Method and network entity for load contribution distribution in a wireless communication system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016249264-A1
Application number	US-201315027598-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 18, 2013
Priority date	Oct 18, 2013
Publication date	Aug 25, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure presents a method and a network entity for load contribution distribution in a wireless communication system supporting component carrier communication. The network entity serves a first cell of a wireless communication system. The method comprises receiving ( 61 ) information on one or more secondary cell usages of the first cell, wherein a secondary cell usage represents a secondary component carrier load of a wireless device connected to a primary cell of one or more further cells which are different from the first cell. The information on primary cell usage and the one or more secondary cell usage for the first cell is compiled ( 62 ) in the network entity. The method further comprises identifying ( 63 ) the respective primary cell for each secondary cell usage. Finally it comprises sending ( 64 ) secondary cell usage information to a respective network entity serving the identified respective primary cell for each secondary cell usage.

First claim

1 . A method in a network entity for load contribution distribution in a wireless communication system supporting component carrier communication, wherein the network entity serves a first cell of a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
i. receiving information on one or more secondary cell usages of the first cell, wherein a secondary cell usage represents a secondary component carrier load of a wireless device connected to a primary cell of one or more further cells which are different from the first cell; ii. compiling information on primary cell usage and the one or more secondary cell usage for the first cell; iii. identifying the respective primary cell for each secondary cell usage; and iv. sending secondary cell usage information to a respective network entity serving the identified respective primary cell for each secondary cell usage.

2 . A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
i. receiving secondary cell usage information from one or more network entities serving respective cells having secondary cell usage by wireless devices connected to the first cell as a primary cell; ii. determining a total cell usage of the first cell based on the received secondary cell usage information, the total cell usage including primary and secondary cell usage of the first cell; and iii. configuring the first cell for secondary cell usage based on a comparison of the total cell usage of the first cell and a total cell usage of the respective one or more further cells.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the information on one or more secondary cell usages is received from a network entity serving the first cell.

4 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the first cell is configured for further primary and/or secondary cell usage when the primary and secondary cell usage of the first cell is less than primary and secondary cell usage of the one or more further cells.

5 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the first cell is configured for reduced primary and/or secondary cell usage when the primary and secondary cell usage of the first cell is greater than primary and secondary cell usage of the one or more further cells.

6 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein the first cell is configured for further or reduced primary and/or secondary cell usage when the connected wireless device is capable of carrier aggregation.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein a total cell usage of each wireless device in a respective cell is determined from radio bearer load contribution.

8 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the load contribution is a function of a quality of service, QoS, class indicator, CQI, which maps to a service type, service need or service requirement.

9 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the load contribution from a secondary cell usage of a wireless device is assumed to be equal to a load contribution from a primary cell usage of the wireless device.

10 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the load contribution of secondary cell usage is scaled by the number of secondary component carriers assigned to the wireless device.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein a total cell usage for each wireless device in a respective cell is determined from a target radio resource usage of the respective wireless device and bearer, wherein the target radio resource usage is determined from a bit rate requirement for the bearer.

12 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sending of secondary cell usage information to a respective network entity serving the identified respective primary cell for each secondary cell usage is initiated upon request for a load report from the identified respective primary cell.

13 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sending of secondary cell usage information to a respective network entity serving the identified respective primary cell for each secondary cell usage is included in a periodic load report.

14 . The method of any of claim 12 , wherein a secondary cell usage is reported as a sum of secondary cell load for all secondary carrier components in the cell.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein a load report from a first cell comprises:
i. primary cell contribution for each wireless device having a primary carrier component communication in the first cell; ii. secondary cell contribution received in secondary cell usage information; and iii. secondary cell contribution for one or more further wireless devices having secondary carrier component communication to further cells and primary carrier component communication in the first cell.

16 . A network entity for load contribution distribution in a wireless communication system supporting primary and secondary component carrier communication, wherein the network entity serves a first cell of a wireless communication system, the network entity comprising a processor, and a communication interface:
i. the communication interface configured to receive information on one or more secondary cell usages of the first cell, wherein a secondary cell usage represents a secondary component carrier load of a wireless device connected to a primary cell of one or more further cells which are different from the first cell, and send secondary cell usage information to a respective network entity serving an identified respective primary cell for each secondary cell usage; and ii. the processor configured to comprising: compile information on primary cell usage of the first cell and the received secondary cell usage information for the first cell; and identify the respective primary cell for each secondary cell usage.

17 . The network entity according to claim 16 , wherein
i. the communication interface is further configured to receive secondary cell usage information from one or more network entities serving respective cells having secondary cell usage by wireless devices connected to the first cell as a primary cell; and ii. the processor is further configured to: determine total cell usage of the first cell, the total cell usage including primary and secondary cell usage of the first cell; and configure the first cell for secondary cell usage based on comparison of the determined total cell usage of the first cell and respective total cell usages of the one or more further cells.

18 . The network entity according to claim 16 , wherein the processor, is configured to determine cell usage from load contribution of a radio bearer.

19 . The network entity according to claim 16 , wherein the communication interface is configured to receive a request for a load report and wherein sending of the secondary cell usage information to a respective network entity serving an identified respective primary cell for each secondary cell usage is initiated upon receiving the request.

20 . The network entity according to claim 16 wherein the network entity is configured to serve multiple cells of a radio access node and wherein the network entity serves the first cell and at least a subset of the one or more further cells.

21 . A computer program, comprising computer readable code which, when run on an network entity causes the network entity to perform the method as claimed in claim 1 .

Assignees

• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M

Inventors

• Axén Rasmus
• Gunnarsson Fredrik
• Johansson Stefan

Classifications

• H04W72/52

  based on load · CPC title

• H04W36/22 Primary

  for handling the traffic · CPC title

• H04W36/04

  Reselecting a cell layer in multi-layered cells · CPC title

• H04W36/0061

  of neighbour cell information · CPC title

• H04L47/24

  Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS · CPC title