Spectrum Sharing Adaptation Function for Protocol Translation

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The increasing number of spectrum sharing protocols, such as LSA and CBRS, requires mobile network vendors to support multiple protocols across different regions, leading to higher product costs and implementation complexity, as regulators favor different methods in various countries.

Innovation Solution

A spectrum sharing adaptation system that translates and adapts between different spectrum sharing protocols, allowing access nodes to acquire and manage spectrum resources while minimizing the need for updates and supporting various protocols, thereby reducing costs and complexity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If mobile network vendors support multiple spectrum sharing protocols (LSA, CBRS) for different countries, then regulatory compliance is achieved, but product costs and implementation complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesupport for multiple spectrum sharing protocolsVSAvoidimplementation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an adaptation function as an intermediary layer between the radio access network and spectrum sharing protocols. This adaptation function translates between different protocol requirements (LSA, CBRS) and the internal network operations, allowing the core network to support multiple protocols without each component needing to understand all protocols directly, thereby reducing implementation complexity while maintaining multi-protocol support

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If mobile network vendors support multiple spectrum sharing protocols (LSA, CBRS) for different countries, then regulatory compliance is achieved, but product costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesupport for multiple spectrum sharing protocolsVSAvoidproduct costs
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The adaptation function is designed as a universal component that can handle multiple spectrum sharing protocols through a common architecture. Rather than implementing separate protocol-specific functionality throughout the system, the universal adaptation layer provides protocol-agnostic interfaces that reduce development, testing, and manufacturing costs while maintaining support for LSA, CBRS and future protocols

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

3Productivity

If spectrum resources are dynamically shared among multiple operators, then spectrum utilization efficiency is improved, but coordination complexity and interference management difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespectrum utilization efficiencyVSAvoidcoordination complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the spectrum sharing management into distinct functional layers: protocol adaptation, resource allocation, and interference coordination. Each layer handles specific aspects independently, with the adaptation function managing protocol-specific details while the core resource management handles universal allocation tasks. This segmentation reduces coordination complexity by localizing decision-making to appropriate layers while maintaining high spectrum utilization through efficient resource distribution

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3698568B1Spectrum sharing adaptation function
Publication Date: 2023.02.22 NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
  • EP3698568B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3698568B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3698568B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

This document discloses a solution for performing spectrum allocations. According to an aspect, there is provided a method comprising: performing, by a spectrum sharing adaptation system, allocation and transmission authorization of a shared spectrum resource to a network element of a communication network, wherein the shared spectrum resource is on frequencies not exclusively licensed to the communication network, and wherein the spectrum sharing adaptation system allocates the shared spectrum resource to the network element by using a first spectrum sharing protocol; acquiring, by the spectrum sharing adaptation system, allocation and transmission authorization of the shared spectrum resource from a spectrum resource manager managing utilization of spectrum resources, wherein the spectrum sharing adaptation system acquires the allocation of the shared spectrum resource by using a second spectrum sharing protocol different from the first spectrum sharing protocol; and performing, by the spectrum sharing adaptation system, adaptation between the first spectrum sharing protocol and the second spectrum sharing protocol.