BASE STATION DEVICE

• US 20120184311A1
• Filed: 10/07/2010
• Published: 07/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Takashi, Murakami, Kenichi, Tanaka, Yoshizo, Shimada, Yoshiyuki
• Application Number:
  US13/498,386
• Publication Number:
  US 20120184311A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/502
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/002 Mutual synchronization
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 between access points

Abstract

The present invention relates to a base station device 1 that performs wireless communication with a terminal device 2 existing in its cell. The base station device 1 includes an obtainment unit (reception unit 12) that obtains control information for another base station device 1 to achieve synchronization with the another base station device 1, and a selection unit (synchronization control unit 40) that selects the another base station device 1 to be a synchronization source, based on identification information that specifies the type of the another base station device 1, the identification information being included in the control information.

Claims

1. A base station device that performs wireless communication with a terminal device existing in its cell, the base station device comprising:

an obtainment unit that obtains control information for another base station device to achieve synchronization with the another base station device; and

a selection unit that selects the another base station device to be a synchronization source, based on identification information that specifies the type of the another base station device, the identification information being included in the control information.

2. The base station device according to claim 1, wherein

the identification information is either of the following (a) and (b):

(a) type information indicating whether the another base station device is a macro base station or a small base station;

(b) transmission power information of the another base station device.

3. The base station device according to claim 2, wherein

the selection unit selects, as a synchronization source, the another base station device which is a macro base station.

4. The base station device according to claim 3, wherein

the obtainment unit comprises a reception unit that receives a downlink signal transmitted by the another base station device, the downlink signal including the identification information, and

when there are a plurality of the other base station devices which are macro base stations, the selection unit preferentially selects, as a synchronization source, a base station device that transmits a downlink signal having a higher reception power in the reception unit.

5. The base station device according to claim 2, wherein

the selection unit does not select, as a synchronization source, the another base station device which is a small base station.

6. The base station device according to claim 2, wherein

the selection unit selects the another base station device which is a small base station, as a synchronization source, when the another base station device adopts a macro base station as a direct synchronization source.

7. A base station device that performs wireless communication with a terminal device existing in its cell, the base station device comprising:

a selection unit that selects another base station device to be a synchronization source, based on information indicating whether interference can occur due to a relationship between the base station device and the another base station device.

8. The base station device according to claim 7, wherein

the information indicating whether interference can occur due to a relationship between the base station device and the another base station device is identification information that specifies whether the another base station device is a macro base station or a small base station.

9. The base station device according to claim 7, wherein

the information indicating whether interference can occur due to a relationship between the base station device and the another base station device is information indicating a positional relationship between the base station device and the another base station device, or information whose value is influenced by the positional relationship between the base station device and the another base station device.

10. The base station device according to claim 9, wherein

the information whose value is influenced by the positional relationship between the base station device and the another base station device is information relating to a detection result obtained when a downlink signal from the another base station device is detected, or a reception level of the downlink signal from the another base station device, or a path-loss value between the base station device and the another base station device.

11. The base station device according to claim 10, wherein

the information relating to a detection result obtained when a downlink signal from the another base station device is detected is the number of times the another base station device is detected within a predetermined time period, or a detection rate that is a ratio of the number of times the another base station device is detected, to the number of times the detection is executed.

12. The base station device according to claim 10, wherein

the information relating to a detection result obtained when a downlink signal from the another base station device is detected is the time at which the downlink signal from the another base station device has been detected most recently, or the elapsed time from the time at which the downlink signal from the another base station device has been detected most recently to the present time.

13. The base station device according to claim 9, wherein

the information whose value is influenced by the positional relationship between the base station device and the another base station device is information relating to the number of trials of handover by the terminal device, the handover being performed between the base station device and the another base station device, or information whose value is influenced by the number of trials of handover.

14. The base station device according to claim 7, wherein

the information indicating whether interference can occur due to a relationship between the base station device and the another base station device is information indicating a carrier wave frequency of the another base station device, information indicating an access mode of the another base station device to a terminal device connected to the another base station device, the estimated number of terminal devices connected to the another base station device, or information indicating a power ON/OFF state of the another base station device.

15. The base station device according to claim 7, wherein

the selection unit selects the another base station device to be a synchronization source, based on, in addition to the information indicating whether interference can occur due to a relationship between the base station device and the another base station device, information indicating whether the interference is avoidable.

16. The base station device according to claim 15, wherein

the information indicating whether the interference is avoidable is information indicating the type of a radio access technology adopted by the another base station device, information indicating a resource block allocation scheme used when the another base station device performs resource allocation to a terminal device connected to the another base station device, or information indicating whether inter-base-station communication is possible between the base station device and the another base station device.