Method for topology determination in a mobile communications site, a computer program, a computer program product and a corresponding mobile communications site

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10880179-B2
Application number	US-201916272490-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 11, 2019
Priority date	Feb 12, 2018
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

Method for topology determination in a mobile communications site, wherein the mobile communications site has n nodes each having m ports. In ‘determining’ (S 1 ), the number of existing nodes is determined. In ‘designating’, one of these nodes is designated as the master node and the others as slave nodes. In ‘selecting’, a slave node is selected as a test slave node and the communication of the other slave nodes is prevented. In ‘testing’, a test is performed to determine via which ports of the master node and via which ports of the test slave node a communication is possible. Thereafter, ‘selecting’ and ‘testing’ are repeated for the other slave nodes, wherein in the method step ‘selecting’, a different slave node is selected as the test slave node in each case. In the method step ‘generating’, a connection topology is then generated for the master node.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for topology determination in a mobile communications site comprising n nodes, where n≥3, wherein each node has m ports, where m≥1 and every node is an electrical functional unit; and wherein each one of the n nodes is connected electrically and/or electromagnetically via at least one of its m ports to at least one other of the n nodes via at least one of its m ports for communications purposes, the method comprising:
determining the number n of existing nodes;
designating from the determined n nodes a master node and first and second slave nodes;
selecting the first slave node as a first test slave node and preventing a communication of the other slave node(s);
testing via which of the m ports of the master node and via which of the m ports of the first test slave node a communication between the master node and the first test slave node is possible, and storing these ports;
selecting the second slave node as a second test slave node, and preventing a communication of the other slave node(s);
testing via which of the m ports of the master node and via which of the m ports of the second test slave node a communication between the master node and the second test slave node is possible, and storing these ports;
repeating the selecting and testing for each of the other slave nodes, if any, wherein in selecting, a different slave node is selected in each case as the test slave node; and
generating a connection topology for the master node based on the stored ports.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the selecting, the communication of the other slave nodes is prevented only for a predetermined duration of time or until a trigger signal occurs.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the testing comprises:
determining whether a communications link to the first test slave node can be created by an exclusive communication via only one of the m ports of the master node and storing this one port for the master node in the event that a communications link can be created; and
repeating the determining until an attempt was made to create a communications link to the first test slave node for all m ports of the master node.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein:
the determining also comprises:
preventing communication on all except one port of the first test slave node and storing this one port for the first test slave node, if a communications link can be created to the master node via this port; and
repeating the preventing until an attempt was made to create a communications link to the master node for all other m−1 ports of the first test slave node.

5. The method according to claim 3 , further including:
determining a port on the master node for communicating with the first test slave node and preventing communication on the other ports of the master node;
preventing a communication to all but one port of the first test slave node and storing this one port for the first test slave node, if a communications link to the master node can be created via said port;
repeating the preventing until an attempt has been made to create a communications link to the master node for all other m−1 ports of the first test slave node.

6. The method according to claim 5 , further including:
executing again the establishing and preventing and repeating the preventing for all other ports of the master node for which it was determined in the determining that a communications link to the first test slave node can be created.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
in the selecting, communication of the other slave nodes is prevented by an interruption in layer 1 or a higher layer at the respective m port of the other slave nodes; and/or
in the preventing, preventing communication occurs:
f) at the ports of the first test slave node; and/or
g) the other ports of the master node; by an interruption in layer 1 or a higher layer at the respective m ports.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the n nodes comprise at least two different types of electrical functional units from the group of:
base stations;
combiners;
DTMAs;
RET units;
antenna arrangements;
monitoring units.

9. A method for topology determination in a mobile communications site comprising n nodes, where n≥2, or n≥3, or n≥4, wherein each node has m ports, where m≥1 and every node is an electrical functional unit, wherein each one of the n nodes is connected electrically and/or electromagnetically via at least one of its m ports to at least one other of the n nodes via at least one of its m ports for communications purposes, the method comprising:
determining the number of existing nodes;
designating from one of the determined n nodes a master node and the other node as the slave node;
selecting a slave node as a test slave node and preventing a communication of the other slave nodes;
testing via which of the m ports of the master node and via which of the m ports of the test slave node a communication between the master node and the test slave node is possible, and storing these ports;
repeating the selecting and testing for each of the other slave nodes, wherein in selecting a different slave node is selected in each case as the test slave node; and
generating a connection topology for the master node, and the method further including:
repeatedly executing:
a) designating;
b) selecting;
c) testing;
d) repeating; and
e) generating;

wherein in the designating, one of the previously designated slave nodes is designated as the new master node, and wherein repeating the execution is executed until at least n−1 nodes have been designated once as the master node.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein at least one of the n nodes in addition to the m ports also has at least one additional wired or wireless interface and is designed to communicate via this at least one additional interface with other networks or devices, and further including:
adding the at least one additional interface to the connection topology for the at least one of the n nodes.

11. The method according to claim 9 , further including:
creating a topology of the mobile communications site using the connection topologies generated in the generating, of the individual nodes, wherein the topology of the mobile communications site indicates to which additional node or which additional nodes each node is connected, for exchanging data.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein:
in generating a topology, the connection topologies of the individual nodes are transmitted to a node or to a control device, wherein the node or the control device generates the topology of the mobile communications site from the individual connection topologies.

13. The method according to claim 11 , further including:
comparing the generated topology with a reference topology; and
determining and/or outputting deviations between the generated topology and the reference topology.

14. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the mobile communications site also has a communications device, which is designed to transmit data to a higher-level routing and control device, and the method further including:
transmitting the generated topology of the mobile communications site to the higher-level routing and control device; and/or
transmitting the determined deviations between the generated topology and the reference topology to the higher-level routing and control device.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
in the determining, an individual rank is assigned to each of the determ

Assignees

• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M

Inventors

• Mohr Markus
• Schmid Johann

Classifications

• H04L41/14

  Network analysis or design · CPC title

• H04L41/12 Primary

  Discovery or management of network topologies · CPC title

• H04W16/24 Primary

  Cell structures · CPC title

• H04Q1/24

  for connection devices · CPC title

• H04W40/22

  using selective relaying for reaching a BTS [Base Transceiver Station] or an access point · CPC title