Relay node configuration in preparation for handover

1. A method of initiating configuration of at least one station comprising; comprising:

receiving capability information of at least one second base station when the at least one station is within a cell area of a first base station;

determining some configuration information of the at least one station based on the received capability information; and

initiating configuring of the at least one station according to the configuration information before the at least one station is handed over from the first base station to the at least one second base station, wherein the method comprises determining differences between the capability of the first base station and the at least one second base station, and wherein the determining configuration information further comprises determining reconfiguration information based on the capability differences between the first base station and the at least one second base station.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the capability information is received from the at least one second base station at the first base station and the first base station determines at least a part of the configuration information of the at least one station, and wherein the method further comprises sending the configuration information to the at least one station to initiate configuring the at least one station.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the capability information is received from the at least one second base station at the at least one station and the at least one station determines at least a part of the configuration information of the at least one station, and wherein the method further comprises receiving at least a part of the configuration information for the at least one station from the first base station.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one station is moving from the first base station to the at least one second base station.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining the configuration information comprises determining the available capacity of the at least one second base station, and wherein the determining configuration information further comprises determining reconfiguration information to modify the load of the at least one station to match the available capacity of the at least one second base station.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the capability information of the at least one second base station comprises one or more of the following: the cell configuration of at least one second base station, the size of at least one second base station, the wireless technologies available at the at least one second base station, one or more frequency bands used by the at least one second base station, carrier aggregation capabilities used in the at least one second base station, the network topology at the at least one second base station, and load of the at least one second base station, the backhaul sub-frame allocation of at least one second base station, the amount of reserved radio resources for moving at least one station at the at least one second base station, the number of connected fixed and moving at least one station respectively at the at least one second base station, the maximum number of supported moving at least one station at the at least one second base station, the frequency bands used by connected fixed and moving at least one station at the at least one second base station.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein capability information of a plurality of second base stations is received, and wherein the method further comprises selecting a second base station to which the at least one station is to be handed over based on the received capability information of a plurality of second base stations, and wherein the selecting comprises selecting the second base station based on one or more of the following: the size of the second base station and the speed of the at least one station.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the capability information for the plurality of second base stations comprises capability information for a series of second base stations, whereby cell areas of the second base stations are located along a movement path of the at least one station.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein a vehicle comprises the at least one station, and wherein the method further comprises receiving the capability information from one or more other vehicles in at least one second base station.

10. The method of claim 1 comprising estimating the time and or the location of the relay node when handover of the at least one station occurs, and wherein the method further comprises sending information comprising handover estimates for preparing one or more second base stations for handover of the at least one station.

11. A method of initiating configuration of at least one station comprising, comprising:

sending capability information of at least one second base station when the at least one station is within a cell area of a first base station,

the capability information being for determining configuration information of the at least one station for configuring the at least one station according to the configuration information before the at least one station is handed over from the first base station to the at least one second base station, wherein the method comprises determining differences between the capability of the first base station and the at least one second base station, and wherein the determining configuration information further comprises determining reconfiguration information based on the capability differences between the first base station and the at least one second base station.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the method comprises initiating sending capability information in response to an indication that the at least one station is to be handed over to the at least one second base station, and wherein the method further comprises sending the capability information to a plurality of other base stations and to a plurality of stations.

13. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable medium in which a computer program is stored that, when being executed by a computer, is configured to provide instructions to control or carry out the method of claim 1 .

14. An apparatus for initiating configuration of at least one station comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform at least the following:

receiving capability information of at least one second base station when the at least one station is within a cell area of a first base station;

determining some configuration information of the at least one station based on the received capability information; and

initiating configuring of the at least one station according to the configuration information before the at least one station is handed over from the first base station to the at least one second base station wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to cause the apparatus to perform at least the following:

determining differences between the capability of the first base station and the at least one second base station; and

wherein determining configuration information determines reconfiguration information based on the capability differences between the first base station and the at least one second base station.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the capability information is received from the at least one second base station at the first base station and the first base station determines at least a part of the configuration information of the at least one station, and wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform at least the following: sending the configuration information to the at least one station to initiate configuring the at least one station.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the capability information is received from the at least one second base station at the at least one station and the at least one station determines at least a part of the configuration information of the at least one station, and wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform at least the following: receiving at least a part of the configuration information for the at least one station from the first base station.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein determining the configuration information determines the available capacity of the at least one second base station, and determines reconfiguration information to modify the load of the at least one station to match the available capacity of the at least one second base station.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the capability information of the at least one second base station comprises one or more of the following: the cell configuration of at least one second base station, the size of at least one second base station, the wireless technologies available at the at least one second base station, one or more frequency bands used by the at least one second base station, carrier aggregation capabilities used in the at least one second base station, the network topology at the at least one second base station, and load of the at least one second base station, the backhaul sub-frame allocation of at least one second base station, the amount of reserved radio resources for moving at least one station at the at least one second base station, the number of connected fixed and moving at least one station respectively at the at least one second base station, the maximum number of supported moving at least one station at the at least one second base station, the frequency bands used by connected fixed and moving at least one station at the at least one second base station.

19. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein capability information of a plurality of second base stations is received.

20. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein a vehicle comprises the at least one station, and wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform at least the following: receiving the capability information from one or more other vehicles in at least one second base station.

21. An apparatus for initiating configuration of at least one station comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform at least the following:

sending capability information of at least one second base station when the at least one station is within a cell area of a first base station, the capability information being for determining configuration information of the at least one station for configuring the at least one station according to the configuration information before the at least one station is handed over from the first base station to the at least one second base station, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to cause the apparatus to perform at least the following:

determining differences between the capability of the first base station and the at least one second base station; and

wherein determining configuration information determines reconfiguration information based on the capability differences between the first base station and the at least one second base station.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform at least the following:

initiating sending capability information in response to an indication that the at least one station is to be handed over to the at least one second base station, and

sending the capability information to a plurality of other base stations.

23. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable medium in which a computer program is stored that, when being executed by a computer, is configured to provide instructions to control or carry out the method of claim 11 .