# US 9,439,101 B2 · Method and apparatus related to wire line backhaul > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,439,101 B2 - Document ID: US9439101B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/647,850 - Filed: 2012-11-28 - Published: 2015-11-12 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-28 - Assignees: Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (publ) - Applicants: Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (Publ) - Inventors: Per-Erik Eriksson; Miguel Berg; Chenguang Lu; Elmar Trojer - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9439101B2 ## CPC - H04W 28/0247: {based on conditions of the access network or the infrastructure network (central resource management H04W28/16)} - H04W 36/22: for handling the traffic - H04W 36/165: {for reducing network power consumption (H04W36/18 - H04W36/22 take precedence)} - H04W 88/08: Access point devices - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Presented are methods and arrangements for adapting the load in a cell based on information on upcoming events related to a backhaul link. The upcoming events related to the backhaul link may be delayed in order to give enough time for an RBS to complete activities related to the load adaptation. Thus, UEs may be handed over to neighboring cells proactively, before the cell becomes overloaded due to events related to the backhaul link. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method performed by a Radio Base Station (RBS) being associated with communication over a wire line backhaul link, and further serving a number of User Equipment's (UEs), the method comprising: collecting information about the backhaul link from a backhaul communication entity; determining, based on said information, whether a procedure is about to be performed which entails that the capacity of the backhaul link will be reduced; estimating the capacity of the backhaul link after the forthcoming capacity reduction; determining whether a traffic load of the RBS, said load being associated with the serving of UEs, exceeds the estimated backhaul link capacity after the forthcoming capacity reduction; when the traffic load is determined to exceed the estimated backhaul link capacity after the forthcoming capacity reduction: reducing the traffic load associated with the serving of UEs, in accordance with the estimated capacity of the backhaul link after the forthcoming capacity reduction; and indicating to the backhaul communication entity that the traffic load has been reduced in accordance with the estimated capacity of the backhaul link, thus indicating that the procedure entailing reduced backhaul link capacity may be started. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the traffic load is, at least partly, reduced by hand over of at least one UE of the number of UEs to a neighboring RBS. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, further comprising: receiving information about backhaul link relations of neighboring RBSs, and determining a target RBS out of the neighboring RBSs, to which at least one UE of the number of UEs is to be handed over. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method according to claim 3, wherein the target RBS is determined to be a neighboring RBS, of which the backhaul link is determined not to be affected by the procedure. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, further comprising: indicating that the handover cause is related to the backhaul link. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the procedure is one of: a Seamless Rate Adaptation (SRA) procedure; a Save Our Showtime (SOS) procedure; or a retraining procedure. ### Claim 7 A Radio Base Station (RBS) operable to communicate over a wire line backhaul link, and further operable to serve a number of User Equipments (UEs), the RBS comprising: a collecting unit adapted to collect information about the backhaul link from a backhaul communication entity; a determining unit adapted to determine, based on said information, whether a procedure is about to be performed, which entails that the capacity of the backhaul link will be reduced; an estimating unit adapted to estimate the capacity of the backhaul link after the forthcoming capacity reduction; and the determining unit being further adapted to determine whether a traffic load of the RBS, said load being associated with the serving of UEs, exceeds the estimated backhaul link capacity after the forthcoming capacity reduction; and a control unit adapted to reduce the traffic load associated with serving of UEs, in accordance with the estimated capacity of the backhaul link after the forthcoming capacity reduction when the traffic load is determined to exceed said estimated capacity of the backhaul link, and indicate to the backhaul communication entity that the traffic load has been reduced in accordance with the estimated capacity of the backhaul link, thus indicating that the procedure entailing reduced backhaul link capacity may be started. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The RBS according to claim 7, wherein the traffic load is, at least partly, reduced by handover of at least one UE of the number of UEs to a neighboring RBS. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The RBS according to claim 8, further comprising a receiving unit adapted to receive information about backhaul link relations of neighboring RBSs, and wherein the RBS is further adapted to determine a target RBS out of the neighboring RBSs, to which at least one UE of the number of UEs is to be handed over. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The RBS according to claim 9, wherein the target RBS is determined to be a neighboring RBS, of which the backhaul link is determined not to be affected by the procedure. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The RBS according to claim 8, further comprising an indicating unit, adapted to indicate that the handover cause is related to the backhaul link. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The RBS, according to claim 7, wherein the procedure is one of: a Seamless Rate Adaptation (SRA) procedure; a Save Our Showtime (SOS) procedure; or a retraining procedure. ### Claim 13 A method performed by a backhaul communication entity associated with a wire line backhaul link at a Radio Base Station (RBS), the method comprising: receiving an indication of a forthcoming procedure related to the backhaul link from an aggregation node, which indication is to be acknowledged by the backhaul communication entity for the procedure to start; and before acknowledging the indication of a forthcoming procedure, awaiting at least one of: an indication from the RBS; or the elapse of a predefined time period, thereby enabling the RBS to adapt a traffic load associated with UEs served by the RBS to a backhaul link capacity reduction caused by the procedure, before the performing of the procedure. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein the procedure is one of: a retraining procedure; a Seamless Rate Adaptation (SRA) procedure; and a Save Our Showtime (SOS) procedure. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein the backhaul communication entity is a part of the RBS. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, further comprising: providing information about the backhaul link to another unit or entity. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable code, which when run in a backhaul communication entity, causes the backhaul communication entity to perform the corresponding method according to claim 13. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) A computer program product comprising the non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 17. ### Claim 19 A backhaul communication device, connectable to a wire line for backhaul link communication at a Radio Base Station (RBS), the backhaul communication device comprising: a receiving unit adapted to receive, from an aggregation node, an indication of a forthcoming procedure related to the backhaul link, which indication is to be acknowledged by the backhaul communication entity for the procedure to start; an acknowledgement unit, adapted to await at least one of: an indication from the RBS; or the elapse of a predefined time period, before acknowledging the indication of a forthcoming procedure. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The backhaul communication device according to claim 19, wherein the procedure is one of: a retraining procedure; a Seamless Rate Adaptation (SRA) procedure; and a Save Our Showtime (SOS) procedure. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The backhaul communication device according to claim 19, being a part of the RBS. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The backhaul communication device according to claim 19, further comprising: a monitoring unit providing information about the backhaul link to another unit or entity.