Device for selecting communication paths between devices in the millimeter-wave band and method for operating the same

D2D Path Selection to Reduce Small Cell Load by Comparing Direct and Indirect Link Connection Probabilities

This technology is a device-to-device (D2D) communication path selection device that determines whether two devices should communicate directly or via a small cell base station in the millimeter-wave band. After selecting a small cell base station that covers both devices, it calculates the connection probabilities for both the direct link and the base station-relayed link to determine the more advantageous path.

When a base station relays all communications between multiple devices within a single small cell's coverage, the base station's load increases. Increasing the number of base stations to handle this leads to higher costs and inter-base station interference. Furthermore, in millimeter-wave environments, which are highly directional and vulnerable to obstacles, there has been a lack of criteria for determining which path is stable.

This technology selects a direct path if the direct connection probability is higher than the product of the two indirect link probabilities by a certain threshold. If the base station reaches its capacity limit, it reallocates resources by switching existing devices with higher direct connection probabilities to a direct path, and switches to an alternative path in case of communication failure. It can be applied to 5G device-to-device communication, smart factory IoT connectivity, and traffic distribution at large-scale events, increasing connection success rates in congested cells without the need for additional base stations.

‍

‍

Key Features:

• An information storage unit that stores location information for N small cell base stations and a location information receiver that receives location information from the first and second devices
• A calculation unit that selects the small cell base station with the shortest distance that covers both devices and calculates the direct connection probability and the two sub-indirect connection probabilities
• A communication path determination unit that selects the direct path as the communication path if the direct wireless connection probability is higher than the product of the two sub-indirect connection probabilities by a certain threshold
• A configuration that changes the path of existing devices with higher direct connection probabilities to a direct wireless communication path when the number of base station-relayed communications reaches the capacity limit

‍