Communication control apparatus, base station, terminal apparatus, and communication control method

• US 9,544,780 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Takano, Hiroaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US14/402,896
• Publication Number:
  US 20150119064A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,398 Days
• Field of Search: 455/454, 455/452.1, 455/450, 455/509
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/16 Central resource management; Negotiation of resources or communication parameters, e.g. negotiating bandwidth or QoS [Quality of Service]

Abstract

There is provided a communication control apparatus including an acquisition unit configured to acquire determination information indicating a result obtained by determining, on the basis of a use status of a frequency band owned by a first operator that provides a radio communication service, whether it is possible for another operator to use the frequency band, and a determination unit configured to determine whether a second operator is allowed to use the frequency band on the basis of the acquired determination information.

Claims

1. A communication control apparatus comprising:

an acquisition unit configured to acquire determination information indicating a result obtained by determining, on the basis of a use status of a frequency band owned by a first operator that provides a radio communication service, whether it is possible for another operator to use the frequency band; and

a determination unit configured to determine whether a second operator is allowed to use the frequency band on the basis of the acquired determination information;

wherein the acquisition unit acquires determination information on each cell indicating a result obtained by determining, on the basis of the use status of the frequency band of each cell, whether it is possible for another operator to use the frequency band of each cell, and wherein the determination unit determines whether the second operator is allowed to use the frequency band of each cell on the basis of the determination information on each cell wherein, when it is determined that the second operator is allowed to use the frequency band of a first cell of the first operator, the frequency band is used by a base station for a second cell of the second operator for communication with a terminal apparatus of the second operator, the second cell overlapping with the first cell at least in part, and wherein a base station for the first cell of the first operator and the base station for the second cell of the second operator transmit and receive information for reducing interference in the frequency band via an interface between the base station of the first operator and the base station of the second operator.

2. The communication control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a control unit configured to, when it is determined that the second operator is allowed to use the frequency band of the first cell of the first operator, cause the base station for the first cell to stop use of the frequency band by a terminal apparatus of the first operator in the first cell.

3. The communication control apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the control unit causes the base station for the first cell to notify the terminal apparatus that new access is barred in the frequency band.

4. The communication control apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the control unit causes the base station for the first cell to update linkage between the frequency band and another frequency band having a link direction different from a link direction of the frequency band.

5. The communication control apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the terminal apparatus is capable of radio communication by using one primary frequency band and one or more secondary frequency bands, and

wherein the frequency band is used as the primary frequency band or the secondary frequency bands.

6. The communication control apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the control unit causes the base station for the first cell to perform handover of the terminal apparatus to another frequency band, the terminal apparatus using the frequency band as the primary frequency band.

7. The communication control apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the control unit causes the base station for the first cell to stop allocating a communication resource to the terminal apparatus using the frequency band as the secondary frequency band.

8. The communication control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information for reducing interference in the frequency band includes information indicating which of partial bands included in the frequency band has a communication resource allocated to a terminal apparatus positioned at an end of a cell.

9. The communication control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when it is determined that the second operator is allowed to use the frequency band of the first cell of the first operator, the frequency band is used by the base station for the first cell for communication with a terminal apparatus of the second operator.

10. The communication control apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the use status of the frequency band is a measured value or an actual value of at least one value of a number of terminal apparatuses connected to the frequency band, a number of terminal apparatuses trying to connect to the frequency band, a use ratio of a communication resource in the frequency band and a traffic volume in the frequency band, or a value derived from the measured value or the actual value.

11. The communication control apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the use status of the frequency band indicates whether new access of a terminal apparatus is barred in the frequency band.

12. The communication control apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the acquisition unit acquires further determination information indicating a result obtained by determining, on the basis of a use status of another frequency band owned by the second operator, whether the second operator needs to use a further frequency band, and

wherein the determination unit determines whether the second operator is allowed to use the frequency band on the basis of the determination information and the further determination information.

13. The communication control apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the frequency band includes one or more component carriers,

wherein the acquisition unit acquires determination information on each of the component carriers owned by the first operator, the determination information on each of the component carriers indicating a result obtained by determining, on the basis of a use status of each of the one or more component carriers, whether it is possible for another operator to use each of the one or more component carriers, and

wherein the determination unit determines which of the one or more component carriers the second operator is allowed to use on the basis of the acquired determination information on each of the component carriers.

14. A base station comprising:

a radio communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with a terminal apparatus in a first cell of a first operator by using a frequency band owned by the first operator, the first operator providing a radio communication service; and

a control unit configured to, when it is determined whether the second operator is allowed to use the frequency band of each cell on the basis of determination information on each cell indicating a result obtained by determining whether it is possible for another operator to use the frequency band of each cell on the basis of a use status of the frequency band of each cell, and when it is determined that the second operator is allowed to use the frequency band of the first cell, stop use of the frequency band by a terminal apparatus of the first operator in the first cell in accordance with control of a communication control apparatus;

wherein, when it is determined that the second operator is allowed to use the frequency band of the first cell of the first operator, the frequency band is used by a base station for a second cell of the second operator for communication with a terminal apparatus of the second operator, the second cell overlapping with the first cell at least in part, and wherein a base station for the first cell of the first operator and the base station for the second cell of the second operator transmit and receive information for reducing interference in the frequency band via an interface between the base station of the first operator and the base station of the second operator.

15. A terminal apparatus comprising:

a radio communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with a base station for a first cell of a first operator in the first cell by using a frequency band owned by the first operator, the first operator providing a radio communication service; and

a control unit configured to, when it is determined whether the second operator is allowed to use the frequency band of each cell on the basis of determination information on each cell indicating a result obtained by determining whether it is possible for another operator to use the frequency band of each cell on the basis of a use status of the frequency band of each cell, and when it is determined that the second operator is allowed to use the frequency band of the first cell, stop use of the frequency band in the first cell in accordance with control of the base station;

wherein, when it is determined that the second operator is allowed to use the frequency band of the first cell of the first operator, the frequency band is used by a base station for a second cell of the second operator for communication with a terminal apparatus of the second operator, the second cell overlapping with the first cell at least in part, and wherein a base station for the first cell of the first operator and the base station for the second cell of the second operator transmit and receive information for reducing interference in the frequency band via an interface between the base station of the first operator and the base station of the second operator.

16. A communication control method comprising:

acquiring determination information indicating a result obtained by determining, on the basis of a use status of a frequency band owned by a first operator, whether it is possible for another operator to use the frequency band, the first operator providing a radio communication service; and

determining whether a second operator is allowed to use the frequency band on the basis of the acquired determination information;

wherein, when it is determined that the second operator is allowed to use the frequency band of a first cell of the first operator, the frequency band is used by a base station for a second cell of the second operator for communication with a terminal apparatus of the second operator, the second cell overlapping with the first cell at least in part, and wherein the base station for the first cell of the first operator and the base station for the second cell of the second operator transmit and receive information for reducing interference in the frequency band via an interface between the base station of the first operator and the base station of the second operator.