Identification of relay nodes in a communication network
AssigneeTelefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (publ)
InventorsGunnar Mildh, Peter Moberg
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A relay node identified by a unique relay node identifier relays communications between a donor base station and one or more user terminals. The donor base station acquires the relay node identifier during a relay node attach procedure from where the relay node or another node in the core network (e.g., mobile management entity). The donor base station may use the relay node identifier to retrieve configuration information for the relay node. The configuration information may be used to configure the relay node, to perform radio resource management functions, and/or to monitor the performance of the relay node.
Claims22
In a mobile communication network having a relay node for relaying communications between a donor base station and one or more user terminals, a method implemented by a mobility management entity of providing a unique relay node identifier to a donor base station comprising:
- receive an attach request message from a relay node;
- retrieving a unique relay node identifier for a relay node from another network node by receiving the relay node identifier from the relay node in the attach request message;
- and
- transmitting the relay node identifier to the donor base station during a relay node attach procedure.
A method implemented by a donor base station of obtaining configuration information for a relay node, the method comprising:
- receiving a relay node identifier during a relay node attach procedure by receiving the relay node identifier from a mobility management entity;
- retrieving relay node configuration information for the relay node based on the relay node identifier;
- and
- configuring the relay node and/or performing a radio resource management procedure based on the relay node configuration information.
A mobility management entity comprising:
- a network interface;
- and
- a control circuit coupled to the network interface and configured to:
- retrieve a unique relay node identifier for a relay node from another network node by receiving the relay node identifier from the relay node in an attach request message from the relay node to the mobility management entity;
- and
- transmit the relay node identifier to a donor base station serving the relay node during a relay node attach procedure.
A donor base station comprising:
- a transceiver for communicating with a relay node over an air interface;
- a network interface for communicating with a mobility management entity in a core network;
- and
- a control circuit configured to:
- receive a relay node identifier during a relay node attach procedure by receiving the relay node identifier from a mobility management entity;
- retrieve relay node configuration for the relay node based on the relay node identifier.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.