Network node and a method therein enabling a first unit to connect or to be connected ad-hoc to a second unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9692514-B2
Application number	US-201615377074-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2016
Priority date	Feb 9, 2012
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

Embodiments herein relate to a method in a network node configured in an optical network for enabling a first unit to connect ad-hoc to a second unit in a system configured for remote radio units and main units. The network node receives a connection request from the first unit over the optical network. The network node establishes a connection, to the first unit, for control data. The network node stores control data regarding the first unit. The control data is retrieved from the first unit over the established connection and wherein the control data enables the first unit to connect/be connected ad-hoc to the second unit for transferring user data over a physical path through the optical network.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method in a network node configured in an optical network for enabling a first unit to connect or to be connected ad-hoc to a second unit, the method comprising:
receiving a connection request from the first unit over the optical network, wherein the first unit includes a main unit of a radio base station;
establishing a connection, to the first unit, for retrieving control data; and
storing the control data regarding the first unit retrieved from the first unit over the established connection, and wherein the control data enables the first unit to connect or to be connected ad-hoc to the second unit for transferring user data over a physical path through the optical network, wherein the second unit includes a remote radio unit (RRU) of the radio base station.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
connecting ad-hoc the first unit to the second unit according to a determined physical path through the optical network, wherein the determined physical path is based on the stored control data.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the connecting is performed keeping the network node in the determined physical path.

4. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising
disconnecting the established connection for control data.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the connecting is performed after disconnecting the established connection.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the network node comprises an interface that is split in a control plane and a data plane, and wherein the control plane comprises at least one virtual master entity and at least one virtual slave entity enabling the establishing of the connection.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first unit is connected or is to be connected to the second unit over a Common Public Radio Interface and the user data is In-phase Quadrature data.

8. A network node configured in an optical network, the network node operative to enable a first unit to connect or to be connected ad-hoc to a second unit, the network node comprises:
an input or output interface operative to receive a connection request from the first unit over the optical network, wherein the first unit includes a main unit of a radio base station;
an establishing circuit operative to establish a connection, to the first unit, for control data; and
a storing circuit operative to store control data regarding the first unit, wherein the control data, retrieved from the first unit over the established connection, enables the first unit to connect or to be connected ad-hoc to the second unit to transfer user data over a physical path through the optical network, wherein the second unit includes a remote radio unit (RRU) of the radio base station.

9. The network node according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a connecting circuit operative to connect ad-hoc the first unit to the second unit according to a determined physical path through the optical network, wherein the determined physical path is based on the stored control data.

10. The network node according to claim 9 , wherein the connecting circuit is operative to keep the network node in the determined physical path.

11. The network node according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a disconnecting circuit operative to disconnect the established connection for control data.

12. The network node according to claim 9 , wherein the connecting circuit is operative to connect ad-hoc the first unit to the second unit after disconnection of the established connection.

13. The network node according to claim 8 , wherein the network node comprises an interface that is split in a control plane and a data plane, and wherein the control plane comprises at least one virtual master entity and at least one virtual slave entity that enable the establishing circuit to establish the connection to the second unit.

14. The network node according to claim 8 , wherein the first unit is enabled to connect or to be connected ad-hoc to the second unit over a Common Public Radio Interface and the user data is In-phase Quadrature data.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program code which when executed by one or more processors of a network node, cause the network node to:
receive a connection request from a first unit over an optical network, wherein the first unit includes main unit of a radio base station;
establish a connection, to the first unit, to retrieve control data; and
store the control data regarding the first unit retrieved from the first unit over the established connection, and wherein the control data enables the first unit to connect or to be connected ad-hoc to a second unit for transferring user data over a physical path through the optical network, wherein the second unit includes a remote radio unit (RRU) of the radio base station.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15 , wherein the program code further causes the network node to:
connect ad-hoc the first unit to the second unit according to a determined physical path through the optical network, wherein the determined physical path is based on the stored control data.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16 , wherein the network node is kept in the determined physical path that connects the first unit and the second unit.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 17 , wherein the program code further causes the network node to:
connect the first unit and the second unit after disconnection of the established connection.

Assignees

• ERICSSON TELEFON AB L M (publ)

Inventors

• Laraqui Kim

Classifications

• H04W88/085

  Access point devices with remote components · CPC title

• H04W84/18

  Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks · CPC title

• H04W76/02

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W76/028

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04B10/25753 Primary

  Distribution optical network, e.g. between a base station and a plurality of remote units · CPC title