Systems and methods for anchoring relationship management between base stations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12096336-B2
Application number	US-202217695453-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2022
Priority date	Mar 15, 2022
Publication date	Sep 17, 2024
Grant date	Sep 17, 2024

Abstract

A device may include a processor configured to receive a report from a fixed wireless access device indicating that no anchoring relationship exists between a Fourth Generation (4G) base station and a Fifth Generation (5G) base station to which the fixed wireless access device is attempting to connect. The device may be further configured to instruct a network management system to create the anchoring relationship between the 4G base station and the 5G base station; and update an anchoring relationships database with information relating to the created anchoring relationship, wherein the anchoring relationships database stores information relating to anchoring relationships between base stations in a radio access network.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a computer device, a report from a fixed wireless access device indicating that no anchoring relationship exists between a Fourth Generation (4G) base station and a Fifth Generation (5G) base station to which the fixed wireless access device is attempting to connect;
instructing, by the computer device, a network management system to create the anchoring relationship between the 4G base station and the 5G base station; and
updating, by the computer device, an anchoring relationships database with information relating to the created anchoring relationship, wherein the anchoring relationships database stores information relating to anchoring relationships between base stations in a radio access network.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information relating to the created anchoring relationship in the anchoring relationships database includes:
type information that identifies whether the created anchoring relationship is static or dynamic;
an identifier associated with the 4G base station;
an identifier associated with the 5G base station; and
an expiration time for the created anchoring relationship if the anchoring relationship is dynamic.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
obtaining usage data for the created anchoring relationship from the network management system, wherein the usage data includes information identifying a number of fixed wireless access devices associated with the created anchoring relationship and a number of mobile user equipment devices associated with the created anchoring relationship; and
storing the obtained usage data for the created anchoring relationship in an anchoring relationships usage database.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
checking entries in the anchoring relationships database to determine whether any anchoring relationships identified in the anchoring relationships database are to be removed.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein checking entries in the anchoring relationships database to determine whether any anchoring relationships identified in the anchoring relationships database are to be removed includes:
selecting an entry from the anchoring relationships database;
determining that the selected entry corresponds to a dynamic anchoring relationship that has expired;
accessing an anchoring relationships usage database to determine usage data for the selected entry; and
selecting to remove an anchoring relationship associated with the selected entry when the usage data is below a threshold, in response to determining that the selected entry corresponds to the dynamic anchoring relationship that has expired.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
determining, based on the usage data, that a number of fixed wireless access devices associated with the selected entry is greater than a fixed wireless access threshold; and
extending a time for an anchoring relationship associated with the selected entry by a fixed wireless access time constant, in response to determining that the number of fixed wireless access devices associated with the selected entry is greater than the fixed wireless access threshold.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
determining, based on the usage data, that a number of mobile user equipment devices associated with the selected entry is greater than a mobile user equipment threshold; and
extending a time for an anchoring relationship associated with the selected entry by a mobile user equipment time constant, in response to determining that the number of mobile user equipment devices associated with the selected entry is greater than the mobile user equipment threshold.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein selecting to remove an anchoring relationship associated with the selected entry includes:
instructing the network management system to instruct the 4G base station and the 5G base station to remove the anchoring relationship associated with the selected entry; and
deleting the selected entry from the anchoring relationships database.

9. A device comprising:
a processor configured to:
receive a report from a fixed wireless access device indicating that no anchoring relationship exists between a Fourth Generation (4G) base station and a Fifth Generation (5G) base station to which the fixed wireless access device is attempting to connect;
instruct a network management system to create the anchoring relationship between the 4G base station and the 5G base station; and
update an anchoring relationships database with information relating to the created anchoring relationship, wherein the anchoring relationships database stores information relating to anchoring relationships between base stations in a radio access network.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the information relating to the created anchoring relationship in the anchoring relationships database includes:
type information that identifies whether the created anchoring relationship is static or dynamic;
an identifier associated with the 4G base station;
an identifier associated with the 5G base station; and
an expiration time for the created anchoring relationship if the anchoring relationship is dynamic.

11. The device of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
obtain usage data for the created anchoring relationship from the network management system, wherein the usage data includes information identifying a number of fixed wireless access devices associated with the created anchoring relationship and a number of mobile user equipment devices associated with the created anchoring relationship; and
store the obtained usage data for the created anchoring relationship in an anchoring relationships usage database.

12. The device of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
check entries in the anchoring relationships database to determine whether any anchoring relationships identified in the anchoring relationships database are to be removed.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein, when checking entries in the anchoring relationships database to determine whether any anchoring relationships identified in the anchoring relationships database are to be removed, the processor is further configured to:
select an entry from the anchoring relationships database;
determine that the selected entry corresponds to a dynamic anchoring relationship that has expired;
access an anchoring relationships usage database to determine usage data for the selected entry; and
select to remove an anchoring relationship associated with the selected entry when the usage data is below a threshold, in response to determining that the selected entry corresponds to the dynamic anchoring relationship that has expired.

14. The device of claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine, based on the usage data, that a number of fixed wireless access devices associated with the selected entry is greater than a fixed wireless access threshold; and
extend a time for an anchoring relationship associated with the selected entry by a fixed wireless access time constant, in response to determining that the number of fixed wireless access devices associated with the selected entry is greater than the fixed wireless access threshold.

15. The device of claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine, based on the usage data, that a number of mobile user equipment devices associated with the selected entry is greater than a mobile user equipment threshold; and
extend a time for an anchoring relationship asso

Assignees

• Verizon Patent & Licensing Inc

Inventors

• Gan Seng
• Patka Andrew F
• Coyle Timothy E
• Carloni Ronald
• Ullah Muhammad Ebad
• Robeck Charles Aaron
• Bhatia Anand V
• Lugo Jaime
• Sullivan Michael J
• Anderson John E
• Cherla Arun

Classifications

• H04W24/02

  Arrangements for optimising operational condition · CPC title

• H04W24/08 Primary

  Testing, {supervising or monitoring} using real traffic · CPC title

• H04W92/20

  between access points · CPC title

• H04W40/248 Primary

  Connectivity information update · CPC title