Method and apparatus for assigning cell identifier values and method and apparatus for managing assignment of cell identifier values in a communication network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10172017-B2
Application number	US-201314908532-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2013
Priority date	Jul 31, 2013
Publication date	Jan 1, 2019
Grant date	Jan 1, 2019

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for automatically assigning cell identifier values in a communication network and to a method and apparatus for managing the assignment of cell identifier values in a communication network. In particular, the present invention relates to the management and assignment of cell identifier values that are required to be unique between adjacent cells, in a border region within a communication network in which cells from two or more cell sets are present. The present invention provides a novel method and apparatus for assigning cell identifier values in a communication network and for managing the assignment of cell identifier values in a communication network. Embodiments of the invention enable the automatic assignment of cell identifiers in a communication network, such as the assignment of physical cell identities (PCI) and scrambling codes (SC) in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network. The need for manual administration in border areas between cell sets managed by different Operation Support Systems (OSSs) can therefore be reduced or eliminated.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of assigning cell identifier values for cells within a border area in a communication network, the method comprising the steps of:
selecting an identified frequency for identifying the border area in the communication network;
selecting a first managed cell set in the border area, wherein the first managed cell set is one of at least two managed cell sets within the border area that comprises the first managed cell set and at least one other managed cell set, and wherein each of the at least two managed cell sets is managed by a different one of at least two Operation Support Systems;
obtaining a set of candidate cell identifier values of each respective one of the at least one other managed cell set, wherein for each obtained set of candidate cell identifier values, each of the candidate cell identifier values in the obtained set is a cell identifier value that is available for assignment to a cell associated with the respective one of the at least one other managed cell set without conflicting with any cell identifiers assigned to border area cells of the at least one other managed cell set, wherein a cell identifier value is in conflict with another cell identifier value if the cell identifier value is the same as the cell identifier value of a neighboring cell or is the same as the cell identifier value of a cell that is neighboring the neighboring cell;
identifying as suitable cell identifier values for the first managed cell set, cell identifier values that are common among the sets of candidate cell identifier values for the at least one other managed cell set;
assigning a set of the suitable cell identifier values to the first managed cell set by providing the set of suitable cell identifier values to the Operation Support System that manages the first managed cell set;
updating the set of candidate cell identifier values based on the assigned set of suitable cell identifier values; and
selecting another one of the at least two managed cell sets within the border area and repeating the steps of the method until all of the managed cell sets within the border area have cell identifier values assigned.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising the step of establishing for each managed cell set a required number of cell identifier values needed for cells of that managed cell set in the border area.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein in the step of identifying, at least the required number of cell identifier values needed for cells of the first managed cell set in the border area are identified as suitable cell identifier values.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein in the step of identifying, cell identifier values that are the same as existing cell identifier values in the first managed cell set are identified as suitable cell identifier values.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising the step of sending to the respective Operation Support System for each managed cell set in the border area, a request for cell identifier values that are available for cells within the border area.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising the step of receiving, in respect of a managed cell set having newly assigned cell identifier values, an updated set of cell identifier values that are available for cells within the border area for use in the step of selecting cell identifier values for other managed cell sets in the border area.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising the step of analysing a geographical model of the communication network to identify at least one border area between managed cell sets in the communication network.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising the step of creating a geographic model of the communication network by:
obtaining information from each managed cell set in the communication network relating to cell position and cell neighbour information; and
creating a model of communication network by combining information about managed cell sets.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7 further including the steps of:
updating a geographic model of the communication network;
analysing the updated geographic model to identify border areas in the updated model; and
assigning cell identifier values for cells of a managed cell set within at least one border area identified in the updated model.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein if a new cell is added to a managed cell set in the border area the method further comprises the step of:
determining whether one or more cell identifier values already evaluated as being suitable for cells in a managed cell set are available for use by the new cell of the cell set; and, in response to a positive determination,

assigning the cell identifier value, or one of the cell identifier values, evaluated as being suitable to the new cell of the cell set.

11. An apparatus element, for assigning cell identifier values for cells within a border area in a communication network, the apparatus element comprising:
a processor; and
a memory, said memory containing instructions executable by said processor whereby said apparatus element is operative to:
select an identified frequency for identifying the border area in the communication network;
select a first managed cell set in the border area, wherein the first managed cell set is one of at least two managed cell sets within the border area that comprises the first managed cell set and at least one other managed cell set, and wherein each of the at least two managed cell sets is managed by a different one of at least two Operation Support Systems;
obtain a set of candidate cell identifier values of each respective one of the at least one other managed cell set, wherein for each obtained set of candidate cell identifier values, each of the candidate cell identifier values in the obtained set is a cell identifier value that is available for assignment to a cell associated with the respective one of the at least one other managed cell set without conflicting with any cell identifiers assigned to border area cells of the at least one other managed cell set, wherein a cell identifier value is in conflict with another cell identifier value if the cell identifier value is the same as the cell identifier value of a neighboring cell or is the same as the cell identifier value of a cell that is neighboring the neighboring cell;
identify as suitable cell identifier values for the first managed cell set, cell identifier values that are common among the sets of candidate cell identifier values for the at least one other managed cell set;
assign a set of the suitable cell identifier values to the first managed cell set by providing the set of suitable cell identifier values to the Operation Support System that manages the first managed cell set;

update the set of candidate cell identifier values based on the assigned set of suitable cell identifier values; and
select another one of the at least two managed cell sets within the border area and repeating the steps of the method until all of the managed cell sets within the border area have cell identifier values assigned.

12. The apparatus element as claimed in claim 11 , wherein said memory contains instructions executable by said processor whereby said apparatus element is operative to establish, for each managed cell set a required number of cell identifier values needed for cells of that managed cell set in the border area.

13. The apparatus element as claimed in claim 11 , wherein said memory contains instructions executable by said processor whereby said appa

Assignees

• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M

Inventors

• Zadeh Bagher
• Mullally Cormac
• Quinlan David

Classifications

• H04W88/08

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