Search

EP-4736503-A1 - NETWORK NODES AND METHODS FOR OPTIMIZING NETWORK LOAD IN HYBRID WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORK

EP4736503A1EP 4736503 A1EP4736503 A1EP 4736503A1EP-4736503-A1

Abstract

Network node and method therein for optimizing network load in a hybrid wireless communication network (100) comprising one or more static base stations (sBS1, sBS2,.. sBSi) and one or more mobile base stations (mBS1, mBS2, mBS3, mBS4). The one or more sBSs are serving one or more user equipment (UE1, UE2, UE3) with multicarrier operation capability. The network node obtains serving cell status information (SCSI) for at least one static base station (sBSi) and configures at least one mobile base station (mBS1) for serving the one or more UEs (UE1, UE2, UE3) based on the obtained SCSI to offload the at least one sBS (sBSi)

Inventors

  • NORDLÖW, Anders
  • KAZMI, MUHAMMAD ALI

Assignees

  • Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20230627

Claims (20)

  1. 1. A method performed in a first network node (110) for optimizing network load in a hybrid wireless communication network (100) comprising one or more static base stations, sBSs (sBS1, sBS2,..sBSi), and one or more mobile base stations, mBSs (mBS1, mBS2, mBS3, mBS4), wherein the one or more sBSs are serving one or more user equipment, UEs (UE1 , UE2, UE3), with multicarrier operation capability, the method comprising: obtaining (310) serving cell status information, SCSI, for at least one sBS (sBSi); and configuring (320) at least one mBS (mBS1) for serving the one or more UEs (UE1 , UE2, UE3) based on the obtained SCSI to offload the at least one sBS (sBSi).
  2. 2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein obtaining (320) SCSI for at least one sBS comprises: receiving the SCSI from the at least one sBS; or receiving the SCSI from a third network node (130).
  3. 3. The method according to any one of claims 1-2, wherein configuring (320) at least one mBS for serving the one or more UE comprises: transmitting a message to at least one mBS for moving the at least one mBS to a region where the at least one sBS is located.
  4. 4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the message comprises one or more of the following information: a) geographical coordinates of a region where the at least one sBS is located; b) a time period during which the at least one mBS needs to operate in an indicated region; c) configuration parameters.
  5. 5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein the SCSI comprises one or more of the following information on: 1) a maximum operational time difference, MOTD, of a UE served or managed by the at least one sBS; 2) a number of different types of the serving cells of a UE served or managed by the at least one sBS; 3) whether the at least one sBS supports co-location operation with another base station located at the same geographical site or location; 4) activation or deactivation status of the serving cells of a UE served or managed by the at least one sBS; 5) dormant and/or non-dormant bandwidth part, BWP, status of the serving cells of a UE served or managed by the at least one sBS; 6) resource status of the at least one sBS.
  6. 6. The method according to claim 5, wherein configuring (320) at least one mBS for serving the one or more UEs comprises: configuring (320) the at least one mBS as geographically co-located with the at least one sBS; or configuring (320) the at least one mBS in a region where the at least one sBS is located but not geographically co-located with the at least one sBS.
  7. 7. The method according to any one of claims 5-6, wherein configuring (320) at least one mBS for serving the one or more UE is performed if one or more of the following criteria is fulfilled: a) if the number of serving cells currently being operated by the at least one sBS is above a certain threshold; b) if the number of UEs supporting a certain value of MOTD is above a threshold; c) if the number of activated serving cells being operated by the at least one sBS is above a certain threshold; d) if the resource status indicates that at least one type of resource in the at least one sBS is below a certain threshold; e) if the number of serving cells with non-dormant band width part, BWP, being operated by the at least one sBS is above a certain threshold.
  8. 8. The method according to any one of claims 5-7, wherein the SCSI on MOTD comprises at least one of: a) a maximum relative receive timing difference, MRTD, between the closest time resource timing boundaries of a first signal from one serving cell and a second signal from another serving cell; b) a maximum relative transmission timing difference, MTTD, between time resource timing boundaries of a signal from one Transmission and Reception Point, TRP, belonging to a cell and of a signal from another TRP belonging to the same cell.
  9. 9. The method according to any one of claims 5-8, wherein the SCSI on MOTD of one or more UEs comprises any one or more of the following information: a) a number of UEs whose serving cells are served by the same sBS or by co-located sBSs in the same physical site or location; b) a number of UEs whose serving cells are served by two or more sBSs which are non-co-located BSs; c) a number of UEs which support synchronous multicarrier operation; d) a number of UEs which support asynchronous multicarrier operation; e) a number of UEs which support both synchronous and asynchronous multicarrier operation; f) the type of multicarrier operation supported by the UEs within each group of multicarrier operation; g) a number of groups of UEs where each group supports the same MOTD value; h) a first group of UEs supporting the MOTD up to a first threshold, a second group of UEs supporting the MOTD above the first threshold; i) a first group of UEs supporting the MOTD up to a first threshold, a second group of UEs supporting the MOTD up to a second threshold, and a third group of UEs supporting theMOTD up to a third threshold;
  10. 10. The method according to any one of claims 5-9, wherein the SCSI on the number of different types of the serving cells of a UE served or managed by the at least one sBS comprises any one or more of the following information: a) a number of all type of serving cells of a UE served or managed by the at least one sBS; b) a total number of special cells of a UE served or managed by the at least one sBS; c) a total number of primary cells of a UE served or managed by the at least one sBS; d) a total number of primary secondary cells of a UE served or managed by the at least one sBS; e) a total number of secondary cells of a UE served or managed by the at least one sBS; f) a number of UEs currently operating in Radio Resource Control, RRC, idle state; g) a number of UEs currently operating in RRC inactive state; h) a number of UEs currently operating in RRC connected state; i) a number of serving cells whose UEs are in RRC idle state; j) a number of serving cells whose UEs are in RRC inactive state; k) a number of serving cells whose UEs are in RRC connected state.
  11. 11. The method according to any one of claims 5-10, wherein the SCSI on whether the at least one sBS supports co-location operation with another base station located at the same geographical site or location comprises one or more of the following information: a) an indication indicting whether the at least one sBS can operate when geographically co-located with another base station; b) one or more frequency ranges within which the at least one sBS supports co-location operation with another BS; c) one or more frequency bands within which the at least one sBS supports co-location operation with another BS.
  12. 12. The method according to any one of claims 5-11 , wherein the SCSI on activation or deactivation status of the serving cells of a UE served or managed by the at least one sBS comprises one or more of the following information: a) a total number of serving cells which are currently activated; b) a total number of serving cells which are currently deactivated; c) a total number of secondary cells which are currently activated.
  13. 13. The method according to any one of claims 5-12, wherein the SCSI on dormant and/or non-dormant BWP status of the serving cells of a UE served or managed by the at least one sBS comprises one or more of the following information: a) a total number of serving cells with non-dormant BWP; b) a total number of serving cells with dormant BWP; c) a total number of primary secondary cells and a total number of secondary cells with non-dormant BWP; d) a total number of primary secondary cells and a total number of secondary cells with dormant BWP.
  14. 14. The method according to any one of claims 5-13, wherein the SCSI on resource status of the at least one sBS comprises one or more of the following information: a) radio resource status, RRS; b) transport network resource status, TN RS; c) hardware resource status HRS.
  15. 15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the SCSI on the RRS comprises one or more of the following information: a) a number of resource blocks, RBs, in a sBS current used or allocated to a UE served by the sBS; b) a number of RBs in a sBS current unused or not allocated to a UE served by the sBS; c) a percentage of RBs with regard to the total available RBs in a sBS current used or allocated to one or more UEs served by the sBS; d) a percentage of RBs with regard to the total available RBs in a sBS current unused or not allocated to one or more UEs served by the sBS.
  16. 16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the SCSI on the TNRS comprises one or more of the following information: a) a number of transport network layer resources, TNLR, in a sBS current used or unavailable; b) a number of TNLR in a sBS current unused or available; c) a percentage of TNLR with regard to the total available RNLR in a sBS current used or unavailable; d) a percentage of TNLR with regard to the total available RNLR in a sBS current unused or available.
  17. 17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the SCSI on the HRS comprises one or more of the following information: a) a percentage of processor resources with regard to the total available processor resources in a sBS current used or unavailable; b) a percentage of processor resources with regard to the total available processor resources in a sBS current unused or available; c) a percentage of memory resources with regard to the total available memory resources in a sBS current used or unavailable; d) a percentage of memory resources with regard to the total available memory resources in a sBS current unused or available.
  18. 18. The method according to any one of claims 1-17, further comprising: sending (330) a message to the at least one sBS or a third network node (130) to indicate one or more of the following: a) whether the first network node (110) is configuring or has configured one or more mBS to support and offload the at least one sBS; b) whether the one or more mBS will be co-located or non-co-located with the at least one sBSs; c) a time period during which the configured one or more mBS operates and offloads the at least one sBS; d) one or more configuration parameters.
  19. 19. The method according to any one of claims 1-18, further comprising: sending (340) a message to a fourth network node (140) for requesting one or more mBSs managed by the fourth network node (140) for serving the one or more UEs when a certain type of mBS is not available among the mBSs managed by the first network node (110).
  20. 20. A method performed in a second network node (120) for obtaining and transmitting serving cell status information, SCSI, in a hybrid wireless communication network (100) comprising one or more static base stations, sBS (sBS1 , sBS2,..sBSi), and one or more mobile base stations, mBS (mBS1 , mBS2, mBS3, mBS4), wherein the one or more sBS are serving one or more user equipment, UE (UE1 , UE2, UE3), with multicarrier operation capability, the method comprising: obtaining (810) SCSI for at least one sBS; transmitting (820) the obtained SCSI to a first network node (110) or a third network node (130).

Description

NETWORK NODES AND METHODS FOR OPTIMIZING NETWORK LOAD IN HYBRID WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORK TECHNICAL FIELD Embodiments herein relate to network nodes and methods in a wireless communication network. In particular, they relate to network nodes and methods for optimizing network load in a hybrid wireless communication network comprising one or more static base stations (sBS), one or more mobile base stations (mBS) and one or more user equipment (UE) with multicarrier operation capability. BACKGROUND Wireless communication networks, such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) networks, Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks, Fifth Generation (5G) New Radio (NR) and 6G networks, usually cover a geographical area which is divided into cell areas. Each cell area is served by a base station (BS), which may also be referred as a network node, gNB, eNB, an access node etc. A wireless communication network may include a number of cells that can support communications for a number of wireless communication devices or user equipment (UEs). A UE may be configured with one or more serving cells. Examples of serving cells are special cell (SpCell), secondary cell (SCell) etc. Examples of SpCell are primary cell (PCell), primary secondary cell (PSCell) etc. The carrier frequencies also called component carriers (CC) of SpCell, SCell, PCell and PSCell are called special CC (SpCC) or simply SpC, secondary CC (SCC), primary CC (PCC) and primary secondary CC (PSCC) or simply PSC respectively. A UE may have multicarrier (MC) operation capability. In the MC operation, the UE can operate on multiple carriers for communication e.g. for receiving and/or transmitting signals between the UE and one or more base stations. Examples of MC operations are carrier aggregation (CA), dual connectivity (DC), multi-connectivity (MuC) etc. The carrier frequency is also called frequency layer, serving carrier, frequency channel etc. A UE may need to perform a cell change, e.g. cell reselection, handover etc. during communication. The existing solution of the cell change is fundamentally UE centric as it relies on the UE measured signal level e.g. signal strength such as Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP), signal quality such as Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ). This traditional cell change mechanism works also well for offloading the base stations in static network deployment, e.g. in a terrestrial network (TN), when the base stations are static and fixed. The TN is traditionally deployed using fixed or static base stations (sBSs), which do not move. Therefore, a fixed BS is statically deployed in certain location within the coverage area. The cell planning for the static deployment is based on the two- dimensional deployment. Typically, the cell planning is based on traditional hexagonal cells with directional antennas to secure radio coverage and radio performance. However, recently there are several types of mobile stations such as drone, High Altitude Platform Stations (HAPS), Non-terrestrial Networks (NTN) nodes etc. Their proliferation will lead to hybrid deployment comprising of traditional static or fixed base stations and dynamically or semi-statically deployed network nodes referred herein as mobile base stations (mBSs). mBSs can move from one location to another. Therefore, the introduction of the mBSs enables dynamic deployment of the base stations based on the need. These mobile base stations can be part of terrestrial networks e.g. cell or BS on wheels, or can be part of non-terrestrial networks e.g. aerial base stations, platforms e.g. HAPS as International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) BS (HIBS), drone base stations, integrated access and backhaul (lABs) on airplanes etc. From time to time, such mobile base stations in the air can be semi statically deployed by positioning them in certain locations for certain time period. The mobile base stations can also be in the air all the time, hovering over a certain location or change positions constantly. The combination of statically deployed base stations and base stations that is dynamically deployed opens new ways to perform base station deployments and dynamically adjust radio performance. Therefore, new and complimentary methods of performing cell change will be required in the hybrid deployment. The static base stations are typically customized for the static deployment scenario and region, where they are deployed. Therefore, new mechanisms are needed to manage the static and mobile stations operating in such hybrid environment. SUMMARY Therefore, it is an object of embodiments herein to provide network nodes and methods for managing and optimizing network performance and load in a hybrid wireless communication network comprising one or more sBSs and one or more mBSs. According to one aspect of embodiments herein, the object is achieved by a first network node and method therein for optimizing network load in a hybrid wireless communication network com