Communication control method, base station, radio terminal, and processor

• US 9,402,211 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2012
• Issued: 07/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Iwabuchi, Akinori
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Thai
• Application Number:
  US14/122,190
• Publication Number:
  US 20140087738A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,524 Days
• Field of Search: 455/13.4, 455/56.1, 455/573, 455/574, 4551271-1275, 455/561, 455/521, 455/525
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/165 for reducing network power consumption H04W36/18 - H04W36/22 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/24 Reselection being triggered by specific parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0206 in access points, e.g. base stations access point devices per se H04W88/08
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A base station (10) comprises a battery (12) and is driven by power supplied from a power system or by power supplied by the battery (12). The base station (10) includes a radio communication unit (131) that sends information indicating the remaining power amount of the battery (12) to a radio terminal.

Claims

1. A communication control method in a base station that includes a battery and is driven by power supplied from a power system or power supplied from the battery, the method comprising:

a step of obtaining information indicating an estimated time when the power supply from the power system is stopped; and

a transmission step of transmitting information indicating a remaining power amount of the battery, to a radio terminal, as a cell reselection parameter, so that in the cell reselection, the radio terminal preferentially selects the cell of a base station having a relatively large remaining power amount as a standby destination, from a plurality of base stations, wherein

the transmission step includes a step of starting the transmission of the information indicating the remaining power amount of the battery, a predetermined time prior to the estimated time when the power supply from the power system is stopped.

2. The communication control method according to claim 1, wherein

in the transmission step, the information indicating the remaining power amount of the battery is transmitted while being included in SIB (System Information Block) defined by a 3GPP standard.

3. A communication control method in a radio terminal able to communicate with a base station that includes a battery and is driven by power supplied from a power system or power supplied from the battery, the communication control method comprising:

a step of receiving, from each of a plurality of base stations that obtained information indicating an estimated time when the power supply from the power system is stopped, information indicating a remaining power amount of the battery of the base station as a cell reselection parameter;

wherein transmission of the information indicating a remaining power amount of the battery starts a predetermined time prior to the estimated time when the power supply from the power system is stopped; and

a step of preferentially selecting, a cell of a base station having a relatively large remaining power amount as a standby destination, from the plurality of base stations on the basis of the information indicating the remaining power amount of the battery in cell reselection.

4. A base station that includes a battery and is driven by power supplied from a power system or power supplied from the battery, the base station comprising:

a receiver configured to receive, from the power system, information indicating an estimated time when the power supply from the power system is stopped, and

a transmitter configured to transmit, information indicating a remaining power amount of the battery, to a radio terminal, as a cell reselection parameter, so that the radio terminal preferentially selects a cell of a base station having a relatively large remaining power amount as a standby destination, from a plurality of base stations in the cell reselection, wherein

the transmitter transmits the information indicating a remaining power amount of the battery a predetermined time prior to the estimated time when the power supply from the power system is stopped.

5. A radio terminal able to communicate with a base station that includes a battery and is driven by power supplied from a power system or power supplied from the battery, the radio terminal comprising:

a receiver configured to receive, from each of a plurality of base stations that obtained information indicating an estimated time when the power supply from the power system is stopped, information indicating a remaining power amount of the battery of the base station as a cell reselection parameter, wherein transmission of the information indicating a remaining power amount of the battery starts a predetermined time prior to the estimated time when the power supply from the power system is stopped; and

a processor configured to preferentially select a cell of a base station having a relatively large remaining power amount as a standby destination, from the plurality of base stations, on the basis of the information indicating the remaining power amount of the battery in cell reselection.

6. A processor provided in a radio terminal able to communicate with a base station, wherein

the base station includes a battery and is driven by power supplied from a power system or power supplied from the battery, and

the processor is configured to perform

a process for receiving, from each of a plurality of base stations that obtained information indicating an estimated time when the power supply from the power system is stopped, information indicating a remaining power amount of the battery of the base station, wherein transmission of the information indicating a remaining power amount of the battery starts a predetermined time prior to the estimated time when the power supply from the power system is stopped;

and

a process for preferentially selecting, a cell of a base station having a relatively large remaining power amount as a standby destination, from the plurality of base stations on the basis of the information indicating the remaining power amount of the battery in cell reselection.