Virtual cell network
AssigneeTelefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
InventorsJohan Bolin, Ari Kangas
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A virtual network is created by providing antennas controlled by the same base station with control signals of different virtual base stations. A virtual network controller comprised in the base station is arranged for performing handovers between sets of physical channels of the different virtual base stations. The handover is preferably performed transparently towards the main communication network. This transparency is preferably provided by associating physical channels of virtual base stations with communication channels of the main communications network. Preferably, position estimations of a mobile terminal connected to the base station are performed by the virtual network controller, whereby such estimations can be kept secret within the virtual network.
Claims37
Radio access station, having access to m sets of physical channels, m being an integer larger than 1, the radio access station comprising:
- antenna output for connection to n antennas, n being an integer larger than 1;
- and
- a virtual network controller, comprising a channel translator, mutually associating channels used for communication with a radio access station controller with physical channels of the sets of physical channels used by the n antennas;
- the virtual network controller being arranged to control handover operations between a first set of physical channels of the m sets of physical channels and a second set of physical channels of the m sets of physical channels.
Radio access network, comprising:
- radio access station controller;
- radio access station, having access to m sets of physical channels, m being an integer larger than 1;
- and
- n antennas connected to the radio access station, n being an integer larger than 1;
- the radio access station comprising a virtual network controller, in turn comprising a channel translator, mutually associating channels used for communication with the radio access station controller with physical channels of the sets of physical channels used by the n antennas;
- the virtual network controller being arranged to control handover operations between a first set of physical channels of the m sets of physical channels and a second set of physical channels of the m sets of physical channels.
Method for managing a part of a mobile communications network, comprising the step of:
- performing, in a radio access station, a handover of a communication between sets of physical channels of two antennas controlled by the radio access station.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.