Steerable Antennas in Urban Infrastructure for 5G Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
The deployment of 5G cellular technology faces challenges in achieving widespread coverage with minimal visual impact, particularly in high-traffic areas, due to the need for numerous small cell towers that require direct line of sight and frequent installation in urban environments, leading to potential aesthetic issues.
Innovation Solution
The system incorporates steerable and adaptive antennas, including liquid lens and actuator-based systems, embedded in urban infrastructure such as light poles and manhole covers, which use edge processing modules and neural networks to optimize beamforming and network slicing for low-latency communication, enabling efficient resource allocation and real-time adjustments for enhanced 5G performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If numerous small cell towers are deployed to achieve widespread 5G coverage, then coverage availability is improved, but visual impact and aesthetic concerns worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates 5G communication capabilities into existing urban infrastructure elements such as light poles, manhole covers, and building facades. These structures serve dual purposes: their original function plus 5G base station functionality, thereby providing widespread coverage without adding dedicated tower structures that create visual impact.
Solution Approach 2:
The 5G base station components are embedded within or attached to existing urban infrastructure. For example, antennas and processing units are installed on light poles or integrated into manhole covers, nesting the communication functionality within existing structures rather than placing separate towers.
2Productivity
If small cell towers are installed frequently in busy areas, then network capacity is improved, but aesthetic concerns worsen
Solution Approach 1:
Existing urban infrastructure elements are repurposed to handle high network capacity in busy areas. Light poles and manhole covers that already exist in these locations are activated as 5G base stations, providing high-capacity service without installing additional aesthetic-impacting towers.
Solution Approach 2:
The system deploys 5G capabilities selectively in locations where existing infrastructure already exists, such as on light poles in busy areas or at manhole covers. This localized deployment provides high network capacity precisely where needed while avoiding visual impact in aesthetically sensitive areas.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If 5G cell towers are positioned in ordinary places like light poles and building tops, then visual impact is reduced, but installation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The 5G base station system is divided into modular components that can be independently installed on existing infrastructure. The base station unit, antennas, and processing modules are segmented to allow flexible deployment on light poles, building tops, or manhole covers, reducing the complexity of integrating new infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses existing urban infrastructure (light poles, manhole covers, building facades) as intermediary structures to host 5G equipment. Rather than directly installing towers in hard-to-reach locations, the existing infrastructure serves as a mediator that simplifies installation while maintaining aesthetic considerations.
4Speed
If edge processing modules are integrated into antenna housing, then processing speed is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The edge processing module is merged with the antenna housing into an integrated unit. This combination allows data processing to occur locally at the point of transmission, significantly reducing processing speed and latency, while the modular nature of the integration manages the added complexity through standardized design.
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes a cellular transceiver to communicate with a predetermined target; one or more antennas coupled to the 5G transceiver each electrically or mechanically steerable to the predetermined target; a processor to control a directionality of the one or more antennas in communication with the predetermined target; and an edge processing module coupled to the processor and the one or more antennas to provide low-latency computation for the predetermined target.