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 network system comprising:
 a subset of base stations transmitting in a UE specific virtual data channel, wherein a first base station in the subset of base stations is configured to:
 transmit, to a user equipment (UE), information in the UE specific virtual data channel transmitted from the subset of base stations, wherein the UE specific virtual data channel transmitted from the subset of base stations is decoded using a demodulation reference signal (DMRS), and wherein a sequence of the DMRS is generated in accordance with an assigned UE index of a table of UE indices, each of the table of UE indices being unique to a different corresponding UE; and 
   a supernode configured to:
 generate the table with the assigned UE index and potential base stations including the subset of base stations, the assigned UE index being assigned to the UE, wherein the table is generated for all served UEs, the assigned UE index is generated based on a UE ID of the UE, and wherein the supernode manages a plurality of hypercells. 
   
     
     
       11. The network system of claim 10, wherein the UE specific virtual data channel comprises a downlink UE-specific data channel, and the DMRS is UE-specific. 
     
     
       12. The network system of claim 11, the subset of base stations further including a second base station, the second base station configured to:
 transmit the information to the UE in the downlink UE-specific data channel.   
     
     
       13. The network system of claim 10, wherein the subset of base stations transmitting in the UE specific virtual data channel are selected from a plurality of base stations of a first hyper cell in a cellular network. 
     
     
       14. The network system of claim 13, wherein a physical topology of the cellular network is disassociated with cell identifiers (IDs), and the plurality of base stations in the first hyper cell share a first common cell ID. 
     
     
       15. The network system of claim 13, wherein the cellular network further comprises a second hyper cell, wherein a second plurality of base stations in the second hyper cell share a second common cell ID, wherein a second base station is selected from the second plurality of base stations of the second hyper cell based on data regarding network conditions of the cellular network, wherein the selected second base station is removed from the second hyper cell and added to the first hyper cell to change a first serving coverage of the first hyper cell and a second serving coverage of the second hyper cell. 
     
     
       16. The network system of claim 10, wherein a second base station in the subset of base stations communicates with the UE in a UE specific virtual control channel, the second base station being different from the first base station. 
     
     
       17. The network system of claim 16, wherein the second base station communicates with the UE in the UE specific virtual control channel using a data scrambling sequence, and wherein the data scrambling sequence is created in accordance with the UE ID of the UE. 
     
     
       18. The network system of claim 10, a location of the DMRS is generated in accordance with the assigned UE index. 
     
     
       19. A first base station in a subset of base stations in a network system in a cellular network, the network system including a supernode, the first base station comprising:
 at least one processor; and   a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing programming, the programming including instructions for execution by the at least one processor to perform operations of:
 transmitting, to a user equipment (UE), information in a UE specific virtual data channel transmitted from the subset of base stations of the network system, wherein the UE specific virtual data channel transmitted from the subset of base stations is decoded using a demodulation reference signal (DMRS), and wherein a sequence of the DMRS is generated in accordance with an assigned UE index of a table of UE indices, each of the table of UE indices being unique to a different corresponding UE, 
 wherein the table is generated by the supernode with the assigned UE index and potential base stations including the subset of base stations, the assigned UE index being assigned to the UE, wherein the table is generated for all served UEs, the assigned UE index is generated based on a UE ID of the UE, and wherein the supernode of the network system manages a plurality of hypercells. 
   
     
     
       20. The first base station of claim 19, wherein the UE specific virtual data channel comprises a downlink UE-specific data channel, and the DMRS is UE-specific. 
     
     
       21. The first base station of claim 20, the subset of base stations further including a second base station, the second base station configured to:
 transmit the information to the UE in the downlink UE-specific data channel.   
     
     
       22. The first base station of claim 19, wherein the subset of base stations transmitting in the UE specific virtual data channel are selected from a plurality of base stations of a first hyper cell in the cellular network. 
     
     
       23. The first base station of claim 22, wherein a physical topology of the cellular network is disassociated with cell identifiers (IDs), and the plurality of base stations in the first hyper cell share a first common cell ID. 
     
     
       24. The first base station of claim 22, wherein the cellular network further comprises a second hyper cell, wherein a second plurality of base stations in the second hyper cell share a second common cell ID, wherein a second base station is selected from the second plurality of base stations of the second hyper cell based on data regarding network conditions of the cellular network, wherein the selected second base station is removed from the second hyper cell and added to the first hyper cell to change a first serving coverage of the first hyper cell and a second serving coverage of the second hyper cell. 
     
     
       25. The first base station of claim 19, wherein a second base station in the subset of base stations communicates with the UE in a UE specific virtual control channel, the second base station being different from the first base station. 
     
     
       26. The first base station of claim 25, wherein the second base station communicates with the UE in the UE specific virtual control channel using a data scrambling sequence, and wherein the data scrambling sequence is created in accordance with the UE ID of the UE. 
     
     
       27. The first base station of claim 19, a location of the DMRS is generated in accordance with the assigned UE index. 
     
     
       28. A method comprising:
 transmitting, by a first base station to a user equipment (UE), information in a UE specific virtual data channel transmitted from a subset of base stations of a network system, the subset of base stations including the first base station, wherein the UE specific virtual data channel transmitted from the subset of base stations is decoded using a demodulation reference signal (DMRS), and wherein a sequence of the DMRS is generated in accordance with an assigned UE index of a table of UE indices, each of the table of UE indices being unique to a different corresponding UE,   wherein the table is generated by a supernode with the assigned UE index and potential base stations including the subset of base stations, the assigned UE index being assigned to the UE, wherein the table is generated for all served UEs, the assigned UE index is generated based on a UE ID of the UE, and wherein the supernode of the network system manages a plurality of hypercells.   
     
     
       29. The method of claim 28, wherein the UE specific virtual data channel comprises a downlink UE-specific data channel, and the DMRS is UE-specific. 
     
     
       30. The method of claim 29, the subset of base stations further including a second base station, the second base station configured to:
 transmit the information to the UE in the downlink UE-specific data channel.   
     
     
       31. The method of claim 28, wherein the subset of base stations transmitting in the UE specific virtual data channel are selected from a plurality of base stations of a first hyper cell in a cellular network. 
     
     
       32. The method of claim 31, wherein a physical topology of the cellular network is disassociated with cell identifiers (IDs), and the plurality of base stations in the first hyper cell share a first common cell ID. 
     
     
       33. The method of claim 31, wherein the cellular network further comprises a second hyper cell, wherein a second plurality of base stations in the second hyper cell share a second common cell ID, wherein a second base station is selected from the second plurality of base stations of the second hyper cell based on data regarding network conditions of the cellular network, wherein the selected second base station is removed from the second hyper cell and added to the first hyper cell to change a first serving coverage of the first hyper cell and a second serving coverage of the second hyper cell. 
     
     
       34. The method of claim 28, wherein a second base station in the subset of base stations communicates with the UE in a UE specific virtual control channel, the second base station being different from the first base station. 
     
     
       35. The method of claim 34, wherein the second base station communicates with the UE in the UE specific virtual control channel using a data scrambling sequence, and wherein the data scrambling sequence is created in accordance with the UE ID of the UE. 
     
     
       36. The method of claim 28, a location of the DMRS is generated in accordance with the assigned UE index. 
     
     
       37. An apparatus in a network system including a subset of base stations and a supernode in a cellular network, the apparatus comprising:
 at least one processor; and   a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing programming, the programming including instructions for execution by the at least one processor to perform operations of:
 receiving, by the apparatus, information in a user equipment (UE) specific virtual data channel transmitted from the subset of base stations, wherein the UE specific virtual data channel transmitted from the subset of base stations is decoded using a demodulation reference signal (DMRS), and wherein a sequence of the DMRS is generated in accordance with an assigned UE index of a table of UE indices, each of the table of UE indices being unique to a different corresponding UE, 
 wherein the table is generated by the supernode with the assigned UE index and potential base stations including the subset of base stations, the assigned UE index being assigned to the UE, wherein the table is generated for all served UEs, the assigned UE index is generated based on a UE ID of the apparatus, and wherein the supernode manages a plurality of hypercells. 
   
     
     
       38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the UE specific virtual data channel comprises a downlink UE-specific data channel, and the DMRS is UE-specific. 
     
     
       39. The apparatus of claim 38, the subset of base stations further including a second base station, the second base station configured to:
 transmit the information to the UE in the downlink UE-specific data channel.   
     
     
       40. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the subset of base stations transmitting in the UE specific virtual data channel are selected from a plurality of base stations of a first hyper cell in the cellular network. 
     
     
       41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein a physical topology of the cellular network is disassociated with cell identifiers (IDs), and the plurality of base stations in the first hyper cell share a first common cell ID. 
     
     
       42. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the cellular network further comprises a second hyper cell, wherein a second plurality of base stations in the second hyper cell share a second common cell ID, wherein a second base station is selected from the second plurality of base stations of the second hyper cell based on data regarding network conditions of the cellular network, wherein the selected second base station is removed from the second hyper cell and added to the first hyper cell to change a first serving coverage of the first hyper cell and a second serving coverage of the second hyper cell. 
     
     
       43. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein a second base station in the subset of base stations communicates with the UE in a UE specific virtual control channel, the second base station being different from a first base station in the subset of base stations. 
     
     
       44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the second base station communicates with the UE in the UE specific virtual control channel using a data scrambling sequence, and wherein the data scrambling sequence is created in accordance with the UE ID of the UE. 
     
     
       45. The apparatus of claim 37, a location of the DMRS is generated in accordance with the assigned UE index.