BASE STATION SHARING

• US 20120034942A1
• Filed: 04/03/2009
• Published: 02/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lin, Jie
• Granted Patent: US 8,849,328 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/509
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/042 comprising distributed management centres cooperatively managing the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/12 between access points and access point controllers

Abstract

An improved base station sharing in a radio communication system is disclosed. A logical base station is arranged to share a physical base station in the radio communication system with at least one further logical base station. According to an embodiment of the invention, the logical base station is associated with a control node and with an operation and maintenance node in the radio communication system, wherein the control node and the operation and maintenance node are separate from at least one further control node and at least one further operation and maintenance node being associated with the at least one further logical base station.

Claims

1. A logical base station in a radio communication system, comprising:

a logical base station arranged to share a physical base station in said radio communication system with at least one further logical base station, said logical base station being associated with a control node and with an operation and maintenance node in said radio communication system, wherein said control node and said operation and maintenance node are separate from at least one further control node and at least one further operation and maintenance node being associated with said at least one further logical base station.

2. The logical base station as claimed in claim 1, wherein each one of said logical base station and said at least one further logical base station form part of different networks operated by separate operators.

3. The logical base station as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sharing of said physical base station is performed by dividing a set of radio resources of said physical base station between said logical base station and said at least one further logical base station.

4. The logical base station as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sharing of said physical base station is performed by dividing a set of radio resources of said physical base station between said logical base station and said set of radio resources includes any of the resources in the group of:

radio frequencies, radio carriers, transmission bandwidths, spreading codes.

5. The logical base station as claimed in claim 1, wherein said logical base station comprises at least one of the elements in the group of:

a database operated by said operation and maintenance node, wherein said database is separate from at least one further data base being provided for said at least one further logical base station, and

a network interface separate from at least one further network interface provided for said at least one further logical base station.

6. The logical base station as claimed in claim 1, wherein said logical base station is associated with said control node via a multiplexer, wherein a transmission link between said logical base station and said multiplexer is shared by said logical base station and said at least one further base station.

7. The logical base station as claimed in claim 1, wherein said logical base station comprises a logical control node interface arranged to correspond to a control node interface of a physical base station, such that said control node is unaware of if it is associated with a logical base station or with a physical base station.

8. A a radio communication system comprising,

at least two logical base stations, each respective logical base station arranged to share a physical base station in said radio communication system with at least one further logical base station, each of said logical base stations being associated with a control node and with an operation and maintenance node in said radio communication system, wherein said control node and said operation and maintenance node are separate from at least one further control node and at least one further operation and maintenance node being associated with said at least one further logical base station.

17. The a radio communication system of claim 8, wherein each respective physical base station and each said at least one further logical base station form part of different networks operated by separate operators.

18. The radio communication system of claim 8, wherein the sharing of each respective physical base station is performed by dividing a set of radio resources of a respective physical base station between said logical base station and said at least one further logical base station.

19. The radio communication system of claim 8, wherein the sharing of each respective physical base station is performed by dividing a set of radio resources of a respective physical base stations between said logical base station and said at least one further logical base station, and wherein said set of radio resources includes any of the resources in the group of:

radio frequencies, radio carriers, transmission bandwidths, spreading codes.

20. The radio communication system of claim 8 wherein each respective logical base station comprises at least one of the elements in the group of:

a database operated by said operation and maintenance node, wherein said database is separate from at least one further data base being provided for said at least one further logical base station, and

a network interface separate from at least one further network interface provided for said at least one further logical base station.

21. The radio communication system of claim 8, wherein each respective logical base station is associated with said control node via a multiplexer, wherein a transmission link between said logical base station and said multiplexer is shared by said logical base station and said at least one further base.

22. The communication system of claim 8, wherein each respective logical base station comprises a logical control node interface arranged to correspond to a control node interface of a physical base station, such that said control node is unaware of if it is associated with a logical base station or with a physical base station.

9-16. -16. (canceled)

23. An operation and maintenance node in a radio communication system, said radio communication system comprising at least one physical base station being shared by at least two logical base stations, wherein said operation and maintenance node is arranged for being associated with at most one of said at least two logical base stations of each one of said at least one physical base station.

24. A method of associating a logical base station in a radio communication system, said logical base station sharing a physical base station in said radio communication system with at least one further logical base station, comprising:

associating said logical base station with a control node; and

associating said logical base station with a control node with an operation and maintenance node in said radio communication system, wherein said control node and said operation and maintenance node are separate from at least one further control node and at least one further operation and maintenance node being associated with said at least one further logical base station.

25. A method of associating an operation and maintenance node in a radio communication system, said radio communication system comprising at least one physical base station being shared by at least two logical base stations, comprising:

associating said operation and maintenance node with at most one of said at least two logical base stations of each of said at least one physical base station.

26. A computer-readable memory having a computer program having code, the code comprising:

A method of associating a logical base station in a radio communication system, said logical base station sharing a physical base station in said radio communication system with at least one further logical base station, comprising;

associating said logical base station with a control node; and

associating said logical base station with a control node with an operation and maintenance node in said radio communication system, wherein said control node and said operation and maintenance node are separate from at least one further control node and at least one further operation and maintenance node being associated with said at least one further logical base station.

27. A computer-readable memory having a computer program having code, the code comprising:

a method of associating an operation and maintenance node in a radio communication system, said radio communication system comprising at least one physical base station being shared by at least two logical base stations, comprising;

associating said operation and maintenance node with at most one of said at least two logical base stations of each of said at least one physical base station.