Navigation Lane Handoff Based on UE Location and Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cellular network handoff techniques primarily rely on signal strength, which can lead to frequent handoffs and reduced quality of service, especially for aerial vehicles and users with predictable navigation paths, as they do not consider the location of user equipment (UE) and wireless stations effectively.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that utilize the location of UE and wireless stations, along with navigation paths, to adjust signal strengths and determine optimal wireless connections and handoffs, prioritizing stations that provide better coverage and quality of service based on distance and anticipated navigation paths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If handoff decisions are based solely on signal strength, then the handoff mechanism is simple to implement, but the quality of service deteriorates due to frequent handoffs
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by determining UE location, wireless station locations, and navigation paths before making handoff decisions. Coverage areas are pre-calculated and stored, allowing the system to predict future coverage conditions and make informed handoff decisions in advance, reducing frequent handoffs while maintaining manageable complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The invention adds spatial dimensionality to handoff decisions by incorporating UE location, wireless station locations, and coverage area geometry. Instead of relying solely on signal strength (one-dimensional metric), the system evaluates multi-dimensional spatial relationships including whether UE is within coverage areas, distance to wireless stations, and anticipated navigation paths, improving service reliability without excessive complexity
2Reliability
If eNodeBs are positioned based on terrain and coverage requirements rather than grid patterns, then coverage quality improves, but location information becomes unavailable and handoff management becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by having UE report measured signal strengths for different wireless stations. This feedback loop allows the network to infer coverage characteristics and make informed handoff decisions even when eNodeB location information is not directly available, maintaining coverage quality while managing the information gap
Solution Approach 2:
The UE performs self-service by measuring and reporting signal strengths for various wireless stations. This allows the network to build knowledge about coverage areas and eNodeB locations through aggregated UE measurements, enabling improved handoff management without requiring centralized location databases
3Productivity
If the system considers UE location and navigation paths to determine handoffs, then the number of handoffs decreases, but the computational complexity and data processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by determining UE location, wireless station locations, and navigation paths before making handoff decisions. Coverage areas are pre-calculated and stored, allowing the system to predict future coverage conditions and make informed handoff decisions in advance, reducing frequent handoffs while maintaining manageable complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary approach by using coverage area determination as a mediator between raw location data and handoff decisions. The system determines whether UE is within coverage areas of wireless stations based on location and navigation path information, simplifying the decision-making process while still utilizing complex spatial data to reduce handoff frequency
Data Source
AI summary
Described are systems and methods for considering a user equipment (UE) location and Evolved Node B (eNodeBs) locations as a factor in determining whether a handoff of a wireless connection between the UE and a first eNodeB to a second eNodeB should be initiated. Alternatively, the systems and methods include selection of an eNodeB with which a wireless connection is to be established. In addition to considering a signal strength for an eNodeB and determining whether to established a wireless communication or initiate a handoff based on the signal strength, the UE location and eNodeB locations may likewise considered. Likewise, a navigation path or anticipated trajectory of the UE may also be considered when selecting an eNodeB with which a wireless communication is to be established or to which a handoff of an existing wireless communication is to be initiated.