DESC:FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970 (39 OF 1970)
&
THE PATENT RULES, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See section 10 and rule 13)

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING DATA TRAFFIC IN A COMMUNICATION NETWORK

Jio Platforms Limited, an Indian company, having registered address at Office -101, Saffron, Nr. Centre Point, Panchwati 5 Rasta, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad - 380006, Gujarat, India

The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.

TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of wireless communication networks. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a system and a method for managing data traffic by dynamically balancing load between a Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) carrier and a Time Division Duplex (TDD) carrier of a cell sector.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The subject matter disclosed in the background section should not be assumed or construed to be prior art merely due to its mention in the background section. Similarly, any problem statement mentioned in the background section or its association with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed or construed to have been previously recognized in the prior art.
[0003] With advent of technological advancement in the field of telecommunications, communication networks have evolved from single carrier deployments to multi-carrier configurations within a same frequency band or across different bands. The evolution has been driven by an exponential rise in data consumption, owing to increase in adoption of data intensive applications including video streaming, online gaming, cloud computing, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. As user demand continues to grow, optimizing spectrum utilization has become a fundamental requirement for ensuring a seamless connectivity and better user experience.
[0004] During development phase, 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standards introduced a concept of carrier utilization in wireless communication networks while evolving from Third Generation (3G) to Fifth Generation (5G) technologies. A carrier refers to a frequency band or a channel allocated for transmitting data. The carrier serves as a medium through which data is transmitted wirelessly between a base station such as gNB and a User Equipment (UE). In 5G, carriers can span a wide range of frequencies, including sub-6 GHz and mm Wave bands, where each carrier may offer specific advantages such as increased capacity and faster data rates. The allocation and management of the carriers is critical for optimizing network performance, ensuring efficient spectrum utilization, and delivering high-quality services to end-users.
[0005] Conventional approaches to enhance the network performance involve coverage planning strategies, which often results in disparities in utilization of the carriers. In a typical telecom network, multiple carriers operate simultaneously to cater to user demands. However, in absence of a load balancing mechanism, certain carriers experience over utilization while other carriers remain underutilized. This impacts an end user’s experience due to capacity overload. Further, this results in degradation in Quality of Service (QoS) for end users and poor network performance.
[0006] A most important factor contributing to coverage discrepancies is inherent difference in coverage footprints between a lower frequency layer and a higher frequency layer. Generally, majority of indoor users may latch on to a lower frequency carrier and only nearby users in vicinity of network sites may latch on the higher frequency carrier due to comparatively smaller coverage footprint. In the absence of the load balancing mechanism, there will be an imbalance in carrier utilization between the lower frequency layer and the higher frequency layer, and ultimately a spectrum efficiency may not be achieved.
[0007] Heretofore, conventional approaches for load balancing in multi-carrier networks relied on basic mechanisms such as inter-frequency handovers, carrier aggregation, static cell reshaping techniques, and the like. The inter-frequency handovers shift the users from one frequency layer to another based on predefined thresholds. However, the inter-frequency handovers are often reactive rather than proactive, leading to delays in balancing network load. The carrier aggregation allows the users to simultaneously connect to the multiple carriers, but primarily benefits high data rate users and does not always address congestion issues on individual carriers. The static cell reshaping techniques involve adjustments in antenna tilt and power levels, redistributing coverage and are performed manually and do not dynamically adapt to real-time traffic conditions. Thus, these mechanisms do not fully optimize spectrum usage or dynamically adjust to fluctuating network conditions.
[0008] Therefore, to overcome the limitations and challenges associated with conventional approaches for the load balancing, there lies a need for an improved method and system for managing data traffic in the wireless communication networks.
SUMMARY
[0009] The following embodiments present a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the present disclosure. This summary is not an extensive overview, and it is not intended to identify key/critical elements or to delineate the scope thereof. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
[0010] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, disclosed herein is a method for managing data traffic in a communication network. The method comprises receiving, by an acquisition module from a plurality of nodes in the communication network, data corresponding to one or more Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) associated with a Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) carrier of a cell sector for a predefined period. The one or more KPIs indicate at least one of a data traffic of one or more resources of the FDD carrier, a count of user equipment served by a node of the plurality of nodes, utilization of resources in the cell sector, and a throughput associated with each node within the cell sector. The method further comprises determining, by a data processing module based on the received data, whether one or more attributes associated with the one or more KPIs of each node of the plurality of nodes satisfy a corresponding threshold criterion. Furthermore, the method comprises determining, by the data processing module, a resource utilization value of a Time Division Duplex (TDD) carrier and an inter-site TDD carrier within the cell sector based on the determination that the one or more attributes satisfy the corresponding threshold criterion. Thereafter, the method comprises performing, by an execution module, a load balancing by shifting the data traffic from the FDD carrier to the TDD carrier based on the resource utilization value of the TDD carrier and the inter-site TDD carrier within the cell sector.
[0011] In one or more implementations, for determining whether the one or more attributes satisfy the threshold criterion, the method comprises determining, by the data processing module, whether a set of conditions is true. The set of conditions includes each node of the plurality of nodes serves the data traffic greater than a predefined data traffic threshold value associated with the node, the throughput is below a predefined throughput threshold value associated with the node, and a difference in utilization of the FDD carrier and the TDD carrier is greater than a threshold utilization level associated with the cell sector. The method further comprises determining, by the data processing module, presence or absence of a hardware alarm in the FDD carrier based on the determination that the set of conditions is true and determining, by the data processing module based on the determination of the absence of the hardware alarm in the FDD carrier, whether a difference between a sum of an electrical tilt and a mechanical tilt of the FDD carrier and a sum of an electrical tilt and a mechanical tilt of the TDD carrier is lesser than a predefined tilt threshold.
[0012] In one or more implementations, the method comprises clearing, by the execution module, the hardware alarm raised at one or more nodes among the plurality of nodes upon the determination that at least one hardware alarm is present in the FDD carrier.
[0013] In one or more implementations, the method comprises performing, by the execution module, a tilting harmonization based on the determination that the difference between the sum of the electrical tilt and the mechanical tilt of the FDD carrier and the sum of the electrical tilt and the mechanical tilt of the TDD carrier is greater than the predefined tilt threshold.
[0014] In one or more implementations, for determining the resource utilization value of the TDD carrier and the inter-site TDD carrier, the method comprises determining, by the data processing module, whether the resource utilization value of the TDD carrier and the inter-site TDD carrier within the cell sector is less than a predefined threshold utilization value upon determining that the difference between the sum of the electrical tilt and the mechanical tilt of the FDD carrier and the sum of the electrical tilt and the mechanical tilt of the TDD carrier is less than the predefined tilt threshold. The method further comprises applying, by the execution module, multi carrier settings to shift the data traffic associated with the one or more resources from the FDD carrier to the TDD carrier based on the determination that the resource utilization value of the TDD carrier and the inter-site TDD carrier within the cell sector is less than the predefined threshold utilization value.
[0015] In one or more implementations, the method comprises initiating, by the execution module, a process to expand capacity of the plurality of nodes based on a determination that the resource utilization value of the TDD carrier and the inter site TDD carrier within the cell sector exceeds the predefined threshold utilization value.
[0016] In one or more implementations, the predefined data traffic threshold value of each node of the plurality of nodes is based on at least one of a spectrum bandwidth and a geographical characteristic of the cell sector.
[0017] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a system for managing data traffic in a communication network is disclosed. The system comprises an acquisition module, a data processing module, and an execution module. The acquisition module is configured to receive, from a plurality of nodes in the communication network, data corresponding to one or more Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) associated with a Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) carrier of a cell sector for a predefined period. The one or more KPIs indicate at least one of a data traffic of one or more resources of the FDD carrier, a count of user equipment served by a node of the plurality of nodes, utilization of resources in the cell sector, and a throughput associated with each node within the cell sector. The data processing module is configured to determine, based on the received data, whether one or more attributes associated with the one or more KPIs of each node of the plurality of nodes satisfy a corresponding threshold criterion and determine a resource utilization value of a Time Division Duplex (TDD) carrier and inter-site TDD carrier within the cell sector based on the determination that the one or more attributes satisfy the corresponding threshold criterion. The execution module is configured to perform a load balancing by shifting the data traffic from the FDD carrier to the TDD carrier based on the resource utilization value of the TDD carrier and the inter-site TDD carrier within the cell sector.
[0018] In one or more implementations, to determine whether the one or more attributes satisfy the threshold criterion, the data processing module is configured to determine whether a set of conditions is true. The set of conditions includes each node of the plurality of nodes serves the data traffic greater than a predefined data traffic threshold value associated with the node, the throughput is below a predefined throughput threshold value associated with the node, and a difference in utilization of the FDD carrier and the TDD carrier is greater than a threshold utilization level associated with the cell sector. The predefined data traffic threshold value of each node of the plurality of nodes is based on at least one of a spectrum bandwidth and a geographical characteristic of the cell sector. The data processing module is further configured to determine presence or absence of a hardware alarm in the FDD carrier based on the determination that the set of conditions is true and determine, based on the determination of the absence of the hardware alarm in the FDD carrier, whether a difference between a sum of an electrical tilt and a mechanical tilt of the FDD carrier and a sum of an electrical tilt and a mechanical tilt of the TDD carrier is lesser than a predefined tilt threshold.
[0019] In one or more implementations, the execution module is configured to clear the hardware alarm raised at one or more nodes among the plurality of nodes upon the determination that at least one hardware alarm is present in the FDD carrier.
[0020] In one or more implementations, the execution module is configured to perform a tilting harmonization based on the determination that the difference between the sum of the electrical tilt and the mechanical tilt of the FDD carrier and the sum of the electrical tilt and the mechanical tilt of the TDD carrier is greater than the predefined tilt threshold.
[0021] In one or more implementations, the data processing module is configured to determine whether the resource utilization value of the TDD carrier and the inter-site TDD carrier within the cell sector is less than a predefined threshold utilization value upon determining that the difference between the sum of the electrical tilt and the mechanical tilt of the FDD carrier and the sum of the electrical tilt and the mechanical tilt of the TDD carrier is less than the predefined tilt threshold. The execution module is configured to apply multi carrier settings to shift the data traffic associated with the one or more resources from the FDD carrier to the TDD carrier based on the determination that the resource utilization value of the TDD carrier and the inter-site TDD carrier within the cell sector is less than the predefined threshold utilization value.
[0022] In one or more implementations, the execution module is configured to initiate a process to expand capacity of the plurality of nodes based on a determination that the resource utilization value of the TDD carrier and the inter site TDD carrier within the cell sector exceeds the predefined threshold utilization value.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0023] Various embodiments disclosed herein will become better understood from the following detailed description when read with the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings constitute a part of the present disclosure and illustrate certain non-limiting embodiments of inventive concepts disclosed herein. Further, components and elements shown in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. For the purpose of consistency and ease of understanding, similar components and elements are annotated by reference numerals in the exemplary drawings.
[0024] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram depicting an example communication environment, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0025] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram depicting an architecture of a communication system for managing data traffic in a communication network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0026] FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram depicting various components of a processor of the communication system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0027] FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart for performing load balancing across carriers in the communication network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0028] FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart depicting a method for managing the data traffic in the communication network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0029] FIG. 6 illustrates a schematic architecture diagram depicting a computing system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0030] Inventive concepts of the present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which examples of one or more embodiments of inventive concepts are shown. Inventive concepts may, however, be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Further, the one or more embodiments disclosed herein are provided to describe the inventive concept thoroughly and completely, and to fully convey the scope of each of the present inventive concepts to those skilled in the art. Furthermore, it should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein are not mutually exclusive concepts. Accordingly, one or more components from one embodiment may be tacitly assumed to be present or used in any other embodiment.
[0031] The following description presents various embodiments of the present disclosure. The embodiments disclosed herein are presented as teaching examples and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. The present disclosure should in no way be limited to the illustrative implementations, drawings, and techniques illustrated below, including the exemplary design and implementation illustrated and described herein, but may be modified, omitted, or expanded upon without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
[0032] The following description contains specific information pertaining to embodiments in the present disclosure. The detailed description uses the phrases “in some embodiments” or “some implementations” which may each refer to one or more or all of the same or different embodiments or implementations. The term “some” as used herein is defined as “one, or more than one, or all.” Accordingly, the terms “one,” “more than one,” “more than one, but not all” or “all” would all fall under the definition of “some.” In view of the same, the terms, for example, “in an embodiment” or “in an implementation” refers to one embodiment or one implementation and the term, for example, “in one or more embodiments” refers to “at least one embodiment, or more than one embodiment, or all embodiments.” Further, the term, for example, “in one or more implementations” refers to “at least one implementation, or more than one implementation, or all implementations.”
[0033] The term “comprising,” when utilized, means “including, but not necessarily limited to;” it specifically indicates open-ended inclusion in the so-described one or more listed features, elements in a combination, unless otherwise stated with limiting language. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “includes,” “has,” “have,” “contains,” and other similar words are used in either the detailed description, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising.”
[0034] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, various specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. Several features described hereafter can each be used independently of one another or with any combination of other features.
[0035] The description provided herein discloses exemplary embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the present disclosure. Rather, the foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing any of the exemplary embodiments. Specific details are given in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it may be understood by one of the ordinary skilled in the art that the embodiments disclosed herein may be practiced without these specific details.
[0036] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein the description, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" include plural forms unless the context of the invention indicates otherwise.
[0037] The terminology and structure employed herein are for describing, teaching, and illuminating some embodiments and their specific features and elements and do not limit, restrict, or reduce the scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, unless otherwise defined, all terms, and especially any technical and/or scientific terms, used herein may be taken to have the same meaning as commonly understood by one having ordinary skill in the art.
[0038] In the present disclosure, various embodiments are described using terms used in some communication standards (e.g., 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), Extensible Radio Access Network (xRAN), and Open-Radio Access Network (O-RAN)), but these are merely examples for description. Various embodiments of the disclosure may also be easily modified and applied to other communication systems.
[0039] The present disclosure relates to a system and a method for managing data traffic in a communication network. An aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a system and a method that can dynamically assess network conditions and shift the data traffic from overloaded Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) carriers to underutilized Time Division Duplex (TDD) carriers.
[0040] Another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a system and a method that can facilitate analyzing resource utilization across each sector in the communication network and perform load balancing across the sectors from a lower frequency band to a higher frequency band having higher bandwidth.
[0041] Yet another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a system and a method that can enable performing the load balancing across the sectors in the communication network through multi carrier sector balancing, resulting in shifting of end users within good radio conditions to the TDD carriers, thereby enhancing the end users’ experience.
[0042] A further aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a system and a method that can enable use of free resources associated with the TDD carriers by the end users due to shifting of the data traffic from the FDD carriers to the TDD carriers thereby improving indoor coverage experience of the end users.
[0043] A yet further aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a system and a method that can facilitate analyzing Key Performance Indicator (KPI) metrics of nodes in each sector and forwarding a result of the analysis to a Network Management System (NMS) for taking remedial actions thereon for performing the load balancing across each sector.
[0044] Another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a system and a method that can assess the availability of inter-site TDD carriers and leverage the inter-site TDD carriers for additional load balancing when needed.
[0045] In order to facilitate an understanding of the disclosed invention, a number of terms are defined below.
[0046] A node refers to an individual network entity involved in data transmission or service delivery within a communication network.
[0047] A Network Element (NE) refers to any individual device or logical entity within a telecommunication network, such as a router, a switch, or a base station, which are monitored and managed by the EMS. The NE is the lowest manageable unit in a network and supports execution of specific network functions.
[0048] A cell is a smallest unit of coverage in a mobile network, provided by a base station (eNodeB in LTE, gNodeB in 5G). The cell represents a specific Radio Frequency (RF) coverage area served by an antenna. Each cell operates on a specific frequency (carrier) and provides coverage in a defined area.
[0049] A sector corresponds to a subdivision of a base station’s coverage area, achieved by directing antennas in different directions to optimize network capacity and coverage. Most base stations use a three-sector (tri-sector configuration), covering 120° per sector. Each sector may contain multiple frequency carriers (e.g., LTE Band 3 and Band 7 in same sector).
[0050] A carrier refers to a specific Radio Frequency (RF) band used for communication between a user equipment and a base station. A single sector can have multiple carriers (multi-carrier settings).
[0051] A data traffic refers to a volume of data transmitted over a mobile network, including both Uplink (UL) and Downlink (DL) traffic. The data traffic consists of user generated data and control signaling data for network management.
[0052] A Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) refers to a duplexing method where separate frequency bands are used for UL and DL communication.
[0053] A FDD carrier corresponds to a frequency carrier that operates in separate frequency bands for UL and DL transmission. The UL and the DL transmission operate simultaneously but on different, non-overlapping frequency bands, ensuring continuous transmission without time sharing. The UL and the DL transmission occurs concurrently, improving real-time data exchange. Each link has a predefined spectrum allocation, reducing interference.
[0054] A Time Division Duplex (TDD) refers to a duplexing method where a same frequency band is used for UL and DL communication, but the communication occurs in different time slots.
[0055] A TDD carrier corresponds to a frequency carrier that shares a single frequency band for both UL and DL transmission, using time division multiplexing i.e., by dividing time into alternating slots. Instead of separate frequency bands, the TDD carrier utilizes different time slots for the UL and the DL transmission. Each time slot is dynamically for either UL or DL, depending on traffic demand. Since UL/DL resources are not fixed, more efficient use of spectrum is possible.
[0056] A load balancing in a communication network refers to a mechanism for distributing network traffic and resource allocation across multiple carriers, cells, or network elements to optimize performance, prevent congestion, and improve Quality of Service (QoS).
[0057] An NMS refers to a higher-level management system that coordinates and monitors overall operations of a telecommunication network. The NMS integrates multiple EMSs to manage the entire network infrastructure and provides end-to-end fault, configuration, and performance management.
[0058] Key Performance Metrics (KPMs) correspond to quantitative metrics that are used to assess performance, reliability, and health of the communication network. The KPMs include data such as throughput, latency, packet loss, call drop rates, and network availability, used to monitor and optimize the network operations.
[0059] A coverage region refers to a geographical region covered by a specific cell or a group of cells in a wireless communication network. The coverage region may be determined using the radio coverage provided by base stations.
[0060] A Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) represents to a linear average of reference signal power (in Watts) in resource elements that carry cell-specific reference signals within considered measurement frequency bandwidth.
[0061] A Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) is a measurement of total received power observed by a user equipment over a specific bandwidth. The measurement includes the power of a desired signal, interference, and noise. The RSSI is used as an indicator of signal strength in conjunction with performance metrics like the RSRP and Reference Signal Receive Quality (RSRQ).
[0062] The RSRQ corresponds to a quality metric represented as a ratio of the RSRP to the total RSSI in a measured bandwidth. In particular, the RSRQ indicates a quality of a signal relative to interference and noise.
[0063] A bandwidth usage refers to amount of data transmitted over a communication network during a specific time period. The bandwidth usage is often measured in bits per second (bps) and is a KPM in communication networks.
[0064] A latency refers to time taken for a data packet to travel from a source to a destination across the communication network. The latency is a critical factor for real time applications like voice and video calling, and it is typically measured in milliseconds (ms).
[0065] A packet loss occurs when one or more data packets fail to reach the destination. The packet loss is usually caused by network congestion, faulty hardware, or signal interference. The packet loss is often measured as a percentage of total data packets sent.
[0066] A throughput refers to a rate at which data is successfully transmitted from one point to another over a communication network. The throughput is commonly measured in bps and reflects the capacity of the communication network.
[0067] An error rate corresponds to a frequency at which an error occurs in transmission of data, often expressed as a percentage or ratio of number of error bits to total number of bits sent.
[0068] A microservices framework corresponds to a network architecture, where independent microservices communicate over Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), enabling modular, scalable, and resilient network management applications.
[0069] A microservice refers to individual components that perform specific tasks within a system, for example, a test execution microservice could be responsible for running the network tests, while data processing microservice could handle data transformation and storage.
[0070] Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) refers to quantifiable metrics that are used to assess the performance of the network elements within the communication network or a service in relation to predefined objectives. The KPIs help in monitoring a Quality of Service (QoS), resource utilization, and user experience.
[0071] Multi carrier settings refer to a configuration of a mobile network that allows a user equipment to simultaneously use multiple carriers (frequency bands) for improved capacity, throughput, and load balancing. The multi carrier settings optimize radio resource management by enabling dynamic data traffic shifting across available carriers based on network conditions.
[0072] A clutter type refers to a classification of physical obstructions in a wireless communication environment that affect signal propagation, The physical obstructions include buildings, trees, vehicles, terrain variations, and other environmental features that cause attenuation, reflection, diffraction or scattering of radio signals. The various clutter types include urban clutter (dense areas with high rise buildings, causing high reflection, diffraction, and penetration loss), suburban clutter (moderate diffraction and scattering), rural clutter (open landscapes with few obstacles, resulting in low clutter loss and better long range signal propagation), dense vegetation clutter (areas with significant tree cover that introduce high signal absorption and scattering), industrial clutter (environments with large metal structures and machinery, leading to strong multipath effects and interference), water clutter (open water bodies where signals experience specular reflection and reduced diffraction), and the like.
[0073] An electrical tilt refers to adjustment of a base station antenna’s vertical beam pattern using electronic phase shifting within the antenna’s internal elements. This is done without physically moving the antenna.
[0074] A mechanical tilt corresponds to physical adjustment of an antenna’s vertical angle by manually changing a mounting position of the antenna.
[0075] A tilt harmonization corresponds to a process of adjusting the electrical tilt and the mechanical tilt together to optimize the coverage, the capacity, and the interference across multiple sites.
[0076] In context of present disclosure, attributes refer to configurable network parameters that help in determining performance, utilization, and efficiency of network resources.
[0077] A threshold criterion refers to a predefined value or range against which KPI values are compared to determine when a network event or adjustment should occur. The threshold criterion is used to trigger actions such as load balancing, handovers, congestion management, and the like.
[0078] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 through FIG. 6, discussed below, and the one or more embodiments used to describe the principles of the present disclosure are by way of illustration only and should not be construed in any way to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that the principles of the present disclosure may be implemented in any suitably arranged system or device.
[0079] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram depicting an example communication environment 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The embodiment of the communication environment 100 shown in FIG. 1 is for illustration only. The communication environment 100 may also be referred to as the “environment 100”. Other embodiments of the environment 100 may be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure.
[0080] As shown in FIG. 1, the communication environment 100 includes a communication network 108 (hereinafter may also be referred to as a “network 108”), network nodes 102-1, 102-2, …, 102-N (hereinafter also referred to as “network nodes 102” or “nodes 102” or a “node 102”) connected with each other via the network 108, and a plurality of User Equipment (UEs) 104-1, 104-2, …, 104-N (hereinafter also referred to as “UEs 104-1 to 104-N” or “UEs 104” or a “UE 104”).
[0081] The nodes 102 may correspond to Base Stations (BSs) 102-1, 102-2, …102-N and may be referred to as the “BSs 102-1 to 102-N” or the “BSs 102” or a “BS 102”. Typically, the BSs 102 may correspond to a network infrastructure that provides wireless access to one or more terminals. Each BS 102 is capable of supporting both the FDD carriers and the TDD carriers, allowing flexible data traffic management and load balancing.
[0082] The communication environment 100 further includes coverage regions 106-1 to 106-N (hereinafter cumulatively referred to as a “coverage region 106”). The coverage region 106 is served by the BSs 102-1 to 102-N. Each base station among the BSs 102-1 to 102-N may have same or similar configuration. The BSs 102-1 to 102-N serves one or more UEs 104-1 to 104-N in the coverage region 106. Each UE among the UEs 104-1 to 104-N may have same or similar configuration. The BSs 102-1 to 102-N are connected to the network 108 to provide one or more services to the UEs 104-1 to 104-N.
[0083] The BS 102 may be at least one relay, and at least one Distributed Unit (DU). Typically, the BS 102 may be a network infrastructure that provides wireless access to one or more terminals. The BS 102 has coverage defined to be a predetermined geographic area based on the distance over which a signal may be transmitted. The BS 102 may be referred to as, in addition to “base station”, “network node”, “Access Point (AP)”, “Evolved NodeB (eNodeB or eNB)”, “Fifth Generation (5G) node”, “Next Generation NodeB (gNB)”, “Wireless Point”, “Transmission/Reception Point (TRP)”, “Radio Access Network (RAN)” or other terms having equivalent technical meanings.
[0084] The UE 104 may be one or more of at least one DU, at least one Mobile Termination (MT) unit, and at least one relay. Typically, the term “user equipment” or “UE” can refer to any component such as “mobile station,” “subscriber station,” “remote terminal,” “wireless terminal,” “receive point,” or “end user device.”
[0085] The network 108 may include suitable logic, circuitry, and interfaces that may be configured to provide several network ports and several communication channels for transmission and reception of data related to operations of various entities within the communication environment 100. Each network port may correspond to a virtual address (or a physical machine address) for transmission and reception of the communication data. For example, the virtual address may be an Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPV4) (or an IPV6 address) and the physical address may be a Media Access Control (MAC) address. The network 108 may be associated with an application layer for implementation of communication protocols based on communication requests from the various entities.
[0086] The communication data may be transmitted or received via the communication protocols. Examples of the communication protocols may include, but are not limited to, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), Domain Network System (DNS) protocol, Common Management Interface Protocol (CMIP), Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), LTE communication protocols, or any combination thereof. In some aspects of the present disclosure, the communication data may be transmitted or received via at least one communication channel of several communication channels in the network 108. The communication channels may include, but are not limited to, a wireless channel, a wired channel, a combination of wireless and wired channel thereof. The wireless or wired channel may be associated with a data standard which may be defined by one of a Local Area Network (LAN), a Personal Area Network (PAN), a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN), Wireless Area Network (WAN), Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN), a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN), a satellite network, the Internet, an optical fiber network, a coaxial cable network, an infrared (IR) network, a Radio Frequency (RF) network, and a combination thereof. Aspects of the present disclosure are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of communication channel, including known, related art, and/or later developed technologies.
[0087] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram depicting an architecture of a communication system 200 for managing the data traffic in the communication network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The embodiment of the communication system 200 shown in FIG. 2 is for illustration only. The communication system 200 may also be referred to as the “system 200”. Other embodiments of the system 200 may be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure.
[0088] As shown in FIG. 2, the system 200 may include the network 108, the nodes 102 (i.e., the BSs 102) connected to the network 108, the UEs 104 connected to the network 108 via the BSs 102, a server 210, an external database 220 and a Network Management System (NMS) 230. It should be noted that the nodes 102 as shown in FIG. 2 is similar to that shown in FIG. 1. Similarly, the network 108 as shown in FIG. 2 is similar to that shown in FIG. 1 and the UEs 104 as shown in FIG. 2 is similar to that shown in FIG. 1. Therefore, a detailed description of the same is omitted here.
[0089] The server 210 may comprise a communication interface 212, a processor 214, a memory 216 coupled to the processor 214, and an internal database 218. The server 210 may be communicatively connected to the external database 220. The server 210 is configured to execute data processing and data storing operations to perform the load balancing across the sectors in the communication environment 100. The embodiment of the server 210 as shown in FIG. 2 is for illustration only. However, the server 210 may come in a wide variety of configurations, and FIG. 2 does not limit the scope of the present disclosure to any particular implementation of the server 210.
[0090] The communication interface 212 may allow transmission and reception of data between the server 210 and the network 108. The communication interface 212 may include a transmitter, a receiver, and a single or a plurality of transmit antennas electrically coupled to the transmitter and the receiver. The communication interface 212 may include an electronic circuit specific to a standard that enables wired or wireless communication. The communication interface 212 is configured to communicate internally with internal hardware components. The communication interface 212 may be further configured to communicate with external devices via the network 108.
[0091] The communication interface 212 may be configured to enable the server 210 to communicate with various entities of the system 200 via the network 108. Examples of the communication interface 212 may include, but are not limited to, a modem, a network interface such as an Ethernet card, a communication port, and/or a Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) slot and card, an antenna, a Radio Frequency (RF) transceiver, one or more amplifiers, a Coder-Decoder (CODEC) chipset, a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card, and a local buffer circuit. It will be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art that the communication interface 212 may include any device and/or apparatus capable of providing wireless or wired communications between the server 210 and various other entities of the system 200.
[0092] The processor 214 is configured to execute programs and other processes stored in the memory 216. The processor 214 is further configured to store data in the memory 216 and fetch the data from the memory 216 as required by an execution process. The processor 214 may also be coupled to a network interface that may allow the server 210 to communicate with other devices or systems over a network. The processor 214 may further include a plurality of processors, including a general-purpose processor, such as, for example, and without limitation, a Central Processing Unit (CPU), an Application Processor (AP), a dedicated processor, or the like, a graphics-only processing unit such as a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU).
[0093] The memory 216 stores a set of instructions required by the processor 214 of the server 210 for controlling its overall operations. Specifically, the memory 216 stores a microservices framework (not shown in FIG. 2). The microservices framework represents individual services for specific tasks, such as handling requests and processing data. The microservices framework within the memory 216 allows the server 210 to break down entire operations of the server 210 into smaller, independent services that may be developed, deployed, and scaled independently. Each of the microservices framework may adhere to a well-defined Application Programming Interface (API).
[0094] Further, the memory 216 may include non-volatile storage elements. Examples of such non-volatile storage elements may include magnetic hard discs, optical discs, floppy discs, flash memories, or forms of Electrically Programmable Memories (EPROM) or Electrically Erasable and Programmable Memories (EEPROM). In addition, the memory 216 may, in some examples, be considered a non-transitory storage medium. The "non-transitory" storage medium is not embodied in a carrier wave or a propagated signal. However, the term "non-transitory" should not be interpreted as the memory 216 is non-movable. In some examples, the memory 216 may be configured to store larger amounts of information. In certain examples, a non-transitory storage medium may store data that can, over time, change (e.g., in Random Access Memory (RAM) or cache). The memory 216 may be an internal storage unit or an external storage unit of the server 210, cloud storage, or any other type of external storage.
[0095] The internal database 218 is configured to continuously store and update network KPIs collected from the nodes 102. In an implementation, the KPIs may include traffic load metrics (such as throughput, packet transmission rates, congestion levels etc.), Quality of Service (QoS) metrics (such as latency, jitter, packet loss during data transmission etc.), radio access parameters (such as RSRP, RSRQ, interference levels etc.). The internal database 218 is further configured to store real-time information on FDD and TDD carrier utilization levels, inter-site data traffic distribution, bandwidth allocation efficiency, and the like.
[0096] The external database 220 acts as a centralized storage system that aggregates, archives, and processes network related data from multiple sources. The external database 220 is designed for large scale historical data storage, cross network analytics, and long-term performance evaluation. The external database 220 is typically located in a dedicated data center or cloud-based infrastructure and is accessible by various network entities including the NMS 230, the server 210, and third-party party analytics platforms for regulatory reporting, performance forecasting etc.
[0097] The NMS 230 corresponds to a centralized system responsible for monitoring, managing, analyzing, and optimizing the communication network. The NMS 230 may collect data from multiple sources, including network nodes, servers, databases, and other infrastructure components, and may take remedial action on poor performing node in the coverage region 106. Further, depending upon the KPI metrics threshold violation, the NMS 230 may take remedial actions such as modification in multi-carrier settings, capacity addition, tilt harmonization (mechanical/electrical), rectification of hardware faults and the like.
[0098] Although FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 illustrate examples of the communication environment 100 and the communication system 200, various changes may be made to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. For example, the communication environment 100 and the communication system 200 may include any number of nodes and any number of user devices in any suitable arrangement. Further, in another example, the server 210 may include any number of components in addition to the components shown in FIG. 2. Further, various components in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 may be combined, further subdivided, or omitted and additional components may be added according to particular needs.
[0099] FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram depicting various components of the processor 214 of the communication system 200, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0100] The processor 214 may include units/modules selected from any of an acquisition module 214-1, a data processing module 214-2, and an execution module 144-3. The processor 214 may include, but are not limited to, other modules such as a generation module, an analytics module, a monitoring module, and the like. Each of the modules of the processor 214 may be communicatively connected to one another.
[0101] In an implementation, the processor 214, using the acquisition module 214-1, is configured to receive, from the nodes 102 in the communication network, data corresponding to the KPIs associated with a FDD carrier of a cell sector for a predefined period. The KPIs indicate at least one of a data traffic of resources of the FDD carrier, a count of user equipment served by a node of the nodes 102, utilization of the resources in the cell sector, and a throughput associated with each node within the cell sector.
[0102] The processor 214, using the data processing module 214-2 is configured to determine, based on the received data, whether the attributes associated with the KPIs of each node of the nodes 102 satisfy a corresponding threshold criterion. For determining whether the attributes satisfy the threshold criterion, the processor 214, using the data processing module 214-2 is configured to determine whether a set of conditions is true. In an implementation, the set of conditions includes each node of the nodes 102 serves the data traffic greater than a predefined data traffic threshold value associated with the node; the throughput is below a predefined throughput threshold value associated with the node; and a difference in utilization of the FDD carrier and the TDD carrier is greater than a threshold utilization level associated with the cell sector.
[0103] The utilization of the FDD carrier refers to an extent to which available bandwidth and resources of an FDD-based frequency carrier are occupied by active data transmission in the communication network. The utilization of the FDD carrier is determined based on various metrics such as Physical Resource Block (PRB) utilization (expressed in %), DL and UL throughput (Mbps or Gbps), Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) utilization (expressed in %), user connection density (UEs per MHz or per cell), interference level (dBm), and the like. The PRB utilization (ratio of used PRBs to available PRBs X 100) indicates how efficiently frequency blocks are allocated for DL/UL communication. The DL and UL throughput represents actual data transfer rate per FDD carrier. The PDCCH utilization measures utilization of the PDCCH, which controls user scheduling. The user connection density defines how many users are sharing the FDD carrier’s spectrum resources. The interference level monitors channel interference that affects performance of the FDD carrier.
[0104] The utilization of the TDD carrier refers to a proportion of time slots allocated for active data transmission versus idle periods or control signaling in a TDD-based network. The utilization of the TDD carrier is determined based on various metrics such as DL/UL slot occupancy ratio (ratio of used time slots to total available time slots), DL/UL split ratio (distribution of time slot between DL and UL), latency (ms), spectral efficiency (bps/Hz), channel occupancy time (expressed in %), and the like.
[0105] In the context of the present disclosure, the predefined data traffic threshold value determines when the FDD carrier is heavily loaded, triggering evaluation for load balancing. The predefined data traffic threshold value of each node of the nodes 102 is based on various factors such as a spectrum bandwidth and geographical characteristics of the cell sector. In an example scenario for an urban area (high-capacity network, 40 MHz FDD bandwidth), if total data traffic in the FDD carrier exceeds 80% of the PRB utilization, the threshold is breached, and load balancing is considered.
[0106] The predefined throughput threshold value is used to evaluate the network performance and is calculated as average user throughput per node. In an example scenario of an urban high speed 5G or LTE network, if average user throughput in the FDD carrier of the cell sector drops to 8 Mbps, data traffic sifting to the TDD carrier is initiated.
[0107] The processor 214, using the data processing module 214-2 is further configured to determine presence or absence of a hardware alarm in the FDD carrier based on the determination that the set of conditions is true and determine, based on the determination of the absence of the hardware alarm in the FDD carrier, whether a difference between a sum of an electrical tilt and a mechanical tilt of the FDD carrier and a sum of an electrical tilt and a mechanical tilt of the TDD carrier is lesser than a predefined tilt threshold. The predefined tilt threshold is critical for harmonizing the FDD and the TDD carriers to prevent coverage gaps and interference. The predefined tilt threshold is measured in degrees. In an example implementation, the predefined tilt threshold is 2.
[0108] For determining the resource utilization value of the TDD carrier and the inter-site TDD carrier, the processor 214, using the data processing module 214-2 is configured to determine whether the resource utilization value of the TDD carrier and the inter-site TDD carrier within the cell sector is less than a predefined threshold utilization value upon determining that the difference between the sum of the electrical tilt and the mechanical tilt of the FDD carrier and the sum of the electrical tilt and the mechanical tilt of the TDD carrier is less than the predefined tilt threshold. The predefined threshold utilization value defines acceptable resource usage of the TDD carrier and the inter site TDD carrier before executing the load balancing. The predefined threshold utilization value is defined as a percentage of available capacity and ensures that the TDP carriers are not overloaded.
[0109] Furthermore, the processor 214, using the data processing module 214-2 is configured to determine a resource utilization value of a TDD carrier and an inter-site TDD carrier within the cell sector based on the determination that the attributes satisfy the corresponding threshold criterion.
[0110] The processor 214, using the execution module 214-3 is further configured to clear the hardware alarm raised at one or more nodes among the nodes 102 upon the determination that at least one hardware alarm is present in the FDD carrier and perform a tilting harmonization based on the determination that the difference between the sum of the electrical tilt and the mechanical tilt of the FDD carrier and the sum of the electrical tilt and the mechanical tilt of the TDD carrier is greater than the predefined tilt threshold.
[0111] Furthermore, the processor 214, using the execution module 214-3 is configured to perform the load balancing by shifting the data traffic from the FDD carrier to the TDD carrier based on the resource utilization value of the TDD carrier and the inter-site TDD carrier within the cell sector. For performing the load balancing, the processor 214, using the execution module 214-3 is configured to apply multi carrier settings to shift the data traffic associated with the resources from the FDD carrier to the TDD carrier based on the determination that the resource utilization value of the TDD carrier and the inter-site TDD carrier within the cell sector is less than the predefined threshold utilization value.
[0112] The processor 214, using the execution module 214-3 is further configured to initiate a process to expand capacity of the nodes 102 based on a determination that the resource utilization value of the TDD carrier and the inter site TDD carrier within the cell sector exceeds the predefined threshold utilization value.
[0113] FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart 400 for performing the load balancing across the carriers in the communication network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The flowchart 400 comprises a series of operation steps indicated by blocks 402 through 424.
[0114] At block 402, the acquisition module 214-1 of the processor 214 receives, from the nodes 102, the data corresponding to the KPIs associated with the FDD carrier of the cell sector for the predefined period. The KPIs indicate at least one of the data traffic of the resources of the FDD carrier, the count of user equipment served by the node of the nodes 102, the utilization of the resources in the cell sector, and the throughput associated with each node within the cell sector.
[0115] The KPI metrics may be collected from the nodes 102 for a configurable period. In an example implementation, the configurable period may correspond to daily basis for long term trend determination or Bouncing Busy Hours (BBH) where data traffic demand is highest. In a non-limiting example, the configurable period may be in range of 7-10 days. The BBH for a sector is the hour with largest amount of busy-time traffic. For example, the BBH for a day for the sector may be the hour with the highest Erlang value. The hour of the BBH may vary based on the geography of the sector. In a non-limiting example, for urban areas the BBH may be 10.00 a.m. and for rural areas the BBH may be 7.00 p.m.
[0116] At block 404, the data processing module 214-2 of the processor 214 determines, based on the received data, whether each node of the nodes 102 serves the data traffic greater than the predefined data traffic threshold value associated with the node. The data processing module 214-2 further determines whether the throughput is below the predefined throughput threshold value, and whether the difference in the utilization of the FDD carrier and the TDD carrier is greater than the threshold utilization level associated with the cell sector. Here, actual traffic carried by the cell is compared with the designed capacity of the cell. If the cell is consistently carrying more traffic and serving more users than the designed capacity, then the same will be considered as a potential cell for offloading the traffic towards less utilized carrier in order to maintain a superior customer experience.
[0117] If the result of the determination corresponding to the data traffic, the throughput, and the difference in the utilization of the FDD carrier and the TDD carrier is NO, the flowchart 400 proceeds to block 406.
[0118] At block 406, the processor 214 takes no action and proceeds for further processing.
[0119] On the contrary, if the result of the determination corresponding to the data traffic, the throughput, and the difference in the utilization of the FDD carrier and the TDD carrier is YES, the flowchart 400 proceeds to block 408.
[0120] At block 408, the data processing module 214-2 of the processor 214 determines whether any hardware alarm is present in the FDD carrier. If the result of the determination corresponding to the presence of the hardware alarm on the FDD carrier is YES, the flowchart 400 proceeds to block 410. On the contrary, if the result of the determination corresponding to the presence of the hardware alarm on the FDD carrier is NO, the flowchart 400 proceeds to block 412.
[0121] At block 410, the execution module 214-3 of the processor 214 controls the server 210 to clear the hardware alarms on impacted cells. The flowchart 400 then proceeds to block 412.
[0122] At block 412, the data processing module 214-2 of the processor 214 determines whether the difference between the sum of the electrical tilt and the mechanical tilt of the FDD carrier and the sum of the electrical tilt and the mechanical tilt of the TDD carrier is greater than the predefined tilt threshold. In an example implementation, the predefined tilt threshold is 2. If the result of the determination corresponding to the difference is YES, the flowchart 400 proceeds to block 414. On the contrary, if the result of the determination corresponding to the difference is NO, the flowchart 400 proceeds to block 416.
[0123] At block 414, the execution module 214-3 of the processor 214 may perform the tilt harmonization based on the determination that the difference between the sum of the electrical tilt and the mechanical tilt of the FDD carrier and the sum of the electrical tilt and the mechanical tilt of the TDD carrier is greater than the predefined tilt threshold. The flowchart 400 proceeds to block 416.
[0124] At block 416, the data processing module 214-2 of the processor 214 determines whether a resource utilization of the TDD carrier within the cell sector is less than a configurable threshold utilization value. The resource utilization of the TDD cells within the cell sector is determined based on at least one KPI metrics. The configurable threshold utilization value refers to a dynamically adjustable parameter that defines allowable resource utilization for the FDD carrier and the TDD carrier before the load balancing is triggered. The configurable threshold utilization value allows network operators to adjust the value based on real-time conditions, traffic demand, network policies, and optimization strategies. If the result of the determination corresponding to the resource utilization of the TDD carrier within the cell sector is YES, the flowchart 400 proceeds to block 418.
[0125] At block 418, the execution module 214-3 of the processor 214 may shift the data traffic associated with the resources from the FDD carrier to the TDD carrier. The data traffic associated with the resources is shifted from the FDD carrier to the TDD carrier by adjusting multi carrier settings. The multi carrier settings may depend on a clutter type and geography of the cell.
[0126] On the contrary, if the result of the determination corresponding to the resource utilization of the TDD carrier within the cell sector is NO, the flowchart 400 proceeds to block 420.
[0127] At block 420, the data processing module 214-2 of the processor 214 determines whether a resource utilization of the inter-site TDD cells present in the FDD cells within the sector is less than a threshold utilization level. The inter-site TDD cells may be present in a target list of high utilized FDD cells. If the result of the determination corresponding to the resource utilization of the inter-site TDD cells within the sector is YES, the flowchart 400 proceeds to block 422.
[0128] At block 422, the execution module 214-3 of the processor 214 may shift the data traffic associated with the resources from the FDD carrier to the TDD carrier. The traffic associated with the resources is shifted from the FDD carrier to the TDD carrier by adjusting multi carrier settings. The multi carrier settings may depend on the clutter type and the geography of the cell.
[0129] On the contrary, if the result of the determination corresponding to the resource utilization of the inter-site TDD cells within the cell sector is NO, the flowchart 400 proceeds to block 424.
[0130] At block 424, the processor 214 may manage resource utilization of the nodes 102, for instance, the execution module 214-3 of the processor 214 may increase a resource utilization capacity of the nodes 102 or may recommend the network operations team regarding planning of new site. The server 210 may forward the hardware faults of the nodes 102 to the NMS 230 to rectify hardware faults of the nodes 102.
[0131] FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart depicting a method 500 (hereinafter may also be interchangeably referred to as a “process 500”) for managing the data traffic in the communication network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method 500 comprises a series of operation steps indicated by blocks 502 through 508. Although the method 500 shows example blocks of steps 502 to 508, in some embodiments, the method 500 may include additional steps, fewer steps or steps in different order than those depicted in FIG. 5. In other embodiments, the steps 502 to 508 may be combined or may be performed in parallel. The method 500 starts at block 502.
[0132] At block 502, the acquisition module 214-1 of the processor 214 receives, from the nodes 102, the data corresponding to the KPIs associated with the FDD carrier of the cell sector for the predefined period. The KPIs indicate at least one of the data traffic of the resources of the FDD carrier, the count of user equipment served by the node of the nodes 102, the utilization of the resources in the cell sector, and the throughput associated with each node within the cell sector.
[0133] At block 504, the data processing module 214-2 determines, based on the received data, whether the attributes associated with the KPIs of each node of the nodes 102 satisfy the corresponding threshold criterion.
[0134] At block 506, the data processing module 214-2 determines the resource utilization value of the TDD carrier and the inter-site TDD carrier within the cell sector based on the determination that the attributes satisfy the corresponding threshold criterion.
[0135] At block 508, the execution module 214-3 performs the load balancing by shifting the data traffic from the FDD carrier to the TDD carrier based on the resource utilization value of the TDD carrier and the inter-site TDD carrier within the cell sector.
[0136] FIG. 6 illustrates a schematic architecture diagram depicting a computing system 600, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The computing system 600 includes a network 602, a network interface 604, a processor 606 (similar in functionality to the processor 214 of FIG. 2), an Input/Output (I/O) interface 608 and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium 610 (hereinafter may also be referred to as the “storage medium 610” or the “storage media 610”).
[0137] The network interface 604 includes wireless network interfaces such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), or Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) or wired network interfaces such as Ethernet, Universal Serial Bus (USB), or Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers-864 (IEEE-864).
[0138] The processor 606 may include various processing circuitry and communicate with the storage medium 610 and the I/O interface 608. The processor 606 is configured to execute instructions stored in the storage medium 610 and to perform various processes. The processor 606 may include an intelligent hardware device including a general-purpose processor, such as, for example, and without limitation, the CPU, the AP, the dedicated processor, or the like, the graphics-only processing unit such as the GPU, the microcontroller, the FPGA, the programmable logic device, the discrete hardware component, or any combination thereof. The processor 606 may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions 610-1 stored in the storage medium 610 to cause the server 210 to perform various functions.
[0139] The storage medium 610 stores a set of instructions i.e., computer program instructions 610-1 (hereinafter may also be referred to as instructions 610-1) required by the processor 606 for controlling its overall operations and a microservices framework 610-2.
[0140] The storage media 610 may include an electronic storage medium, a magnetic storage medium, an optical storage medium, a quantum storage medium, or the like. For example, the storage media 610 may include, but are not limited to, hard drives, floppy diskettes, optical disks, ROMs, RAMs, EPROMs, EEPROMs, flash memory, magnetic or optical cards, solid-state memory devices, or other types of physical media suitable for storing electronic instructions. In one or more embodiments, the storage media 610 includes a Compact Disk-Read Only Memory (CD-ROM), a Compact Disk-Read/Write (CD-R/W), and/or a Digital Video Disc (DVD).
[0141] In one or more implementations, the storage medium 610 stores computer program code configured to cause the computing system 600 to perform at least a portion of the processes and/or methods. Accordingly, in at least one implementation, the computing system 600 performs the method for managing the data traffic in the communication network.
[0142] Embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above with reference to flowchart illustrations of methods and systems according to embodiments of the disclosure, and/or procedures, algorithms, steps, operations, formulae, or other computational depictions, which may also be implemented as computer program products. In this regard, each block or step of the flowchart, and combinations of blocks (and/or steps) in the flowchart, as well as any procedure, algorithm, step, operation, formula, or computational depiction can be implemented by various means, such as hardware, firmware, and/or software including one or more computer program instructions embodied in computer-readable program code. As will be appreciated, any such computer program instructions may be executed by one or more computer processors, including without limitation a general-purpose computer or special purpose computer, or other programmable processing apparatus to perform a group of operations comprising the operations or blocks described in connection with the disclosed method.
[0143] Further, these computer program instructions, such as embodied in computer-readable program code, may also be stored in one or more computer-readable memory or memory devices (for example, the memory 216 or the storage medium 610) that can direct a computer processor or other programmable processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions 610-1 stored in the computer-readable memory or memory devices produce an article of manufacture including instruction means which implement the function specified in the block(s) of the flowchart(s).
[0144] It will further be appreciated that the term “computer program instructions” as used herein refer to one or more instructions that can be executed by the one or more processors (for example, the processor 214 or the processor 606) to perform one or more functions as described herein. The instructions 610-1 may also be stored remotely such as on a server, or all or a portion of the instructions can be stored locally and remotely.
[0145] Now, referring to the technical abilities and advantageous effect of the present disclosure, operational advantages that may be provided by one or more embodiments may include providing a system and a method that facilitates dynamically assessing network conditions and shifting the data traffic from overloaded FDD carriers to underutilized TDD carriers.
[0146] A further potential advantage of the one or more embodiments disclosed herein may include providing a system and a method that facilitates analyzing resource utilization across each sector in the communication network and perform the load balancing across the sectors from the lower frequency band to the higher frequency band having higher bandwidth.
[0147] Yet another advantageous effect offered by one or more embodiments of the present disclosure may include, but not limited thereto, providing a system and a method that enables performing the load balancing across the sectors in the communication network through multi carrier sector balancing, resulting in shifting of end users within good radio conditions to the TDD carriers, thereby enhancing the end users’ experience.
[0148] A further advantageous effect offered by the embodiments of the present disclosure may include providing a system and a method that enables use of free resources associated with the TDD carriers by the end users due to shifting of the data traffic from the FDD carriers to the TDD carriers thereby improving indoor coverage experience of the end users.
[0149] A yet another advantage may include facilitating analysis of the KPI metrics of the nodes in each sector and forward a result of the analysis to the NMS for taking remedial actions thereon for performing the load balancing across each sector.
[0150] Another noteworthy advantage offered by the embodiments of the present disclosure may include providing a system and a method that assesses the availability of the inter-site TDD carriers and leverage the inter-site TDD carriers for additional load balancing when needed.
[0151] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the methodology described herein in the present disclosure may be carried out in other specific ways than those set forth herein in the above disclosed embodiments without departing from essential characteristics and features of the present invention. The above-described embodiments are therefore to be construed in all aspects as illustrative and not restrictive.
[0152] The drawings and the forgoing description give examples of embodiments. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that one or more of the described elements may well be combined into a single functional element. Alternatively, certain elements may be split into multiple functional elements. Elements from one embodiment may be added to another embodiment. For example, orders of processes described herein may be changed and are not limited to the manner described herein. Any combination of the above features and functionalities may be used in accordance with one or more embodiments.
[0153] In the present disclosure, each of the embodiments has been described with reference to numerous specific details which may vary from embodiment to embodiment. The foregoing description of the specific embodiments disclosed herein may reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications are intended to be comprehended within the meaning of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and is not limited in scope.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
[0154] The following list is provided for convenience and in support of the drawing figures and as part of the text of the specification, which describe innovations by reference to multiple items. Items not listed here may nonetheless be part of a given embodiment. For better legibility of the text, a given reference number is recited near some, but not all, recitations of the referenced item in the text. The same reference number may be used with reference to different examples or different instances of a given item. The list of reference numerals is:
100 - Communication Environment/Environment
102 – Network nodes/nodes/base stations/BSs
104 –User Equipments/UEs/UE
106 – Coverage Region
108 – Communication Network/Network
200 – Communication System/system
210- Server
212 – Communication Interface
214 - Processor
214-1 – Acquisition Module
214-2 – Data Processing Module
214-3 – Execution Module
216 – Memory
218- Internal Database/ Server Database
220- External database
230 – Network Management System/NMS
400 – Flowchart for performing load balancing
500 – Method for managing the data traffic
600 - Computing System
602 - Network
604 - Network interface
606 - Processor
608 – I/O Interface
610 - Storage Medium
610-1 – Instructions
610-2 – Microservices framework
,CLAIMS:We Claim:

1. A method (500) for managing data traffic in a communication network (108), the method (500) comprising:
receiving, by an acquisition module (214-1) from a plurality of nodes (102) in the communication network (108), data corresponding to one or more Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) associated with a Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) carrier of a cell sector for a predefined period, wherein the one or more KPIs indicate at least one of a data traffic of one or more resources of the FDD carrier, a count of user equipment served by a node of the plurality of nodes (102), utilization of resources in the cell sector, and a throughput associated with each node within the cell sector;
determining, by a data processing module (214-2) based on the received data, whether one or more attributes associated with the one or more KPIs of each node of the plurality of nodes (102) satisfy a corresponding threshold criterion;
determining, by the data processing module (214-2), a resource utilization value of a Time Division Duplex (TDD) carrier and an inter-site TDD carrier within the cell sector based on the determination that the one or more attributes satisfy the corresponding threshold criterion; and
performing, by an execution module (214-3), a load balancing by shifting the data traffic from the FDD carrier to the TDD carrier based on the resource utilization value of the TDD carrier and the inter-site TDD carrier within the cell sector.

2. The method (500) as claimed in claim 1, wherein, for determining whether the one or more attributes satisfy the threshold criterion, the method (500) comprises:
determining, by the data processing module (214-2), whether a set of conditions is true, wherein the set of conditions includes:
each node of the plurality of nodes (102) serves the data traffic greater than a predefined data traffic threshold value associated with the node;
the throughput is below a predefined throughput threshold value associated with the node; and
a difference in utilization of the FDD carrier and the TDD carrier is greater than a threshold utilization level associated with the cell sector;
determining, by the data processing module (214-2), presence or absence of a hardware alarm in the FDD carrier based on the determination that the set of conditions is true; and
determining, by the data processing module (214-2) based on the determination of the absence of the hardware alarm in the FDD carrier, whether a difference between a sum of an electrical tilt and a mechanical tilt of the FDD carrier and a sum of an electrical tilt and a mechanical tilt of the TDD carrier is lesser than a predefined tilt threshold.

3. The method (500) as claimed in claim 2, further comprising clearing, by the execution module (214-3), the hardware alarm raised at one or more nodes among the plurality of nodes (102) upon the determination that at least one hardware alarm is present in the FDD carrier.

4. The method (500) as claimed in claim 2, further comprising performing, by the execution module (214-3), a tilting harmonization based on the determination that the difference between the sum of the electrical tilt and the mechanical tilt of the FDD carrier and the sum of the electrical tilt and the mechanical tilt of the TDD carrier is greater than the predefined tilt threshold.

5. The method (500) as claimed in claim 2, wherein:
for determining the resource utilization value of the TDD carrier and the inter-site TDD carrier, the method (500) comprises determining, by the data processing module (214-2), whether the resource utilization value of the TDD carrier and the inter-site TDD carrier within the cell sector is less than a predefined threshold utilization value upon determining that the difference between the sum of the electrical tilt and the mechanical tilt of the FDD carrier and the sum of the electrical tilt and the mechanical tilt of the TDD carrier is less than the predefined tilt threshold; and
for performing the load balancing, the method (500) comprises applying, by the execution module (214-3), multi carrier settings to shift the data traffic associated with the one or more resources from the FDD carrier to the TDD carrier based on the determination that the resource utilization value of the TDD carrier and the inter-site TDD carrier within the cell sector is less than the predefined threshold utilization value.

6. The method (500) as claimed in claim 5, comprising initiating, by the execution module (214-3), a process to expand capacity of the plurality of nodes (102) based on a determination that the resource utilization value of the TDD carrier and the inter site TDD carrier within the cell sector exceeds the predefined threshold utilization value.

7. The method (500) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the predefined data traffic threshold value of each node of the plurality of nodes (102) is based on at least one of a spectrum bandwidth and a geographical characteristic of the cell sector.

8. A system (200) for managing data traffic in a communication network (108), the system (200) comprising:
an acquisition module (214-1) configured to receive, from a plurality of nodes (102) in the communication network (108), data corresponding to one or more Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) associated with a Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) carrier of a cell sector for a predefined period, wherein the one or more KPIs indicate at least one of a data traffic of one or more resources of the FDD carrier, a count of user equipment served by a node of the plurality of nodes (102), utilization of resources in the cell sector, and a throughput associated with each node within the cell sector;
a data processing module (214-2) configured to:
determine, based on the received data, whether one or more attributes associated with the one or more KPIs of each node of the plurality of nodes (102) satisfy a corresponding threshold criterion; and
determine a resource utilization value of a Time Division Duplex (TDD) carrier and inter-site TDD carrier within the cell sector based on the determination that the one or more attributes satisfy the corresponding threshold criterion; and
an execution module (214-3) configured to perform a load balancing by shifting the data traffic from the FDD carrier to the TDD carrier based on the resource utilization value of the TDD carrier and the inter-site TDD carrier within the cell sector.

9. The system (200) as claimed in claim 8, wherein to determine whether the one or more attributes satisfy the threshold criterion, the data processing module (214-2) is configured to:
determine whether a set of conditions is true, wherein the set of conditions includes:
each node of the plurality of nodes (102) serves the data traffic greater than a predefined data traffic threshold value associated with the node;
the throughput is below a predefined throughput threshold value associated with the node; and
a difference in utilization of the FDD carrier and the TDD carrier is greater than a threshold utilization level associated with the cell sector;
determine presence or absence of a hardware alarm in the FDD carrier based on the determination that the set of conditions is true; and
determine, based on the determination of the absence of the hardware alarm in the FDD carrier, whether a difference between a sum of an electrical tilt and a mechanical tilt of the FDD carrier and a sum of an electrical tilt and a mechanical tilt of the TDD carrier is lesser than a predefined tilt threshold.

10. The system (200) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the execution module (214-3) is configured to clear the hardware alarm raised at one or more nodes among the plurality of nodes (102) upon the determination that at least one hardware alarm is present in the FDD carrier.

11. The system (200) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the execution module (214-3) is configured to perform a tilting harmonization based on the determination that the difference between the sum of the electrical tilt and the mechanical tilt of the FDD carrier and the sum of the electrical tilt and the mechanical tilt of the TDD carrier is greater than the predefined tilt threshold.

12. The system (200) as claimed in claim 9, wherein:
the data processing module (214-2) is configured to determine whether the resource utilization value of the TDD carrier and the inter-site TDD carrier within the cell sector is less than a predefined threshold utilization value upon determining that the difference between the sum of the electrical tilt and the mechanical tilt of the FDD carrier and the sum of the electrical tilt and the mechanical tilt of the TDD carrier is less than the predefined tilt threshold; and
the execution module (214-3) is configured to apply multi carrier settings to shift the data traffic associated with the one or more resources from the FDD carrier to the TDD carrier based on the determination that the resource utilization value of the TDD carrier and the inter-site TDD carrier within the cell sector is less than the predefined threshold utilization value.

13. The system (200) as claimed in claim 12, wherein the execution module (214-3) is configured to initiate a process to expand capacity of the plurality of nodes (102) based on a determination that the resource utilization value of the TDD carrier and the inter site TDD carrier within the cell sector exceeds the predefined threshold utilization value.

14. The system (200) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the predefined data traffic threshold value of each node of the plurality of nodes (102) is based on at least one of a spectrum bandwidth and a geographical characteristic of the cell sector.