Reducing Interference and Energy Consumption for FEMTO Base Stations

• US 20110211514A1
• Filed: 10/16/2009
• Published: 09/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Tang, Haitao, Hamalainen, Seppo Olavi
• Granted Patent: US 10,772,042 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0206 in access points, e.g. base stations access point devices per se H04W88/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0232 according to average transmission signal activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/105 PBS [Private Base Station] network H04W84/12 - H04W84/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods, apparatuses, a system and a computer program product for reducing interference and energy consumption of wireless devices. An apparatus, namely a femto base station or home (e) NodeB, can include a transmitting unit, a receiving unit, a determining unit, a disabling unit, a disabling handshaking unit, and a reassigning unit. If the determining unit determines that there is no active communication between the apparatus and a user device, the disabling unit may disable the transmitting unit and the receiving unit while maintaining a connection between the apparatus and a network. A disabling handshaking can be performed by the disabling handshaking unit to achieve this, wherein the re-assigning unit may re-assign one or more user device(s) to a network apparatus, namely a macro (e) NodeB.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining whether there is an active communication between an apparatus and a user device; and

disabling transmitting means and receiving means of said apparatus while maintaining a connection between said apparatus and a network, if there is no active communication between said apparatus and said user device.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

performing a disabling handshaking between said apparatus and said network.

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

re-assigning at least one user device assigned to said apparatus to a network apparatus in a coverage area of which said apparatus is located.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein

said transmitting means and said receiving means are disabled after successful completion of said disabling handshaking and/or said re-assignment.

5. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

performing an enabling handshaking between said network and said apparatus; and

enabling said transmitting means and said receiving means after successful completion of said enabling handshaking.

18. A computer program product comprising code means for performing the steps of the method according to claim 1 when run on a computer device.

6. A method comprising:

receiving a setup request; and

performing an enabling handshaking between a network and an apparatus,

wherein transmitting means and receiving means of said apparatus are enabled after successful completion of said enabling handshaking.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein

said setup request is received via a network apparatus from a user device associated with said apparatus,

it is checked whether said apparatus is located in a coverage area of said network apparatus, and

said enabling handshaking is performed if said check is affirmative.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein

said setup request is received from a device trying to communicate with a user device,

it is checked whether said apparatus is located in a coverage area of a relevant network apparatus, and

said enabling handshaking is performed if said check is affirmative.

9. An apparatus comprising:

transmitting means for transmitting a wireless communication signal;

receiving means for receiving a wireless communication signal;

determining means for determining whether there is an active communication between said apparatus and a user device; and

disabling means for disabling said transmitting means and said receiving means while maintaining a connection between said apparatus and a network, if there is no active communication between said apparatus and said user device.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, comprising:

disabling handshaking means for performing a disabling handshaking between said apparatus and said network.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, comprising:

re-assigning means for re-assigning at least one user device assigned to said apparatus to a network apparatus in a coverage area of which said apparatus is located.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said disabling means is configured to disable said transmitting means and said receiving means after successful completion of said disabling handshaking and/or said re-assignment.

13. The apparatus according to claim 9, comprising:

enabling handshaking means for performing an enabling handshaking between said network and said apparatus; and

enabling means for enabling said transmitting means and said receiving means after successful completion of said enabling handshaking.

17. System comprising:

at least one apparatus according to claim 9, and further comprising

receiving means for receiving a setup request via a network apparatus; and

enabling handshaking means for performing an enabling handshaking between said apparatus and a further apparatus,

wherein transmitting means and receiving means of said further apparatus are enabled after successful completion of said enabling handshaking.

14. An apparatus comprising:

receiving means for receiving a setup request via a network apparatus; and

enabling handshaking means for performing an enabling handshaking between said apparatus and a further apparatus,

wherein transmitting means and receiving means of said further apparatus are enabled after successful completion of said enabling handshaking.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, comprising:

checking means for checking whether said further apparatus is located in a coverage area of said network apparatus,

wherein said receiving means is configured to receive said setup request from a user device associated with said further apparatus, and

wherein said enabling handshaking means is configured to perform said enabling handshaking if said check is affirmative.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14, comprising:

checking means for checking whether said further apparatus is located in a coverage area of said network apparatus or another relevant network apparatus, wherein said receiving means is configured to receive said setup request from a device trying to communicate with a user device, and

wherein said enabling handshaking means is configured to perform said enabling handshaking if said check is affirmative.