Hub apparatus of heterogeneous network and method of offloading the same

1. A hub apparatus for distributing a load of a small cell digital unit to one of macro cell digital units in a heterogeneous network having at least one of macro cells and a plurality of small cells overlapped with the at least one of macro cells, wherein each one of the macro cell digital units performs digital signal processing of a corresponding macro cell, the small cell digital unit performs digital signal processing of the plurality of small cells, and the macro cell digital units are separated from the small cell digital unit, the hub apparatus comprising:

a load detection unit configured to detect available resource of the macro cell digital units and the small cell digital unit based on uplink interference information of each of the plurality of small cells and the macro cells;

an offloading controller configured to determine a first small cell, as an offloading target, among the plurality of small cells based on the detected available resource of the macro cell digital units and the small cell digital unit, to select one of the macro cell digital units for processing a load of the first small cell, to generate a first control signal for requesting connecting the selected macro cell digital unit to a low-power radio unit of the first small cell; and

a path change unit having a first side connected to antennas installed in the macro cells and low-power radio units each installed in a corresponding one of small cells and a second side connected to the macro cell digital units and the small cell digital unit, configured to form paths each connecting one of the antennas and the low-power radio units to one of the macro cell digital units and the small cell digital unit, and configured to change the paths to connect the selected macro cell digital unit to the low-power radio unit of the first small cell,

wherein the offloading controller is configured to reduce coverage of a corresponding macro cell connected to the selected macrocell digital unit when the selected macro cell digital unit does not have available resources for processing a load of the first small cell.

2. The hub apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the offloading controller further comprises:

an antenna output change unit connected to antennas each installed in macro cells, configured to generate a second control signal for requesting lowering output power of an antenna related to the selected macro cell digital unit, and configured to control output power of the antenna related to the selected macro cell digital unit based on the second control signal.

3. The hub apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the second side of the path change unit is connected to macro radio units and a small cell radio unit;

the macro radio units are respectfully connected to the macro cell digital units; and

the small cell radio unit is connected to the small cell digital unit.

4. A method for, by a hub apparatus, distributing loads of a small cell digital unit to macro cell digital units in a heterogeneous network including macro cells and a plurality of small cells overlapped with the at least one of macro cells, wherein each of macro cell digital units performs digital signal processing of a corresponding macro cells, a small cell digital unit performs digital signal processing of the plurality of small cells, and the macro cell digital units are separated from the small cell digital unit, the method comprising:

detecting available resources of the macro cell digital units and the small cell digital unit based on information received from antennas respectively installed in the macro cells and a low-power radio unit installed in each small cell;

determining a first small cell, as an offloading target, among the plurality of small cells based on each load of the macro cell digital units and the small cell digital unit and selecting a first macrocell digital unit, from the macrocell digital units, in order for processing a load of the first small cell;

reducing coverage of a macro cell connected to the first macrocell digital unit when the first macrocell digital unit does not have available resource for processing a load of the first small cell; and

transferring traffic received from a low-power radio unit installed in the first small cell to the selected first macrocell digital unit by connecting the selected first macrocell digital unit to the low-power radio unit of the first small cell.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the determining of a first macrocell digital unit comprises:

reducing, by the first macrocell digital unit, coverage of a macro cell that performs digital signal processing by lowering output power of an antenna that is related to the first macrocell digital unit.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the transferring of traffic comprises:

changing a traffic path of the first small cell from the small cell digital unit to the first macrocell digital unit.

7. A method for, by a hub apparatus, distributing a load of a small cell digital unit to a macro cell digital unit in a heterogeneous network including macro cells and a plurality of small cells overlapped with the at least one of macro cells, wherein macro cell digital units each performs digital signal processing of a corresponding macro cell, the small cell digital unit performs digital signal processing of the plurality of small cells, each of the macro cell digital units is separated from the small cell digital unit, the method comprising:

detecting available resources of the macro cell digital units and the small cell digital unit based on uplink interference information received from each antenna installed in the macro cells and a low-power radio unit installed in each small cell;

determining a first small cell, as an offloading target, among the plurality of small cells, when the available resources of the small cell digital unit are lower than a threshold value;

selecting a macrocell digital unit from the macrocell digital units in order to process a load of the first small cell based on available resources of the macro cell digital units;

reducing coverage of a macro cell connected to the selected macrocell digital unit, when the selected macrocell digital unit has no available resource; and

transferring traffic received from a low-power radio unit installed in the first small cell to the selected macrocell digital unit by connecting the selected macrocell digital unit and the low-power radio unit of the first small cell.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the transferring of traffic that is received from a low-power radio unit comprises:

changing a digital unit that performs digital signal processing of the first small cell from the small cell digital unit to the selected macrocell digital unit.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the reducing of coverage of a macro cell comprises:

reducing, by the selected macrocell digital unit, coverage of a macro cell that performs digital signal processing by lowering output power of an antenna that is related to the selected macrocell digital unit.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the selecting a macrocell digital unit comprises:

transferring traffic received from a low-power radio unit installed in the first small cell to a second macrocell digital unit, when the second macrocell digital unit has available resources.