Method and system for dynamic cell configuration

Abstract

An apparatus for adapting hyper cells in response to changing conditions of a cellular network is disclosed. During operation, the apparatus collects data regarding network conditions of the cellular network. In accordance with the collected network condition data, the apparatus changes an association of a transmit point from a second cell ID of a second hyper cell to a first cell ID of a first hyper cell. Virtual data channels, broadcast common control channel and virtual dedicated control channel, transmit point optimization, UE-centric channel sounding and measurement, and single frequency network synchronization are also disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for adapting hyper cells in response to changing conditions of a cellular network, the method comprising:
 collecting data regarding network conditions of the cellular network, the cellular network utilizing a wireless protocol;   in accordance with the collected data, determining that a first transmit point associated with a second hyper cell utilizing the wireless protocol is to be added to a first hyper cell utilizing the wireless protocol, wherein the first hyper cell includes at least one transmit point associated with a first cell identifier (ID); and   changing an association of the first transmit point from a second cell ID to the first cell ID, wherein at least one transmit point of the second hyper cell is associated with the second cell ID.   
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the network conditions include load distribution, and wherein the method further comprises:
 determining that a traffic load of a portion of the cellular network exceeds a predetermined threshold; and   changing cell IDs of one or more transmit points transmitting to the portion of the cellular network.   
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the network conditions include UE distribution across the network, and wherein the method further comprises:
 determining that a concentration of user equipments (UEs) serviced by the cellular network at a boundary of the first hyper cell is above a predetermined threshold; and   changing cell IDs of one or more transmit points to the cell ID of the first hyper cell, wherein the one or more transmit points transmit to the boundary of the first hyper cell.   
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining that a second transmit point serves less than a threshold number of UEs; and   turning off the second transmit point in response to determining that the second transmit point is serving less than the threshold number of UEs.   
     
     
       5. An apparatus for adapting hyper cells in response to changing conditions of a cellular network, the apparatus comprising:
 at least one collector configured to collect data regarding network conditions of the cellular network, the cellular network configured to utilize a wireless protocol;   at least one processing unit configured to:   determine that a first transmit point associated with a second hyper cell utilizing the wireless protocol is to be added to a first hyper cell utilizing the wireless protocol in accordance with the collected data, wherein the first hyper cell includes at least one transmit point associated with a first cell identifier (ID); and   change an association of the first transmit point from a second cell ID to the first cell ID, wherein at least one transmit point of the second hyper cell is associated with the second cell ID.   
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the network conditions include load distribution, and the at least one processing unit is configured to:
 determine that a traffic load of a portion of the cellular network exceeds a predetermined threshold; and   change cell IDs of one or more transmit points transmitting to the portion of the cellular network.   
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the network conditions include user equipment (UE) distribution across the network, and the at least one processing unit is configured to:
 determine that a concentration of UEs serviced by the cellular network at a boundary of the first hyper cell is above a predetermined threshold; and   change cell IDs of one or more transmit points to the cell ID of the first hyper cell, wherein the one or more transmit points transmit to the boundary of the first hyper cell.   
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one processing unit is configured to:
 determine that a second transmit point serves less than a threshold number of UEs; and   turn off the second transmit point in response to determining that the second transmit point is serving less than the threshold number of UEs.   
     
     
       9. An apparatus for adapting hyper cells in response to changing conditions of a cellular network, the apparatus comprising:
 at least one collector configured to collect data regarding network conditions of the cellular network;   at least one processing unit configured to:   determine that a transmit point is to be added to a first hyper cell in accordance with the collected data, wherein the first hyper cell includes at least one transmit point associated with a first cell identifier (ID); and   change an association of the transmit point from a second cell ID to the first cell ID, wherein at least one transmit point of a second hyper cell is associated with the second cell ID,   wherein the apparatus is a base station controlling one or more remote radio heads and wherein the base station is adapted to dynamically change one or more cell identifier (ID) in response to changing network conditions, wherein:   the base station is connected to each of the one or more remote radio heads via a communication line; and   the one or more remote radio heads are adapted to receive and transmit radio frequency signals, and wherein the transmit point is a remote radio head.   
     
     
       10. A method comprising:
 receiving, by an apparatus, first information over a user equipment (UE)-specific virtual dedicated control channel transmitted from a first subset of base stations, the first subset of base stations being from a first set of base stations in a first hyper cell of a cellular network, wherein a physical topology of the cellular network is disassociated with cell identifiers (IDs), wherein the first set of base stations in the first hyper cell have no bind with the cell IDs separately, wherein the first set of base stations in the first hyper cell share a first hyper cell ID, wherein the UE-specific virtual dedicated control channel is decoded using a demodulation reference signal (DMRS), and wherein a sequence and a location of the DMRS are generated in accordance with an assigned UE index.    
     
     
       11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:
 receiving, by the apparatus, data over a UE-specific virtual dedicated data channel transmitted from a second subset of base stations, the second subset of base stations being from the first set of base stations in the first hyper cell sharing the first hyper cell ID, the second subset of base stations being different from the first subset of base stations, wherein the UE-specific virtual dedicated data channel is decoded using the DMRS.    
     
     
       12. The method of claim 10, wherein the cellular network includes a supernode and a second set of base stations in a second hyper cell, the second set of base stations associated with a second hyper cell ID of the second hyper cell, the supernode configured to perform operations, the operations including:
 collecting data regarding network conditions of the cellular network; and   changing a first serving coverage of the first hyper cell and a second serving coverage of the second hyper cell based on the collected data, the changing comprising:
 determining that a base station of the second set of base stations to be removed from the second hyper cell and to be added to the first hyper cell based on the collected data, and 
 changing an association of the base station from the second hyper cell ID to the first hyper cell ID based on the determining.  
   
     
     
       13. The method of claim 10, wherein the assigned UE index is based on signal strength associated with the apparatus.  
     
     
       14. The method of claim 10, wherein the first subset of base stations are transparent to the apparatus.  
     
     
       15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:
 receiving, by the apparatus, second information over a broadcast common control channel transmitted from the first subset of base stations, wherein the second information is decoded in accordance with a reference signal tied to the first hyper cell ID.    
     
     
       16. A method comprising:
 transmitting, by a base station to a user equipment (UE), first information over a UE-specific virtual dedicated control channel transmitted from a first subset of base stations, the first subset of base stations including the base station, the first subset of base stations being from a first set of base stations in a first hyper cell of a cellular network, wherein a physical topology of the cellular network is disassociated with cell identifiers (IDs), wherein the first set of base stations in the first hyper cell have no bind with the cell IDs separately, wherein the first set of base stations in the first hyper cell share a first hyper cell ID, wherein the UE-specific virtual dedicated control channel is decoded using a demodulation reference signal (DMRS), wherein a sequence of the DMRS is generated in accordance with an assigned UE index, and wherein the cellular network includes a supernode and a second set of base stations in a second hyper cell, the second set of base stations associated with a second hyper cell ID of the second hyper cell, the supernode configured to perform operations, the operations including:   collecting data regarding network conditions of the cellular network; and   changing a first serving coverage of the first hyper cell and a second serving coverage of the second hyper cell based on the collected data, the changing comprising:
 determining that a base station of the second set of base stations to be removed from the second hyper cell and to be added to the first hyper cell based on the collected data, and 
 changing an association of the base station of the second set of base stations from the second hyper cell ID to the first hyper cell ID based on the determining.  
   
     
     
       17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:
 transmitting, by the base station to the UE, data over a UE-specific virtual dedicated data channel transmitted from a second subset of base stations, the second subset of base stations being from the first set of base stations in the first hyper cell sharing the first hyper cell ID, the second subset of base stations being different from the first subset of base stations, wherein the UE-specific virtual dedicated data channel is decoded using the DMRS.    
     
     
       18. The method of claim 16, wherein the assigned UE index is based on signal strength associated with the UE.  
     
     
       19. The method of claim 16, wherein a location of the DMRS is generated in accordance with the assigned UE index.  
     
     
       20. The method of claim 16, wherein the first subset of base stations are transparent to the UE.  
     
     
       21. The method of claim 16, further comprising:
 transmitting, by the base station to the UE, second information over a broadcast common control channel transmitted from the first subset of base stations, wherein the second information is decoded in accordance with a reference signal tied to the first hyper cell ID.    
     
     
       22. An apparatus in a cellular network that includes a first hyper cell, a second hyper cell, and a supernode, the apparatus comprising:
 at least one processor; and   a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing programming, the programming including instructions when executed by the at least one processor to:
 receive first information over a user equipment (UE)-specific virtual dedicated control channel transmitted from a first subset of base stations of a first set of base stations in the first hyper cell of the cellular network whose physical topology is disassociated with cell identifiers (IDs), wherein the first set of base stations in the first hyper cell have no bind with the cell IDs separately, wherein the first set of base stations in the first hyper cell share a first hyper cell ID, wherein the UE-specific virtual dedicated control channel is decoded using a demodulation reference signal (DMRS), wherein a sequence of the DMRS is generated in accordance with an assigned UE index, and wherein a second set of base stations in the second hyper cell are associated with a second hyper cell ID of the second hyper cell, the supernode configured to perform operations, the operations including:
 collecting data regarding network conditions of the cellular network; and 
 changing a first serving coverage of the first hyper cell and a second serving coverage of the second hyper cell based on the collected data, the changing comprising: 
 determining that a base station of the second set of base stations to be removed from the second hyper cell and to be added to the first hyper cell based on the collected data, and 
 changing an association of the base station from the second hyper cell ID to the first hyper cell ID based on the determining.  
 
   
     
     
       23. The apparatus of claim 22, the programming further including instructions when executed by the at least one processor to:
 receive data over a UE-specific virtual dedicated data channel transmitted from a second subset of base stations, the second subset of base stations being from the first set of base stations in the first hyper cell sharing the first hyper cell ID, the second subset of base stations being different from the first subset of base stations, wherein the UE-specific virtual dedicated data channel is decoded using the DMRS.    
     
     
       24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the assigned UE index is based on signal strength associated with the apparatus.  
     
     
       25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein a location of the DMRS is generated in accordance with the assigned UE index.  
     
     
       26. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the first subset of base stations are transparent to the apparatus.  
     
     
       27. The apparatus of claim 22, the programming further including instructions when executed by the at least one processor to:
 receive second information over a broadcast common control channel transmitted from the first subset of base stations, wherein the second information is decoded in accordance with a reference signal tied to the first hyper cell ID.    
     
     
       28. A base station that is one of a first set of base stations of a first hyper cell, the base station comprising:
 at least one processor; and   a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing programming, the programming including instructions when executed by the at least one processor to:
 transmit, to a user equipment (UE), first information over a UE-specific virtual dedicated control channel transmitted from a first subset of base stations of the first set of base stations in the first hyper cell of a cellular network whose physical topology is disassociated with cell identifiers (IDs), the first subset of base stations including the base station, wherein the first set of base stations in the first hyper cell have no bind with the cell IDs separately, wherein the first set of base stations in the first hyper cell share a first hyper cell ID, wherein the UE-specific virtual dedicated control channel is decoded using a demodulation reference signal (DMRS), and wherein a sequence and a location of the DMRS are generated in accordance with an assigned UE index.  
   
     
     
       29. The base station of claim 28, the programming further including instructions when executed by the at least one processor to:
 transmit, to the UE, data over a UE-specific virtual dedicated data channel transmitted from a second subset of base stations, the second subset of base stations being from the first set of base stations in the first hyper cell sharing the first hyper cell ID, the second subset of base stations being different from the first subset of base stations, wherein the UE-specific virtual dedicated data channel is decoded using the DMRS.    
     
     
       30. The base station of claim 28, wherein the cellular network includes a supernode and a second set of base stations in a second hyper cell, the second set of base stations associated with a second hyper cell ID of the second hyper cell, the supernode configured to perform operations, the operations including:
 collecting data regarding network conditions of the cellular network; and   changing a first serving coverage of the first hyper cell and a second serving coverage of the second hyper cell based on the collected data, the changing comprising:
 determining that a base station of the second set of base stations to be removed from the second hyper cell and to be added to the first hyper cell based on the collected data, and 
 changing an association of the base station of the second set of base stations from the second hyper cell ID to the first hyper cell ID based on the determining.  
   
     
     
       31. The base station of claim 28, wherein the assigned UE index is based on signal strength associated with the UE.  
     
     
       32. The base station of claim 28, wherein the first subset of base stations are transparent to the UE.  
     
     
       33. The base station of claim 28, the programming further including instructions when executed by the at least one processor to:
 transmit, to the UE, second information over a broadcast common control channel transmitted from the first subset of base stations, wherein the second information is decoded in accordance with a reference signal tied to the first hyper cell ID.