit period, where the second discovery reference signal is used by the second user equipment for signal quality measurement; and receiving a first signal measurement result of the first user equipment for the first discovery reference signal, and receiving a second signal measurement result of the second user equipment for the second discovery reference signal.