UAV Central Base Station Criticality-Aware Resource Allocation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing communication infrastructure often becomes dysfunctional during natural disasters, making it difficult to provide timely communication services to users in critical conditions, and current UAV-based solutions face challenges in optimal aerial placement, reliable channel modeling, mobility management, and efficient resource allocation.

Innovation Solution

An aerial communication system that utilizes a utility analysis module to score user criticality based on energy levels, physical surroundings, and data rate, prioritizing users with low battery power and optimizing network resource allocation using a criticality-aware scheduling module, with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with a central base station and assisted GPS for effective communication.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If UAV-based communication systems are deployed to provide communication services during disasters, then communication coverage and accessibility are improved, but optimal aerial placement and resource allocation become complex challenges

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication coverageVSAvoidaerial placement optimization
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a vertical dimension by deploying UAVs in the aerial space above the disaster-affected area, transforming the traditional two-dimensional terrestrial communication network into a three-dimensional hybrid network. This allows the system to overcome ground-based infrastructure failures and provide communication coverage from the air, resolving the contradiction between improved coverage and placement complexity through spatial dimensionality expansion.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements dynamic resource allocation and scheduling mechanisms that adapt to changing channel conditions, user mobility, and battery status in real-time. The UAV can dynamically adjust its position, transmission power, and resource block allocation to optimize communication performance while managing energy constraints, thereby reducing the operational complexity through adaptive control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Productivity

If network resources are allocated to maximize throughput, then overall network performance is improved, but users with low battery power may not receive timely communication services

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork throughputVSAvoidcommunication service reliability for critical users
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements criticality-aware scheduling that differentiates resource allocation based on user conditions. Users with low battery power or critical situations are assigned higher priority and allocated more resources locally, while users with sufficient battery and non-critical needs receive standard allocation. This localized quality adjustment ensures that critical users receive timely services without completely sacrificing overall network throughput.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors user battery status, channel conditions, and communication needs, using this feedback to dynamically adjust resource allocation decisions. The base station receives feedback from users about their battery levels and prioritizes scheduling accordingly, creating a closed-loop control system that balances throughput optimization with reliability for critical users.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Speed

If more spectrum resource blocks are allocated to users, then communication speed and data rate are improved, but network energy consumption and interference increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata transmission speedVSAvoidnetwork energy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the allocation parameters dynamically based on user criticality and channel conditions. Instead of uniform resource allocation, the system adjusts the number of resource blocks, modulation schemes, and transmission power levels according to real-time conditions. This allows the network to achieve high data rates for critical users when needed while reducing energy consumption during normal operations or for non-critical traffic.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3506665B1An aerial communication framework for providing communication services to users trapped in emergency
Publication Date: 2020.10.21 TATA CONSULTANCY SERVICES LTD
  • EP3506665B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3506665B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3506665B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present disclosure is related to a system and method for providing aerial communication services to users trapped in disaster conditions and need immediate attention. It includes an UAV mounted with a central base station to establish communication services with each communication equipment by modeling of an emergency communication network. It analyzes utility function of criticalities to assure an efficient resource allocation mechanism where critical users get preference over non-critical users. The users can be in a critical state either due to low remaining energy of at least one communication equipment of the one or more users or because of the criticality due to their physical surroundings and data rate component to ensure throughput for the communication services. An assisted global positioning system (A-GPS) is being used for obtaining information of physical criticality of the users distributed over a geographical area.