POWER-SAVE OPERATION SUPPORTING APPARATUS, POWER-SAVE OPERATION SUPPORTING METHOD, STORAGE MEDIUM AND BASE STATION

• US 20120289269A1
• Filed: 12/14/2010
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kumagai, Taichi
• Granted Patent: US 9,622,169 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/507
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0206 in access points, e.g. base stations access point devices per se H04W88/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

[Technical problem] To provide a power-save operation supporting apparatus, a power-save operation supporting method, a storage medium and a base station which can reduce power consumption of a wireless access network with restraining emergence of an area whose service quality is degraded.

[Solution to problem] The power-save operation supporting apparatus includes an estimation means to estimate degree of degradation of the service quality which is caused in the case that power-save control is carried out to any base station, and a selection means to select the base station as a candidate base station, to which the power-save control should be carried out, in the case that the degree of the degradation of the service quality is not higher than a predetermined reference.

Claims

1-15. -15. (canceled)

16. A power-save operation supporting apparatus, comprising:

an estimation unit to estimate degree of degradation of service quality which is caused in the case that power-save control is carried out to any base station; and

a selection unit to select the base station as a candidate base station, to which the power-save control should be carried out, in the case that the degree of the degradation of the service quality is not higher than a predetermined reference.

17. The power-save operation supporting apparatus according to claim 16, wherein

the power-save control includes control for stopping a wireless sending unit of the base station.

18. The power-save operation supporting apparatus according to claim 16, wherein

the selection unit removes the base station, whose amount of traffic is not less than a predetermined reference, out of the candidate base station to which the power-save control should be carried out.

19. The power-save operation supporting apparatus according to claim 16, wherein

the degree of the degradation of the service quality is a spatial size of a degradation area whose service quality is degraded.

20. The power-save operation supporting apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising:

a weighting assigning unit to assign a predetermined weighting to each evaluation point on the basis of a predetermined condition, wherein

the estimation unit estimates the degree of the degradation of the service quality with taking account of the weighting which is assigned to each evaluation point.

21. The power-save operation supporting apparatus according to claim 16, wherein

the power-save control includes control for changing a wireless parameter of a surrounding base station.

22. The power-save operation supporting apparatus according to claim 21, wherein

the estimation unit detects the evaluation point, whose service quality is not higher than a predetermined threshold level, within an evaluation area, and judges whether the surrounding base station related to the evaluation point is selected, and calculates a physical distance from the evaluation point to each base station in the case that the surrounding base station is not selected, and selects a predetermined number of the base stations as the surrounding base station in the order of ascending physical distance, and changes the wireless parameters of one or more than one selected surrounding base stations.

23. The power-save operation supporting apparatus according to claim 21, wherein

the estimation unit detects the evaluation point, whose service quality is not higher than a predetermined threshold level, within an evaluation area, and judges whether the surrounding base station related to the evaluation point is selected, and calculates a path loss from the evaluation point to each base station in the case that the surrounding base station is not selected, and selects the base station, whose path loss is not larger than a predetermined threshold level, as the surrounding base station, and changes the wireless parameters of one or more than one selected surrounding base stations.

24. The power-save operation supporting apparatus according to claim 16, wherein

the selection unit selects the candidate base station whose degree of the degradation of the service quality is the lowest among a plurality of the candidate base stations.

25. The power-save operation supporting apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising:

a power-save effect calculating unit which calculates a power-save effect related to the candidate base station, wherein

the selection unit selects the most suitable candidate base station with taking account of the degree of the degradation of the service quality and the power-save effect.

26. The power-save operation supporting apparatus according to claim 25, wherein

the power-save effect calculating means calculates the power saving effect through adding a reduced amount of power consumption of the candidate base station, an increasing or decreasing amount of power consumption due to changing the wireless parameter of the surrounding base station, and an increasing or decreasing amount of power consumption due to an increasing or decreasing amount of traffic, which is generated by an increasing or decreasing of a cover area of the surrounding base station, for comparison of power consumption.

27. The power-save operation supporting apparatus according to claim 16, wherein

the service quality is at least one out of received electric field intensity, signal to interference ratio, and throughput.

28. A power-save operation supporting method, comprising the steps of:

estimating degree of degradation of service quality which is caused in the case that power-save control is carried out to any base station; and

selecting the base station as a candidate base station, to which the power-save control should be carried out, in the case that the degree of the degradation of the service quality is not higher than a predetermined reference.

29. A storage medium which stores a power-save operation supporting program for making a computer execute the proceedings of:

estimating degree of degradation of service quality which is caused in the case that power-save control is carried out to any base station; and

selecting the base station as a candidate base station, to which the power-save control should be carried out, in the case that the degree of the degradation of the service quality is not higher than a predetermined reference.

30. A base station which is at least one base station out a plurality of base stations to which power-save control can be carried out, comprising:

an estimation unit to estimate degree of degradation of service quality which is caused in the case that the power-save control is carried out to the base station;

an acquisition unit to acquire an estimation result on the degree of the degradation of the service quality, which is caused in the case the power-save control is carried out to another base station, from another base station; and

a selection unit to select a candidate base station, to which the power-save control should be carried out, out of the base station and another base station on the basis of the degree of the degradation of the service quality of the base station and another base station.