In service upgrade of radio access network radio unit of a cellular network
AssigneeDISH Wireless L.L.C.
InventorsJulio Armenta, Gurpreet Sohi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Various embodiments of apparatus, systems and/or methods are described for providing an in-service upgrading of software for a radio access network (RAN) radio unit (RU). The method includes directing traffic from user equipment to the first RU and a second RU that both reside on a first sector of a cell site. A software upgrade is received at the first RU, and the amount of traffic at the first RU is drained to the second RU so that the second RU handles the traffic for the first sector. When the traffic has been drained at the first RU, the software upgrade is installed in the first RU, and the first RU is rebooted.
Claims12
A method for an in-service upgrading of software for a radio access network (RAN) radio unit (RU), the method comprising:
- operating a first RU using software installed in a first memory, wherein the first RU comprises the first memory and a second memory separate from the first memory;
- directing traffic from user equipment to the first RU and a second RU that both reside on a first sector of a cell site;
- receiving a software upgrade at the second memory of the first RU;
- in response to receiving the software upgrade at the second memory of the first RU:
- determining a combined traffic utilization on the first RU and the second RU for the first sector of the cell site;
- and
- in response to the combined traffic utilization on the first RU and the second RU being less than a predefined threshold:
- draining the traffic at the first RU to the second RU;
- and
- changing a priority of the first RU and the second RU so that the second RU handles the traffic for the first sector;
- upon determining that the traffic has been drained at the first RU:
- installing the software upgrade in the second memory of the first RU;
- and
- operating the first RU using the upgraded software installed in the second memory.
A cell site comprising:
- a plurality of antennas;
- a plurality of sectors to provide cellular coverage around the cell site;
- and
- at least two RUs per sector, where each corresponding RU comprises
- a first memory having software installed thereon;
- a second memory that is independent of the first memory;
- and
- a circuit configured to:
- operate the corresponding RU using the software installed on the first memory;
- handle user equipment traffic in a first sector of the plurality of sectors via an antenna of the plurality of antennas;
- receive a software upgrade for upgrading the corresponding RU;
- in response to receiving the software upgrade:
- determine a combined traffic utilization on the corresponding RU and another RU in the first sector;
- and
- in response to the combined traffic utilization on the corresponding RU and the other RU in the first sector being less than a predefined threshold:
- drain the traffic from the corresponding RU to the other RU in the first sector;
- and
- change a priority of the corresponding RU and the other RU in the first sector so that the other RU handles the traffic for the first sector;
- in response to the traffic being drained from the corresponding RU:
- install the software upgrade on the second memory of the corresponding RU;
- and
- operate the corresponding RU using the upgraded software installed on the second memory.
A method for an in-service upgrading of software for a radio access network (RAN) radio unit (RU), the method comprising:
- directing first traffic from user equipment to a first RU and a second RU that both reside on a first sector of a cell site, wherein the first RU is operating using software installed in a first memory that is separate from a second memory;
- receiving a software upgrade for the first RU;
- in response to receiving the software upgrade for the first RU:
- determining a combined traffic utilization on the first RU and the second RU for the first sector of the cell site;
- and
- in response to the combined traffic utilization on the first RU and the second RU being less than a predefined threshold:
- draining the first traffic at the first RU to the second RU;
- and
- changing a priority of the first RU and the second RU so that the second RU handles the traffic for the first sector;
- upon determining that the first traffic has been drained at the first RU:
- installing the software upgrade in the second memory of the first RU;
- and
- in response to completion of the installing of the software upgrade in the second memory of the first RU, directing second traffic from user equipment to the first RU and the second RU, wherein the first RU is operating using the upgraded software installed in the second memory.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.