Downlink control for wireless heterogeneous telecommunications
AssigneeTelefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (publ)
InventorsGary David Boudreau, Konstantinos Dimou
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A heterogeneous radio access network (20) comprises a macro layer (22) including at least one macro base station (24) and a micro layer comprising at least one micro base station (26). In an example embodiment a base station node comprises a scheduler (40) and a communication interface (42). The scheduler (40) is configured to prepare a subframe for transmission over a radio interface by configuring the subframe to include a micro layer downlink control channel region in addition to a macro layer downlink control channel region. The communication interface (42) is configured to transmit at least the subframe over the radio interface.
Claims34
A base station node of a heterogeneous radio access network, the heterogeneous radio access network comprising a macro layer including at least one macro base station and a micro layer comprising at least one micro base station, the base station node comprising:
- a scheduler configured to prepare a subframe for transmission over a radio interface by configuring the subframe to include a micro layer downlink control channel region in addition to a macro layer downlink control channel region;
- a communication interface configured to transmit at least the subframe over the radio interface;
- and
- a network condition monitor configured to ascertain a predetermined condition of the heterogeneous radio access network;
- wherein the scheduler is configured, as a result of ascertainment of the predetermined condition, to prepare the subframe to include the micro layer downlink control channel region.
A method of operating a base station node of a heterogeneous radio access network, the heterogeneous radio access network comprising a macro layer including at least one macro base station and a micro layer comprising at least one micro base station, the method comprising:
- ascertaining a predetermined condition of the heterogeneous radio access network;
- as a result of ascertainment of the predetermined condition, configuring a subframe to include a micro layer downlink control channel region in addition to a macro layer downlink control channel region;
- transmitting at least the subframe over a radio interface.
A method of operating a heterogeneous radio access network, the heterogeneous radio access network comprising a macro layer including at least one macro base station and a micro layer comprising at least one micro base station, the method comprising:
- making a determination of an occurrence of a predetermined condition in the heterogeneous radio access network;
- in response to the determination, the macro base station(s) of the macro layer downlink control channel region and the micro base station(s) of the micro layer downlink control channel region each configuring a subframe to include a micro layer downlink control channel region in addition to a macro layer downlink control channel region;
- the at least one macro base station muting the micro layer downlink control channel region of the subframe as transmitted from the at least one macro base station but transmitting downlink control signaling to one or more wireless terminals on the macro layer downlink control channel region;
- the at least one micro base station muting the macro layer downlink control channel region of the subframe as transmitted from the at least one micro base station but transmitting downlink control signaling to one or more of the wireless terminals on the micro layer downlink control channel region.
A method of operating a wireless terminal in a heterogeneous radio access network, the heterogeneous radio access network comprising a macro layer including at least one macro base station and a micro layer comprising at least one micro base station, the method comprising:
- receiving an indication that a subframe carried over a radio interface includes a micro layer downlink control channel region in addition to a macro layer downlink control channel region;
- obtaining a downlink control signal from the micro layer downlink control channel region or the macro layer downlink control channel region;
- combining the downlink control signal from the macro layer downlink control channel region and the downlink control signal from the micro layer downlink control channel region to constructively form a better estimate of the downlink control signal.
A wireless terminal for use in a heterogeneous radio access network, the heterogeneous radio access network comprising a macro layer including at least one macro base station and a micro layer comprising at least one micro base station, the wireless terminal comprising:
- a communications interface configured to receive an indication that a subframe carried over a radio interface includes a micro layer downlink control channel region in addition to a macro layer downlink control channel region;
- a frame handler configured to obtain a downlink control signal from the micro layer downlink control channel region and combine the downlink control signal from the micro layer downlink control channel region with a downlink control signal from the macro layer downlink control channel region to constructively form a better estimate of the downlink control signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.