TVWS Backhaul Terminals with Centralized Multi-Base-Station Scheduling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cellular base stations require high-bandwidth connections for backhaul that existing wireless technologies struggle to provide efficiently, especially in crowded areas like sports stadiums, and TV white space (TVWS) frequencies offer a desirable solution for long-distance data transmission.
Innovation Solution
Implementing TVWS-capable wireless backhaul terminals with a shared wireless medium and centralized scheduling to manage bandwidth allocation among multiple base stations, using Wi-Fi waveforms and orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) for efficient backhaul and midhaul connections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If Wi-Fi CSMA/CA is used for backhaul coordination, then implementation simplicity is improved, but reliability in crowded areas deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a centralized controller as an intermediary that mediates between multiple access points. This controller manages the backhaul coordination by centralizing control decisions, allowing the access points to maintain simple CSMA/CA implementation while achieving reliable operation in crowded areas through coordinated resource allocation and interference management.
2Productivity
If OFDMA is used for backhaul coordination, then productivity is improved, but device complexity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The centralized controller acts as an intermediary that handles the complexity of OFDMA coordination. It manages resource allocation, scheduling, and interference control across multiple access points, enabling high bandwidth efficiency and productivity while keeping the individual access point implementations relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the backhaul coordination function by separating control-plane operations (centralized controller) from data-plane operations (access points). This segmentation allows complex OFDMA coordination to be performed centrally while maintaining simpler implementations at the access point level, thereby improving productivity without proportionally increasing device complexity.
3Length of stationary object
If TVWS frequencies are used for backhaul, then transmission distance is improved, but spectrum coordination complexity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The centralized controller serves as an intermediary that manages TVWS spectrum coordination. It handles channel assignment, interference avoidance, and resource allocation for long-distance transmissions, thereby achieving extended transmission distances while centralizing the complexity of spectrum coordination rather than distributing it across multiple access points.
Data Source
AI summary
In a first aspect, a first television white space (TVWS)-capable wireless backhaul terminal (TVWS WBT) is provided. The first TVWS-capable WBT comprises (1) a backhaul interface configured to receive backhaul traffic from a core network using Wi-Fi waveforms on one or more TVWS bands; and a scheduler configured to allocate resources for communicating the backhaul traffic to at least a second TVWS-capable WBT and a third TVWS-capable WBT coupled to the first TVWS-capable WBT. The second TVWS-capable WBT is coupled to first base station and configured to provide backhaul traffic for the first base station to the first base station, and the third TVWS-capable WBT is coupled to a second base station and configured to provide backhaul traffic for the second base station to the second base station. Numerous other aspects are provided.