Method For Exchanging Cell Information Between Networks

• US 20100130203A1
• Filed: 04/16/2007
• Published: 05/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Fallon, Liam
• Granted Patent: US 8,306,533 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/435.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/02 Hierarchically pre-organised networks, e.g. paging networks, cellular networks, WLAN [Wireless Local Area Network] or WLL [Wireless Local Loop]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/045 between access point and backbone network device

Abstract

A controller, such as a base station or radio network controller, for a local cellular network or network segment comprising one or more local cells being served by at least one transceiver, the controller communicating with the local cell or cells and comprising controlling means for controlling said local cell or cells and register means for register and share information about the local cell or cells and their relationships and also register and share information about one or more external cells within at least one external cellular network or network segment and their relationships with the local cell or cells. The controller in particular comprises communication means for communicating directly with one or more neighbouring controllers for the external cellular network or network segment, for sharing of the registered information about cells and their relationships. The present invention also relates to a method for said controller and a cellular network including said controller.

Claims

1. A controller, such as a base station or radio network controller, for a local cellular network or network segment comprising one or more local cells being served by at least one transceiver, the controller communicating with the local cell or cells and comprising:

controlling means for controlling said local cell or cells;

register means for register and share information about the local cell or cells and their relationships and also register and share information about one or more external cells within at least one external cellular network or network segment and their relationships with the local cell or cells; and

communication means for communicating directly with one or more neighbouring controllers for the external cellular network or network segment, for sharing of the registered information about cells and their relationships.

2. A controller according to claim 1 wherein the controlling means further comprises software for activities including automatically adding, keeping track of and removing cells from the register means.

3. A controller according to claim 2 wherein the software also includes means for co-ordinating said activities between the local controller and neighbouring controllers.

5. A controller according to any of the preceding claims claim 1 wherein the register means of the controller holds information about the one or more neighbouring controllers for the external cellular network or network segment.

7. A controller according to claim 1 wherein the register means of the controller holds information that specifies the conditions that a cell within an external network or network segment must comply with in order to be registered as an external cell in the register means.

9. A controller according to claim 1 wherein network management software is contained and run on the controller.

10. A controller according to claim 9 wherein:

the controlling means further being able to form, reform and/or terminate the topology for the management function of controlling, registering and sharing information about cells and their relationships with the neighbouring controller or controllers; and

the register means being able to register and share information about the topology for the management function.

11. A controller according to claim 10 wherein the forming, reforming and/or terminating the topology is controlled by role controllers such as leader role controllers and member role controllers being contained and run in the controller.

12. A controller according to claim 11 wherein the role controllers controls the permission for the controller to perform controlling, registering and sharing information about cells and their relationships with the neighbouring controller or controllers.

4. (canceled)

6. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

14. A cellular network comprising a controller, the cellular network or network segment comprising one or more local cells being served by at least one transceiver, the controller communicating with the local cell or cells and comprising:

controlling means for controlling said local cell or cells;

register means for registering and sharing information about the local cell or cells and their relationships and also registering and sharing information about one or more external cells within at least one external cellular network or network segment and their relationships with the local cell or cells; and

communication means for communicating directly with one or more neighbouring controllers for the external cellular network or network segment, for sharing of the registered information about cells and their relationships.

16. A cellular network according to claim 14 wherein the registering of information about cells and their relationships is for the purpose of transferring communication sessions between neighbouring cells, such as handover or roaming.

17. A cellular network according to claim 14 wherein at least one network management system is running on each cellular network and wherein the systems communicate directly or via a common master network management system.

18. A cellular network according to claim 14 wherein the communication means comprises software protocols used within the network.

19. A cellular network according to claim 14 wherein network management software is contained and run on the controller.

20. A cellular network according to claim 19 wherein:

the controlling means further being able to form, reform and/or terminate the topology for the management function of controlling, registering and sharing information about cells and their relationships with the neighbouring controller or controllers,

the register means being able to register and share information about the topology for the management function.

21. A cellular network according to claim 20 wherein at least one controller is formed into a topological group.

22. A cellular network according to claim 21 wherein one controller in the group has the role of a group leader for this group, wherein the group leader coordinates and displays the topology of its group.

24. A cellular network according to claim 20 wherein the topology is formed by layered groups forming a hierarchic topology.

26. A cellular network according to claim 24 wherein the hierarchic topology is formed, reformed and terminated so that:

topology groups in the lowest layer always comprise controllers for networks or network segments that are geographically adjacent,

groups in the next layer in the topology comprise controllers for networks or network segments that are heterogeneous and are operated by the same network operator,

groups in the next layer in the topology comprise controllers for networks that are operated by different network operators.

27. A cellular network according to claim 24 wherein the hierarchic topology is formed, reformed and terminated so that:

groups in the lowest layer in the topology comprise controllers for networks or network segments that are heterogeneous and are operated by the same network operator in a geographic location,

groups in the next layer in the topology comprise controllers for networks or network segments that are operated by the same network operator, grouped into regional or national groups,

groups in the next layer in the topology comprise controllers for networks that are operated by different network operators.

15. (canceled)

23. (canceled)

25. (canceled)

28-29. -29. (canceled)

30. A method for a controller, for a local cellular network or network segment comprising one or more local cells being served by at least one transceiver, the controller communicating with the local cell or cells (16) by:

controlling said local cell or cells;

registering and sharing information about the local cell or cells and their relationships and also register and share information about one or more external cells within at least one external cellular network or network segment and their relationships with the local cell or cells;

communicating directly with one or more neighbouring controllers for the external cellular network or network segment and sharing of the registered information about cells and their relationships.

35. A method for a controller according to claim 30 wherein when the controller starts or when a local cell is added to or removed from the controller or when the characteristics of a local cell change, the controller sends the registered information with its location and characteristics data to the one or more neighbouring controllers.

36. A method for a controller according to claim 30 wherein when the controller receives registered information with location and characteristics data from a neighbouring cell the controller performs the steps of:

examining the location and the characteristic data for each cell in the registered information received,

determining if that cell should be registered as an external cell in its own registered information, or if that cell is already registered as an external cell should be removed as an external cell,

determining if any cell in the registered information received, which the controller has registered as an external cell in the controller'"'"'s own registered information, is missing and if so removing the cell from the controller'"'"'s registered information.

37. A method for a controller according to claim 30 wherein when a change is made in the controller'"'"'s own registered information, the controller initiates a protocol dialogue with the one or more neighbouring controllers so that the controllers can co-ordinate the change.

31-34. -34. (canceled)

38. (canceled)