Inter-PLMN handover in a shared radio network
First Claim
1. A method of handover control in a control node, said control node controlling allocation of radio resources in a first set of cells belonging to at least two different Public Land Mobile Networks, said first set of cells including at least a first subset of cells belonging to a first Public Land Mobile Network and a second subset of cells belonging to a second Public Land Mobile Network, wherein the method comprises:
- detecting traffic load exceeding a predefined level in a first cell belonging to the first subset of cells;
determining, in response to said detecting the traffic load exceeding the predefined level in the first cell belonging to the first subset of cells, if there are one or more connections whose initial detection data indicated being in the second subset of cells belonging to the second Public Land Mobile Network, which could be supported by radio resources in one or more cells in the second subset of cells belonging to the second Public Land Mobile Network having capacity for handling additional traffic load to support the one or more connections in the first cell;
ordering, in response to the determining that there are one or more cells in the second subset of cells having capacity for handling additional traffic load, handover of at least one of said one or more connections to said one or more cells in the second subset of cells belonging to the second Public Land Mobile Network;
checking, if there are a second one or more connections whose initial detection data indicated being in the first subset of cells belonging to the first Public Land Mobile Network, and if there are radio resources in at least one cell, different from the first cell, of the first subset of cells belonging to the first Public Land Mobile Network to support the second one or more connections in the first cell; and
responsive to the checking that there are radio resources in at least one cell of the first subset of cells belonging to the first Public Land Mobile Network to support the second one or more connections in the first cell, ordering a handover of at least one of the second one or more connections to a cell in the first set of cells which belongs to the first Public Land Mobile Network.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Handover control in a control node, said control node controlling allocation of radio resources in a first set of cells belonging to at least two different Public Land Mobile Networks, said first set of cells including at least a first subset of cells belonging to a first Public Land Mobile Network and a second subset of cells belonging to a second Public Land Mobile Network. Traffic load exceeding a predefined level is detected (504) in a first cell belonging to the first subset of cells. In response to said detecting, connections in the first cell are evaluated (507, 509) to find one or more connections which could be supported by radio resources in one or more cells in the second subset of cells having capacity for handling additional traffic load. Handover is ordered (506, 510) of at least one of said one or more connections to said one or more cells in the second subset of cells.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of handover control in a control node, said control node controlling allocation of radio resources in a first set of cells belonging to at least two different Public Land Mobile Networks, said first set of cells including at least a first subset of cells belonging to a first Public Land Mobile Network and a second subset of cells belonging to a second Public Land Mobile Network, wherein the method comprises:
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detecting traffic load exceeding a predefined level in a first cell belonging to the first subset of cells; determining, in response to said detecting the traffic load exceeding the predefined level in the first cell belonging to the first subset of cells, if there are one or more connections whose initial detection data indicated being in the second subset of cells belonging to the second Public Land Mobile Network, which could be supported by radio resources in one or more cells in the second subset of cells belonging to the second Public Land Mobile Network having capacity for handling additional traffic load to support the one or more connections in the first cell; ordering, in response to the determining that there are one or more cells in the second subset of cells having capacity for handling additional traffic load, handover of at least one of said one or more connections to said one or more cells in the second subset of cells belonging to the second Public Land Mobile Network; checking, if there are a second one or more connections whose initial detection data indicated being in the first subset of cells belonging to the first Public Land Mobile Network, and if there are radio resources in at least one cell, different from the first cell, of the first subset of cells belonging to the first Public Land Mobile Network to support the second one or more connections in the first cell; and responsive to the checking that there are radio resources in at least one cell of the first subset of cells belonging to the first Public Land Mobile Network to support the second one or more connections in the first cell, ordering a handover of at least one of the second one or more connections to a cell in the first set of cells which belongs to the first Public Land Mobile Network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of handover control in a control node, said control node controlling allocation of radio resources in a first set of cells belonging to at least two different Public Land Mobile Networks, said first set of cells including at least a first subset of cells belonging to a first Public Land Mobile Network and a second subset of cells belonging to a second Public Land Mobile Network, wherein the method comprises:
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detecting traffic load exceeding a predefined level in a first cell belonging to the first subset of cells; determining, in response to said detecting the traffic load exceeding the predefined level in the first cell belonging to the first subset of cells, if there are one or more connections whose initial detection data indicated being in the second subset of cells belonging to the second Public Land Mobile Network, which could be supported by radio resources in one or more cells in the second subset of cells belonging to the second Public Land Mobile Network having capacity for handling additional traffic load to support the one or more connections in the first cell; ordering, in response to the determining that there are one or more cells in the second subset of cells having capacity for handling additional traffic load, handover of at least one of said one or more connections to said one or more cells in the second subset of cells belonging to the second Public Land Mobile Network; checking, if there are a second one or more connections whose initial detection data indicated being in the first subset of cells belonging to the first Public Land Mobile Network, and if there are radio resources in at least one cell, different from the first cell, of the first subset of cells belonging to the first Public Land Mobile Network to support the second one or more connections in the first cell; and responsive to the checking that there are radio resources in at least one cell of the first subset of cells belonging to the first Public Land Mobile Network to support the second one or more connections in the first cell, initiating a handover of at least one of the second one or more connections to a cell under the control of another control node, while indicating as a serving cell a cell belonging to the first Public Land Mobile Network indicated by an initial detection data associated with at least one of the second one or more connections whose radio coverage area essentially corresponds to the radio coverage area of the serving cell.
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10. A control node that controls allocation of radio resources in a first set of cells belonging to at least two different Public Land Mobile Networks, said first set of cells including at least a first subset of cells belonging to a first Public Land Mobile Network and a second subset of cells belonging to a second Public Land Mobile Network, the control node comprising:
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detecting circuitry that detects when traffic load exceeds a predefined level in a first cell belonging to the first subset of cells; evaluating circuitry that determines, responsive to the traffic load exceeding the predefined level in the first cell belonging to the first subset of cells, if there are one or more connections whose initial detection data indicated being in the second subset of cells belonging to the second Public Land Mobile Network, which could be supported by radio resources in one or more cells in the second subset of cells belonging to the second Public Land Mobile Network having capacity for handling additional traffic load to support the one or more connections in the first cell; and handover circuitry that orders, in response to the determining that there are one or more cells in the second subset of cells having capacity for handling additional traffic load, handover of at least one of said one or more connections to said one or more cells in the second set of cells belonging to the second Public Land Mobile Network, wherein the evaluation circuitry further checks, if there are a second one or more connections whose initial detection data indicated being in the first subset of cells belonging to the first Public Land Mobile Network, and if there are radio resources in at least one cell, different from the first cell, of the first subset of cells belonging to the first Public Land Mobile Network to support the second one or more connections in the first cell, wherein the handover circuitry, responsive to the checking that there are radio resources in at least one cell of the first subset of cells belonging to the first Public Land Mobile Network to support the second one or more connections in the first cell, orders a handover of at least one of the second one or more connections to a cell in the first set of cells which belongs to the first Public Land Mobile Network. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A control node that controls allocation of radio resources in a first set of cells belonging to at least two different Public Land Mobile Networks, said first set of cells including at least a first subset of cells belonging to a first Public Land Mobile Network and a second subset of cells belonging to a second Public Land Mobile Network, the control node comprising:
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detecting circuitry that detects when traffic load exceeds a predefined level in a first cell belonging to the first subset of cells; evaluating circuitry that determines, responsive to the traffic load exceeding the predefined level in the first cell belonging to the first subset of cells, if there are one or more connections whose initial detection data indicated being in the second subset of cells belonging to the second Public Land Mobile Network, which could be supported by radio resources in one or more cells in the second subset of cells belonging to the second Public Land Mobile Network having capacity for handling additional traffic load to support the one or more connections in the first cell; and handover circuitry that orders, in response to the determining that there are one or more cells in the second subset of cells having capacity for handling additional traffic load, handover of at least one of said one or more connections to said one or more cells in the second set of cells belonging to the second Public Land Mobile Network, wherein the evaluation circuitry further checks, if there are a second one or more connections whose initial detection data indicated being in the first subset of cells belonging to the first Public Land Mobile Network, and if there are radio resources in at least one cell, different from the first cell, of the first subset of cells belonging to the first Public Land Mobile Network to support the second one or more connections in the first cell, wherein the handover circuitry, responsive to the checking that there are radio resources in at least one cell of the first subset of cells belonging to the first Public Land Mobile Network to support the second one or more connections in the first cell, initiates a handover of at least one of the second one or more connections to a cell under the control of another control node, while indicating as a serving cell a cell belonging to the Public Land Mobile Network indicated by the initial detection data associated with at least one of the second one or more connections whose radio coverage area essentially corresponds to the radio coverage area of the serving cell.
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Specification