Energy efficient base station entering sleep mode
AssigneeTelefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
InventorsTomas Nylander, Johan Rune, Jari Vikberg
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The basic idea of the present invention is to let the base station enter a low-power, low-radiation cycle, the so called “sleep mode”, when there are no UEs using it and to introduce methods to “wake up” the base station from this state when there is a UE in the vicinity which is allowed to access the base station and which may need it on short notice.
Claims28
A method in an energy efficient base station (EEBS) connected to a mobile telecommunication network via a concentration gateway, wherein the EEBS is a home base station, the method comprising:
- regularly transmitting, during a regular operation mode, a reference signal and system information, wherein the system information comprises a closed subscriber group (CSG) identity (CSG ID);
- paging, during the regular operation mode, for one or more user equipments (UEs) that belong to a CSG associated with the CSG ID;
- responsive to receiving no response to the paging by a UE that belongs to the CSG, entering a sleep mode, wherein the home base station transmits the reference signal and the system information less frequently than during the regular operation mode;
- responsive to a transmission by the home base station during sleep mode, receiving a wake-up command from a UE based on a determination that the sleep mode transmission matches a fingerprint of the home base station;
- and
- leaving the sleep mode responsive to the wake-up command.
A method in a user equipment (UE) that is configured to operate in a mobile telecommunication network that includes energy efficient base stations (EEBSs) that are home base stations that selectively operate in a sleep mode in which they transmit reference signal and system information, but less frequently than during regular operation, said method comprising:
- when the UE is in an idle mode, discovering a home base station, associated with a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG) of the UE, that is in sleep mode by prolonging a search used by the UE to identify the home base station, and sending an indication to the mobile telecommunication network that it should wake up the discovered home base station;
- and
- when the UE is in a connected mode:
- detecting transmissions from one or more other base stations within a vicinity of a home base station associated with a CSG of the UE;
- determining that the transmissions match a fingerprint that is associated with the home base station;
- and
- sending an indication to the mobile telecommunication network that it should wake up the home base station.
An energy efficient base station (EEBS) connectable to a mobile telecommunication network via a concentration gateway, wherein the EEBS is a home base station, said home base station comprising at least one processor configured to:
- regularly transmit, via a transmitter during a regular operation mode, a reference signal and system information, wherein the system information comprises a closed subscriber group (CSG) identity (CSG ID);
- page, via the transmitter during the regular operation mode, for one or more user equipments (UEs) that belong to a CSG associated with the CSG ID;
- responsive to receiving no response to the paging by a UE that belongs to the CSG, enter a sleep mode, wherein the home base station transmits the reference signal and the system information, but less frequently than during the regular operation mode;
- responsive to a transmission by the home base station during sleep mode, receive a wake-up command from a UE based on a determination that the sleep mode transmission matches a fingerprint of the home base station;
- and
- leave the sleep mode responsive to the wake-up command.
A User Equipment (UE) configured for use in a mobile telecommunication network that includes macro base stations and at least one energy efficient base station (EEBS) that is a home base station that is configured to selectively enter a sleep mode during which the home base station transmits its reference signal and system information, but less frequently than during regular operation of the home base station, and wherein the UE comprises:
- one or more processors that are configured to at least one of:
- discover a home base station, associated with a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG) of the UE, that is in the sleep mode based on prolonging a search performed by the UE to identify the home base station associated with a CSG of the UE;
- and
- detect transmissions from one or more other base stations within a vicinity of a home base station associated with a CSG of the UE, and determine that the transmissions match a fingerprint that is associated with the home base station;
- and
- said UE further comprising a transmitter configured to send an indication to the mobile telecommunication network that it should wake up the home base station.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.