Cell identifier conflict avoidance
AssigneeTelefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (publ)
InventorsJohan Moe, Pal Frenger, Fredrik Gunnarsson
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Abstract
The technology described automatically resolves cell identity collisions/conflicts in a cellular radio communications network. A detecting node determines that a first cell identifier associated with a first conflicting cell is the same as a second cell identifier associated with a second conflicting cell. One of the first and second conflicting cells is selected to change its cell identifier. A different cell identifier is determined for the selected cell. The different cell identifier is then provided to other cells and preferably to user equipment (UE) terminals without disrupting ongoing UE communications.
Claims22
A method for resolving a cell identifier conflict, the method comprising:
- detecting a need for changing a cell identifier associated with an operational cell in the cellular radio communications network that is supporting one or more UEs;
- obtaining neighbor cell relation (NCR) information from a neighbor cell neighboring the operational cell, wherein obtaining the NCR information comprises transmitting to the neighbor cell a request for the NCR information and receiving from the neighbor cell in response to the request a message comprising the requested NCR information, said requested NCR information comprising a set of cell identifiers associated with cells that neighbor the neighbor cell;
- based on the received NCR information, selecting a cell identifier for the operational cell that is different from each cell identifier indicated in the NCR information;
- and
- providing the different cell identifier to another cell different from the operational cell.
An apparatus implemented in a cellular radio communications network that includes multiple operational cells supporting one or more user equipments (UE), comprising electronic circuitry configured to:
- receive information from a UE regarding a transmission received from two or more operational cells having the same cell identifier;
- detect, using said received information, a need for changing a cell identifier associated with one of the two or more operational cells;
- obtain neighbor cell relations (NCR) information from one or more neighbor cells neighboring a selected one of the two or more operational cells by transmitting one more requests for the NCR information and receiving in response to the one or more requests the requested NCR information, said requested NCR information comprising a set of cell identifiers associated with cells that neighbor one or more of the one or more neighbor cells;
- based on the NCR information, select a different cell identifier for the selected one of the two or more operational cells that is different from each cell identifier indicated in the NCR information;
- and
- provide the selected different cell identifier to one or more other cells.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.