Method for channel configuration of cellular radio network, and cellular radio network

• US 6,975,865 B1
• Filed: 06/02/2000
• Issued: 12/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Networks (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Väisänen, Veijo
• Primary Examiner(s): D AGOSTA, STEPHEN M
• Application Number:
  US09/762,052
• Time in Patent Office: 2,020 Days
• Field of Search: 455/423, 455/424, 455/425, 455/444, 455/450, 455/451, 455/452.1, 455/452.2, 370/329, 370/331
• US Class Current: 455/444
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/04 Traffic adaptive resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/16 for PBS [Private Base Station] arrangements

Abstract

A method for performing channel configuration in a cellular radio network for office use located in the operating area of a macro cell network, and a cellular radio network employing the method are disclosed. A logical control channel to be transmitted on a physical channel of a macro cell in the macro cell network is selected as the channel to be tested. A base station of the cellular radio network for office use and terminals in the coverage area of the base stations in the cellular radio network for office use are directed to use the channel to be tested. A connection is established by remote control between two or more terminals through the serving base stations on the channel being tested, and a measurement report is made concerning the quality of the connection. The base stations are directed to use the channels guaranteeing the best range.

Claims

1. A method for performing channel configuration in a micro or pico cell network located in the operating area of a macro cell network, comprising:

selecting, in the micro or pico network, as the channel to be tested, a logical control channel to be transmitted on the physical channel of a macro cell in the macro cell network,

directing a base station of the micro or pico cell network and terminals within the coverage area of the base stations of the micro or pico cell network to use the control channel to be tested,

establishing, by remote control, a connection between two or more terminals through base stations serving the terminals on the control channel being tested and making a measurement report on the quality of the connection,

selecting, as the channel to be tested, the next control channel of a macro cell of the macro cell network until the control channels of all desired macro cells have been tested,

determining, on the basis of the measurement reports, the control channels whose use guarantees the best range in the micro or pico cell network,

directing the base stations of the micro or pico cell network to use the control channels of the macro call network guaranteeing the best range, and

maintaining a data network connection between the terminals and the terminal controllers,

wherein the terminal controller of the micro or pico cell network, controlling the operation of the terminals, is controlled through a data network connected to the micro or pico cell network.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the macro cell network and the micro or pico cell network are controlled from the same location.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the macro cell network and the micro or pico cell network are synchronised with each other.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a BCCH (broadcast control channel) is used as the control channel of the macro cell network.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein office base stations are used as the base stations of the micro or pico cell network.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein mobile phones are used as the terminals.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a threshold value that the connection quality must meet is used in evaluating the quality of the connection.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein a bit error ratio is used as the threshold value.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the channel configuration of the micro or pico cell network is performed when configuring the micro or pico cell network.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the channel configuration of the micro or pico cell network is performed at regular intervals.

11. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the physical channel of a macro cell is a time-slot of a radio frequency, and the logical control channel of the macro cell is directed to be transmitted at its time through each time-slot of said frequency.

12. A cellular radio network comprising one or more macro cell base stations, each coverage area being a macro cell and the macro cells forming a macro cell network;

a micro or pico cell network operating in the operating area of the macro cell network, which micro or pico cell network comprises at least one base station and at least one terminal in radio connection with the base station, wherein the cellular radio network also comprises a controller coordinating the channel configuration, the controller comprising;

means for selecting, in the micro or pico cell network, as the channel to be tested, a logical control channel to be transmitted on a physical channel of the macro cell,

means for directing the base station of the micro or pico cell network to use the control channel to be tested,

means for establishing, by remote control,

a connection between two or more terminals through the base stations serving the terminals on the control channel being tested,

means for making a measurement report on the connection quality,

means for selecting, as the control channel to be tested, the next control channel of a macro cell until the control channels of all desired macro cells have been tested,

means for determining, on the basis of the measurement reports, the channels whose use guarantees the best range in the micro or pico cell network,

means for directing the base stations to use the channels guaranteeing the best range, and

means for maintaining a data network connection between the terminals and the terminal controllers,

wherein the cellular radio network comprises a data network for transmitting information in the cellular radio network and a terminal controller for controlling the terminals, and the controller is arranged to control the terminal controller through the data network.

13. A cellular radio network as claimed in claim 12, wherein the cellular radio network comprises a network management system for managing the macro cell network and the micro or pico cell network.

14. A cellular radio network as claimed in claim 13, wherein the network management system is arranged to synchronise the cellular radio network and the macro cell network.

15. A cellular radio network as claimed in claim 12, wherein the control channel of the macro cell network is a BCCH (broadcast control channel).

16. A cellular radio network as claimed in claim 12, wherein the base stations of the micro or pico cell network are office base stations.

17. A cellular radio network as claimed in claim 12, wherein the terminals are mobile phones.

18. A cellular radio network as claimed in claim 12, wherein the controller is arranged to use in evaluating the quality a threshold value that the connection quality must meet.

19. A cellular radio network as claimed in claim 18, wherein the controller is arranged to use a bit error ratio as the threshold value in evaluating the quality of the connection.

20. A cellular radio network as claimed in claim 12, wherein the controller comprises means for performing channel configuration when configuring the cellular radio network.

21. A cellular radio network as claimed in claim 12, wherein the controller comprises means for performing channel configuration of the cellular radio network at regular intervals.

22. A cellular radio network as claimed in claim 12, wherein the physical channel of the macro cell is a time-slot of a radio frequency, and the logical control channel is directed to be transmitted at its time through each time-slot of said frequency.