Inter-rat coverage determination for energy saving management

An apparatus to be employed as an integration reference point (IRP) manager by a network manager (NM), the apparatus comprising processor circuitry coupled with memory circuitry, the memory circuitry having instructions, which when executed by the processor circuitry, cause the processor circuitry to:

• determine that a source cell of a network of a first radio access technology (RAT) is triggered to activate an energy saving state;
• identify a plurality of candidate cells for an inter-RAT handover from the source cell, each candidate cell of the plurality of candidate cells partially covering the source cell, each candidate cell of the plurality of candidate cells associated with a different RAT than a RAT of the source cell;
• determine that the plurality of candidate cells collectively cover the entirety of the source cell;
• instruct the source cell to activate the energy saving state in response to determining that the plurality of candidate cells collectively cover the entirety of the source cell;
• and
• perform the inter-RAT handover from the source cell to the plurality of candidate cells.

One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having instructions that, when executed, cause an integration reference point (IRP) manager module of a network manager (NM) to:

• determine that a source cell of a network of a first radio access technology (RAT) is triggered to activate an energy saving state;
• identify a plurality of candidate cells for an inter-RAT handover from the source cell, each candidate cell of the plurality of candidate cells partially covering the source cell, each candidate cell of the plurality of candidate cells associated with a different RAT than a RAT of the source cell;
• determine that the plurality of candidate cells collectively cover the entirety of the source cell;
• instruct the source cell to activate the energy saving state in response to determining that the plurality of candidate cells collectively cover the entirety of the source cell;
• and
• perform the inter-RAT handover from the source cell to the plurality of candidate cells.

A method of energy saving employed by an integration reference point (IRP) of a network manager (NM), the method comprising:

• determining, by the IRP, that a source cell of a network of a first radio access technology (RAT) is triggered to activate an energy saving state;
• identifying, by the IRP, a plurality of candidate cells for an inter-RAT handover from the source cell, each candidate cell of the plurality of candidate cells partially covering the source cell, each candidate cell of the plurality of candidate cells associated with a different RAT than a RAT of the source cell;
• determining, by the IRP, that the plurality of candidate cells collectively cover the entirety of the source cell;
• instructing, by the IRP, the source cell to activate the energy saving state in response to determining that the plurality of candidate cells collectively cover the entirety of the source cell;
• and
• performing, by the IRP, the inter-RAT handover from the source cell to the plurality of candidate cells.