Method for determining if a first cell managed by a first base station is neighbour of a second cell managed by a second base station

• US 20070087752A1
• Filed: 09/21/2006
• Published: 04/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Voyer, Nicolas, Lavillonniere, Eric, Pautonnier-Perrot, Sophie
• Granted Patent: US 8,073,445 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 between access points

Abstract

The present invention concerns a method for determining if a first cell managed by a first base station is neighbour of a second cell managed by a second base station, the cells being cells of wireless cellular network, the wireless cellular network comprising a telecommunication network enabling the transfer of information between the base stations. The first base station monitors the amount of information transferred between the first base station and the second base station through the telecommunication network and determines if the second cell managed by the second base station is neighbour of the first cell managed by the first base station according to the amount of monitored information transferred between the first base station and the second base station through the telecommunication network. The invention concerns also the associated device.

Claims

1. Method for determining if a first cell managed by a first base station is neighbour of a second cell managed by a second base station, the cells being cells of wireless cellular network, the wireless cellular network comprising a telecommunication network enabling the transfer of information between the base stations, characterised in that, the method comprises the steps, executed by the first base station, of:

monitoring the amount of information transferred between the first base station and the second base station through the telecommunication network,

determining if the second cell managed by the second base station is neighbour of the first cell managed by the first base station according to the amount of monitored information transferred between the first base station and the second base station through the telecommunication network.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the amount of information monitored is the amount of information related to handover procedures of mobile terminals moving from the first cell to the second cell and reciprocally.

3. Method according to claim 2, characterised in that the wireless cellular network further comprises a server linked to the telecommunication network and in that the method comprises the steps executed by the first base station of:

receiving from the server information identifying at least one second base station in the telecommunication network,

establishing a connection between the first and the one or each second base station through the telecommunication network using the information identifying the or each second base station in the telecommunication network, the monitored amount of information being the amount of information transferred through the established connection.

4. Method according to claim 3, characterised in that each of the base stations comprises at least one access port through which the connection is established and in that the method comprises further steps executed by the first base station of:

transferring to the server the identifier of each of its access ports,

receiving from the server at least one identifier of one available access port of each second base station,

establishing a connection with at least one second base station using an available access port of the first base station and the available access port of the at least one second base station.

5. Method according to claim 4, characterised in that the first base station transfers to the second base station the identifier of the access port used by the first base station for the connection with the second base station.

6. Method according to claim 5, characterised in that the first base station transfers to the server the identifier of the access port used by the first base station for the connection with the second base station and the identifier of the access port used by the second base station for the connection with the first base station.

7. Method according to any of the claims 3 to 6, characterised in that, the method comprises further steps executed by the first base station of:

checking if the amount of monitored information transferred between the first base station and the second base station through the connection is lower than a predetermined threshold,

releasing the connection with the second base station if the amount of monitored information transferred between the first base station and the second base station through the connection is lower than a predetermined threshold,

transferring to the server a message informing that the access ports of the first base station and the second base station used for the released connection are available.

8. Method according to any of the claims 3 to 7, characterised in that the method comprises further steps executed by the first base station of:

receiving from the second base station information representative of the operation domain of the at least one second cell,

determining the operation domain of the first cell according to the information representative of the operation domain of the at least one second cell.

9. Method according to any of the claims 3 to 8, characterised in that, the method comprises, prior to the receiving from the server of information identifying the second base station in the telecommunication network, the step executed by the first base station of transferring to the server information related to the location of the first base station.

14. Computer program which can be directly loadable into a programmable device, comprising instructions or portions of code for implementing the steps of the method according to claims 1 to 9, when said computer program is executed on a programmable device.

10. Method for enabling the determination, by a first base station managing a first cell, if the first cell is neighbour of a second cell managed by at least a second base station, the cells being cells of wireless cellular network, the wireless cellular network comprising a server and a telecommunication network enabling the transfer of information between the base stations and between at least the first base station and the server, characterised in that, the method comprises the steps, executed by the server of:

receiving from the first base station information related to the location of the first base station,

determining according to the information related to the location of the first base station, at least a second base station which is located in the vicinity of the first base station,

transferring to the first base station information identifying at least the second base station in the telecommunication network.

11. Method according to claim 10, characterised in that plural second base stations are determined, the information identifying at least each determined second base station are transferred to the first base station and the information identifying at least each of the determined second base stations in the telecommunication network are the identifier of the second base station and at least one identifier of an available access port of the second base station.

15. Computer program which can be directly loadable into a programmable device, comprising instructions or portions of code for implementing the steps of the method according to claims 10 and 11, when said computer program is executed on a programmable device.

12. Device for determining if a first cell managed by a first base station is neighbour of a second cell managed by a second base station, the cells being cells of wireless cellular network, the wireless cellular network comprising a telecommunication network enabling the transfer of information between the base stations, characterised in that, the device is comprised in the first base station and comprises:

means for monitoring the amount of information transferred between the first base station and the second base station through the telecommunication network,

means for determining if the second cell managed by the second base station is neighbour of the first cell managed by the first base station according to the amount of monitored information transferred between the first base station and the second base station through the telecommunication network.

13. Server for enabling the determination, by a first base station managing a first cell, if the first cell is neighbour of a at least second cell managed by at least a second base station, the cells being cells of wireless cellular network, the wireless cellular network comprising a telecommunication network enabling the transfer of information between the base stations and between at least the first base station and the server, characterised in that, the server comprises:

means for receiving from the first base station information related to the location of the first base station,

means for determining according to the information related to the location of the first base station, at least a second base station which is located in the vicinity of the first base station,

means for transferring to the first base station information identifying the at least second base station in the telecommunication network.