ENHANCED LOCAL ACCESS IN MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS USING SMALL NODE DEVICES

• US 20170272364A1
• Filed: 03/27/2017
• Published: 09/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Ishii, Hiroyuki, Ramprashad, Sean A., Mukherjee, Sayandev
• Granted Patent: US 10,454,829 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/12 Avoiding congestion; Recovering from congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0289 Congestion control load shedding arrangements in network planning H04W16/08; performing reselection for handling the traffic H04W36/22; wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0864 of different hierarchy levels, e.g. Master Evolved Node B [MeNB] or Secondary Evolved node B [SeNB]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0069 in case of dual connectivity, e.g. decoupled uplink/downlink
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00692 using simultaneous multiple data streams, e.g. cooperative multipoint [CoMP], carrier aggregation [CA] or multiple input multiple output [MIMO] allocation of physical resources in CoMP or in CA H04L5/0035
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00695 using split of the control plane or user plane
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/242 taking into account path loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/383 power control in peer-to-peer links
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections

Abstract

A network device in a wireless communication system includes a first communication circuit that receives a first control-plane message from a base station (BS) over a first communication link; a second communication circuit that transmits user-plane data to a user equipment (UE) over a second communication link established responsive to the first control-plane message; and a third communication circuit that receives the user-plane traffic data from a server over a third communication link. The UE communicates user-plane data with the BS and the network device simultaneously at a predetermined time. The first communication circuit receives a second control-plane message from the BS. The second communication circuit transmits a pilot signal to the UE responsive to the second control-plane message to enable the UE to measure a radio link quality of the second communication link using the pilot signal. The second communication link is maintained, at least in part, based on the radio link quality of the second communication link.

Claims

1. A network device in a wireless communication system, comprising:

a first communication circuit that receives a first control-plane message from a base station (BS) over a first communication link;

a second communication circuit that transmits user-plane data to a user equipment (UE) over a second communication link established responsive to the first control-plane message; and

a third communication circuit that receives the user-plane traffic data from a server over a third communication link,

wherein the UE communicates user-plane data with the BS and the network device simultaneously at a predetermined time,

wherein the first communication circuit receives a second control-plane message from the BS,

wherein the second communication circuit transmits a pilot signal to the UE responsive to the second control-plane message to enable the UE to measure a radio link quality of the second communication link using the pilot signal, and

wherein the second communication link is maintained, at least in part, based on the radio link quality of the second communication link.

2. The network device of claim 1, wherein the first communication link has a master-slave relationship between the BS and the network device.

3. The network device of claim 1, wherein the first communication circuit receives a third control-plane message from the BS, and wherein the second communication circuit releases the second communication link responsive to the third control-plane message.

4. The network device of claim 1, wherein the second communication circuit transmits the user-plane data in a radio resource allocated by the BS.

5. The network device of claim 1, wherein the second communication circuit transmits the user-plane data in a radio resource allocated by the network device.

6. The network device of claim 1, wherein the second communication circuit transmits the user-plane data using radio bearers assigned by the BS.

7. The network device of claim 1, wherein the second communication circuit transmits the user-plane data to the UE using time slots that are time division multiplexed with time slots used by the UE to receive additional user-plane data from the BS.

8. The network device of claim 1, wherein the first communication circuit receives a fourth control-plane message from the BS, and wherein the second communication circuit reconfigures the second communication link responsive to the fourth control-plane message.

9. The network device of claim 1, wherein the second communication circuit receives third user-plane data from the UE over the second communication link, and to upload the third user-plane data to the server over the third communication link.

10. The network device of claim 1, wherein the third communication circuit connects to the server via at least one of serving gateway, PDN gateway, or the BS.

11. A user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, comprising:

a first communication circuit that receives both control-plane data and first user-plane data from a base station (BS) over a first communication link; and

a second communication circuit that receives second user-plane data from a server through a network device using a second communication link,

wherein the first communication circuit receives a first control-plane message from the BS over the first communication link, and wherein the second communication circuit establishes the second communication link responsive to the first control-plane message,

wherein the UE communicates user-plane data with the BS and the network device simultaneously at a predetermined time,

wherein the second communication circuit receives a pilot signal to enable the UE to measure a radio link quality of the second communication link using the pilot signal, and

wherein the second communication link is maintained, at least in part, based on the radio link quality of the second communication link.

12. The UE of claim 11, wherein the first communication link is an Long Term Evolution (LTE) link.

13. The UE of claim 11, wherein the second communication link uses a carrier frequency that is different from a carrier frequency used in the first communication link.

14. The UE of claim 11, wherein the first communication circuit receives a second control-plane message from the BS, and wherein the second communication circuit releases the second communication link responsive to the second control-plane message.

15. The UE of claim 11, wherein the second communication circuit receives the second user-plane data in a radio resource allocated by the BS.

16. The UE of claim 11, wherein the second communication circuit receives the second user-plane data in a radio resource allocated by the network device.

17. The UE of claim 11, wherein the second communication circuit receives the second user-plane data using radio bearers assigned by the BS.

18. The UE of claim 11, wherein the first communication circuit receives a third control-plane message from the BS, and wherein the second communication circuit receives a pilot signal transmitted by the network device and to make measurement for a radio link quality of the pilot signal, wherein a radio resource for the pilot signal is indicated in the third control-plane message.

19. The UE of claim 11, wherein the second communication circuit transmits third user-plane data to the server through the network device using the second communication link.

20. The UE of claim 11, wherein the first communication circuit receives a fifth control-plane message from the BS, and wherein the second communication circuit reconfigures the second communication link responsive to the fifth control-plane message.

21. A base station (BS) in a wireless communication network, comprising:

a first communication circuit that exchanges user-plane and control-plane data with a user equipment (UE) using a first communication link;

a second communication circuit that exchanges control-plane data with a network device using a second communication link; and

a processor that controls an establishment and also a release/reconfiguration/handover of a third communication link through a first control-plane message transmitted to at least one of the UE and the network device using a respective one of the first and second communication links,

wherein the user equipment communicates user-plane data with the BS and the network device simultaneously at a predetermined time,

wherein the second communication circuit transmits a second control-plane message to the network device,

wherein the network device transmits a pilot signal to the user equipment responsive to the second control-plane message to enable the user equipment to measure a radio link quality of the third communication link using the pilot signal, and

wherein the third communication link is maintained, at least in part, based on the radio link quality of the third communication link.

22. The BS of claim 21, wherein the processor determines a radio resource allocation for the third communication link using a second control-plane message transmitted by the first communication circuit to the UE using the first communication link and by the second communication circuit to the network device using the second communication link.

23. The BS of claim 21, wherein the processor identifies the user-plane data to be exchanged between the UE and the small node device using the third communication link by assigning a radio bearer for the third communication link using a fourth control-plane message transmitted by the first communication circuit to the UE and using a fifth control-plane message transmitted by the second communication circuit to the network device.

24. The BS of claim 21, wherein the first communication circuit receives a measurement report from the UE using the first link, and wherein the measurement report includes measurements of a radio link quality for the third communication link, and wherein the processor determines at least one of the establishment, the release, the reconfiguration, handover, and the radio resource allocation responsive to the measurement report.

25. A method of communicating using a network device in a wireless communication system, comprising:

at the network device, receiving a first control-plane message from a base station (BS) over a first communication link;

at the network device, establishing a second communication link responsive to the first control-plane message;

at the network device, receiving downlink user-plane data from a server over a third communication link;

from the network device, transmitting the downlink user-plane data over the second communication link;

at the network device, receiving a second control plane message; and

from the network device, transmitting a pilot signal to a user equipment (UE) responsive to the second control-plane message to enable the UE to measure a radio link quality of the second communication link using the pilot signal,

wherein the second communication link is maintained, at least in part, based on the radio link quality of the second communication link, and

wherein the UE communicates user-plane data with the BS and the network device simultaneously at a predetermined time.

26. A method of communicating using a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, comprising:

at the UE, receiving a first control-plane message from a base station (BS) over a first communication link;

at the UE, establishing a second communication link responsive to the first control-plane message;

at the UE, receiving downlink user-plane data from the network device over the second communication link;

at the UE, receiving a pilot signal to enable the UE to measure a radio link quality of the second communication link using the pilot signal,

wherein the second communication link is maintained, at least in part, based on the radio link quality of the second communication link, and

wherein the UE communicates user-plane data with the BS and the network device simultaneously at a predetermined time.

27. A method of communicating using a base station (BS) for controlling a user equipment (UE) and a network device in a wireless communication system, comprising:

at the BS, exchanging user-plane data and control-plane message with the UE using a first communication link and exchanging control-plane message with the network device using a second communication link;

at the BS, controlling an establishment and also a release/reconfiguration/handover of a third communication link through a first control-plane message transmitted to at least one of the UE and the network device using the respective one of the first communication link and the second communication link;

at the BS, identifying user-plane data to be exchanged between the UE and the network device using the third communication link;

at the BS, transmitting a second control-plane message to the network device,

wherein the network device transmits a pilot signal to the UE responsive to the second control-plane message to enable the UE to measure a radio link quality of the third communication link using the pilot signal, and

wherein the third communication link is maintained, at least in part, based on the radio link quality of the third communication link, and

wherein the UE communicates user-plane data with the BS and the network device simultaneously at a predetermined time.

28. A network device in a wireless communication system, comprising:

a first communication circuit that receives a first control-plane message and a second control-plane message from a base station (BS) over a first communication link;

a second communication circuit that establishes a second communication link with a UE (UE) responsive to the first control-plane message, wherein the second communication circuit transmits at least one pilot signal to the UE responsive to the second control-plane message and to exchange user-plane data with the UE over the second communication link; and

a third communication circuit that exchanges the user-plane data with a server using a third communication link,

wherein the UE communicates user-plane data with the BS and the network device simultaneously at a predetermined time,

wherein the first communication circuit receives a second control-plane message from the BS,

wherein the second communication circuit transmits a pilot signal to the UE responsive to the second control-plane message to enable the UE to measure a radio link quality of the second communication link using the pilot signal, and

wherein the second communication link is maintained, at least in part, based on the radio link quality of the second communication link.

29. The network device of claim 28, wherein the second communication circuit transmits the at least one pilot signal according to at least one of a transmission periodicity, a frequency-domain resource, a time-domain resource, a code-domain resource, and a transmission power as determined by the second control-plane message.

30. The network device of claim 28, wherein the first communication circuit and the second communication circuit synchronize a BS-to-UE communication link and the second communication link.

31. A user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, comprising:

a first communication circuit that receives both control-plane data message and first user-plane data from a base station (BS) over a first communication link; and

a second communication circuit that receives second user-plane data from a server through the network device using a second communication link,

wherein the first communication circuit receives a first control-plane message from the BS over the first communication link,

wherein the second communication circuit establishes the second communication link responsive to the first control-plane message,

wherein the second communication circuit receives at least one pilot signal from the network device over the second communication link and to measure a radio link quality for the second communication link using the received at least one pilot signal,

wherein the first communication circuit transmits the radio link quality to the BS over the first communication link, and

wherein the UE communicates user-plane data with the BS and the network device simultaneously at a predetermined time,

wherein the second communication link is maintained, at least in part, based on the radio link quality of the second communication link.

32. The UE of claim 31, wherein the second communication circuit receives the at least one pilot signal according to at least one of a transmission periodicity, a frequency-domain resource, a time-domain resource, a code-domain resource, and a transmission power as determined by the second control-plane message.

33. A network device in a wireless communication system, comprising:

a first communication circuit that receives a first control-plane message from a base station (BS) over a first communication link;

a second communication circuit that transmits user-plane data to a user equipment (UE) over a second communication link established responsive to the first control-plane message; and

a third communication circuit that receives the user-plane data from a server over a third communication link,

wherein the second communication circuit makes measurements for at least one of a processing load, a radio resource usage, a data rate, a path loss in the second communication link, a radio link quality, a block error rate, a transmitted signal power, a received signal power, an interference power, and a UE count for the second communication link,

wherein the first communication circuit transmits the measurement results to the BS,

wherein the UE communicates user-plane data with the BS and the network device simultaneously at a predetermined time, and

wherein the second communication link is maintained, at least in part, based on the measurements.

34. A base station (BS) in a wireless communication network, comprising:

a first communication circuit that exchanges user-plane data and control-plane message with a user equipment (UE) using a first communication link;

a second communication circuit that exchanges control-plane message with a network device using a second communication link; and

a processor that controls an establishment and also a release/reconfiguration/handover of a third communication link through a first control-plane message transmitted to at least one of the UE and the network device using the respective one of the first communication link and the second communication link,

wherein the processor identifies user-plane data to be exchanged between the UE and the network device using the third communication link,

wherein the processor makes measurement for at least one of a third connection count, a radio resource usage, a data rate, a success rate of connection establishment, a success rate for handover, a radio link failure count, a handover count, and a connection re-establishments count for the third communication link,

wherein the UE communicates user-plane data with the BS and the network device simultaneously at a predetermined time, and

wherein the third communication link is maintained, at least in part, based on the measurements.