Methods and systems for managing coverage area changes using base station signaling
View Patent ↗Disclosed is a method and system for managing coverage area changes using base station signaling. The method may involve a first base station increasing the distance of coverage of the first base station on a first carrier frequency such that the extended coverage extends to a coverage area of a second base station on the first carrier frequency. The second base station may also be providing the coverage area on a second carrier frequency. The method may also involve causing one or more UEs being served by the second base station on the second frequency to prioritize operating on the first carrier frequency of the second base station over operating on the second carrier frequency of the second base station.
1. A method in a radio access network (RAN) comprising:
a first base station providing coverage on a first carrier frequency (“first base station's first-carrier coverage”), the first base station's first-carrier coverage having a first distance of coverage;
a second base station providing coverage on the first carrier frequency (“second base station's first-carrier coverage”) and on a second carrier frequency (“second base station's second-carrier coverage”);
increasing the distance of the first base station's first-carrier coverage to be a second distance of coverage greater than the first distance of coverage;
making a first determination that the increased, second distance of the first base station's first-carrier coverage extends to the second base station's first-carrier coverage; and
in response to the first determination, causing one or more UEs being served by the second base station to prioritize operating on the first carrier frequency over operating on the second carrier frequency.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing the one or more UEs being served by the second base station to prioritize operating on the first carrier frequency over operating on the second carrier frequency comprises causing the one or more UEs served by the second base station to prioritize idling on the first carrier frequency over idling on the second carrier frequency.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein increasing the distance of the first base station's first-carrier coverage comprises decreasing a downward antenna tilt of the first base station.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein increasing the distance of the first base station's first-carrier coverage is performed to facilitate load balancing.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing the one or more UEs to prioritize operating on the first carrier frequency over operating on the second carrier frequency comprises:
signaling from the first base station to the second base station; and
in response to the signaling, the second base station broadcasting a prioritization list, for receipt by the one or more UEs, that ranks the first carrier frequency higher than the second carrier frequency.
6. The method of claim 5 ,
wherein the first base station is communicatively linked with the second base station via an X2 link, and
wherein the signaling from the first base station to the second base station is performed via the X2 link.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the RAN operates according to a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) wireless-communication protocol.
8. A first base station configured for operation in a radio access network (RAN), the first base station providing coverage on a first carrier frequency (“first base station's first-carrier coverage”), the first base station's first-carrier coverage having a distance of coverage, wherein the RAN further includes a second base station that provides coverage on the first carrier frequency (“second base station's first-carrier coverage”) and that also provides coverage on a second carrier frequency (“second base station's second-carrier coverage”), the first base station comprising:
an antenna structure;
a processor; and
a data storage containing instructions executable by the processor for carrying out a set of functions including:
decreasing a downward tilt of the antenna structure to increase distance of the first base station's first-carrier coverage to be a second distance of coverage greater than the first distance of coverage,
making a first determination that the second distance of the first base station's first-carrier coverage extends to the second base station's first-carrier coverage, and
in response to the first determination, causing one or more UEs being served by the second base station to prioritize operating on the first carrier frequency over operating on the second carrier frequency.
9. The first base station of claim 8 , wherein causing the one or more UEs being served by the second base station to prioritize operating on the first carrier frequency over operating on the second carrier frequency comprises causing the one or more UEs served by the second base station to prioritize idling on the first carrier frequency over idling on the second carrier frequency.
10. The first base station of claim 8 , wherein decreasing the downward antenna tilt of the antenna structure to increase the distance of the first base station's first-carrier coverage to be the second distance of coverage greater than the first distance of coverage is performed to facilitate load balancing.
11. The first base station of claim 8 ,
wherein causing the one or more UEs to prioritize operating on the first carrier frequency over operating on the second carrier frequency comprises signaling from the first base station to the second base station.
12. The first base station of claim 11 ,
wherein the first base station is communicatively linked with the second base station via an X2 link, and
wherein the signaling from the first base station to the second base station is performed via the X2 link.
13. A radio access network (RAN) comprising:
a first base station configured to provide a first distance of coverage on a first carrier frequency (“first base station's first-carrier coverage”);
a second base station configured to provide coverage on the first carrier frequency (“second base station's first-carrier coverage”) and on a second carrier frequency (“second base station's second-carrier coverage”);
a RAN entity configured to:
cause the first base station to increase the distance of the first base station's first-carrier coverage to be a second distance greater than the first distance;
make a first determination that the increased, second distance of the first base station's first-carrier coverage extends to the second base station's first-carrier coverage; and
in response to the first determination, cause one or more UEs being served by the second base station to prioritize operating on the first carrier frequency over operating on the second carrier frequency.
14. The RAN of claim 13 , wherein the RAN entity is further configured to cause the one or more UEs served by the second base station to prioritize idling on the first carrier frequency over idling on the second carrier frequency.
15. The RAN of claim 13 , wherein the RAN entity is further configured to decrease a downward antenna tilt of the first base station to increase the first base station's first-carrier coverage.
16. The RAN of claim 13 , wherein the RAN entity comprises the first base station.
17. The RAN of claim 13 ,
wherein the RAN entity is further configured to cause the one or more UEs to prioritize operating on the first carrier frequency over operating on the second carrier frequency by causing the second base station to broadcast a prioritization list, for receipt by the one or more UEs, that ranks the first carrier frequency higher than the second carrier frequency.
18. The RAN of claim 17 , wherein the RAN entity comprises the first base station, and wherein causing the second base station to broadcast the prioritization list that ranks the first carrier frequency higher than the second carrier frequency comprises the first base station signaling to the second base station.