Dynamic addition of carrier frequency to a wireless coverage area in response to low load
First Claim
1. In a radio access network comprising a base station that radiates to define a wireless coverage area, wherein the base station operates on a first carrier frequency in the wireless coverage area, a method comprising:
- determining that a level of load in the wireless coverage area is less than a load threshold; and
in response to the level of load being less than the load threshold, activating a second carrier frequency in the wireless coverage area, so that the base station operates on both the first carrier frequency and the second carrier frequency in the wireless coverage area.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method is disclosed for implementing an overlay carrier frequency in a wireless coverage area in response to low load in the coverage area. Normally, an carrier frequency may be added in response to high load. However, the disclosed method involves adding a carrier frequency in response to low load, as the addition of a carrier may advantageously increase the likelihood of soft handoff in certain situations, and as low load may facilitate operation on the added carrier without the need to add expensive supporting infrastructure that would typically be added to support full operation on an added carrier frequency.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. In a radio access network comprising a base station that radiates to define a wireless coverage area, wherein the base station operates on a first carrier frequency in the wireless coverage area, a method comprising:
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determining that a level of load in the wireless coverage area is less than a load threshold; and in response to the level of load being less than the load threshold, activating a second carrier frequency in the wireless coverage area, so that the base station operates on both the first carrier frequency and the second carrier frequency in the wireless coverage area. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. In a radio access network comprising a first base station that radiates to define a first wireless coverage area and a second base station that radiates to define a second wireless coverage area, wherein the first base station operates on a first carrier frequency in the first wireless coverage area, wherein the second base station operates on both the first carrier and a second carrier frequency in the second wireless coverage area, and wherein the first wireless coverage area and second wireless coverage area overlap to allow handoff of wireless communication devices between the first wireless coverage area and the second wireless coverage area, a method comprising:
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determining that a level of load in the first wireless coverage area is less than a load threshold; and responsive to the level of load in the first wireless coverage area being less than the load threshold, activating the second carrier frequency in the first wireless coverage area, so that the first base station operates on both the first carrier frequency and the second carrier frequency, to thereby reduce likelihood of inter-frequency handoff between the first wireless coverage area and the second wireless coverage area. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19)
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16. In a radio access network comprising a first base station that radiates to define a first wireless coverage area and a second base station that radiates to define a second wireless coverage area, wherein the first base station operates on a first carrier frequency in the first wireless coverage area, wherein the second base station operates on both the first carrier and a second carrier frequency in the second wireless coverage area, and wherein the first wireless coverage area and second wireless coverage area overlap to allow handoff of wireless communication devices between the first wireless coverage area and the second wireless coverage area, a method comprising:
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determining that a level of load in the first wireless coverage area is less than a load threshold; and responsive to the level of load in the first wireless coverage area being less than the load threshold, activating the second carrier frequency in the first wireless coverage area, so that the first base station operates on both the first carrier frequency and the second carrier frequency, to thereby reduce likelihood of inter-frequency handoff between the first wireless coverage area and the second wireless coverage area, wherein, when the first base station operates on the first carrier frequency but not on the second carrier frequency and the second base station operates on the first carrier frequency and the second carrier frequency, the first base station broadcasts a first channel list message (CLM) on the first carrier frequency and the first CLM lists the first carrier frequency but not the second carrier frequency, and wherein activating the second carrier frequency in the first wireless coverage area comprises causing the first base station to list in the first CLM both the first carrier frequency and the second carrier frequency and to broadcast the first CLM on both the first carrier frequency and the second carrier frequency, and wherein, when the first base station operates on the first carrier frequency but not on the second carrier frequency and the second base station operates on the first carrier frequency and the second carrier frequency, the second base station broadcasts a second CLM on the first carrier frequency but not the second carrier frequency and the second CLM lists the first carrier frequency but not the second carrier frequency, the method further comprising, when activating the second carrier frequency in the first wireless coverage area, causing the second base station to list in the second CLM both the first carrier frequency and the second carrier frequency and to broadcast the second CLM on both the first carrier frequency and the second carrier frequency.
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Specification