Methods and apparatus for optimization of femtocell network management

• US 8,644,273 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2009
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Choi, Hyung-Nam, Bienas, Maik, Luft, Achim
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Kent
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lu, William
• Application Number:
  US12/496,550
• Publication Number:
  US 20110002314A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,679 Days
• Field of Search: 455/411, 455/422.1, 455/436, 455/67.11, 455/561, 455/562.1, 455/423, 455/434, 455/452.1, 455/501, 455/507, 455/502, 370/338, 370/328, 370/252
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0215 based on user or device properties, e.g. MTC-capable devices services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] H04W4/70; wireless resource selection or allocation plan definition based on terminal or device properties H04W72/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/18 TPC being performed according to specific parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

Methods and apparatus that reduce network management overhead required for the operation of wireless femtocells. In one aspect of the invention, a central network entity governs the simultaneous operation of several femtocells by specifying modes of operation, and operational parameters for one or more of the femtocells. In one embodiment, at least one of the specified modes of operation directs a femtocell to operate in a substantially autonomous manner within the network-defined operational parameters. The network-defined constraints are provided to the femtocell for example, responsive to a successful registration attempt.

Claims

1. A method of operating a cellular network having femtocells, the method comprising:

receiving, by a processing device, a registration request from a least one of the femtocells;

obtaining, by the processing device, information relating to at least;

(i) the operating environment of the at least one femtocell; and

(ii) the current operational state of the network; and

based at least in part on the information, enabling a plurality of operating modes, the enabling of the plurality of the operating modes causing the at least one femtocell to select only one of the plurality of operating modes, the selection based on;

evaluating the information relating to the current operating state of the network to determine the level of loading or congestion within the network; and

where the loading or congestion within the network is determined to be sufficiently high, causing the at least one femtocell to assume a partly autonomous operating mode, the partly autonomous operating mode allowing for the at least one femtocell to operate with only intermittent communication with the network; and

wherein the plurality of operating modes comprise varying levels of active network supervision.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality operating modes comprise:

a first mode that allows the at least one femtocell to operate substantially autonomously of the network;

a second mode that comprises the partly autonomous operating mode, the partly autonomous operating mode comprising at least one constrain on the resources accessible by the at least one femtocell; and

a third mode that requires the at least one femtocell to operate substantially under control of the network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection further comprises:

evaluating the information relating to the operating environment of the at least one femtocell to identify the presence of one or more nearly femtocells or other emitters;

where the presence of one or more nearby femtocells or other emitters is indicated, determining whether the one or more nearby femtocells or other emitters belong to the same network; and

where the one or more nearby femtocells or other emitters belong to the same network, causing the at least one femtocell to assume a network-controlled operating mode, the network-controlled operating mode allowing for selective allocation of resources between the at least one femtocell and the one or more nearby femtocells or other emitters.

4. Network apparatus capable of arbitrating between a plurality of operating modes for a femtocell in communication therewith, the apparatus comprising:

a processing device in data communication with a memory;

an interface subsystem configured for data communication with the femtocell; and

a plurality of executable instructions resident within the memory that are configured to, when executed by the processing device, cause the processing device to;

receive a plurality of information from the femtocell via the interface subsystem;

determine one or more internal operating conditions;

based at least in part on the received information and one or more internal conditions, select an operating mode for the femtocell, where;

the selected operating mode is based at least on;

evaluating the information relating to the current operating state of the network to determine the level of loading or congestion within the network; and

where the loading or congestion within the network is determined to be sufficiently high, causing the at least one femtocell to assume a partly autonomous operating mode, the partly autonomous operating mode characterized in that the at least one femtocell operated with only intermittent communication with the network; and

signal a plurality of frequency resources selected from an available pool of frequency resources, the femtocell to select one of the plurality of frequency resources, the selection occurring without further network control.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the selection of the operating mode comprises selection of a mode from the group consisting of:

a first mode that allows the femtocell to operate substantially autonomously of the network;

a second mode that comprises the partly autonomous operating mode that allows the femtocell to operate at least partly autonomously of the network, the at least partly autonomous operation comprising at least one constraint on the resources accessible by the femtocell; and

a third mode that requires the femtocell to operate substantially under control of the network.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the network comprises at LTE (Long Term Evolution) compliant cellular network, and the femtocell comprises an HeNB (Home NodeB).

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the apparatus comprises an EPC (Evolved Packet Core) entity of the LTE-compliant network.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the plurality of information comprises information relating to the existence of one or more RF emitters proximate to the femtocell.

9. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium with an executable program stored thereon, wherein the program instructs a processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a registration request from a femtocell;

obtaining information relating to at least;

(i) the operating environment of the femtocell; and

(ii) the current operational state of the network; and

based at least in part on the information, enabling a plurality of operating modes, the enabling of the plurality of the operating modes causing the femtocell to select only one of the plurality of operating modes, the selection based on;

evaluating the information relating to the current operating state of the network to determine the level of loading or congestion within the network; and

where the loading or congestion within the network is determined to be sufficiently high, causing the femtocell to assume a partly autonomous operating mode, the partly autonomous operating mode allowing for the femtocell to operate with only intermittent communication with the network; and

wherein the plurality of operating modes comprise varying levels of active network supervision.