Small cell and communication control method thereof

Abstract

A communication control method is disclosed, including: connecting, by a small cell by using a built-in soft SIM card or an inserted SIM card, to a Uu air interface of a macro cell to access the macro cell; after receiving a broadcast synchronization signal of the macro cell, synchronizing, by the small cell, with the macro cell, and acquiring configuration information of the macro cell; and performing, by the small cell, system configuration for the small cell according to the configuration information of the macro cell. A SIM card is added to the small cell, so that the small cell can access a macro cell in a terminal form, which is equivalent to addition of a Uu air interface between the small cell and the macro cell. Therefore, configuration management, performance optimization, admissible subscriber configuration, and the like are implemented for the small cell by using this air interface.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 broadcasting, by a small cell, a closed subscriber group identity (CSG ID) of the small cell, wherein a terminal belonging to the CSG ID is allowed to access the small cell, wherein the small cell has a built-in soft subscriber identity module (SIM) card or an inserted SIM card, and wherein the small cell establishes a connection to a macro cell by using an air interface;   receiving, by the small cell, an admissible subscriber list from the terminal, wherein the admissible subscriber list includes one or more subscribers that are selected by the terminal from a subscriber list or a contact list of the terminal; and   receiving, by the small cell, an indication from the terminal that a subscriber in the admissible subscriber list is a subscriber that is allowed to access the small cell, wherein the admissible subscriber list comprises mobile numbers of the one or more subscribers.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the small cell receives an access request of another terminal after receiving the admissible subscriber list from the terminal; and   wherein:
 in response to determining that the another terminal is in the admissible subscriber list, the small cell allows the another terminal to access the small cell; and 
 in response to determining that the another terminal is not in the admissible subscriber list, the small cell rejects access of the another terminal to the small cell. 
   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the receiving, by the small cell, the admissible subscriber list from the terminal comprises:
 receiving, by the small cell, by using a link between the terminal and the macro cell and a link between the macro cell and the small cell, the admissible subscriber list from the terminal.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 establishing, by the small cell, a connection to the terminal;   receiving, by the small cell, data transmitted from the terminal; and   determining, by the small cell, whether a link exists between the small cell and a small cell gateway;   wherein if a determining result is that the link between the small cell and the small cell gateway is normal, sending, by the small cell to the small cell gateway, the received data transmitted from the terminal; or, otherwise, sending, by the small cell, the data to a mobility management entity/serving gateway (MME/SGW) by using a link between the small cell and the macro cell and by forwarding via the macro cell, wherein the link between the small cell and the macro cell is established by the small cell by using the air interface of the macro cell.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 establishing, by the small cell, a connection to the terminal;   receiving, by the small cell, data transmitted from the terminal; and   determining, by the small cell, whether a link between a small cell gateway and a mobility management entity/serving gateway (MME/SGW);   wherein if a determining result is that the link between the small cell gateway and the MME/SGW is normal, sending, by the small cell to the small cell gateway, the received data transmitted from the terminal; or, otherwise, sending, by the small cell, the data to the MME/SGW by using a link between the small cell and the macro cell and by forwarding via the macro cell, wherein the link between the small cell and the macro cell is established by the small cell by using the air interface of the macro cell.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 establishing, by the small cell, a connection to a terminal;   receiving, by the small cell, data transmitted from the terminal; and   determining, by the small cell, whether a link between a mobility management entity/serving gateway (MME/SGW) and a next node is normal;   wherein if a determining result is that the link between the MME/SGW and the next node is normal, sending, by the small cell to a small cell gateway, the received data transmitted from the terminal; or, otherwise, sending, by the small cell, the data to the MME/SGW by using a link between the small cell and the macro cell and by forwarding via the macro cell, wherein the link between the small cell and the macro cell is established by the small cell by using the air interface of the macro cell.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 establishing, by the small cell, a connection to a macro cell by using an air interface between the small cell and the macro cell;   receiving, by the small cell, a pilot signal of the macro cell, and measuring power of the pilot signal; and   adjusting, by the small cell, transmit power of the small cell according to the measured power of the pilot signal and an adjustment policy, wherein the adjustment policy is that when the measured power of the pilot signal of the macro cell is greater than a threshold, the small cell adjusts the transmit power to first transmit power, and when the measured power of the pilot signal of the macro cell is less than the threshold, the small cell adjusts the transmit power to second transmit power, wherein maximum transmit power of the small cell is greater than the first transmit power, wherein the first transmit power is greater than the second transmit power, and the second transmit power is greater than zero.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 dividing, by the small cell, a system bandwidth of the small cell into multiple frequency bands for transmission of subscriber data; and   measuring, by the small cell, interference signal strengths on different frequency bands, and scheduling, according to the interference signal strengths on the different frequency bands, a frequency band with a low interference signal strength for transmission of the subscriber data.   
     
     
         9 . A small cell, comprising:
 at least one processor; and   a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium coupled to the at least one processor and storing programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor, wherein the programming instructions instruct the at least one processor to perform the following operations:
 broadcasting a closed subscriber group identity (CSG ID) of the small cell, wherein a terminal belonging to the CSG ID is allowed to access the small cell, wherein the small cell has a built-in soft subscriber identity module (SIM) card or an inserted SIM card, and wherein the small cell establishes a connection to a macro cell by using an air interface; 
 receiving an admissible subscriber list from the terminal, wherein the admissible subscriber list includes one or more subscribers that are selected by the terminal from a subscriber list or a contact list of the terminal; and 
 receiving an indication from the terminal that a subscriber in the admissible subscriber list is a subscriber that is allowed to access the small cell, wherein the admissible subscriber list comprises mobile numbers of the one or more subscribers. 
   
     
     
         10 . The small cell of  claim 9 , wherein the programming instructions further instruct the at least one processor to perform the following operations:
 receiving an access request of another terminal after receiving the admissible subscriber list of the terminal;   wherein:
 the small cell allows the another terminal to access the small cell when the another terminal is in the admissible subscriber list, and 
 the small cell rejects access of the another terminal to the small cell, when the another terminal is not in the admissible subscriber list. 
   
     
     
         11 . The small cell of  claim 9 , wherein the programming instructions further instruct the at least one processor to perform the following operations:
 receiving by using a link between the terminal and the macro cell and a link between the macro cell and the small cell, the admissible subscriber list from the terminal.   
     
     
         12 . The small cell of  claim 9 , wherein the programming instructions further instruct the at least one processor to perform the following operations:
 establishing a connection to the terminal;   receiving data transmitted from the terminal; and   determining whether a link between the small cell and a small cell gateway;   wherein if a determining result is that the link between the small cell and the small cell gateway is normal, sending, by the small cell to the small cell gateway, the received data transmitted from the terminal; or, otherwise, sending, by the small cell, the data to a mobility management entity/serving gateway (MME/SGW) by using a link between the small cell and the macro cell and by forwarding via the macro cell, wherein the link between the small cell and the macro cell is established by the small cell by using the air interface of the macro cell.   
     
     
         13 . The small cell of  claim 9 , wherein the programming instructions further instruct the at least one processor to perform the following operations:
 establishing a connection to a terminal;   receiving data transmitted from the terminal; and   determining whether a link between a small cell gateway and a mobility management entity/serving gateway (MME/SGW);   wherein if a determining result is that the link between the small cell gateway and the MME/SGW is normal, sending, by the small cell to the small cell gateway, the received data transmitted by the terminal; or, otherwise, sending, by the small cell, the data to the MME/SGW by using a link between the small cell and the macro cell and by forwarding via the macro cell, wherein the link between the small cell and the macro cell is established by the small cell by using the air interface of the macro cell.   
     
     
         14 . The small cell of  claim 9 , wherein the programming instructions further instruct the at least one processor to perform the following operations:
 establishing a connection to a terminal;   receiving data transmitted from the terminal; and   determining whether a link between a mobility management entity/serving gateway (MME/SGW) and a next node is normal;   wherein if a determining result is that the link between the MME/SGW and the next node is normal, sending, by the small cell to a small cell gateway, the received data transmitted from the terminal; or, otherwise, sending, by the small cell, the data to the MME/SGW by using a link between the small cell and the macro cell and by forwarding via the macro cell, wherein the link between the small cell and the macro cell is established by the small cell by using the air interface of the macro cell.   
     
     
         15 . The small cell of  claim 9 , wherein the programming instructions further instruct the at least one processor to perform the following operations:
 establishing a connection to a macro cell by using an air interface between the small cell and the macro cell;   receiving a pilot signal of the macro cell, and measuring power of the pilot signal; and   adjusting transmit power of the small cell according to the measured power of the pilot signal and an adjustment policy, wherein the adjustment policy is that when the measured power of the pilot signal of the macro cell is greater than a threshold, the small cell adjusts the transmit power to first transmit power, and when the measured power of the pilot signal of the macro cell is less than the threshold, the small cell adjusts the transmit power to second transmit power, wherein maximum transmit power of the small cell is greater than the first transmit power, wherein the first transmit power is greater than the second transmit power, and the second transmit power is greater than zero.   
     
     
         16 . The small cell of  claim 9 , wherein the programming instructions further instruct the at least one processor to perform the following operations:
 dividing a system bandwidth of the small cell into multiple frequency bands for transmission of subscriber data; and   measuring interference signal strengths on different frequency bands, and scheduling, according to the interference signal strengths on the different frequency bands, a frequency band with a low interference signal strength for transmission of the subscriber data.