AUTOMATIC CONFIGURATION OF PICO RADIO BASE STATION

• US 20070097939A1
• Filed: 10/03/2006
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Vikberg, Jari, Nylander, Tomas
• Application Number:
  US11/538,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20070097939A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/30 Types of network names
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/24 Cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/32 Hierarchical cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/06 Testing, supervising or monitoring using simulated traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/10 Reselecting an access point controller
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 : Access point devices with remote components
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/12 : between access points and access point controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/22 : between access point controllers

Abstract

Methods and apparatus configure a femto radio base station (28_f). A macro receiver of the femto radio base station (28_f) is used to acquire detected coverage information of a radio access network (24). The detected coverage information is used to determine an operation parameter for use by the macro transceiver (52) of the femto radio base station (28_f). In one embodiment, the detected coverage information is transmitted to a control node (26) of the radio access network. The control node (26) determines the operation parameter and communicates the operation parameter to the femto radio base station (28_f). The femto radio base station (28_f) is accordingly configured using the operation parameter for further operation towards UEs (30) accessing the femto radio base station (28_f).

Claims

1. A method of operating a radio access network comprising:

using a receiver of a femto radio base station to acquire, over a radio interface, detected coverage information of a radio access network;

determining an operation parameter for use by the femto radio base station; and

,

configuring the femto radio base station in accordance with the operation parameter for subsequent operation.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the receiver at periodic intervals or upon occurrence of predetermined events to acquire the detected coverage information.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising

transmitting the detected coverage information to a control node of the radio access network;

determining, at the control node of the radio access network, the operation parameter for use by the femto radio base station; and

communicating the operation parameter for use by the femto radio base station to the femto radio base station.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the detected coverage information for selecting between plural sets of stored operation parameters preconfigured at the femto radio base station for use as operation parameters for use by the femto radio base station at its current location.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring femto transceivers of the femto radio base station in accordance with the operation parameter for subsequent operation toward user equipment units accessing the femto radio base station.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the detected coverage information comprises a list of frequencies of detected by the receiver and a signal strength measurement for each frequency of the frequency list.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the detected coverage information comprises a list of cell identifiers detected by the receiver and a signal strength measurement for each cell identifier of the cell list.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the operation parameter comprises a frequency for use by a femto transceiver of the femto radio base station at the current location of the femto radio base station.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the operation parameter comprises one or both of frequency for use by a femto transceiver of the femto radio base station and output power for the femto transceiver.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the operation parameter comprises at least one of scrambling code for use by the femto transceiver, cell identifier for a femto cell corresponding to the femto radio base station, and Location Area Identity for the femto cell.

11. A femto radio base station comprising:

a radio receiver for receiving, over an air interface, detected coverage information of a radio access network;

means for using the detected coverage information for determining an operation parameter for use by the femto radio base station; and

,

means for using the operation parameter for configuring the femto radio base station.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the receiver is configured to be activated at periodic intervals or upon occurrence of predetermined events for receiving the detected coverage information.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a network interface for transmitting the detected coverage information to a control node of the radio access network for obtaining an operation parameter for use by the femto radio base station and for receiving the operation parameter from the control node.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the network interface is an Internet Protocol (IP) interface.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the femto radio base station comprises plural sets of stored operation parameters preconfigured at the femto radio base station, and wherein the means for using the detected coverage information for determining the operation parameter selects one of the sets of stored operation parameters for use by the femto radio base station at its current location.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the operation parameter comprises a frequency for use by a femto transceiver of the femto radio base station at the current location of the femto radio base station

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the operation parameter comprises one or both of frequency for use by a femto transceiver of the femto radio base station and output power for the femto transceiver.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the operation parameter comprises at least one of scrambling code for use by the femto transceiver, cell identifier for a femto cell corresponding to the femto radio base station, and Location Area Identity for the femto cell.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the detected coverage information comprises a list of frequencies as detected by the receiver and a signal strength measurement for each frequency of the list.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the detected coverage information comprises a list of cell identifiers detected by the receiver and a signal strength measurement for each cell identifier of the list

21. A radio access network comprising:

a femto radio base station, the femto radio base station comprising a receiver for acquiring, over a radio interface, detected coverage information of the radio access network;

a network planning database for storing configuration information about the configuration of the radio access network;

a node for using the configuration information for determining configuration parameters for the femto radio base station;

an interface having an interface protocol for facilitating transmission of the detected coverage information from the femto radio base station and transmission of the configuration parameters for the femto radio base station to the femto radio base station.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the configuration information includes information about location and parameters of radio base stations which populate the radio access network

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the parameters include frequency(ies) and scrambling code(s) at which the radio base stations operate.