TECHNIQUES FOR IMPROVED ENERGY-SAVINGS MANAGEMENT

• US 20130258923A1
• Filed: 09/26/2012
• Published: 10/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Chou, Joey, Venkatachalam, Muthaiah, Sirotkin, Alexander
• Granted Patent: US 10,085,207 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/22 for handling the traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0206 in access points, e.g. base stations access point devices per se H04W88/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Techniques for improved energy-savings management are described. In various embodiments, for example, a network management node includes a processor circuit, a communication component arranged for execution by the processor circuit to receive device tracking information from a device tracking node, and a determination component arranged for execution by the processor circuit to determine whether an eNodeB is to enter an energy-saving mode based on the device tracking information. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A network management node, comprising:

a processor circuit;

a communication component arranged for execution by the processor circuit to receive service sustainability information from a mobility management entity (MME), the service sustainability information describing a set of connective statuses for one or more mobile devices served by an eNodeB; and

a determination component arranged for execution by the processor circuit to determine a non-sustainable idle device count for the eNodeB based on the service sustainability information, the non-sustainable idle device count comprising a number of idle mobile devices served by the eNodeB that are not registered with any alternate-standard mobile device interface node, the determination component arranged for execution by the processor circuit to determine whether the eNodeB is to enter an energy-saving mode based on the non-sustainable idle device count.

2. The network management node of claim 1, the determination component arranged for execution by the processor circuit to determine a non-sustainable idle device threshold based on an operator policy.

3. The network management node of claim 2, the determination component arranged for execution by the processor circuit to determine whether the eNodeB is to enter the energy-saving mode based on whether the non-sustainable idle device count is less than the non-sustainable idle device threshold.

4. The network management node of claim 1, the determination component arranged for execution by the processor circuit to determine whether the eNodeB is to enter the energy-saving mode based on a non-transferable connected device count.

5. The network management node of claim 4, the determination component arranged for execution by the processor circuit to determine whether the eNodeB is to enter the energy-saving mode based on whether the non-transferable connected device count is less than a non-transferable connected device threshold.

6. The network management node of claim 4, the determination component arranged for execution by the processor circuit to generate the non-transferable connected device count.

7. The network management node of claim 1, the determination component arranged for execution by the processor circuit to determine a traffic load of the eNodeB.

8. The network management node of claim 7, the determination component arranged for execution by the processor circuit to determine whether the eNodeB is a candidate to enter the energy-saving mode based on whether the traffic load of the eNodeB is less than a traffic load threshold.

9. A method, comprising:

transmitting a query to a mobility management entity (MME);

receiving a non-sustainable idle device count from the MME in response to the query, the non-sustainable idle device count comprising a number of idle mobile devices served by an eNodeB that are not registered with any alternate-standard mobile device interface node; and

determining, by a processor circuit, whether the eNodeB is to enter an energy-saving mode based on the non-sustainable idle device count.

10. The method of claim 9, comprising determining whether the eNodeB is to enter the energy-saving mode based on whether the non-sustainable idle device count is less than a non-sustainable idle device threshold.

11. The method of claim 10, the non-sustainable idle device threshold defined in an operator policy.

12. The method of claim 9, comprising generating a non-transferable connected device count and determining whether the eNodeB is to enter the energy-saving mode based on whether the non-transferable connected device count is less than a non-transferable connected device threshold defined in an operator policy.

13. The method of claim 9, comprising:

determining a traffic load of the eNodeB; and

determining that the eNodeB is a candidate to enter the energy-saving mode when the traffic load of the eNodeB is less than a traffic load threshold defined in an operator policy.

14. At least one machine-readable medium comprising a plurality of instructions that, in response to being executed on a computing device, cause the computing device to:

receive an operator policy defining a first threshold;

transmit a service sustainability information query to a mobility management entity (MME);

receive service sustainability information from the MME in response to the service sustainability information query, the service sustainability information comprising a non-sustainable idle device count indicating a number of idle mobile devices served by an eNodeB that are not registered with any alternate-standard mobile device interface node; and

determine whether the eNodeB is to enter an energy-saving mode based on the service sustainability information.

15. The at least one machine-readable medium of claim 14, comprising instructions that, in response to being executed on the computing device, cause the computing device to determine whether the eNodeB is to enter the energy-saving mode based on whether the non-sustainable idle device count is less than the first threshold.

16. The at least one machine-readable medium of claim 14, comprising instructions that, in response to being executed on the computing device, cause the computing device to generate a non-transferable connected device count.

17. The at least one machine-readable medium of claim 16, the non-transferable connected device count indicating a number of connected mobile devices served by the eNodeB for which a handoff was unsuccessful or not possible.

18. The at least one machine-readable medium of claim 16, comprising instructions that, in response to being executed on the computing device, cause the computing device to determine whether the eNodeB is to enter the energy-saving mode based on whether the non-transferable connected device count is less than a second threshold defined in the operator policy.

19. The at least one machine-readable medium of claim 18, the first threshold comprising a non-sustainable idle device threshold, the second threshold comprising a non-transferable connected device threshold.

20. The at least one machine-readable medium of claim 14, comprising instructions that, in response to being executed on the computing device, cause the computing device to determine a traffic load of the eNodeB.

21. The at least one machine-readable medium of claim 20, comprising instructions that, in response to being executed on the computing device, cause the computing device to determine that the eNodeB is a candidate to enter the energy-saving mode when the traffic load of the eNodeB is less than a traffic load threshold defined in the operator policy.

22. A method, comprising:

receiving device tracking information;

adding, by a processor, the device tracking information to a device tracking table;

receiving a service sustainability information query; and

generating service sustainability information based on the service sustainability information query and the device tracking table, the service sustainability information describing a set of connective statuses for one or more mobile devices.

23. The method of claim 22, the device tracking information indicating that an idle mobile device has entered a non-sustainable idle state, the non-sustainable state comprising a state in which the idle mobile device is not registered with any alternate-standard mobile device interface node.

24. The method of claim 23, the non-sustainable idle state comprising a deactivated idle mode signaling reduction (ISR) state.

25. The method of claim 23, the service sustainability information comprising a non-sustainable idle device count for the eNodeB.

26. The method of claim 22, comprising modifying an entry in the device tracking table to indicate that an idle mobile device is in a sustainable idle state when the device tracking information indicates that a tracking area update (TAU) request has been received from the idle mobile device before an expiration of a TAU timer and a routing area update (RAU) request has been received from the idle mobile device before an expiration of a RAU timer.

27. The method of claim 22, comprising modifying an entry in the device tracking table to indicate that an idle mobile device is in a non-sustainable idle state when the device tracking information indicates that a tracking area update (TAU) request has been received from the idle mobile device before an expiration of a TAU timer and a routing area update (RAU) request has not been received from the idle mobile device before an expiration of a RAU timer.

28. The method of claim 22, comprising modifying an existing entry in the device tracking table to indicate that an idle mobile device is served by a first eNodeB when the device tracking information indicates that a tracking area update (TAU) request has been received from the idle mobile device that indicates that the idle mobile device is served by the first eNodeB and the existing entry indicates that the idle mobile device is served by a second eNodeB.

29. The method of claim 22, comprising adding an entry to the device tracking table to indicate that an idle mobile device is served by an eNodeB when the device tracking information indicates that a tracking area update (TAU) request has been received from the idle mobile device that indicates that the idle mobile device is served by the eNodeB, and no entry in the device tracking table corresponds to the idle mobile device.

30. The method of claim 22, comprising deleting an entry in the device tracking table that corresponds to an idle mobile device when the device tracking information indicates that no tracking area update (TAU) request has been received from the idle mobile device before an expiration of a TAU timer.