Auto-discovery and management of base station neighbors in wireless networks

• US 8,848,613 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Chen, Liang, Tyagi, Anshuman
• Primary Examiner(s): Elliott, IV, Benjamin H
• Application Number:
  US13/618,685
• Publication Number:
  US 20130010644A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 370/255, 370/310.2, 370/328, 370/331, 370/332, 370/334, 370/338, 455/434, 455/436, 455/439, 455/446, 455/73, 455/561
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/18 Service support devices; Network management devices

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed that include determining a local node configuration for a local network node. The local network node configuration can include a local range and a local location. In addition, these systems and methods can include receiving a remote network node configuration for a remote network node via a communications link. The remote network node configuration can include a remote range and a remote location. Also these systems and methods can further include generating a neighbor list that includes the remote network node and the local network node. The neighbor list can be determined using the local network node configuration and the remote network node configuration.

Claims

1. A method at a server to generate a neighbor list for a base station, the method at the server comprising:

obtaining information associated with each of the base station and other base stations;

generating a neighbor list based on the information;

optimizing the neighbor list based on weights of the neighbor list, wherein at least one of the weights of the neighbor list is created based at least in part on a handoff request message and a handoff request confirmation message; and

transmitting the neighbor list to the base station to dynamically update which of the other base stations are available to the base station for handoff communications.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a list of all base stations within a range of a mobile station via the base station.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the weights of the neighbor list is increased based on successful communication with a mobile station or decreased based on unsuccessful communication with a mobile station.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the weights of the neighbor list is increased based on successful handoff of a mobile station from the base station to a target base station.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the handoff request message comprises a list of target candidate base stations identified by a mobile station and wherein the handoff request confirmation message comprises a list of all base stations for a mobile station that are within a range of the mobile station.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the list of target candidate base stations is used as feedback to dynamically tune a target base station.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the weights of the neighbor list is created based at least in part on a mobile assisted handover request message including a list of target candidate base stations identified by a mobile station.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the information for each base station comprises information elements, status of each information element and notes describing contents of each information element.

9. A server for to generating a neighbor list for a base station, comprising:

one or more processors configured to;

obtain information associated with each of the base station and other base stations;

generate a neighbor list based on the information;

optimize the neighbor list based on weights of the neighbor list, wherein at least one of the weights of the neighbor list is created based at least in part on a handoff request message and a handoff request confirmation message; and

transmit the neighbor list to the base station to dynamically update which of the other base stations are available to the base station for handoff communications.

10. The server of claim 9, the one or more processors further configured to receive a list of all base stations within a range of a mobile station via the base station.

11. The server of claim 9, wherein at least one of the weights of the neighbor list is increased based on successful communication with a mobile station or decreased based on unsuccessful communication with a mobile station.

12. The server of claim 9, wherein at least one of the weights of the neighbor list is increased based on successful handoff of a mobile station from the base station to a target base station.

13. The server of claim 9, wherein the handoff request message comprises a list of target candidate base stations identified by a mobile station and wherein the handoff request confirmation message comprises a list of all base stations for a mobile station that are within a range of the mobile station.

14. The server of claim 13, wherein the list of target candidate base stations is used as feedback to dynamically tune a target base station.

15. The server of claim 9, wherein at least one of the weights of the neighbor list is created based at least in part on a mobile assisted handover request message including a list of target candidate base stations identified by a mobile station.

16. The server of claim 9, wherein the information for each base station comprises information elements, status of each information element and notes describing contents of each information element.

17. A computer program product encoded on a non-transitory medium, the product comprising computer readable instructions for causing one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

obtaining information associated with each of the base station and other base stations;

generating a neighbor list based on the information;

optimizing the neighbor list based on weights of the neighbor list, wherein at least one of the weights of the neighbor list is created based at least in part on a handoff request message and a handoff request confirmation message; and

transmitting the neighbor list to the base station to dynamically update which of the other base stations are available to the base station for handoff communications.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, the instructions further comprising receiving a list of all base stations within a range of a mobile station via the base station.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein at least one of the weights of the neighbor list is increased based on successful communication with a mobile station or decreased based on unsuccessful communication with a mobile station.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein at least one of the weights of the neighbor list is increased based on successful handoff of a mobile station from the base station to a target base station.

21. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the handoff request message comprises a list of target candidate base stations identified by a mobile station and wherein the handoff request confirmation message comprises a list of all base stations for a mobile station that are within a range of the mobile station.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the list of target candidate base stations is used as feedback to dynamically tune a target base station.

23. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein at least one of the weights of the neighbor list is created based at least in part on a mobile assisted handover request message including a list of target candidate base stations identified by a mobile station.

24. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the information for each base station comprises information elements, status of each information element and notes describing contents of each information element.