Small-Node Data Offloading for Mobile Capacity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current wireless network architectures face challenges in increasing capacity due to high handover rates, interference issues, static radio resource allocation, complex cell planning, and high deployment costs, particularly in urban areas, while maintaining connectivity and mobility.

Innovation Solution

The design of a Device-to-User (D2UE) and Macro-to-User (BS2UE) architecture that offloads data traffic using small-node devices with a BS2D link for control-plane messages and a D2UE link for user-plane data, allowing for dynamic radio resource allocation and reduced interference, controlled by the base station.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the density of deployed base stations or remote antenna units is increased to increase cell capacity, then frequency reuse effects improve capacity, but the number of handovers increases and quality of connectivity/mobility is degraded

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecell capacityVSAvoidquality of connectivity/mobility
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a remote antenna unit as an intermediary component that extends the coverage of a base station without requiring it to function as a independent base station. The remote antenna unit acts as a mediator that provides additional capacity through frequency reuse while maintaining connectivity quality by avoiding frequent handovers, as users can remain connected to the same base station controller even when moving between remote antenna units.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If conventional macro base stations transmit required signals such as pilot signals, synchronization signals, broadcast signals, and paging signals, then basic communication functions are provided, but interference problems occur that limit the number of deployed base stations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebasic communication functionsVSAvoidinterference
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the signal transmission function from the base station and relocates it to remote antenna units. By taking out the transmission of pilot signals, synchronization signals, broadcast signals, and paging signals from conventional macro base stations and placing them at remote antenna units, the system can provide basic communication functions while reducing interference through spatial distribution and localized signal generation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Device complexity

If radio resources for required conventional macro base station signals are made static, then resource allocation is simple, but dynamic and efficient interference coordination is difficult which limits cellular capacity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource allocation complexityVSAvoidcellular capacity
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic radio resource allocation at remote antenna units, allowing each unit to independently adjust its resource usage based on local conditions. This dynamic approach enables efficient interference coordination by allowing remote antenna units to adapt their transmission patterns, power levels, and resource allocation in real-time according to traffic demands and interference conditions, thereby increasing cellular capacity without requiring complex centralized control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

4Reliability

If cell ID or other cell-specific parameters are assigned to each cell for network operation, then proper network identification and operation are enabled, but cell planning becomes cumbersome which limits deployment density

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork operationVSAvoiddeployment complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes remote antenna units universal by designing them to inherit cell parameters from their associated base station rather than requiring independent cell planning. Each remote antenna unit can function with the same cell ID and parameters as its parent base station, allowing multiple remote antenna units to serve the same cell without requiring unique cell planning for each unit. This universality dramatically simplifies deployment while maintaining proper network operation and identification.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP2756623B1Enhanced local access in mobile communications with FDD resource allocation
Publication Date: 2018.04.04 NTT DOCOMO INC
  • EP2756623B1 patent drawingFigure 1a
  • EP2756623B1 patent drawingFigure 1b
  • EP2756623B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

A hybrid user equipment and small-node device data offloading architecture is provided. In this hybrid architecture, the small-node device includes a backhaul link to a telecommunication network and/or the Internet. The user equipment can send and receive data through the small-node device using the backhaul link according to a half-duplex FDD radio resource assignment in a wireless link between the user equipment and the small-node device.