Wireless Channel Blanking for Interference Mitigation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Wireless communication systems face interference issues due to multiple antennas in MIMO systems, where existing solutions prioritize connection based on signal quality, but new technologies require alternative prioritization methods.

Innovation Solution

Implement a method to blank transmission on specific resources to mitigate interference, allowing devices to communicate with a base station that may not have the highest signal-to-noise ratio, by determining interference levels and adjusting transmission power based on received parameters from base stations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If transmission power is increased to improve signal quality, then communication reliability improves, but interference to other devices increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoidinterference
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the frequency spectrum into multiple subbands and applies different transmission power levels to each subband. Specifically, it identifies interfered subbands where transmission causes harmful interference to other devices, and reduces or mutes transmission power in those specific subbands while maintaining normal power in non-interfered subbands. This selective segmentation resolves the contradiction by localizing power reduction to only where needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements local quality control by applying different transmission characteristics to different frequency regions. It determines which specific subbands cause interference and applies power reduction only to those local regions rather than uniformly across the entire bandwidth. This allows the system to maintain high transmission quality in clean subbands while minimizing interference in problematic subbands.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If devices connect to base stations with highest signal quality, then communication performance improves, but network diversity and adaptability decrease

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication performanceVSAvoidnetwork diversity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent enables dynamic base station selection and transmission power adjustment based on real-time interference conditions. Devices can dynamically switch between different base stations and different subbands depending on interference levels, rather than statically connecting to the base station with highest signal quality. This dynamic adaptation allows the network to respond to changing conditions and maintain both performance and diversity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the connection parameter from solely signal quality to a composite metric that includes both signal quality and interference level. By considering interference conditions alongside signal strength, devices can select base stations and subbands that optimize overall communication performance while maintaining network diversity. This parameter change enables flexible adaptation to different network conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Object-generated harmful factors

If transmission power is reduced to minimize interference, then harmful effects to other devices decrease, but communication reliability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveinterferenceVSAvoidcommunication reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the frequency spectrum to identify specific interfered subbands and applies power reduction only to those segments. By maintaining normal transmission power in non-interfered subbands, the system preserves overall communication reliability while minimizing interference in the problematic segments. This selective approach avoids the need to reduce power across the entire bandwidth.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies partial power reduction rather than complete power reduction or uniform power control. It reduces power only in the specific subbands where interference occurs, maintaining full power in other subbands. This partial action is sufficient to eliminate harmful interference while preserving communication reliability through the remaining high-power subbands.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP2830254B1Wireless communication channel blanking
Publication Date: 2016.06.29 QUALCOMM INC
  • EP2830254B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2830254B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2830254B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate blanking on portions of bandwidth, such as a subset of interlaces, utilized by communicating devices that are dominantly interfered by a disparate device in wireless communications networks. The portions of bandwidth can relate to critical data, such as control data, and one or more of the communicating devices can request that the dominantly interfering device blank on one or more of the portions. The communicating devices can subsequently transmit data over the blanked portions free of the dominant interference. Additionally, the dominantly interfering device can request reciprocal blanking from the one or more communicating devices.