CONTROLLER NODE AND A METHOD THEREIN FOR SELECTING A NETWORK NODE IN A HETEROGENEOUS NETWORK

• US 20160234769A1
• Filed: 03/21/2014
• Published: 08/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Lidian, Namir, Nammi, Sairamesh
• Granted Patent: US 9,736,770 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0842 Weighted combining
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0057 Physical resource allocation for CQI
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

The exemplary embodiments herein relate to a controller node and a method in a controller node for selecting a network node in an heterogeneous network comprising a plurality of network nodes. The method comprises, receiving CQI values from a UE and based on those values select a network node for serving a UE.

Claims

1. A method in a controller node for selecting for a user equipment, UE, at least one network node in a heterogeneous network comprising a plurality of network nodes each network node transmitting a primary pilot channel and a secondary pilot channel, the method comprising:

receiving from the UE, channel quality indicator, CQI, values, each CQI value corresponding to a channel estimate estimated by the UE on individual secondary pilot channel transmitted by a network node;

processing the received CQI values; and

deciding based on the processed CQI values which network node(s) in the heterogeneous network to select for serving the UE.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein receiving comprises receiving each CQI value in a feedback channel being a high speed-dedicated physical control channel.

3. The method according to claim 2 further comprises combining the received feedback channels using maximum radio combining or selection combining.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein deciding comprises comparing the received and processed CQI values with a CQI threshold and selecting the network node(s) associated with the CQI value having a value higher than the CQI threshold.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein each individual secondary pilot channel transmitted by a network node is periodically transmitted by the network node.

6. A controller node for selecting for a user equipment, UE, at least one network node in a heterogeneous network comprising a plurality of network nodes, each network node transmitting a primary pilot channel and a secondary pilot channel, the controller node comprising:

a receiver unit configured to receive from the UE, channel quality indicator, CQI, values, each CQI value corresponding to a channel estimate estimated by the UE on individual secondary pilot channel transmitted by a network node;

a processing unit configured to process the received CQI values, and the processing circuit further is configured to decide, based on the processed CQI values which network node(s) in the heterogeneous network to select for serving the UE.

7. The controller node according to claim 6 wherein the receiving unit is configured to receive each CQI value in a feedback channel being a high speed-dedicated physical control channel.

8. The controller node according to claim 7 wherein the controller node is further configured to combine the received feedback channels using maximum radio combining or selection combining.

9. The controller node according to claim 6 wherein the processing unit is configured to decide by comparing the received and processed CQI values with a CQI threshold and to select the network node(s) associated with the CQI value having a value higher than the CQI threshold.

10. The controller node according to claim 6 wherein each individual secondary pilot channel transmitted by a network node is periodically transmitted by the network node.