Self-organizing network mechanism for energy saving during an outage

• US 10,506,460 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2014
• Issued: 12/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Tapia, Pablo
• Primary Examiner(s): Taylor, Nicholas R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Li, Michael
• Application Number:
  US14/496,185
• Publication Number:
  US 20150050925A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,902 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/20 Network management software packages
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0203 in the radio access network or backbone network of wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Described herein is a self-organizing network (SON) configured to receive information indicating that access network equipment is experiencing a power outage. In response, the SON determines at least one of a time since the power outage, a present configuration of the access network equipment, a characteristic of the access network equipment, or a value of a performance indicator associated with the access network equipment. The SON then generates an updated configuration of the access network equipment based at least in part on the at least one of the time since the power outage, the present configuration of the access network equipment, the characteristic of the access network equipment, or the value of the performance indicator. Further, the SON then provides the updated configuration to the access network equipment.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by one or more self-organizing network (SON) tools executing via a SON automation engine on one or more SON computing devices, information indicating that a base station of a telecommunication network is experiencing a power outage but is continuing to operate on at least one of reduced or backup power due to

     1) a loss of a main power supply and a corresponding use of a backup power supply, or

     2) an available power level dropping below a threshold, wherein the information is received by the one or more SON tools via an application programming interface (API) for SONs that is exposed to the one or more SON tools by the SON automation engine;

retrieving, by the one or more SON tools via the API from an equipment data store of the one or more SON computing devices, a present configuration of the base station and one or more characteristics of the base station including at least one of backup power resources of the base station, cellular technologies supported by the base station, or a size of a cell serviced by the base station;

receiving, by the one or more SON tools via the API from a consolidation engine executing on the one or more SON computing devices, at least one performance indicator associated with the base station, including at least one of a battery level, a fuel level, a generator status, or a backup power supply status;

generating, by the one or more SON tools, an updated configuration of the base station based at least in part on the present configuration of the base station, the one or more characteristics of the base station, and the at least one performance indicator, wherein the updated configuration reduces power requirements of the base station during the power outage; and

providing, by the one or more SON tools, the updated configuration to the base station via the API.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more SON tools receives the information indicating that the base station is experiencing the power outage as an alert from a component of the one or more SON computing devices, wherein the component of the one or more SON computing devices generates the alert based on the at least one performance indicator or other information from the base station.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more SON tools receives the information indicating that the base station is experiencing the power outage as the at least one performance indicator, and determines that the at least one performance indicator indicates that the base station is experiencing the power outage based on a comparison of the at least one performance indicator to one or more power outage thresholds or models.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the at least one performance indicator further includes a signal-to-noise ratio, a bit error rate, a frame error rate, a number of carriers, a number of connections, cellular technology types of the connections, a maximum transmit power, or a maximum bit rate.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the updated configuration causes the base station to perform at least one of turning off air conditioning, turning off a main power supply, adjusting a voltage of a backup power supply, disconnecting 2G, 3G, 4G, LTE, or other cellular or wireless services, shutting down one or more carriers, reducing a maximum transmit power, or adjusting a maximum bit rate.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising periodically, by the one or more SON tools, receiving subsequent information indicating that the base station is continuing to experience the power outage, and in response generating subsequent updated configurations and providing the subsequent updated configurations to the base station to progressively degrade service capabilities of the base station to further reduce the power requirements of the base station.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more SON tools includes a first SON tool configured to receive the information indicating that the base station is experiencing the power outage, a second SON tool configured to perform at least one of retrieving the one or more characteristics of the base station from the equipment data store or receiving the at least one performance indicator, a third SON tool configured to generate the updated configuration, and a fourth SON tool configured to provide the updated configuration to the base station.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the API allows the first SON tool, the second SON tool, the third SON tool, the fourth SON tool, the equipment data store, and the consolidation engine to communicate within the one or more SON computing devices.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the one or more SON tools, a time since the power outage began,

wherein the one or more SON tools generate the updated configuration of the base station based further in part on the time since the power outage began.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more SON tools generate the updated configuration of the base station by applying a model to at least the one or more characteristics and the at least one performance indicator.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more SON tools generate the updated configuration of the base station comprises using a configuration change template that corresponds to at least the one or more characteristics and the at least one performance indicator.

9. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having stored thereon programming instructions configured to cause one or more self-organizing network (SON) tools executing via a SON automation engine on one or more SON computing devices to perform operations comprising:

receiving, via an application programming interface (API) for SONs that is exposed to the one or more SON tools by the SON automation engine, information indicating that a base station of a telecommunication network is experiencing a power outage but is continuing to operate on at least one of reduced or backup power due to

     1) a loss of a main power supply and a corresponding use of a backup power supply, or

     2) an available power level dropping below a threshold;

retrieving, via the API from an equipment data store of the one or more SON computing devices, a present configuration of the base station and one or more characteristics of the base station including at least one of backup power resources of the base station, cellular technologies supported by the base station, or a size of a cell serviced by the base station;

receiving, via the API from a consolidation engine executing on the one or more SON computing devices, at least one performance indicator associated with the base station, including at least one of a battery level, a fuel level, a generator status, or a backup power supply status;

generating an updated configuration of the base station based at least in part on the present configuration of the base station, the one or more characteristics of the base station, and the at least one performance indicator, wherein the updated configuration reduces power requirements of the base station during the power outage; and

providing the updated configuration to the base station via the API.

10. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 9, wherein the one or more SON tools receives the information indicating that the base station is experiencing the power outage as:

an alert from a component of the one or more SON computing devices, wherein the component of the one or more SON computing devices generates the alert based on the at least one performance indicator or other information from the base station, or

the at least one performance indicator, wherein the one or more SON tools determine that the at least one performance indicator indicates that the base station is experiencing the power outage based on a comparison of the at least one performance indicator to one or more power outage thresholds or models.

11. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 9, wherein the at least one performance indicator further includes a signal-to-noise ratio, a bit error rate, a frame error rate, a number of carriers, a number of connections, cellular technology types of the connections, a maximum transmit power, or a maximum bit rate.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 9, wherein the updated configuration causes the base station to perform at least one of turning off air conditioning, turning off a main power supply, adjusting a voltage of a backup power supply, disconnecting 2G, 3G, 4G, LTE, or other cellular or wireless services, shutting down one or more carriers, reducing a maximum transmit power, or adjusting a maximum bit rate.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise periodically receiving subsequent information indicating that the base station is continuing to experience the power outage, and in response generating subsequent updated configurations and providing the subsequent updated configurations to the base station to progressively degrade service capabilities of the base station to further reduce the power requirements of the base station.

14. A self-organizing network (SON) computing device comprising:

one or more processors;

an equipment data store storing a present configuration of a base station of a telecommunication network and one or more characteristics of the base station, including at least one of backup power resources of the base station, cellular technologies supported by the base station, or a size of a cell serviced by the base station;

a consolidation engine configured to be operated by the one or more processors to determine at least one performance indicator associated with the base station, including at least one of a battery level, a fuel level, a generator status, or a backup power supply status; and

a SON automation engine configured to be operated by the one or more processors to execute one or more SON tools to perform operations including;

receiving, via an application programming interface (API) for SONs that is exposed to the one or more SON tools by the SON automation engine, information indicating that the base station is experiencing a power outage but is continuing to operate on at least one of reduced or backup power due to

     1) a loss of a main power supply and a corresponding use of a backup power supply, or

     2) an available power level dropping below a threshold;

retrieving, via the API from the equipment data store, the present configuration of the base station and the one or more characteristics of the base station;

receiving, via the API from the consolidation engine, the at least one performance indicator associated with the base station;

generating an updated configuration of the base station based at least in part on the present configuration of the base station, the one or more characteristics of the base station, and the at least one performance indicator, wherein the updated configuration reduces power requirements of the base station during the power outage;

providing the updated configuration to the base station via the API; and

periodically receiving subsequent information via the API indicating that the base station is continuing to experience the power outage, and in response generating subsequent updated configurations and providing the subsequent updated configurations to the base station via the API to progressively degrade service capabilities of the base station to further reduce power requirements of the base station.

15. The SON computing device of claim 14, wherein the one or more SON tools receives the information indicating that the base station is experiencing the power outage as:

an alert from a component of the SON computing device, wherein the component of the SON computing device generates the alert based on the at least one performance indicator or other information from the base station, or

the at least one performance indicator, wherein the one or more SON tools determine that the at least one performance indicator indicates that the base station is experiencing the power outage based on a comparison of the at least one performance indicator to one or more power outage thresholds or models.

16. The SON computing device of claim 14, wherein the at least one performance indicator further includes a signal-to-noise ratio, a bit error rate, a frame error rate, a number of carriers, a number of connections, cellular technology types of the connections, a maximum transmit power, or a maximum bit rate.

17. The SON computing device of claim 14, wherein the updated configuration causes the base station to perform at least one of turning off air conditioning, turning off a main power supply, adjusting a voltage of a backup power supply, disconnecting 2G, 3G, 4G/LTE, or other cellular or wireless services, shutting down one or more carriers, reducing a maximum transmit power, or adjusting a maximum bit rate.