Frequency Sub-band Allocation for UE Power Saving

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current communication networks face challenges in power management, as client stations often operate in fully powered states even when only specific frequency sub-bands are needed for data transmission, leading to inefficient power usage.

Innovation Solution

The solution involves allocating wireless medium resources within selected frequency sub-bands to client stations, allowing them to switch to a partially powered state for data reception and processing, thereby conserving power by only activating circuitry required for the specific sub-bands.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If client stations operate in fully powered state to receive data, then data reception reliability is improved, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata reception reliabilityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the frequency spectrum into multiple sub-bands and allocates data to specific sub-bands rather than using the entire bandwidth. Client stations only need to power up circuitry for their assigned sub-bands during data reception, rather than maintaining full power operation across the complete frequency spectrum, thus reducing power consumption while maintaining reliable data reception.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by enabling client stations to selectively activate only the specific frequency sub-band circuitry needed for their data transmission, rather than uniformly powering all frequency processing components. This localized activation maintains reception reliability for the relevant data while avoiding unnecessary power consumption in other sub-bands.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If client stations activate all frequency processing circuitry, then data transmission quality is improved, but power efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata transmission qualityVSAvoidpower efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The frequency spectrum is divided into multiple sub-bands, and each client station is assigned to specific sub-bands for data transmission. This segmentation allows client stations to activate only the necessary frequency processing circuitry for their assigned sub-bands, maintaining transmission quality for relevant data while improving power efficiency by avoiding activation of unnecessary circuitry.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements partial action by enabling client stations to activate only a portion of their frequency processing circuitry—specifically, only the sub-bands assigned for their data transmission—rather than activating the entire frequency processing chain. This partial activation maintains sufficient transmission quality for the assigned data while significantly improving power efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Adaptability or versatility

If base station allocates resources across entire channel bandwidth, then resource allocation flexibility is improved, but client station power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource allocation flexibilityVSAvoidclient station power consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the channel bandwidth into multiple frequency sub-bands and allocates specific sub-bands to different client stations. This segmentation maintains resource allocation flexibility at the base station level while enabling client stations to operate with reduced power consumption by only processing their assigned sub-bands, thus resolving the contradiction between flexibility and power usage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS9681375B2Scheduling schemes for user equipment power saving in a communication network

Publication Date: 2017.06.13 MARVELL ASIA PTE LTD

AI summary

In a method of allocating wireless medium resources in a communication system, the communication system including a base station and a plurality of client stations sharing a channel bandwidth, a frequency sub-band of the channel bandwidth is selected for allocating wireless medium resources to a client station. Wireless medium resources are allocated at the base station to the client station. The base station is constrained to allocate wireless medium resources to the client station within the selected frequency sub-band. A subframe is generated for transmission to the client station. The subframe includes at least a data region that contains data for the client station. The data for the client station is confined to be within the selected frequency sub-band.