METHOD, NETWORK NODES, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS FOR LOAD BASED ADAPTIVE CRS POWER ADJUSTMENT

• US 20160165546A1
• Filed: 12/09/2014
• Published: 06/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Sun, Ying, Zhao, Wei
• Granted Patent: US 9,854,532 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/143 Downlink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/18 TPC being performed according to specific parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/325 Power control of control or pilot channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/343 taking into account loading or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/367 Power values between minimum and maximum limits, e.g. dynamic range

Abstract

A method performed in a network node. The method includes the network node receiving a report regarding a traffic load of at least one network cell of a plurality of network cells. The method further includes the network node determining whether the traffic load of the at least one network cell is greater than an average traffic load of the plurality of network cells. The method further includes the network node adjusting a power of a reference signal based on said determining. The method also includes the network node transmitting the adjusted reference signal in the at least one network cell.

Claims

1. A method performed in a network node, the method comprising:

the network node receiving a report regarding a traffic load of at least one network cell of a plurality of network cells;

the network node determining whether the traffic load of the at least one network cell is greater than an average traffic load of the plurality of network cells;

the network node adjusting a power of a reference signal based on said determining; and

the network node transmitting the adjusted reference signal in the at least one network cell.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising,

in response to determining that the traffic load of the at least one network cell is less than or equal to the average traffic load of the plurality of network cells, the network node determining a power signal increment;

and

in response to determining that the power of the reference signal plus the determined power signal increment is less than a maximum power threshold, the network node adjusting the power of the reference signal by incrementing the power of the reference signal in accordance with the determined power signal increment.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising,

in response to determining that the traffic load of the at least one network cells is greater than the average traffic load of the plurality of network cells, the network node determining whether network performance criteria for the at least one network cell is satisfied;

in response to determining that the network performance criteria for the at least one network cell is satisfied, the network node determining a power signal decrement; and

in response to determining that the power of the reference signal minus the determined power signal decrement is greater than a minimum power threshold, the network node adjusting the power of the reference signal by decrementing the power of the reference signal in accordance with the determined power signal decrement.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the network performance criteria specifies that a number of user equipments experiencing a degradation in network throughput is below a first predetermined percentage.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the degradation in network throughput includes experiencing a delay in transmitting a packet from a user equipment located in the at least one network cell to the network node that exceeds a latency threshold.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the network performance criteria further specifies that a number of user equipments in the at least one network cell experiencing a packet loss rate that is below a loss rate threshold is above a second predetermined percentage.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the network performance criteria further specifies that an average user equipment throughput of the at least one network cell is above a predetermined user equipment throughput threshold.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the reference signal is a cell specific reference signal.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the network node is a base station.

10. A network node, the network node comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable medium coupled to the processor, said computer readable medium containing instructions executable by the processor, whereby the network node is operative to;

receive a report regarding a traffic load of at least one network cell of a plurality of network cells,

determine whether the traffic load of the at least one network cell is greater than an average traffic load of the plurality of network cells,

adjust a power of a reference signal based on said determination, and

transmit the adjusted reference signal in the at least one network cell.

11. The network node of claim 10, whereby the network node is further operative to:

in response to determining that the traffic load of the at least one network cell is less than or equal to the average traffic load of the plurality of network cells, determine a power signal increment, and

in response to determining that the power of the reference signal plus the determined power signal increment is less than a maximum power threshold, adjust the power of the reference signal by incrementing the power of the reference signal in accordance with the determined power signal increment.

12. The network node of claim 10, whereby the network node is operative to:

in response to determining that the traffic load of the at least one network cells is greater than the average traffic load of the plurality of network cells, determine whether network performance criteria for the at least one network cell is satisfied,

in response to determining that the network performance criteria for the at least one network cell is satisfied, determine a power signal decrement, and

in response to determining that the power of the reference signal minus the determined power signal decrement is greater than a minimum power threshold, adjust the power of the reference signal by decrementing the power of the reference signal in accordance with the determined power signal decrement.

13. The network node of claim 10, wherein the network performance criteria specifies that a number of user equipments experiencing a degradation in network throughput is below a first predetermined percentage.

14. The network node of claim 13, wherein the degradation in network throughput includes experiencing a delay in transmitting a packet from a user equipment located in the at least one network cell to the network node that exceeds a latency threshold.

15. The network node of claim 13, wherein the network performance criteria further specifies that a number of user equipments in the at least one network cell experiencing a packet loss rate that is below a loss rate threshold is above a second predetermined percentage.

16. The network node of claim 15, wherein the network performance criteria further specifies that an average user equipment throughput of the at least one network cell is above a predetermined user equipment throughput threshold.

17. The network node of claim 10, wherein the reference signal is a cell specific reference signal.

18. The network node of claim 10, wherein the network node is a base station.

19. A computer product implemented in a network node, the computer product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer instructions for:

the network node receiving a report regarding a traffic load of at least one network cell of a plurality of network cells;

the network node determining whether the traffic load of the at least one network cell is greater than an average traffic load of the plurality of network cells;

the network node adjusting a power of a reference signal based on said determining; and

the network node transmitting the adjusted reference signal in the at least one network cell.

20. A method for adjusting a power offset for a cell specific reference signal (CRS) for use in a cell of a wireless network, the method comprising:

transmitting the CRS in the cell at a first power level that is determined using a power offset value;

determining the load of the cell;

determining whether the load of the cell exceeds a threshold value;

in response to determining that the load of the cell exceeds the threshold value, reducing a power offset value to produce a reduced power offset value; and

transmitting the CRS in the cell at a second power level that is determined using the reduced power offset value, wherein the second power level is lower than the first power level.