Apparatus for Clustering Cells Using Neighbor Relations

• US 20110294527A1
• Filed: 05/19/2011
• Published: 12/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Dekorsy, Armin, Brueck, Stefan
• Granted Patent: US 9,288,690 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0061 of neighbour cell information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00835 Determination of neighbour cell lists
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0085 Hand-off measurements

Abstract

An apparatus operable in a communication system is described. The apparatus includes means for receiving a neighbor relation message from another apparatus. The apparatus also includes means for generating cluster information based on the neighbor relation message. The apparatus further includes means for transmitting the cluster information to the other apparatus.

Claims

1. An apparatus operable in a communication system, comprising:

means for receiving a neighbor relation message from another apparatus;

means for generating cluster information based on the neighbor relation message; and

means for transmitting the cluster information to the other apparatus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the neighbor relation message is based on cell information.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the neighbor relation message is based on extended information.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the extended information comprises one selected from the group consisting of channel condition information, a wireless communication device identifier and a rank.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a central unit and the other apparatus is a base station.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for receiving the neighbor relation message and the means for transmitting the cluster information comprise one selected from the group consisting of a central unit interface and an S1 interface.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cluster information is included in a cluster message.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus resides in a serving gateway.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus resides in a network manager.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus resides in an operations and maintenance block or module.

11. An apparatus operable in a communication system, comprising:

means for receiving cell information;

means for generating a neighbor relation table based on the cell information; and

means for transmitting neighbor information based on the neighbor relation table to another apparatus.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein transmitting neighbor information comprises transmitting one or more neighbor relation messages.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

means for receiving cluster information from the other apparatus; and

means for communicating based on the cluster information.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein communicating based on the cluster information comprises communicating with one or more base stations based on the cluster information.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein communicating based on the cluster information comprises communicating with one or more wireless communication devices based on the cluster information.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

means for receiving other information; and

means for generating extended information in the neighbor relation table based on the other information.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the other information comprises communication condition information.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the other information comprises a wireless communication device identifier.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein generating extended information comprises generating a rank.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is a base station and the other apparatus is a central unit.

21. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the means for transmitting neighbor information comprises a central unit interface.

22. An apparatus, comprising:

circuitry configured to receive a neighbor relation message from another apparatus, to generate cluster information based on the neighbor relation message, and to transmit the cluster information to the other apparatus.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the neighbor relation message is based on cell information.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the neighbor relation message is based on extended information.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the extended information comprises one selected from the group consisting of channel condition information, a wireless communication device identifier and a rank.

26. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the apparatus is a central unit and the other apparatus is a base station.

27. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the circuitry configured to receive the neighbor relation message and to transmit the cluster information comprise one selected from the group consisting of a central unit interface and an S1 interface.

28. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the cluster information is included in a cluster message.

29. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the circuitry resides in a serving gateway.

30. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the circuitry resides in a network manager.

31. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the circuitry resides in an operations and maintenance block or module.

32. An apparatus, comprising:

circuitry configured to receive cell information, to generate a neighbor relation table based on the cell information, and to transmit neighbor information based on the neighbor relation table to another apparatus.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein transmitting neighbor information comprises transmitting one or more neighbor relation messages.

34. The apparatus of claim 32, further comprising:

circuitry configured to receive cluster information from the other apparatus, and to communicate based on the cluster information.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein communicating based on the cluster information comprises communicating with one or more base stations based on the cluster information.

36. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein communicating based on the cluster information comprises communicating with one or more wireless communication devices based on the cluster information.

37. The apparatus of claim 32, further comprising:

circuitry configured to receive other information, and to generate extended information in the neighbor relation table based on the other information.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the other information comprises communication condition information.

39. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the other information comprises a wireless communication device identifier.

40. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein generating extended information comprises generating a rank.

41. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the apparatus is a base station and the other apparatus is a central unit.

42. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the circuitry configured to transmit neighbor information comprises a central unit interface.

43. A method operable by an apparatus, comprising:

receiving, by the apparatus, a neighbor relation message from another apparatus;

generating, by the apparatus, cluster information based on the neighbor relation message; and

transmitting the cluster information to the other apparatus.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the neighbor relation message is based on cell information.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein the neighbor relation message is based on extended information.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the extended information comprises one selected from the group consisting of channel condition information, a wireless communication device identifier and a rank.

47. The method of claim 43, wherein the apparatus is a central unit and the other apparatus is a base station.

48. The method of claim 43, wherein receiving the neighbor relation message and transmitting the cluster information are performed using one selected from the group consisting of a central unit interface and an S1 interface.

49. The method of claim 43, wherein the cluster information is included in a cluster message.

50. The method of claim 43, wherein the apparatus resides in a serving gateway.

51. The method of claim 43, wherein the apparatus resides in a network manager.

52. The method of claim 43, wherein the apparatus resides in an operations and maintenance block or module.

53. A method operable by an apparatus, comprising:

receiving cell information;

generating, on the apparatus, a neighbor relation table based on the cell information; and

transmitting neighbor information based on the neighbor relation table to another apparatus.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein transmitting neighbor information comprises transmitting one or more neighbor relation messages.

55. The method of claim 53, further comprising:

receiving cluster information from the other apparatus; and

communicating based on the cluster information.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein communicating based on the cluster information comprises communicating with one or more base stations based on the cluster information.

57. The method of claim 55, wherein communicating based on the cluster information comprises communicating with one or more wireless communication devices based on the cluster information.

58. The method of claim 53, further comprising:

receiving other information; and

generating extended information in the neighbor relation table based on the other information.

59. The method of claim 58, wherein the other information comprises communication condition information.

60. The method of claim 58, wherein the other information comprises a wireless communication device identifier.

61. The method of claim 58, wherein generating extended information comprises generating a rank.

62. The method of claim 53, wherein the apparatus is a base station and the other apparatus is a central unit.

63. The method of claim 53, wherein transmitting neighbor information is performed using a central unit interface.

64. A computer-program product operable in a communication system, the computer-program product comprising a non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium having instructions thereon, the instructions comprising:

code for causing an apparatus to receive a neighbor relation message from another apparatus;

code for causing the apparatus to generate cluster information based on the neighbor relation message; and

code for causing the apparatus to transmit the cluster information to the other apparatus.

65. The computer-program product of claim 64, wherein the neighbor relation message is based on extended information.

66. A computer-program product operable in a communication system, the computer-program product comprising a non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium having instructions thereon, the instructions comprising:

code for causing an apparatus to receive cell information;

code for causing the apparatus to generate a neighbor relation table based on the cell information; and

code for causing the apparatus to transmit neighbor information based on the neighbor relation table to another apparatus.

67. The computer-program product of claim 66, the instructions further comprising:

code for causing the apparatus to receive cluster information from the other apparatus; and

code for causing the apparatus to communicate based on the cluster information.

68. The computer-program product of claim 66, the instructions further comprising:

code for causing the apparatus to receive other information; and

code for causing the apparatus to generate extended information in the neighbor relation table based on the other information.