METHODS AND DEVICES RELATED TO EFFECTIVE MEASUREMENTS

• US 20140128115A1
• Filed: 10/31/2013
• Published: 05/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Siomina, Iana, Kazmi, Muhammad
• Granted Patent: US 9,503,216 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/501
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/327 Received signal code power [RSCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/005 of intercell interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0015 characterised by the adaptation strategy
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0026 Transmission of channel quality indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0036 arrangements specific to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/244 Interferences in heterogeneous networks, e.g. among macro and femto or pico cells or other sector / system interference [OSI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

Systems and methods related to effective measurements in a cellular communications network are disclosed. In one embodiment, a network node obtains a reference measurement performed by a measuring node, where the reference measurement contains one or more interference components. The reference measurement may be, for instance, a reference signal quality measurement or a reference signal power measurement. The network node then mitigates at least one of the interference components contained in the reference measurement to thereby provide an effective measurement for the measuring node. In one embodiment, the network node mitigates the at least one interference component by obtaining a compensation value for mitigating the at least one interference component and applying the compensation value to the reference measurement to thereby provide the effective measurement.

Claims

1. A method of operation of a network node in a cellular communications network, comprising:

obtaining a reference measurement performed by a measuring node, the reference measurement containing one or more interference components;

obtaining a compensation value for mitigating at least one interference component of the one or more interference components contained in the reference measurement; and

applying the compensation value to the reference measurement to thereby mitigate the at least one interference component of the one or more interference components contained in the reference measurement and provide an effective measurement for the measuring node.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the measuring node is a wireless device, the network node is a serving base station of the wireless device in the cellular communications network, and obtaining the reference measurement comprises receiving the reference measurement from the wireless device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the measuring node is a wireless device, and obtaining the reference measurement comprises receiving the reference measurement from a second network node.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the measuring node is a wireless device;

the wireless device is equipped with an enhanced receiver capable of mitigating interference at the wireless device such that the one or more interference components contained in the reference measurement performed by the wireless device are one or more residual interference components; and

the at least one interference component mitigated by applying the compensation value comprises at least one residual interference component of the one or more residual interference components contained in the reference measurement.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the reference measurement is on a first cell, and both the one or more residual interference components contained in the reference measurement and the at least one residual interference component mitigated to provide the effective measurement comprise one or more residual interference components received from at least one second cell.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the compensation value is based on a reference value that is indicative of an amount of residual interference that can be mitigated by the enhanced receiver of the wireless device.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the compensation value is based on one or more previous measurements performed by the wireless device.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the compensation value is based on at least one of a group consisting of:

measurement statistics for a plurality of previous measurements performed by a plurality of wireless devices and historical data for a plurality of previous measurements performed by a plurality of wireless devices.

9. The method of claim 5 wherein the compensation value is based on at least one of a group consisting of:

a reference measurement performed by a second wireless device and a reference value that is indicative of an amount of residual interference that can be mitigated by an enhanced receiver of the second wireless device.

10. The method of claim 5 wherein the compensation value is a predefined compensation value.

11. The method of claim 5 wherein the compensation value is selected from a predefined set of compensation values.

12. The method of claim 5 wherein obtaining the compensation value comprises obtaining the compensation value from a second network node.

13. The method of claim 5 wherein obtaining the compensation value comprises determining the compensation value at the network node.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein determining the compensation value comprises determining the compensation value based on a receiver type of a receiver of the wireless device.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein determining the compensation value comprises determining the compensation value based on a bandwidth of a signal measured at the wireless device to perform the reference measurement.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein determining the compensation value comprises determining the compensation value based on a bandwidth of signals used for interference estimation.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein determining the compensation value comprises determining the compensation value based on one or more interference conditions at the wireless device.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein determining the compensation value comprises determining the compensation value based on a number of aggressor cells at the wireless device.

19. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether an effective measurement is to be obtained; and

in response to determining that an effective measurement is to be obtained, applying the compensation value to the reference measurement to thereby mitigate the at least one interference component and provide the effective measurement for the measuring node.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein determining whether an effective measurement is to be obtained comprises determining whether an effective measurement is to be obtained based on a restricted measurement pattern utilized by the measuring node in association with the reference measurement.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein determining whether an effective measurement is to be obtained comprises determining whether an effective measurement is to be obtained based on whether the measuring node performed the reference measurement using resources indicated in a restricted measurement pattern.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein determining whether an effective measurement is to be obtained comprises determining whether an effective measurement is to be obtained based on a restricted measurement pattern utilized by the measuring node in association with the reference measurement.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein determining whether an effective measurement is to be obtained comprises determining whether an effective measurement is to be obtained based on one or more high-interference conditions under which the measuring node performed the reference measurement.

24. The method of claim 19 wherein determining whether an effective measurement is to be obtained comprises determining whether an effective measurement is to be obtained based on known capability information of the measuring node.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the known capability information is indicative of the reference measurement being a reference measurement rather than an effective measurement.

26. The method of claim 19 wherein:

obtaining the reference measurement comprises receiving the reference measurement from a second network node; and

determining whether an effective measurement is to be obtained comprises determining whether an effective measurement is to be obtained based on known capability information for the second network node from which the reference measurement was received.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the known capability information is indicative of the reference measurement being a reference measurement rather than an effective measurement.

28. The method of claim 19 wherein:

obtaining the reference measurement comprises receiving a report including the reference measurement; and

determining whether an effective measurement is to be obtained comprises determining whether an effective measurement is to be obtained based on a report type of the report including the reference measurement.

29. The method of claim 1 wherein the reference measurement is for a first time, and the effective measurement is for a second time that is subsequent to the first time.

30. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

performing a desired action based on the effective measurement.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the measuring node is a wireless device, and the desired action is an action related to mobility of the wireless device.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein the desired action is an action related to radio link monitoring.

33. The method of claim 30 wherein the desired action is an action related to positioning of a wireless device.

34. The method of claim 30 wherein the desired action is an action related to a Self-Organizing Network, SON.

35. The method of claim 1 wherein:

obtaining the reference measurement comprises receiving the reference measurement from a second network node; and

the method further comprises receiving capability information related to effective measurements from the second network node.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein the capability information comprises at least one of a group consisting of:

information that is indicative of whether the second network node is capable of requesting an effective measurement from another network node;

information that is indicative of whether the second network node is capable of requesting compensation information from another network node;

information that is indicative of whether the second network node is capable of obtaining a compensation value;

information that is indicative of whether the second network node is capable of applying a compensation value to a reference measurement to provide an effective measurement;

information that is indicative of whether the second network node is capable of selectively applying a compensation value to a reference measurement to provide an effective measurement;

information that is indicative of whether the second network node is capable of indicating to another network node whether a measurement is a reference measurement or an effective measurement;

information that is indicative of whether the second network node is capable of receiving capability information of the measuring node that is indicative of whether the measuring node is capable of obtaining an effective measurement; and

information that is indicative of whether the second network node is capable of performing at least one of a group consisting of;

conversion of a reference measurement to an effective measurement and conversion of an effective measurement to a reference measurement.

37. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the measuring node is a wireless device;

obtaining the reference measurement comprises receiving the reference measurement from the wireless device; and

the method further comprises receiving capability information related to effective measurements from the wireless device.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein the capability information comprises at least one of a group consisting of:

information that is indicative of whether the wireless device is capable of requesting compensation information from another network node;

information that is indicative of whether the wireless device is capable of obtaining a compensation value;

information that is indicative of whether the wireless device is capable of applying a compensation value to a reference measurement to provide an effective measurement;

information that is indicative of whether the wireless device is capable of selectively applying a compensation value to a reference measurement to provide an effective measurement;

information that is indicative of whether the wireless device is capable of indicating to another network node whether a measurement is a reference measurement or an effective measurement; and

information that is indicative of whether the wireless device is capable of performing at least one of a group consisting of;

conversion of a reference measurement to an effective measurement and conversion of an effective measurement to a reference measurement.

39. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sending capability information related to effective measurements to another network node.

40. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sending capability information related to effective measurements to another network node.

41. A network node for a cellular communications network, comprising:

a communication interface configured to communicatively couple the network node to one or more other network nodes;

a radio subsystem configured to provide wireless communication in the cellular communications network; and

a processing subsystem associated with the communication interface and the radio subsystem, the processing subsystem being configured to;

obtain a reference measurement performed by a wireless device, the reference measurement containing one or more interference components;

obtain a compensation value for mitigating at least one interference component of the one or more interference components contained in the reference measurement; and

apply the compensation value to the reference measurement to thereby mitigate the at least one interference component of the one or more interference components contained in the reference measurement and provide an effective measurement for the wireless device.

42. A method of operation of a network node in a cellular communications network, comprising:

obtaining an effective measurement for a wireless device, the effective measurement having been generated by applying a compensation value to a reference measurement in order to mitigate at least one interference component contained in the reference measurement;

obtaining a reverse compensation value; and

applying the reverse compensation value to the effective measurement to provide a reference measurement for the wireless device.

43. A network node for a cellular communications network, comprising:

a communication interface configured to communicatively couple the network node to one or more other network nodes;

a radio subsystem configured to provide wireless communication in the cellular communications network; and

a processing subsystem associated with the communication interface and the radio subsystem, the processing subsystem being configured to;

obtain an effective measurement for a wireless device, the effective measurement having been generated by applying a compensation value to a reference measurement in order to mitigate at least one interference component contained in the reference measurement;

obtain a reverse compensation value; and

apply the reverse compensation value to the effective measurement to provide a reference measurement for the wireless device.