Solar-Powered Photonic Base Station for Last-Mile Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The 'last mile' problem in telecommunications, where over 90% of costs are spent on accessing households and base stations, making it difficult for new operators to compete due to high capital outlay costs and monopolistic market dynamics, and existing technologies fail to provide cost-effective solutions for deploying communication networks without infrastructure improvements.
Innovation Solution
A fully photonic cellular base station powered by solar cells and utilizing free space optics for communication, eliminating the need for external wire connections, allowing for rapid deployment and low-cost network establishment with a 'plug and play' functionality, enabling new operators to compete effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional base stations are deployed with external wire connections for power and communication, then reliable operation is achieved, but deployment cost and infrastructure complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the need for external wire connections by integrating solar cells directly into the base station housing. The base station is designed to be completely self-contained, with power generated on-site through photovoltaic cells and communication transmitted wirelessly, removing dependencies on external electrical grids and physical communication infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The base station serves itself by generating its own power through integrated solar cells and transmitting communication signals wirelessly without requiring external infrastructure. The system is designed to be autonomously operational, converting solar energy directly to electrical energy for its own operation and using radio frequency transmission for communication instead of wired connections.
2Reliability
If optical fibres are installed for base station connectivity, then communication quality is improved, but deployment time and capital outlay cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical installation of optical fibres with wireless radio frequency transmission for communication. Instead of physically laying cables through infrastructure work, the base station transmits data and communication signals through the air using antennas and radio waves, eliminating the need for trenching, cable installation, and physical connectivity infrastructure.
3Reliability
If grid electricity connection is provided for base station power, then operational reliability is improved, but capital outlay cost and monopoly barriers increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the energy source parameter from grid electricity to solar energy. By equipping the base station with photovoltaic cells that convert sunlight directly into electrical energy, the system operates independently of the electrical grid. This parameter change enables deployment in locations without grid access and eliminates the need for electrical connections, transforming the base station into a completely portable and independently powered unit.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution significantly reduces deployment costs, enables quick setup of communication networks, and allows new operators to compete, driving down prices by eliminating the need for grid electricity and optical fiber installations, while providing reliable and weather-resistant connectivity.
Implementation Method 1
The base station is solar powered, and therefore does not need a grid electricity connection
Implementation Method 2
The solar cells typically charge a battery and/or have at least one low band gap photodiode layer, so that excess power during intense sunlight is stored in the battery to power the base station at night and times of cloudy weather
Implementation Method 3
The base station further has a laser communication link that transmits an optical beam through the air to avoid the need of installing optical fibres or other communication wires
Implementation Method 4
One of the laser transmitters is typically a quantum cascade laser that transmits very low energy photons, which are not as easily scattered by advection fog
Implementation Method 5
The laser link transmitter is typically pointed to an optical receiver, so that a line of sight connection is formed
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to base stations in communication networks. In more particular the invention relates to cellular base stations such as 3G/4G and WLAN base stations. Some or all of the aforementioned advantages of the invention are accrued with a fully photonic base station (200) that powers itself with solar photons, provides radio network access and relays an optical photonic beam (220, 221, 230, 231) through air encoded with the data from radio signals of computer users and mobile phone users to the Internet and the global telecommunication network. A system engineer can build a network with the inventive base stations in a matter of days. He simply walks to the roof of houses and points the optical beams to other base stations in adjacent houses.