Small Cell Partial-Band Reference Signals to Reduce Power and Interference
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Transmitting and measuring signals in the broad frequency band of the milli-wave zone impose a significant power burden on both the base station and terminal apparatus sides, leading to increased power consumption and inter-cell interference.
Innovation Solution
A mechanism is provided for the small cell base station to transmit discovery reference signals (DRS) in a partial frequency band and for the terminal apparatus to measure in a selective manner, with dynamic reporting and request capabilities to optimize power consumption and reduce interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the base station transmits measurement signals across the entire broad frequency band of the milli-wave zone, then comprehensive measurement coverage is achieved, but power consumption and inter-cell interference increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The base station divides the broad frequency band into multiple component carriers and selectively activates only those carriers that require measurement, rather than transmitting across the entire frequency band. This segmentation allows comprehensive measurement coverage to be achieved through targeted transmission on individual carriers.
Solution Approach 2:
The base station performs partial action by transmitting measurement signals on only a subset of component carriers rather than all available carriers. This partial transmission is sufficient to provide the necessary measurement coverage while significantly reducing power consumption compared to full-band transmission.
2Measurement precision
If the terminal apparatus measures signals across the entire broad frequency band, then complete quality assessment is achieved, but power consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal apparatus receives feedback from the base station regarding which component carriers are activated and require measurement. Based on this feedback, the terminal selectively measures only the necessary carriers, achieving complete quality assessment for active carriers while reducing power consumption by avoiding measurement on inactive carriers.
3Productivity
If small cells are densely deployed to increase network capacity, then traffic distribution is improved, but inter-cell interference increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically activates and deactivates component carriers based on real-time traffic conditions and interference levels. When interference becomes excessive due to dense small cell deployment, the base station can deactivate certain carriers or adjust transmission parameters, maintaining network capacity while managing interference through dynamic adaptation.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
An apparatus (10) for operating a base station, comprising a processing unit (150) configured to select, from among one or more unit frequency bands in an off state in a plurality of unit frequency bands, a first unit frequency band in an off state, and a transmission processing unit (151) configured to transmit a reference signal in the selected first unit frequency band to enable measurement in the first unit frequency band in an off state. The processing unit (150) is configured to report information indicating the first unit frequency band to a terminal, in a case where there is a change in the first unit frequency band to be used for transmission of the reference signal. A physical downlink control channel, PDCCH, or system information is used for the reporting.