Coordination of self-optimization operations in a self organizing network

• US 10,158,519 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2012
• Issued: 12/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Chou, Joey, Venkatachalam, Muthaiah
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Shailendra
• Application Number:
  US13/976,374
• Publication Number:
  US 20130279368A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,464 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/024 Co-operative use of antennas of several sites, e.g. in co-ordinated multipoint or co-operative multiple-input multiple-output [MIMO] systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0456 Selection of precoding matrices or codebooks, e.g. using matrices antenna weighting
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0626 Channel coefficients, e.g. channel state information [CSI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/00 Orthogonal multiplex systems, e.g. using WALSH codesH04J13/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/12 Arrangements providing for calling or supervisory signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0026 Transmission of channel quality indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0077 Cooperative coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1812 Hybrid protocols; Hybrid automatic repeat request [HARQ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2646 using feedback from receiver for adjusting OFDM transmission parameters, e.g. transmission timing or guard interval length
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2662 Symbol synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2675 Pilot or known symbols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0035 Resource allocation in a cooperative multipoint environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0055 Physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK for physical mapping arrangements in ARQ protocols H04L1/1861
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0078 Timing of allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0206 in access points, e.g. base stations access point devices per se H04W88/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/146 : Uplink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/242 : taking into account path loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/244 : Interferences in heterogeneous networks, e.g. among macro and femto or pico cells or other sector / system interference [OSI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/34 : TPC management, i.e. sharing limited amount of power among users or channels or data types, e.g. cell loading
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0015 : one node acting as a reference for the others
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/02 : Arrangements for increasing efficiency of notification or paging channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 : Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 : Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/12 : Wireless traffic scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 : in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 : in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 : using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 : Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 : for selective distribution or broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/14 : WLL [Wireless Local Loop]; RLL [Radio Local Loop]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure describe device, methods, computer-readable media and system configurations for coordinating a plurality of self-optimization operations, such as an energy-saving management operation and a capacity and coverage optimization operation, to reduce conflicts between changes to configuration parameters of a wireless network access node caused by the self-optimization operations. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Claims

1. An apparatus to be employed in an evolved nodeB (eNB), the apparatus comprising:

one or more processors operably coupled with one or more non-transitory computer readable media, the one or more processors are to execute instructions to implement a plurality of self-organizing network (SON) functions, wherein each SON function of the plurality of SON functions comprises SON coordination functionality to coordinate configuration parameter changes among the plurality of SON functions, and wherein, to operate the SON coordination functionality of an energy savings management (ESM) function of the plurality of SON functions, the one or more processors are to execute the instructions to;

identify a trigger for the eNB to enter an energy savings (ES) compensation state to compensate for a cell provided by another eNB that is to enter an energy saving (ES) state;

determine whether one or more configuration parameters are currently being changed for the eNB by a SON function of the plurality of SON functions other than the ESM function; and

instruct the eNB to initiate the ES compensation state when the one or more configuration parameters are not currently being changed by the SON function other than the ESM function.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are to execute the instructions to:

instruct the eNB to not initiate the ES compensation state based on a determination that the one or more configuration parameters are currently being changed.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, to instruct the eNB to initiate the ES compensation state, the one or more processors are to execute the instructions to:

instruct the eNB to adjust at least one configuration parameter of the one or more configuration parameters.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the eNB is to be triggered by the ESM function to compensate the other eNB at off-peak times to provide coverage to accommodate powering down of the other eNB.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the SON function other than the ESM function is a capacity and coverage optimization (CCO) function.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more configuration parameters include one or more of a downlink transmission power, an antenna tilt, or an antenna azimuth.

7. One or more non-transitory computer readable media (NTCRM) including instructions, wherein execution of the instructions by an evolved nodeB (eNB) is to cause the eNB to:

implement a plurality of self-organizing network (SON) functions, wherein each SON function of the plurality of SON functions comprises SON coordination functionality to coordinate configuration parameter changes among the plurality of SON functions, wherein, to operate the SON coordination functionality of an energy savings management (ESM) function of the plurality of SON functions, execution of the instructions is to cause the eNB to;

determine whether the eNB is to be activated to compensate for another eNB that is to enter an energy saving (ES) state;

determine whether one or more configuration parameters are currently being changed for the eNB by a capacity and coverage optimization (CCO) function, wherein the CCO function is among the plurality of SON functions;

instruct the eNB to not initiate an ES compensate state when it is determined that the one or more configuration parameters are being changed by the CCO function such that the eNB will not compensate for the other eNB that is to enter the ES state.

8. The one or more NTCRM of claim 7, wherein execution of the instructions is to cause the eNB to:

instruct the eNB to initiate the ES compensate state when it is determined that the one or more configuration parameters are not being changed by the CCO function such that the eNB will compensate for the other eNB after the other eNB enters the ES state.

9. The one or more NTCRM of claim 8, wherein to instruct the eNB to initiate the ES compensate state, execution of the instructions is to cause the eNB to:

instruct the eNB to adjust at least one configuration parameter of the one or more configuration parameters.

10. The one or more NTCRM of claim 7, wherein execution of the instructions is to cause the eNB to:

determine whether the eNB is currently in an ES state; and

refrain from instructing the eNB to initiate the ES compensate state when it is determined that the eNB is currently in the ES state.

11. The one or more NTCRM of claim 7, wherein the one or more configuration parameters include one or more of a downlink transmission power, an antenna tilt, or an antenna azimuth.

12. The one or more NTCRM of claim 7, wherein, to determine whether the one or more configuration parameters are currently being changed by the CCO, execution of the instructions is to cause the eNB to:

test a semaphore to determine whether the semaphore is in a locked state; and

set the semaphore to the locked state when it is determined that the semaphore is not in the locked state.

13. An apparatus to be employed as an evolved nodeB (eNB), the apparatus comprising:

a processor operably coupled with a memory, wherein the processor is to operate one or more self-organizing network (SON) functions including a capacity and coverage optimization (CCO) function, wherein each SON function of the one or more SON functions comprises SON coordination functionality to coordinate configuration parameter changes among the one or more SON functions, wherein, to operate the SON coordination functionality of the CCO function, the processor is to execute instructions to;

detect an event that triggers the eNB to perform a CCO procedure for a cell provided by the eNB,

determine whether one or more configuration parameters are currently being changed for the eNB by a SON function of the one or more SON functions that is different than the CCO function in response to the detection, and

instruct the eNB to initiate performance of the CCO procedure based on a determination that the one or more configuration parameters are not currently being changed by the SON function that is different than the CCO function.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor is to execute the instructions to instruct the eNB to not initiate performance of the CCO procedure based on a determination that the one or more configuration parameters are currently being changed.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor is to execute the instructions to instruct the eNB to adjust at least one configuration parameter of the one or more configuration parameters.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the SON function other than the CCO function is an energy savings management (ESM) function among the one or more SON functions.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the one or more configuration parameters include one or more of a downlink transmission power, an antenna tilt, or an antenna azimuth.