Enhancement of access points to support heterogeneous networks

• US 9,635,566 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2014
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.), AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cui, Zhi, Lei, Hongyan
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phuongchau Ba
• Application Number:
  US14/261,666
• Publication Number:
  US 20150312776A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: 370329, 370331, 370328, 370332, 370254, 370311, 370336, 370338, 370216, 370235, 370241, 370242, 370312, 455436, 455434, 455437, 4554221, 4554041, 4554351, 4554521, 4554261, 4554352, 455438, 455444, 4554561, 4554563, 4555521, 455 6711, 455406, 4554141, 4554142, 455423, 4554353, 455439, 455445, 455450, 455509, 455522, 4555501, 455574, 455 631
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0032 Distributed allocation, i.e. involving a plurality of allocating devices, each making partial allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/32 Hierarchical cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0083 Determination of parameters used for hand-off, e.g. generation or modification of neighbour cell lists
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00835 Determination of neighbour cell lists
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/008357 Determination of target cell based on access point [AP] properties, e.g. AP service capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0085 Hand-off measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/04 Reselecting a cell layer in multi-layered cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 between access points

Abstract

An interface between access points is enhanced by enabling an exchange of a cell characteristic information element (IE). The cell characteristic information can provide an access point with information about the characteristics/features/capabilities of its neighbor cells. Automatic neighbor relations are also enhanced to store and/or manage the cell characteristic information. Moreover, the cell characteristic information can be utilized by the access point to significantly improve handover (HO) decisions, increase load balancing performance, and/or decrease inter cell interference. The cell characteristic information can also improve network efficiency and avoid bottlenecks during cell reselection in Heterogeneous Networks (HetNets).

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

initiating an establishment of a peer-to-peer link between a first access point device and a second access point device,

responsive to the initiating, receiving classification data representing a type of the first access point device, and

initiating storage of the classification data to a neighbor relation data store of the second access point device, wherein the classification data is employable to facilitate cell reselection associated with a user equipment served by the second access point device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the type is selected from a macro cell access point device, a femtocell access point device, a metro cell access point device, or a pico cell access point device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the classification data is first classification data, the type is a first type, and the operations further comprise:

as part of the establishment, facilitating a transmission of second classification data to the second access point device, and wherein the second classification data represents a second type of the second access point device.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the neighbor relation data store is a first neighbor relation data store is and the operations further comprise:

initiating storage of the second classification data to a second neighbor relation data store of the first access point device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

as part of the establishment, receiving characteristic data representing a capability associated with a first access point device, and

initiating storage of the characteristic data to the neighbor relation data store.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the characteristic data comprises antenna data associated with a set of antenna of the first access point device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first access point device and the second access point device are part of a heterogeneous network.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first access point device and the second access point device are part of a self-optimizing network.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first access point device and the second access point device are determined to be located within a defined distance from each other.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein a first coverage are of the first access point device and a second coverage area of the second access point device are determined to overlap.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the first access point device and the second access point device are determined to share a common cell edge.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining the first access point device based on measurement information received from the user equipment served by the second access point device.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining the first access point device based on information received from a management network device.

14. A method, comprising:

during an establishment of a peer-to-peer link between a first access point device and a second access point device, determining, by a system comprising a processor, classification data representing a type of the first access point device; and

based on the classification data, populating, by the system, a neighbor relation table stored within a data store of the second access point device, wherein the neighbor relation table is employable to facilitate cell reselection for a mobile device served by the second access point device.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

during the establishment, determining, by the system, capacity data representing a number of user equipment supported by the first access point device, wherein the capacity data is to be stored within the data store.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

selecting, by the system, the first access point device based on measurement information received from a user equipment served by the second access point device.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

selecting, by the system, the first access point device based on information received from a management network device.

18. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

based on message data exchanged between a first access point device and a second access point device to establish a peer-to-peer link, determining classification data representing a type of the first access point device; and

based on the classification data, updating a neighbor relation data structure stored within a data store of the second access point device, wherein the neighbor relation data structure is to be utilized to facilitate cell reselection for a user equipment served by the second access point device.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the message data is exchanged by employing a control plane protocol.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the message data is exchanged by employing an X2 application protocol.