Radio environment monitoring in a base station using a mobile chip
A base station for performing radio environment monitoring (REM) is described. The base station includes a REM module. The REM module includes user equipment (UE) circuitry communicatively coupled to a baseband processor and a dedicated antenna. The REM module also includes the baseband processor. The baseband processor is configured to send at least one instruction to the mobile circuitry to determine a plurality of REM parameters for a frequency band (or channel, e.g., EARFCN). The mobile circuitry is configured to determine the plurality of REM parameters for the frequency band (or channel) in response to receiving the at least one instruction.
1. A cloud radio access network (C-RAN) for performing radio environment monitoring (REM), comprising:
a baseband controller; and
a plurality of radio points (RPs) implementing a same one or more cells and configured to exchange radio frequency (RF) signals with a plurality of UEs, wherein each RP is communicatively coupled to the baseband controller via an Ethernet network, at least one of the RPs comprising:
a REM module comprising:
mobile circuitry communicatively coupled to a baseband processor; and
a dedicated antenna;
the baseband processor, wherein the baseband processor is configured to send at least one instruction to the mobile circuitry to determine a plurality of REM parameters for a frequency band; and
wherein the mobile circuitry is configured to determine the plurality of REM parameters for the frequency band in response to receiving the at least one instruction.
2. The cloud radio access network (C-RAN) of claim 1 , wherein the mobile circuitry is configured to determine the plurality of REM parameters for the frequency band by sequentially tuning to multiple frequencies in the frequency band and determine at least one REM parameter for each of the multiple frequencies.
3. The cloud radio access network (C-RAN) of claim 1 , wherein the mobile circuitry is further configured to send at least one report, indicating the plurality of REM parameters for the frequency band, to the baseband processor.
4. The cloud radio access network (C-RAN) of claim 3 , further comprising a self-organizing network (SON) module configured to configure at least one parameter for the cloud radio access network (C-RAN) based on the at least one report from the mobile circuitry.
5. The cloud radio access network (C-RAN) of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of REM parameters comprise a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of at least one channel in the frequency band.
6. The cloud radio access network (C-RAN) of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of REM parameters comprise a Physical Cell ID (PCI) of at least one nearby base station.
7. The cloud radio access network (C-RAN) of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of REM parameters comprise an Evolved-UTRA Absolute Radio Frequency Number (EARFCN) of at least one nearby base station.
8. The cloud radio access network (C-RAN) of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of REM parameters comprise an E-UTRAN Cell Global Identifier (ECGI) of at least one nearby base station.
9. The cloud radio access network (C-RAN) of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of REM parameters comprise a reference signal transmit power of at least one nearby base station.
10. The cloud radio access network (C-RAN) of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of REM parameters comprise a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) Root Sequence Index (RSI) of at least one nearby base station.
11. The cloud radio access network (C-RAN) of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of REM parameters comprise a Tracking Area Code (TAC) of at least one nearby base station.
12. The cloud radio access network (C-RAN) of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of REM parameters comprise a Zero Correlation Zone Configuration of at least one nearby base station.
13. The cloud radio access network (C-RAN) of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of REM parameters comprise a Preamble initial receive target power (PIRTP) of at least one nearby base station.
14. The cloud radio access network (C-RAN) of claim 1 , wherein the REM module and the baseband processor communicate using a universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter (UART) interface, a universal serial bus (USB) interface, or both.
15. The cloud radio access network (C-RAN) of claim 1 , wherein a self-organizing network (SON) module is located in the baseband controller, wherein the SON module is configured to configure at least one parameter for the cloud radio access network (C-RAN) based on at least one report from the mobile circuitry.
16. The cloud radio access network (C-RAN) of claim 1 , wherein a self-organizing network (SON) module is located in one of the RPs, wherein the SON module is configured to configure at least one parameter for the one of the RPs based on at least one report from the mobile circuitry.
17. The cloud radio access network (C-RAN) of claim 1 , wherein the mobile circuitry is configured to determine the plurality of REM parameters for the frequency band while the cloud radio access network (C-RAN) is otherwise receiving radio frequency (RF) signals, transmitting RF signals, or both.
18. The cloud radio access network (C-RAN) base station of claim 1 , wherein the REM module is used to detect if at least one other antenna, coupled to a radio frequency (RF) module in the cloud radio access network (C-RAN), stops transmitting.
19. A method for radio environment monitoring (REM) in a cloud radio access network (C-RAN), wherein the cloud radio access network (C-RAN) comprises a baseband controller and a plurality of radio points (RPs) implementing a same one or more cells and configured to exchange radio frequency (RF) signals with a plurality of UEs, at least one of the RPs comprising a REM module with mobile circuitry and a dedicated antenna, wherein the cloud radio access network (C-RAN) further comprises a baseband processor communicatively coupled to the mobile circuitry, the method comprising:
sending at least one instruction to the mobile circuitry to determine a plurality of REM parameters for a frequency band; and
determining the plurality of REM parameters for the frequency band in response to the at least one instruction.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein determining the plurality of REM parameters for the frequency band comprises sequentially tuning to multiple frequencies in the frequency band and determining at least one REM parameter for each of the multiple frequencies.
21. The method of claim 19 , further comprising sending at least one report, indicating the plurality of REM parameters for the frequency band, to the baseband processor.
22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising configuring at least one parameter for the cloud radio access network (C-RAN) based on the at least one report from the mobile circuitry.
23. The method of claim 19 , wherein the plurality of REM parameters comprise a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of at least one channel in the frequency band.
24. The method of claim 19 , wherein the plurality of REM parameters comprise a Physical Cell ID (PCI) of at least one nearby base station.
25. The method of claim 19 , wherein the plurality of REM parameters comprise an Evolved-UTRA Absolute Radio Frequency Number (EARFCN) of at least one nearby base station.
26. The method of claim 19 , wherein the plurality of REM parameters comprise an E-UTRAN Cell Global Identifier (ECGI) of at least one nearby base station.
27. The method of claim 19 , wherein the plurality of REM parameters comprise a reference signal transmit power of at least one nearby base station.
28. The method of claim 19 , wherein the plurality of REM parameters comprise a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) Root Sequence Index (RSI) of at least one nearby base station.
29. The method of claim 19 , wherein the plurality of REM parameters comprise a Tracking Area Code (TAC) of at least one nearby base station.
30. The method of claim 19 , wherein the plurality of REM parameters comprise a Zero Correlation Zone Configuration of at least one nearby base station.
31. The method of claim 19 , wherein the plurality of REM parameters comprise a Preamble initial receive target power (PIRTP) of at least one nearby base station.
32. The method of claim 19 , wherein the at least one instruction is sent to the mobile circuitry using a universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter (UART) interface, a universal serial bus (USB) interface, or both.
33. The method of claim 19 , wherein the plurality of REM parameters are determined for the frequency band while the cloud radio access network (C-RAN) is otherwise receiving radio frequency (RF) signals, transmitting RF signals, or both.
34. The method of claim 19 , further comprising using the REM module to detect if at least one other antenna, coupled to a radio frequency (RF) module in the cloud radio access network (C-RAN), stops transmitting.