Mobile communications system and control technique thereof

• US 7,647,064 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2005
• Issued: 01/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Nakada, Suguru
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao; Minh D
• Application Number:
  US11/313,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20060141939A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,482 Days
• Field of Search: 455/522, 455/127.1, 455/13.4, 455/63.1, 455/114.2, 455/278.1, 455/296, 455/9, 370/342, 370/335, 370/320, 370/479, 370/318
• US Class Current: 455/522
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/30 using constraints in the total amount of available transmission power

Abstract

Each mobile terminal and/or radio base station determines whether a radio base station transmits radio waves of excessive power. Based on determination results obtained by a plurality of mobile terminals and/or radio base stations, a radio-system management server determines whether a certain radio base station transmits radio waves of excessive power. When the certain radio base station transmits radio waves of excessive power, the radio-system management server instructs the certain radio base station to forcefully stop its radio transmission by transmitting a forced transmission-stop control message to the radio network controller that controls the certain radio base station.

Claims

1. A mobile communications system comprising a plurality of radio base stations and a plurality of mobile terminals, further comprising:

a first determination section for determining whether a certain radio base station transmits radio waves of excessive power, wherein the first determination section is provided in each of the radio base stations and/or the mobile terminals;

a second determination section for determining whether the certain radio base station transmits radio waves of excessive power, based on determination results obtained by a plurality of first determination sections; and

a controller for instructing the certain radio base station to forcefully stop its radio transmission when it is determined that the certain radio base station transmits radio waves of excessive power.

2. The mobile communications system according to claim 1, wherein the first determination section uses power of a radio wave received from the certain radio base station to determine whether the certain radio base station transmits radio waves of excessive power.

3. The mobile communications system according to claim 2, wherein, when the power of a radio wave received from the certain radio base station exceeds a predetermined power threshold successively a predetermined number of times, the first determination section determines that the certain radio base station transmits radio waves of excessive power.

4. The mobile communications system according to claim 1, wherein, when the first determination section determines that a certain radio base station transmits radio waves excessive power, a piece of detection information is transmitted to the second determination section,

wherein the second determination section determines whether the certain radio base station transmits radio waves of excessive power, based on the number of pieces of detection information received.

5. The mobile communications system according to claim 4, wherein, when the number of pieces of detection information received exceeds a predetermined threshold count for a predetermined period of time, the second determination section determines that the certain radio base station transmits radio waves of excessive power.

6. The mobile communications system according to claim 4, wherein the second determination section comprises a counter which is incremented every time a piece of detection information is received.

7. The mobile communications system according to claim 4, wherein the second determination section comprises:

a source determination section for determining whether a source from which a piece of detection information has been received is a mobile terminal or a radio base station; and

a counter which is incremented by an amount modified by a weight that is differently determined depending on whether the source is a mobile terminal or a radio base station.

8. The mobile communications system according to claim 4, wherein the second determination section comprises:

a source determination section for determining whether a source from which a piece of detection information has been received is a mobile terminal or a radio base station; and

a first counter which is incremented every time a piece of detection information is received from a mobile terminal; and

a second counter which is incremented every time a piece of detection information is received from a radio base station,

wherein when at least one of the first and second counters exceeds a corresponding predetermined threshold count, the second determination section determines that the certain radio base station transmits radio waves of excessive, power.

9. A method for monitoring and controlling a radio base station in a mobile communications system comprising a plurality of radio base stations, a plurality of mobile terminals and a system manager, comprising:

at each of radio base stations and/or mobile terminals,

a) determining whether a radio base station transmits radio waves of excessive power;

b) when it is determined that a certain radio base station transmits radio waves of excessive power, transmitting a piece of detection information;

at the system manager,

c) determining based on received detection information whether the certain radio base station transmits radio waves of excessive power; and

d) when it is determined that the certain radio base station transmits radio waves of excessive power, instructing the certain radio base station to forcefully stop its radio transmission,

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein step a) comprises:

measuring received power of a radio wave received from the certain radio base station; and

comparing the received power with a predetermined power threshold to determine whether the certain radio base station transmits radio waves of excessive power.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, when the received power exceeds the predetermined power threshold successively a predetermined number of times, it is determined that the certain radio base station transmits radio waves of excessive power.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein step c) comprises:

counting the number of pieces of received detection information for a predetermined period of time; and

comparing the number of pieces of received detection information with a predetermined threshold count to determine whether the certain radio base station transmits radio waves of excessive power.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein step c) comprises:

determining whether a source from which a piece of detection information has been received is a mobile terminal or a radio base station;

counting the number of pieces of received detection information modified by a weight for a predetermined period of time, wherein the weight is differently determined depending on whether the source is a mobile terminal or a radio base station; and

comparing a weighted count of pieces of received detection information with a predetermined threshold count to determine whether the certain radio base station transmits radio waves of excessive power.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein step c) comprises:

determining whether a source from which a piece of detection information has been received is a mobile terminal or a radio base station;

counting the number of pieces of first detection information received from a mobile terminal for a predetermined period of time;

counting the number of pieces of second detection information received from a radio base station for the predetermined period of time; and

when at least one of the numbers of pieces of first and second detection information exceeds a corresponding predetermined threshold count, determining that the certain radio base station transmits radio waves of excessive power.

15. A radio base station in a mobile communications system comprising a plurality of radio base stations and a plurality of mobile terminals, comprising:

a first radio communication section for communicating with mobile terminals;

a second radio communication section for receiving radio signals from other radio base stations;

a determination section for determining whether another radio base station transmits a radio signal of excessive power;

a communication section for transmitting a piece of detection information to a system manager when the determination section determines that a certain radio base station transmits radio waves of excessive power, wherein the detection information includes identification information of the certain radio base station; and

a controller for stopping radio transmission when receiving a forced transmission-stop control message from the system manager.

16. The radio base station according to claim 15, wherein the determination section uses power of a radio signal received from the certain radio base station to determine whether the certain radio base station transmits radio waves of excessive power.

17. The radio base station according to claim 16, wherein, when the power of a radio signal received from the certain radio base station exceeds a predetermined power threshold successively a predetermined number of times, the determination section determines that the certain radio base station transmits radio waves of excessive power.

18. In a mobile communications system comprising a plurality or radio base stations, a radio base station controller for controlling the radio base stations, and a radio-system management server, wherein each of the radio base stations comprises:

a first excessive transmission power determination section for determining whether a certain radio base station transmits radio waves of excessive power; and

a determination result transmission section for transmitting a determination result to the radio base station controller,

wherein the radio-system management server comprises;

a second excessive transmission power determination section for determining whether the certain radio base station transmits radio waves of excessive power, based on determination results received from the radio base station controller; and

a forced transmission stop controller For transmitting an instruction to the radio base station controller to forcefully stop radio transmission of the certain radio base station when it is determined that the certain radio base station transmits radio waves of excessive power;

a mobile terminal comprising;

a radio communication section for communicating with radio base stations;

a determination section for determining whether a certain radio base station transmits a radio signal of excessive power; and

a communication section for transmitting a piece of detection information to a system manager via at least one radio base station when the determination section determines that a certain radio base station transmits radio waves of excessive power, wherein the detection information includes identification information of the certain radio base station.

19. The mobile terminal according to claim 18, wherein the determination section uses power of a radio signal received from the certain radio base station to determine whether the certain radio base station transmits radio waves of excessive power.

20. The mobile terminal according to claim 19, wherein, when the power of a radio signal received from the certain radio base station exceeds a predetermined power threshold successively a predetermined number of times, the determination section determines that the certain radio base station transmits radio waves of excessive power.

21. A system manager of a mobile communications system comprising a plurality of radio base stations and a plurality of mobile terminals, comprising:

a determination section for determining whether a certain radio base station transmits radio waves of excessive power, based on a plurality of pieces of detection information received from radio base stations and/or mobile terminals, wherein a piece of detection information indicates excessively increased transmission power of the certain radio base station, which is detected by a mobile terminal or a radio base station; and

a controller for instructing the certain radio base station to forcefully stop its radio transmission when the determination section determines that the certain radio base station transmits radio waves of excessive power.

22. The system manager according to claim 21, wherein the determination section determines whether the certain radio base station transmits radio waves of excessive power, based on the number of pieces of detection information received.

23. The system manager according to claim 22, wherein, when the number of pieces of detection information received exceeds a predetermined threshold count for a predetermined period of time, the determination section determines that the certain radio base station transmits radio waves of excessive power.

24. The system manager according to claim 22, wherein the determination section comprises a counter which is incremented every time a piece of detection information is received.

25. The system manager according to claim 22, wherein the determination section comprises:

a source determination section for determining whether a source from which a piece of detection information has been received is a mobile terminal or a radio base station; and

a counter which is incremented by an amount modified by a weight that is differently determined depending on whether the source is a mobile terminal or a radio base station.

26. The system manager according to claim 22, wherein the determination section comprises:

a source determination section for determining whether a source from which a piece of detection information has been received is a mobile terminal or a radio base station; and

a first counter which is incremented every time a piece of detection information is received from a mobile terminal; and

a second counter which is incremented every time a piece of detection information is received from a radio base station,

wherein when at least one of the first and second counters exceeds a corresponding predetermined threshold count, the determination section determines that the certain radio base station transmits radio waves of excessive power.

27. A mobile communications system comprising a plurality of radio base stations, a plurality of mobile terminals, a radio base station controller for controlling the radio base stations, and a radio-system management server,

wherein each of the radio base stations and/or the mobile terminals comprises:

a first excessive transmission power determination section for determining whether a certain radio base station transmits radio waves of excessive power; and

a determination result transmission section for transmitting a determination result to the radio base station controller,

wherein the radio system management server comprises;

a second excessive transmission power determination section for determining whether the certain radio base station transmits radio waves of excessive power, based on determination results received from the radio base station controller; and

a forced transmission stop controller for transmitting an instruction to the radio base station controller to forcefully stop radio transmission of the certain radio base station when it is determined that the certain radio base station transmits radio waves of excessive power.