US 8,620,383 B2Granted

Dynamic resource sharing among cellular networks

AssigneeAlcatel Lucent

InventorsJignesh S. Panchal, Milind M. Buddhikot

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Abstract

According to a disclosed method, an MME in a network analyzes KPIs from the cells it serves and based on the KPIs, it decides to engage in sharing. The MME then contacts a sharing entity (SE) to announce that it wants to borrow or to supply resources. The MME obtains terms of a sharing agreement from the SE and the MME obtains the identity of the other network. In response to this information, the MME configures its network elements to share. The MME's own network may be a supplier or a borrower. If the network is a supplier, the MME configures its base stations to support UEs subscribing to the other network. If the network is a borrower, the MME configures its UEs to accept service from the other network's base stations. The SE applies knowledge of network topology and of services offered. This knowledge is obtained from a sharing database. At the expiration of the sharing agreement, the SE tells the MMEs to deactivate the sharing agreement.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method performed by a processor connected to a node of a wireless core network that controls at least one radio access network (RAN) and is operated by at least a first operator, comprising:

obtaining at least one key performance indicator (KPI) from one or more cells served by the core network;
deciding to make a sharing attempt based on the at least one KPI, wherein the sharing attempt is an attempt to borrow or to supply cellular resources that affect capacity;
announcing the sharing attempt to a sharing entity (SE) embodied in a processor connected to the wireless core network;
obtaining from the SE the identity of at least one further operator and the terms of a sharing agreement with the at least one further operator;
configuring the RAN to support borrowing of resources from the at least one further operator or supplying of resources to the at least one further operator according to the terms of the sharing agreement;
broadcasting messages from the RAN to a population of mobile terminals for configuring the population to permit roaming between a supplying network and a borrowing network having equal network priorities while the sharing agreement is in force;
and
instructing the core network to configure for home tunnel roaming so that the supplying network will provide an air interface for roaming mobile terminals, and via a tunnel, the borrowing network will provide a packet data interface toward external packet networks for the roaming mobile terminals.

5 more elements

Apparatus comprising:

a processor configured for obtaining at least one key performance indicator (KPI) from one or more cells served by a wireless core network that controls at least one radio access network (RAN) and is operated by at least a first operator;
a processor configured for formulating a sharing attempt based on the at least one KPI, wherein the sharing attempt is an attempt to borrow or to supply cellular resources that affect capacity;
a processor configured for announcing the sharing attempt to a sharing entity (SE) embodied in a processor connected to the wireless core network and for obtaining from the SE an identify of one or more further operators and terms of a sharing agreement with the one or more further operators;
a processor configured for configuring the RAN to support borrowing of resources from the one or more further operators or supplying of resources to the one or more further operators according to the terms of respective sharing agreements;
a processor configured for broadcasting messages from the RAN to a population of mobile terminals for configuring the population to permit roaming between a supplying network and a borrowing network having equal network priorities while the respective sharing agreement is in force;
and
a processor configured for instructing the core network to configure for home tunnel roaming so that the supplying network will provide an air interface for roaming mobile terminals, and via a tunnel, the borrowing network will provide a packet data interface toward external packet networks for the roaming mobile terminals.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/253,120Filed 5 Oct 2011
Published: US 2013/0090124 A111 Apr 2013
Granted: 31 Dec 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

H04L 5/0096
Signalling for the administration of the divided path, e.g. signalling of configuration information: indication of changes in allocation
H04W 24/02
Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements: arrangements for optimising operational condition
H04W 72/00
Local resource management
H04L
Digital communication