PCI partition and allocation for cellular network

• US 9,838,932 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2013
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Yiu, Candy, Heo, Youn Hyoung, Zhang, Yujian
• Primary Examiner(s): Prez-Gutirrez, Rafael
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHANG, MARTIN N
• Application Number:
  US14/433,815
• Publication Number:
  US 20150245221A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,497 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0417 Feedback systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0452 Multi-user MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0626 Channel coefficients, e.g. channel state information [CSI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/00 Orthogonal multiplex systems, e.g. using WALSH codesH04J13/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/0023 Interference mitigation or co-ordination direct sequence spread spectrum [DSSS] systems H04B1/7097; frequency hopping H04B1/713; allocation criteria for ingress interference avoidance H04L5/0062; frequency allocation criteria for requirements on out-of-channel emissions H04L5/0066; arrangements for removing intersymbol interference or baseband equalisers H04L25/03006; peak power aspects in multicarrier modulation H04L27/2614; power management H04W52/00; traffic scheduling H04W72/54, H04W72/541
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/0614 the synchronising signal being characterised by the amplitude, duration or polarity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0027 Scheduling of signalling, e.g. occurrence thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/375 Access point names [APN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0046 Determination of how many bits are transmitted on different sub-channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/006 Quality of the received signal, e.g. BER, SNR, water filling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/3005 Mechanisms for avoiding name conflicts
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/20 for indoor coverage or short range network deployment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/24 Cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining 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 28/0268 : using specific QoS parameters for wireless networks, e.g. QoS class identifier [QCI] or guaranteed bit rate [GBR] negotiating SLA or negotiating QoS H04W28/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 : Error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/24 : Negotiating SLA [Service Level Agreement]; Negotiating QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/20 : for optimising the interference level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 : Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 : using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0235 : where the received signal is a power saving command
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/04 : using triggered events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 : locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 : Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 : in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 : in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/54 : based on quality criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 : using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/563 : of the wireless resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0858 : collision detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 : Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 : Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/28 : Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 : Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• 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: H04W 88/16 : Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Generally discussed herein are systems and apparatuses that can implement Physical Cell Identity assignments that reduce collision or confusion of small cell identities at User Equipment and techniques for using the same. According to an example apparatus a device can be configured to estimate a location of the small cell eNodeB based on at least one of Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates of the location of the small cell eNodeB and an RSRP measured at the small cell eNodeB, determine if the location of the small cell eNodeB is within a first region or a second region of a large cell transmission area, wherein the first and second regions do not overlap, and in response to determining which region the small cell eNodeB is deployed in, assign a PCI code from a respective group of available PCI codes to the small cell eNodeB.

Claims

1. A Long Term Evolution (LTE) device configured to assign a Physical Cell Identity (PCI) code to a small cell eNodeB based on a location of the small cell eNodeB, wherein the LTE device is configured to:

estimate a location of the small cell eNodeB based on at least one of Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates of the location of the small cell eNodeB and an RSRP measured at the small cell eNodeB;

determine if the location of the small cell eNodeB is within a first region of a first large cell transmission area of a first base station, a second region of hg fir large cell transmission area, a third region of a second large cell transmission area of a second base station, and a fourth region of a second large cell transmission area, wherein the first and second large cell transmission areas are contiguous, the first and second regions do not overlap, the third and fourth regions do not overlap, the second region surrounds the first region and is further from the first base station than the first region, the fourth region surrounds the third region and is further from the second base station than the third region;

in response to determining the small cell eNodeB is within the first region, assign a PCI code from a first group of available PCI codes to the small cell eNodeB;

in response to determining the small cell eNodeB is within the second region, assign a PCI code from a second group of available PCI codes to the small cell eNodeB;

in response to determining the small cell eNodeB is within the third region, assign a PCI code from the first group of available PCI codes to the small cell eNodeB; and

in response to determining the small cell eNodeB is within the fourth region, assign a PCI code from a third group of available PCI codes to the small cell eNodeB, wherein the first, second, and third groups of PCI codes are disjoint.

2. The LTE device of claim 1, wherein the device is configured to:

estimate the location of the small cell eNodeB based on the RSRP measured at the small cell eNodeB;

compare the RSRP to a threshold;

in response to determining the RSRP is less than or equal to the threshold, determining the small cell eNodeB is within the second region; and

in response to determining the RSRP is greater than the threshold, determining the small cell eNodeB is within the first region.

3. The LTE device of claim 2, wherein the LTE device is a large cell eNodeB.

4. The LTE device of claim 2, wherein the LTE device is the small cell eNodeB, and the small cell eNodeB is further configured to:

register to an Operations, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) device;

receive the threshold value from the OAM; and

receive the first, second, and third sets of available PCI codes from the OAM.

5. The LTE device of claim 2, wherein the LTE device is an Operations, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) device.

6. The LTE device of claim 2, wherein the assigned PCI code is chosen randomly from the respective first, second, and third groups of available PCI codes.

7. The LTE device of claim 1, wherein the location of the small cell eNodeB is estimated based on the GPS coordinates.

8. A method of assigning a Physical Cell Identity (PCI) code to a small cell eNodeB as a function of a location of the small cell eNodeB, the method comprising:

estimating the location of the small cell eNodeB based on at least one of Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates of the location of the small cell eNodeB and an RSRP measured at the small cell eNodeB;

determining if the location of the small cell eNodeB is within a first region of a first large cell transmission area of a first base station, a second region of the first large cell transmission area, a third region of a second large cell transmission area of a second base station, and a fourth region of a second large cell transmission area, wherein the first and second large cell transmission areas are contiguous, the first and second regions do not overlap, the third and fourth regions do not overlap, the second region surrounds the first region and is further from the first base station than the first region, the fourth region surrounds the third region and is further from the second base station than the third region;

in response to determining the small cell eNodeB is within the first region, assigning a PCI code from a first group of available PCI codes to the small cell eNodeB;

in response to determining the small cell eNodeB is within the second region, assigning a PCI code from a second group of available PCI codes to the small cell eNodeB;

in response to determining the small cell eNodeB is within the third region, assign a PCI code from the first group of available PCI codes to the small cell eNodeB; and

in response to determining the small cell eNodeB is within the fourth region, assign a PCI code from a third group of available PCI codes to the small cell eNodeB, wherein the first, second, and third groups of PCI codes are disjoint.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein estimating the location of the small cell eNodeB based on the RSRP measured at the small cell eNodeB includes:

comparing the RSRP to a threshold;

in response to determining the RSRP is less than or equal to the threshold, determining the small cell eNodeB is within the second region; and

in response to determining the RSRP is greater than the threshold, determining the small cell eNodeB is within the first region.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

registering the small cell eNodeB to an Operations, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) device;

receiving the threshold value from the OAM; and

receiving the first, second, and third sets of available PCI codes from the OAM.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein assigning the PCI code from the first group of available PCI codes includes randomly assigning the PCI code from the first group of available PCI codes.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the threshold is a first threshold, wherein determining if the location of the small cell eNodeB is within the first region or the second region further includes determining if the location of the small cell eNodeB is within a fifth region of the first large cell transmission area, wherein the first, second, and fifth regions do not overlap, and the method further comprises:

comparing the RSRP to a second threshold, the second threshold less than the first threshold;

in response to determining the RSRP is less than or equal to the second threshold and less than the first threshold, determining the small cell eNodeB is within the third region; and

wherein determining the small cell eNodeB is within the second region includes further determining that the RSRP is greater than the second threshold and less than or equal to the first threshold.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

communicating to an Operations, Administration, and Maintenance device which PCI code was assigned.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the first region corresponds to a region of the first large cell transmission area extending outward from an eNodeB of the first large cell and the second region corresponds to a region of the large cell transmission area extending outward from an outer edge of the first region.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage device comprising instructions stored thereon, the instructions, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

estimating a location of a small cell eNodeB based on at least one of Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates of the small cell eNodeB and an RSRP measured at the small cell eNodeB;

determining if the location of the small cell eNodeB is within a first region of a first large cell transmission area of a first base station, a second region of the first large cell transmission area, a third region of a second large cell transmission area of a second base station, and a fourth region of a second large cell transmission area, wherein the first and second large cell transmission areas are contiguous, the first and second regions do not overlap, the third and fourth regions do not overlap, the second region surrounds the first region and is further from the first base station than the first region, the fourth region surrounds the third region and is further from the second base station than the third region;

in response to determining the small cell eNodeB is within the first region, assigning a PCI code from a first group of available PCI codes to the small cell eNodeB;

in response to determining the small cell eNodeB is not within the first region, assigning a PCI code from a second group of available PCI codes to the small cell eNodeB;

in response to determining the small cell eNodeB is within the third region, assign a PCI code from the first group of available PCI codes to the small cell eNodeB; and

in response to determining the small cell eNodeB is within the fourth region, assign a PCI code from a third group of available PCI codes to the small cell eNodeB, wherein the first, second, and third groups of PCI codes are disjoint.

16. The storage device of claim 15, further comprising instructions stored thereon, which when executed by the machine, cause the machine to further perform operations comprising:

comparing the RSRP to a threshold;

in response to determining the RSRP is less than or equal to the threshold, determining the small cell eNodeB is within the second region; and

in response to determining the RSRP is greater than the threshold, determining the small cell eNodeB is within the first region.

17. The storage device of claim 16, further comprising instructions stored thereon, which when executed by the machine, cause the machine to further perform operations comprising:

registering the small cell eNodeB to an Operations, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) device;

receiving the threshold value from the OAM; and

receiving the first, second, and third sets of available PCI codes from the OAM.

18. The storage device of claim 16, wherein the instructions for assigning the PCI code from the first group of available PCI codes include instructions for randomly assigning the PCI code from the first group of available PCI codes.

19. The storage device of claim 16, further comprising instructions stored thereon, which when executed by the machine, cause the machine to further perform operations comprising:

communicating to an Operations, Administration, and Maintenance device which PCI code was assigned.

20. The storage device of claim 19, wherein the first region corresponds to a region of the first large cell transmission area extending outward from an eNodeB of the first large cell transmission area and the second region corresponds to a region of the first large cell transmission extending outward from outer edge of the first region.