COMPOSITE REPORTING OF WIRELESS RELAY POWER CAPABILITY

• US 20120196528A1
• Filed: 06/29/2011
• Published: 08/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Kazmi, Muhammad Ali, Queseth, Olav
• Granted Patent: US 8,798,525 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/9
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/143 Downlink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/146 Uplink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/34 TPC management, i.e. sharing limited amount of power among users or channels or data types, e.g. cell loading
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/365 Power headroom reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/367 Power values between minimum and maximum limits, e.g. dynamic range
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/46 in multi hop networks, e.g. wireless relay networks

Abstract

A relay node (800) reports its output power capability to a donor base station or other network node separately for the relay node'"'"'s backhaul and access links, which may have different maximum output power. A corresponding network node (900), such as a donor base station, an Operations & Maintenance node, an Operational Support Systems node, a Self-Organizing Network node, is configured to request the relay node (800) to report its backhaul link and access link output power class capabilities or maximum output powers or rated output powers to the network node (900), and then to receive the reported capabilities in response. The report may specify a per-antenna transmit power capability; this may be specifically requested in some cases. The received relay node power-class capability information for the backhaul and access links is then used for one or several network management functions, such as radio resources management or network planning and dimensioning.

Claims

1-38. -38. (canceled)

39. A method for managing network nodes in a wireless communication network that includes a wireless relay node for wirelessly transmitting signals to and wirelessly receiving signals from one or more user equipments, or to and from one or more other relay nodes, or to and from one or more of both, via an access link, and for wirelessly transmitting signals to and wirelessly receiving signals from a donor base station, via a backhaul link, the method comprising, in a network node:

receiving, from the relay node, a report indicating a first backhaul-link output-power capability and a first access-link output-power capability for the relay node, wherein the indicated first capabilities comprise different values;

applying the indicated first capabilities in one or more network management tasks.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein both of the indicated first backhaul-link output-power capability and first access-link output-power capability are one of the following:

a power class for the relay node for the corresponding link;

a maximum output power for the relay node for the corresponding link;

a rated output power for the relay node for the corresponding link;

a minimum output power for the relay node for the corresponding link.

41. The method of claim 39 wherein at least one of the indicated first backhaul-link output-power capability and first access-link output-power capability is reported as a relative value.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein one of the indicated first backhaul-link output-power capability and first access-link output-power capability is reported as a relative value that indicates an offset from the other of the indicated first backhaul-link output-power capability and first access-link output-power capability.

43. The method of claim 41 wherein both of the indicated first backhaul-link output-power capability and first access-link output-power capability are reported as relative values that indicate an offset from a corresponding pre-defined reference value.

44. The method of claim 39 wherein the report received from the relay node comprises a scenario identifier that identifies one of a pre-determined set of combinations of access-link and backhaul-link output-power capabilities.

45. The method of claim 39:

wherein at least one of the indicated first backhaul-link output-power capability and first access-link output-power capability corresponds to a first antenna port of the relay node;

wherein the report received from the relay node further indicates a second backhaul-link output-power capability or a second access-link output-power capability, or both, for a second antenna port of the relay node;

wherein the method further comprises applying the indicated second capabilities in one or more network management tasks.

46. The method of claim 39:

wherein at least one of the indicated first backhaul-link output-power capability and first access-link output-power capability corresponds to a first component carrier in a corresponding multi-carrier link;

wherein the report received from the relay node further indicates a second backhaul-link output-power capability or a second access-link output-power capability, or both, for a second component carrier of the corresponding multi-carrier link;

wherein the method further comprises applying the indicated second capabilities in one or more network management tasks.

47. The method of claim 39 further comprising previously requesting the relay node to provide the report.

48. The method of claim 39 wherein applying the indicated first capabilities in one or more network management tasks comprises using the indicated first capabilities in one or more of:

network resource allocation;

network load balancing;

admission control;

determining the coverage of the relay node;

determining the number of relay nodes required to cover the coverage area of the donor base station;

determining a data capacity for a link;

assigning antenna modes or modulation and coding schemes, or both;

determining a transmission format for the backhaul link;

determining the power of a positioning reference signal;

configuring the relay maximum output power separately for the backhaul and access links, without exceeding the first capabilities.

49. A method for managing network nodes in a wireless communication network that includes a wireless relay node for wirelessly transmitting signals to and wirelessly receiving signals from one or more user equipments, or to and from one or more other relay nodes, or to and from one or more of both, via an access link, and for wirelessly transmitting to and wirelessly receiving signals from a donor base station, via a backhaul link, the method comprising, in the relay node:

transmitting, over the backhaul link, a report indicating a first backhaul-link output-power capability and a first access-link output-power capability for the relay node, wherein the indicated first capabilities comprise different values.

50. The method of claim 49 wherein both of the indicated first backhaul-link output-power capability and first access-link output-power capability are one of the following:

a power class for the relay node for the corresponding link;

a maximum output power for the relay node for the corresponding link;

a rated output power for the relay node for the corresponding link;

a minimum output power for the relay node for the corresponding link.

51. The method of claim 49 wherein at least one of the indicated first backhaul-link output-power capability and first access-link output-power capability is reported as a relative value.

52. The method of claim 51 wherein one of the indicated first backhaul-link output-power capability and first access-link output-power capability is reported as a relative value that indicates an offset from the other of the indicated first backhaul-link output-power capability and first access-link output-power capability.

53. The method of claim 51 wherein both of the indicated first backhaul-link output-power capability and first access-link output-power capability are reported as relative values that indicate an offset from a corresponding pre-defined reference value.

54. The method of claim 49 wherein the report comprises a scenario identifier that identifies one of a pre-determined set of combinations of access-link and backhaul-link output-power capabilities.

55. The method of claim 49:

wherein at least one of the indicated first backhaul-link output-power capability and first access-link output-power capability corresponds to a first antenna port of the relay node;

wherein the report further indicates a second backhaul-link output-power capability or a second access-link output-power capability, or both, for a second antenna port of the relay node.

56. The method of claim 49:

wherein at least one of the indicated first backhaul-link output-power capability and first access-link output-power capability corresponds to a first component carrier in a corresponding multi-carrier link;

wherein the report received from the relay node further indicates a second backhaul-link output-power capability or a second access-link output-power capability, or both, for a second component carrier of the corresponding multi-carrier link.

57. The method of claim 49 further comprising previously receiving, from the donor base station or from a second relay node, a request to provide the report.

58. A network node for use in a wireless communication network that includes a wireless relay node for wirelessly transmitting signals to and wirelessly receiving signals from one or more user equipments, or to and from one or more other relay nodes, or to and from one or more of both, via an access link, and for wirelessly transmitting signals to and wirelessly receiving signals from a donor base station, via a backhaul link, the network node comprising

a transceiver configured to communicate with the relay node;

processing circuits configured to;

receive, from the relay node, a report indicating a first backhaul-link output-power capability and a first access-link output-power capability for the relay node, wherein the indicated first capabilities comprise different values;

apply the indicated first capabilities in one or more network management tasks.

59. The network node of claim 58 wherein both of the indicated first backhaul-link output-power capability and first access-link output-power capability are one of the following:

a power class for the relay node for the corresponding link;

a maximum output power for the relay node for the corresponding link;

a rated output power for the relay node for the corresponding link;

a minimum output power for the relay node for the corresponding link.

60. The network node of claim 58 wherein at least one of the indicated first backhaul-link output-power capability and first access-link output-power capability is reported as a relative value.

61. The network node of claim 60 wherein one of the indicated first backhaul-link output-power capability and first access-link output-power capability is reported as a relative value that indicates an offset from the other of the indicated first backhaul-link output-power capability and first access-link output-power capability.

62. The network node of claim 60 wherein both of the indicated first backhaul-link output-power capability and first access-link output-power capability are reported as relative values that indicate an offset from a corresponding pre-defined reference value.

63. The network node of claim 58 wherein the report received from the relay node comprises a scenario identifier that identifies one of a pre-determined set of combinations of access-link and backhaul-link output-power capabilities.

64. The network node of claim 58:

wherein at least one of the indicated first backhaul-link output-power capability and first access-link output-power capability corresponds to a first antenna port of the relay node;

wherein the report received from the relay node further indicates a second backhaul-link output-power capability or a second access-link output-power capability, or both, for a second antenna port of the relay node;

wherein the processing circuits are further configured to apply the indicated second capabilities in one or more network management tasks.

65. The network node of claim 58:

wherein at least one of the indicated first backhaul-link output-power capability and first access-link output-power capability corresponds to a first component carrier in a corresponding multi-carrier link;

wherein the report received from the relay node further indicates a second backhaul-link output-power capability or a second access-link output-power capability, or both, for a second component carrier of the corresponding multi-carrier link;

wherein the processing circuits are further configured to apply the indicated second capabilities in one or more network management tasks.

66. The network node of claim 58 wherein the processing circuits are further configured to request the relay node to provide the report prior to receiving the report.

67. The network node of claim 58 wherein the processing circuits are configured to apply the indicated first capabilities in one or more network management tasks by using the indicated first capabilities in one or more of:

network resource allocation;

network load balancing;

admission control;

determining the coverage of the relay node;

determining the number of relay nodes required to cover the coverage area of the donor base station;

determining a data capacity for a link;

assigning antenna modes or modulation and coding schemes, or both;

determining a transmission format for the backhaul link;

determining the power of a positioning reference signal;

configuring the relay maximum output power separately for the backhaul and access links, without exceeding the first capabilities.

68. A relay node for use in a wireless communication network, the relay node comprising:

an access radio configured to wirelessly transmit signals to and wirelessly receive signals from one or more user equipments, or to and from one or more other relay nodes, or to and from one or more of both, via an access link;

a backhaul radio configured to wirelessly transmit to and wirelessly receive signals from a donor base station, via a backhaul link;

processing circuits configured to transmit, over the backhaul link, a report indicating a first backhaul-link output-power capability and a first access-link output-power capability for the relay node, wherein the indicated first capabilities comprise different values.

69. The relay node of claim 68 wherein both of the indicated first backhaul-link output-power capability and first access-link output-power capability are one of the following:

a power class for the relay node for the corresponding link;

a maximum output power for the relay node for the corresponding link;

a rated output power for the relay node for the corresponding link;

a minimum output power for the relay node for the corresponding link.

70. The relay node of claim 68 wherein at least one of the indicated first backhaul-link output-power capability and first access-link output-power capability is reported as a relative value.

71. The relay node of claim 70 wherein one of the indicated first backhaul-link output-power capability and first access-link output-power capability is reported as a relative value that indicates an offset from the other of the indicated first backhaul-link output-power capability and first access-link output-power capability.

72. The relay node of claim 70 wherein both of the indicated first backhaul-link output-power capability and first access-link output-power capability are reported as relative values that indicate an offset from a corresponding pre-defined reference value.

73. The relay node of claim 68 wherein the report comprises a scenario identifier that identifies one of a pre-determined set of combinations of access-link and backhaul-link output-power capabilities.

74. The relay node of claim 68:

wherein at least one of the indicated first backhaul-link output-power capability and first access-link output-power capability corresponds to a first antenna port of the relay node;

wherein the report further indicates a second backhaul-link output-power capability or a second access-link output-power capability, or both, for a second antenna port of the relay node.

75. The relay node of claim 68:

wherein at least one of the indicated first backhaul-link output-power capability and first access-link output-power capability corresponds to a first component carrier in a corresponding multi-carrier link;

wherein the report received from the relay node further indicates a second backhaul-link output-power capability or a second access-link output-power capability, or both, for a second component carrier of the corresponding multi-carrier link.

76. The relay node of claim 68 wherein the processing circuits are further configured to receive, from the donor base station or from a second relay node, a request to provide the report prior to transmitting the report.