State change enabled by a hierarchical class of a radio access network device

• US 10,182,397 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2018
• Issued: 01/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sukumaran, Jayesh, Orloff, David, Reiger, Susan
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nimesh
• Application Number:
  US15/909,972
• Publication Number:
  US 20180270751A1
• Time in Patent Office: 320 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/32 Hierarchical cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0206 in access points, e.g. base stations access point devices per se H04W88/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/18 TPC being performed according to specific parameters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Enabling a changing of a state of a device based on a hierarchical class of the device is disclosed. Non-macro radio access network (RAN) devices can be comprised in a network connected to a macro RAN device via a gateway RAN device. The gateway RAN device can be connected to a field RAN device via an intermediate RAN device. A state of a field RAN device can be altered based on a criterion. In an embodiment the criterion can be use of the hierarchical class of the RAN device, e.g., a field class RAN device, by an active or idle UE. In an embodiment the criterion can be use, by an active or idle UE, of another RAN device that is a logical neighbor to the field RAN device. Altering the state can result in a power savings or improved interference characteristics of the network.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

in response to determining a first field radio access network device relationship between a field radio access network device and a gateway radio access network device having a gateway neighbor relationship with a macro radio access network device, a second field radio access network device relationship between the field radio access network device and an intermediate radio access network device comprising an intermediate neighbor relationship with the gateway radio access network device, and a third field radio access network device relationship between the field radio access network device and a user equipment that is not affiliated with the field radio access network device and is not affiliated with a neighbor radio access network device that is a neighbor to the field radio access network device, determining a state transition for a state of the field radio access network device based on the first field radio access network device relationship, the second field radio access network device relationship, and the third field radio access network device relationship; and

in response to determining that a trigger rule related to initiating the state transition has been satisfied, initiating the state transition for the state of the field radio access network device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the initiating the state transition comprises altering an activity state of the field radio access network device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the initiating the state transition at least results in the field radio access network device using a different amount of electrical energy than before the initiating the state transition.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the initiating the state transition at least results in the field radio access network device transmitting a different amount of radio frequency energy than before the initiating the state transition.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the neighbor radio access network device is logically separated from the field radio access network device by one hop.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the neighbor radio access network device is logically separated from the field radio access network device by more than one hop.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the gateway radio access network device is an immediate neighbor of the macro radio access network device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the macro radio access network device is an eNodeB device, a NodeB device, a femtocell device, picocell device, or a millimeter-wave device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the gateway radio access network device is an immediate neighbor to the intermediate radio access network device and the macro radio access network device.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the intermediate radio access network device is an immediate neighbor to the gateway radio access network device and the field radio access network device.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the intermediate radio access network device is a first intermediate radio access network device, and wherein the first intermediate radio access network device is an immediate neighbor to a second intermediate radio access network device and the gateway radio access network device.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the field radio access network device is a first field radio access network device, wherein the neighbor radio access network device is a second field radio access network device, and wherein the first field radio access network device is an immediate neighbor to the second field radio access network device, and.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the determining that the trigger rule related to the initiating of the state transition has been satisfied is based on an input from a controller device affiliated with a user identity.

14. A method, comprising:

in response to determining, by a system comprising a processor, that a radio access network device is of a field radio access network device class, determining a count comprising a first number of idle state user equipments and a second number of active state user equipments, wherein the idle state user equipments of the first number of idle state user equipments are affiliated with the radio access network device and neighbor devices that are first neighbors to the radio access network device, and wherein the active state user equipments of the second number of active state user equipments are affiliated with the radio access network device and the neighbor devices; and

in response to determining that the count is zero, initiating a state transition from a first state of the radio access network device to a second state of the radio access network device different than the first state.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first state of the radio access network device consumes a different amount of power than the second state of the radio access network device.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the first state of the radio access network device generates a different amount of radio frequency energy than the second state of the radio access network device.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the field radio access network device is connected to a gateway radio access network device that is logically one hop from a macro radio access network device, and wherein the macro radio access network device is an eNodeB device, a NodeB device, or a femtocell device, picocell device, or a millimeter-wave device.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitates performance of operations, comprising:

determining that a mode of a first radio access network device is;

not a gateway mode associated with a first neighbor relationship between the first radio access network device and a macro radio access network device, and

not an intermediate mode associated with a second neighbor relationship between the first radio access network device and a gateway radio access network device that has a third neighbor relationship with the macro radio access network device;

determining a count comprising a first number of idle state user equipments and a second number of active state user equipments, wherein the first number of idle state user equipments is affiliated with the first radio access network device and first neighbors of the first radio access network device, and wherein the second number of active state user equipments is affiliated with the first radio access network device and the first neighbors of the first radio access network device; and

transitioning a state of the first radio access network device based on the mode and the count, wherein the state transitions from a first state of the first radio access network device to a second state of the first radio access network device.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the count is zero.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the transitioning the state of the first radio access network device results in the first radio access network device consuming a different amount of electrical energy than before the transitioning the state of the first radio access network device.