Radio access technology selection in a heterogeneous network

• US 9,814,021 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2014
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel IP Corporation (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Himayat, Nageen, Yeh, Shu-Ping, Talwar, Shilpa, Vannithamby, Rath
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo, Diane
• Application Number:
  US14/769,187
• Publication Number:
  US 20150382224A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,348 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0452 Multi-user MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0486 taking channel rank into account
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0626 Channel coefficients, e.g. channel state information [CSI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/12 Arrangements providing for calling or supervisory signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/184 with heterogeneous receivers, e.g. layered multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/03 Shaping networks in transmitter or receiver, e.g. adaptive shaping networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/74 Address processing for routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0037 Inter-user or inter-terminal allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/1446 wherein at least one of the networks is unlicensed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/165 : for reducing network power consumption H04W36/18 - H04W36/22 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/22 : for handling the traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 : Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 : Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 : using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 : Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/244 : Interferences in heterogeneous networks, e.g. among macro and femto or pico cells or other sector / system interference [OSI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/044 : based on the type of the allocated resource
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 : Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 : Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 : using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/543 : based on requested quality, e.g. QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/56 : based on priority criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 : Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 : Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/23 : Manipulation of direct-mode connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 : Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/30 : Connection release
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 : Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A technology for a user equipment (UE) in a multiple radio access technology (multi-RAT) heterogeneous network (HetNet) that is operable to provide node-selection measurement information to a central controller. Node-selection measurement information can be determined at the UE for a plurality of nodes in the multi-RAT HetNet. The node-selection measurement information can be communicated from the UE to the central controller. A multi-RAT HetNet node grouping assignment can be receive for the UE from the central controller based on the node-selection measurement information.

Claims

1. A user equipment (UE) in a multiple radio access technology (multi-RAT) heterogeneous network (HetNet) that is operable to provide node-selection measurement information to a central controller, the UE having computer circuitry configured to:

determine the node-selection measurement information at the UE for a plurality of nodes in the multi-RAT HetNet;

communicate the node-selection measurement information from the UE to the central controller; and

receive a multi-RAT HetNet node grouping assignment for the UE from the central controller based on the node-selection measurement information; and

wherein the central controller is further configured to determine the multi-RAT HetNet node grouping assignments for a plurality of UEs in the multi-RAT HetNet.

2. The computer circuitry of claim 1, wherein the UE is further configured to associate with one or more multi-RAT HetNet node based on the multi-RAT HetNet node grouping assignment.

3. The computer circuitry of claim 1, wherein the node-selection measurement information is determined using a data rate, an effective data rate of a wireless local area network (WLAN) in the multi-RAT HetNet, or a signal to noise ratio (SNR) or a signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) of the UE relative to one or more nodes in the multi-RAT HetNet.

4. The computer circuitry of claim 3, wherein the effective data rate of the WLAN is received from one or more WLAN RATs.

5. The computer circuitry of claim 3, wherein the UE is assigned to a same multi-RAT HetNet node grouping assignment as UEs with similar SNR, SINR, or effective data rates.

6. A central controller operable in a multiple radio access technology (multi-RAT) heterogeneous network (HetNet) that is configured to provide a grouping assignment to a user equipment (UE), the central controller having computer circuitry configured to:

receive data rate information from the UE for communication with nodes in the multi-RAT HetNet;

determine a multi-RAT HetNet node grouping assignment for the UE based on the data rate information; and

communicate the multi-RAT HetNet node grouping assignment from the central controller to the UE in the multi-RAT HetNet to configure the UE to associate with nodes in the multi-RAT HetNet node grouping assignment; and

wherein the central controller is further configured to determine the multi-RAT HetNet node grouping assignments for a plurality of UEs in the multi-RAT HetNet.

7. The computer circuitry of claim 6, further configured to determine a signal to noise ratio (SNR) or a signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) of the UE relative to the nodes in the multi-RAT HetNet.

8. The computer circuitry of claim 7, wherein the multi-RAT HetNet node grouping assignment is based on a range of the SINR or SNR for the UE relative to the nodes in the multi-RAT HetNet.

9. The computer circuitry of claim 6, further configured to:

receive grouping measurement information from the UE for communication of the UE with nodes in the multi-RAT HetNet; and

determine the data rate information based on grouping measurement information received from the UE.

10. The computer circuitry of claim 6, wherein the grouping assignment is based on a near-neighbor only grouping algorithm.

11. The computer circuitry of claim 6, wherein each UE is assigned to one or more multi-RAT HetNet groups based on a data rate of the UE relative to the nodes in the multi-RAT HetNet.

12. The computer circuitry of claim 11, further configured to determine the multi-RAT HetNet node grouping assignments for a plurality of UEs based on the number of UEs in the multi-RAT HetNet and the relative SNR or SINR distributions across the multi-RAT HetNet.

13. The computer circuitry of claim 6, further configured to update the multi-RAT HetNet node grouping assignment for the UE at a defined time or upon an arrival or a departure of a UE from the multi-RAT HetNet.

14. A node in a multiple radio access technology (multi-RAT) heterogeneous network (HetNet) that is operable to provide a node-grouping assignment to a user equipment (UE), the node having computer circuitry configured to:

receive throughput information for throughput between the UE and nodes in the multi-RAT HetNet;

determine a grouping assignment for the UE in the multi-RAT HetNet based on the throughput information; and

communicate the grouping assignment from the node to the UE in the multi-RAT HetNet to configure the UE to associate with one or more nodes in the grouping assignment; and

wherein the node is further configured to determine grouping assignments for a plurality of UEs in the multi-RAT HetNet.

15. The computer circuitry of claim 14, wherein the computer circuitry is further configured to:

receive updated throughput information from the UE in the multi-RAT HetNet;

update the grouping assignment based on the updated throughput information; and

communicate the updated grouping assignment from the node to the UE in the multi-RAT HetNet.

16. The computer circuitry of claim 14, wherein the node is further configured to determine a plurality of group assignments for the UE in the multi-RAT HetNet based on the throughput information.

17. The computer circuitry of claim 14, wherein the node communicates the throughput information of the UE to another node in the multi-RAT HetNet.

18. The computer circuitry of claim 17, wherein the throughput information is determined based on a signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) or signal to noise ratio (SNR) of the UE relative to one or more nodes in the multi-RAT HetNet.

19. The computer circuitry of claim 14, wherein the SINR, SNR or data rate is equalized for each grouping assignment of the UE in the multi-RAT HetNet.

20. The computer circuitry of claim 14, the node further configured to:

receive throughput information from another node in the multi-RAT HetNet; and

determine the grouping assignment using the throughput information from the other node in the multi-RAT HetNet.

21. The computer circuitry of claim 14, wherein the node is further configured to partition a plurality of UEs into a selected number of groups.

22. The computer circuitry of claim 14, wherein the node is further configured to set access permissions for a group of UEs to access a node in the multi-RAT HetNet.

23. The computer circuitry of claim 22, wherein the access permissions are restricted when there is significant mismatch between the throughput information of the UE and a throughput information of other UEs.

24. A method for providing node-selection measurement information to a node, comprising:

determining the node-selection measurement information at the UE for a plurality of nodes in the multi-RAT HetNet, wherein the node-selection measurement information is based on data throughput between the UE and the plurality of nodes;

communicating the node-selection measurement information from the UE to a node in the multi-RAT HetNet;

receiving a node-selection grouping permission from the node in the multi-RAT HetNet; and

determining a multi-RAT HetNet node to associate with based on the node-selection grouping permission.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising determining the node-selection grouping permission using a range of the node-selection measurement information, wherein the node-selection measurement information is selected from a data rate, a signal to noise ratio (SNR), or a signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) values of the UE relative to one or more nodes in the multi-RAT HetNet.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising associating a plurality of nodes in the multi-RAT HetNet.

27. The method of claim 24, further comprising receiving the node-selection grouping permission via unicast or broadcast RRC signaling.

28. The method of claim 24, further comprising comparing the node-selection measurement information of the UE with the node-selection measurement information of other UEs.

29. The method of claim 24, further comprising reporting a signal to noise ratio (SNR) measurement, a signal plus interference to noise ratio (SINR) measurement, or a measured data rate for each of the plurality of nodes to determine the signal throughput to enable the node selection grouping permission to be determined.