# US 2014/0194110 A1 · Energy saving in a communications network > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0194110 A1 - Document ID: US20140194110A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/238,244 - Filed: 2011-08-12 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2011-08-12 - Assignees: Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy - Inventors: Clemens Suerbaum; Yi Zhi Yao - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140194110A1 ## CPC - H04W 52/0206: {in access points, e.g. base stations} - H04W 52/0203: {in the radio access network or backbone network of wireless communication networks} - Y02D 30/70: in wireless communication networks - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE ## Abstract A method of energy saving is applied to a mobile communications network comprising at least two radio access technology systems (102; 104) having a plurality of base stations (108-118). The method comprises the steps of: assigning (136a; 136b) respective priorities to the radio access technology systems; and an energy saving server (136a; 136b) instructing, on the basis of the priorities, a selected radio access technology system to reduce the operational state cells in a group of cells. This reduction occurs if the selected radio access technology system and/or another radio access technology system is able to maintain service to served mobile terminals. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of energy saving in a mobile communications network comprising at least two radio access technology systems having a plurality of access points, the method comprising the steps of: assigning respective priorities to the radio access technology systems; and instructing, on the basis of the priorities, at least one radio access technology system to reduce the operational state of at least one access point. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 in which the priorities are in the form of a priority list indicating the radio access technology systems and an order in which they are to be reduced in operational state. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 in which instructing is carried out with respect to a group of access points which identifies cells of different radio access technology systems which provide service to common coverage areas. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 in which the network has an energy saving functionality which instructs the at least one radio access technology system that reducing the operational state is requested. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) A method according to claim 4 in which the radio access technology system decides to reduce the operational state on the basis of whether a sufficient level of service will be maintained. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) A method according to claim 4 in which the energy saving server is provided in a network management layer. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) A method according to claim 4 in which the energy saving server is provided in an element management layer. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 in which in the case that operational state of a radio access technology system is reduced, mobile terminals served by that radio access technology system which now are no longer to be served, are handed over to the cells of another radio access technology system. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 in which the at least one radio access technology system instructed to reduce the operational state according to a time schedule indicating times at which energy saving is to be activated and deactivated. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 in which energy saving is carried out taking load into account by means of a threshold list. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) A method according to claim 10 in which a threshold is associated with a particular radio access technology system. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 in which a request to change energy saving levels of cells in a group is applied to some cells and not to others so that cells have their energy saving levels changed by the different amounts. ### Claim 13 A communication system capable of providing energy saving comprising: at least two radio access technology systems having a plurality of access points; and and a management functionality capable of assigning respective priorities to the radio access technology systems and capable of instructing, on the basis of the priorities, at least one radio access technology system to reduce the operational state of at least one access point. ### Claim 14 An energy saving functionality capable of energy saving in a mobile communications network comprising at least two radio access technology systems having a plurality of access points, the energy saving functionality being capable of assigning respective priorities to the radio access technology systems and being capable of instructing, on the basis of the priorities, at least one radio access technology system to reduce the operational state of at least one access point. ### Claim 15 A computer program product comprising software code that when executed on a computing system performs a method of energy saving in a mobile communications network comprising at least two radio access technology systems having a plurality of access points, the method comprising the steps of: assigning respective priorities to the radio access technology systems; and instructing, on the basis of the priorities, at least one radio access technology system to reduce the operational state of at least one access point.