Method and Device for Dynamically Building a Virtual Cell

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for building dynamically a virtual cell are provided. The method includes: a master control site sending an event that signal quality of an adjacent cell of a virtual cell is greater than a first preset threshold or an event that signal level of an adjacent cell of the virtual cell is greater than a second preset threshold to UE, and receiving a measurement report of the event that the signal quality of the adjacent cell of the virtual cell is greater than the first preset threshold or the event that the signal level of the adjacent cell of the virtual cell is greater than the second preset threshold from the UE; and the master control site adding a cell corresponding to a cell identifier carried in the measurement report as a slave site; the master control site and slave sites constitute a first virtual cell.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for building dynamically a virtual cell, comprising:
 a master control site sending an event that signal quality of an adjacent cell of a virtual cell is greater than a first preset threshold or an event that signal level of an adjacent cell of the virtual cell is greater than a second preset threshold to user equipment (UE), and receiving a measurement report of the event that signal quality of the adjacent cell of the virtual cell is greater than the first preset threshold or the event that signal level of the adjacent cell of the virtual cell is greater than the second preset threshold from the UE; and   the master control site adding a cell corresponding to a cell identifier carried in the measurement report of the event that the signal quality of the adjacent cell of the virtual cell is greater than the first preset threshold or the event that the signal level of the adjacent cell of the virtual cell is greater than the second preset threshold as a slave site;   wherein the master control site and slave sites constitute a first virtual cell.   
     
     
         2 . The method for building dynamically a virtual cell according to  claim 1 , wherein the master control site adding a cell corresponding to a cell identifier carried in the measurement report of the event that the signal quality of the adjacent cell of the virtual cell is greater than the first preset threshold or the event that the signal level of the adjacent cell of the virtual cell is greater than the second preset threshold as a slave site comprises:
 the master control site generating a first virtual cell key according to a first current value of a first S counter and a key from a core network;   the master control site obtaining the cell corresponding to the cell identifier carried in the measurement report of the event that the signal quality of the adjacent cell of the virtual cell is greater than the first preset threshold or the event that the signal level of the adjacent cell of the virtual cell is greater than the second preset threshold, using the obtained cell as the slave site and sending a first adding request message to one of the slave sites;   the master control site receiving a first adding command message from one of the slave sites, generating a first encryption key according to the first adding command message and sending a first radio resource control (RRC) connection reconfiguration message to the UE; and   the master control site receiving a first RRC connection reconfiguration completion message from the UE and the first adding command message from the one of the slave sites;   wherein the first adding request message comprises the first virtual cell key and an encryption algorithm list; the first RRC connection reconfiguration message comprises a first encryption algorithm in the first adding command message and the first current value of the first S counter; the first adding command message comprises the first encryption algorithm,   and,   the master control site adding a cell corresponding to a cell identifier carried in the measurement report of the event that the signal quality of the adjacent cell of the virtual cell is greater than the first preset threshold or the event that the signal level of the adjacent cell of the virtual cell is greater than the second preset threshold as a slave site further comprises:   the master control site sending a second adding request message to other slave sites of the first virtual cell; the master control site receiving a second adding command message from the other slave sites of the first virtual cell;   wherein the second adding request message comprises the first virtual cell key and the first encryption algorithm.   
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the first adding request message or the second adding request message further comprises UE capability information, the first current value of the first S counter, a header compression algorithm and a UE identifier; and
 the first RRC connection reconfiguration message further comprises the header compression algorithm,   and   the first virtual cell key is generated according to the key from the core network and the first current value of the first S counter.   
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . The method for building dynamically a virtual cell according to  claim 2 , wherein when the master control site receives an adding completion message from the slave site, the method further comprises:
 the master control site sending a first path transformation request message to a mobility management entity (MME) and receiving a first path transformation acknowledgement message from the MME;   wherein the first path transformation request message comprises a first virtual cell identifier, a master control site identifier in the first virtual cell and slave cell identifiers in the first virtual cell.   
     
     
         7 . The method for building dynamically a virtual cell according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 the master control site sending an event that signal quality of a slave cell is less than a third preset threshold or an event that signal level of a slave cell is less than a fourth preset threshold to the UE;   the master control site receiving a measurement report of the event that signal quality of the slave cell is less than the third preset threshold or the event that signal level of the slave cell is less than the fourth preset threshold from the UE, and deleting a slave site corresponding to a slave site identifier carried in the measurement report of the event that the signal quality of the slave cell is less than the third preset threshold or the event that the signal level of the slave cell is less than the fourth preset threshold; and   the master control site updating keys of the UE and slave sites of a second virtual cell;   wherein the master control site and slave sites other than the deleted slave site/sites in the first virtual cell constitute the second virtual cell,   and,   wherein the master control site deleting a slave site corresponding to a slave site identifier carried in the measurement report of the event that the signal quality of the slave cell is less than the third preset threshold or the event that the signal level of the slave cell is less than the fourth preset threshold comprises:   the master control site sending a deletion request message to the slave site corresponding to the slave site identifier carried in the measurement report of the event that the signal quality of the slave cell is less than the third preset threshold or the event that the signal level of the slave cell is less than the fourth preset threshold; the master control site receiving a deletion acknowledgement message from the slave site.   
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . The method for building dynamically a virtual cell according to  claim 7 , wherein the master control site updating keys of the UE and slave sites of a second virtual cell comprises:
 the master control site changing the first current value of the first S counter to obtain a second current value of the first S counter and generating a second virtual cell key according to the second current value of the first S counter; and   the master control site sending a key updating request message to the slave sites of the second virtual cell and sending a second RRC connection reconfiguration message to the UE;   wherein the key updating request message comprises the second virtual cell key, and the second RRC connection reconfiguration message comprises the second current value of the first S counter,   and,   the master control site changing the first current value of the first S counter to obtain a second current value of the first S counter comprises:   the master control site adding 1 to the first current value of the first S counter to obtain the second current value of the first S counter.   
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The method for building dynamically a virtual cell according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 the master control site sending an event that signal quality of the master control site is less than a fifth preset threshold or signal level of the master control site is less than a sixth preset threshold and signal quality of an adjacent cell of the master control site is greater than a seventh preset threshold or signal level of an adjacent cell of the master control site is greater than an eighth preset threshold, or an event that the signal quality of the master control site is less than a difference between the signal quality of the adjacent cell of the master control site and a first preset deviation value or the signal level of the master control site is less than a difference between the signal level of the adjacent cell of the master control site and a second preset deviation value, to the UE;   the master control site receiving a measurement report of the event that the signal quality of the master control site is less than the fifth preset threshold or the signal level of the master control site is less than the sixth preset threshold and the signal quality of the adjacent cell of the master control site is greater than the seventh preset threshold or the signal level of the adjacent cell of the master control site is greater than the eighth preset threshold, or the event that the signal quality of the master control site is less than the difference between the signal quality of the adjacent cell of the master control site and the first preset deviation value or the signal level of the master control site is less than the difference between the signal level of the adjacent cell of the master control site and the second preset deviation value, from the UE; and sending a switching request message to a target master control site corresponding to a cell identifier carried in the measurement report of the event that the signal quality of the master control site is less than the fifth preset threshold or the signal level of the master control site is less than the sixth preset threshold and the signal quality of the adjacent cell of the master control site is greater than the seventh preset threshold or the signal level of the adjacent cell of the master control site is greater than the eighth preset threshold, or the event that the signal quality of the master control site is less than the difference between the signal quality of the adjacent cell of the master control site and the first preset deviation value or the signal level of the master control site is less than the difference between the signal level of the adjacent cell of the master control site and the second preset deviation value; and the master control site receiving a switching command message from the target master control site and sending a third RRC connection reconfiguration message to the UE;   wherein the switching request message comprises the key from the core network, a current value of a next hop chaining counter (NCC) and the encryption algorithm list, and the third RRC connection reconfiguration message comprises a second encryption algorithm, a current value of a second S counter and the current value of the NCC,   and,   wherein the third RRC connection reconfiguration message further comprises the header compression algorithm.   
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . The method for building dynamically a virtual cell according to  claim 11 , wherein when the master control site receives the switching request message from another master control site, the method further comprises:
 the master control site generating a third virtual cell key according to the switching request message from the other master control site and sending a deletion request message to slave sites of the other master control site;   the master control site receiving a deletion acknowledgement message from the slave sites of the other master control site and sending a third adding quest message to the slave sites of the other master control site; and   the master control site receiving a third adding command message from the slave sites of the other master control site, generating a third encryption key according to the third adding command message, and sending a switching command message to the other master control site;   wherein the master control site and the slave sites of the other master control site constitute a third virtual cell; the third adding request message comprises the second encryption algorithm and a third virtual cell key.   
     
     
         14 . The method for building dynamically a virtual cell according to  claim 1 , wherein the event that the signal quality of the adjacent cell of the virtual cell is greater than the first preset threshold or the event that the signal level of the adjacent cell of the virtual cell is greater than the second preset threshold comprises an A4 event. 
     
     
         15 . The method for building dynamically a virtual cell according to  claim 7 , wherein the event that the signal quality of the slave cell is less than the third preset threshold or the event that the signal level of the slave cell is less than the fourth preset threshold comprises an A2 event. 
     
     
         16 . The method for building dynamically a virtual cell according to  claim 11 , wherein the event that the signal quality of the master control site is less than the fifth preset threshold or the signal level of the master control site is less than the sixth preset threshold and the signal quality of the adjacent cell of the master control site is greater than the seventh preset threshold or the signal level of the adjacent cell of the master control site is greater than the eighth preset threshold, or the event that the signal quality of the master control site is less than the difference between the signal quality of the adjacent cell of the master control site and the first preset deviation value or the signal level of the master control site is less than the difference between the signal level of the adjacent cell of the master control site and the second preset deviation value comprises an A5 event. 
     
     
         17 . A method for building dynamically a virtual cell, comprising:
 user equipment (UE) selecting a serving cell, using the selected serving cell as a master control site, and establishing services on the master control site;   the UE receiving an event that signal quality of an adjacent cell of a virtual cell is greater than a first preset threshold or an event that signal level of an adjacent cell of the virtual cell is greater than a second preset threshold from the master control site, and measuring an adjacent cell of the master control site;   the UE sending a measurement report of the event that the signal quality of the adjacent cell of the virtual cell is greater than the first preset threshold or the event that the signal level of the adjacent cell of the virtual cell is greater than the second preset threshold to the master control site when determining that there is a cell which satisfies the event that the signal quality of the adjacent cell of the virtual cell is greater than the first preset threshold or the event that the signal level of the adjacent cell of the virtual cell is greater than the second preset threshold in adjacent cells of the master control site; and   the UE receiving a first radio resource control (RRC) connection reconfiguration message from the master control site, generating a first encryption key according to the first RRC connection reconfiguration message, performing reestablishment using the generated first encryption key, sending a first RRC connection reconfiguration completion message to the master control site and initiating a random access process to a slave site.   
     
     
         18 . The method for building dynamically a virtual cell according to  claim 17 , wherein the measurement report of the event that the signal quality of the adjacent cell of the virtual cell is greater than the first preset threshold or the event that the signal level of the adjacent cell of the virtual cell is greater than the second preset threshold comprises identifier/identifiers of one or more cells satisfying the event that the signal quality of the adjacent cell of the virtual cell is greater than the first preset threshold or the event that the signal level of the adjacent cell of the virtual cell is greater than the second preset threshold. 
     
     
         19 . The method for building dynamically a virtual cell according to  claim 17 , wherein the UE generating a first encryption key according to the first RRC connection reconfiguration message comprises:
 the UE generating a first virtual cell key according to a first current value of a first S counter in the first RRC connection reconfiguration message and a key from a core network, and generating the first encryption key according to the generated first virtual cell key and a physical address of the UE using a first encryption algorithm in the first RRC connection reconfiguration message.   
     
     
         20 . The method for building dynamically a virtual cell according to  claim 17 , wherein when the UE receive an event that signal quality of a slave cell is less than a third preset threshold or an event that signal level of a slave cell is less than a fourth preset threshold from the master control site, the method further comprises:
 the UE measuring slave sites in a first virtual cell; and sending a measurement report of the event that signal quality of the slave cell is less than the third preset threshold or the event that signal level of the slave cell is less than the fourth preset threshold to the master control site when the UE determines that there is a cell which satisfies the event that the signal quality of the slave cell is less than the third preset threshold or the event that the signal level of the slave cell is less than the fourth preset threshold in the slave sites in the first virtual cell; and   the UE receiving a second RRC connection reconfiguration message from the master control site, generating a second encryption key according to the second RRC connection reconfiguration message, performing reestablishment using the generated second encryption key, and sending a second RRC connection reconfiguration completion message to the master control site,   and,   the UE generating a second encryption key according to the second RRC connection reconfiguration message comprises:   the UE generating a second virtual cell key according to a second current value of the first S counter in the second RRC connection reconfiguration message and the key from the core network, and generating the second encryption key according to the generated second virtual cell key and the physical address of the UE using the first encryption algorithm,   and,   the event that the signal quality of the slave cell is less than the third preset threshold or the event that the signal level of the slave cell is less than the fourth preset threshold comprises an A2 event.   
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . The method for building dynamically a virtual cell according to  claim 17 , wherein when the UE receive an event that signal quality of the master control site is less than a fifth preset threshold or signal level of the master control site is less than a sixth preset threshold and signal quality of an adjacent cell of the master control site is greater than a seventh preset threshold or signal level of an adjacent cell of the master control site is greater than an eighth preset threshold, or an event that the signal quality of the master control site is less than a difference between the signal quality of the adjacent cell of the master control site and a first preset deviation value or the signal level of the master control site is less than a difference between the signal level of the adjacent cell of the master control site and a second preset deviation value from the master control site, the method further comprises:
 the UE measuring adjacent cells of the master control site;   when the UE determines that there is a cell which satisfies the event that the signal quality of the master control site is less than the fifth preset threshold or the signal level of the master control site is less than the sixth preset threshold and the signal quality of the adjacent cell of the master control site is greater than the seventh preset threshold or the signal level of the adjacent cell of the master control site is greater than the eighth preset threshold, or the event that the signal quality of the master control site is less than the difference between the signal quality of the adjacent cell of the master control site and the first preset deviation value or the signal level of the master control site is less than the difference between the signal level of the adjacent cell of the master control site and the second preset deviation value in the adjacent cell of the master control site, sending a measurement report of the event that the signal quality of the master control site is less than the fifth preset threshold or the signal level of the master control site is less than the sixth preset threshold and the signal quality of the adjacent cell of the master control site is greater than the seventh preset threshold or the signal level of the adjacent cell of the master control site is greater than the eighth preset threshold, or a measurement report of the event that the signal quality of the master control site is less than the difference between the signal quality of the adjacent cell of the master control site and the first preset deviation value or the signal level of the master control site is less than the difference between the signal level of the adjacent cell of the master control site and the second preset deviation value to the master control site; and   the UE receiving a third RRC connection reconfiguration message from the master control site, generating a third encryption key according to the third RRC connection reconfiguration message, performing reestablishment using the generated third encryption key, sending a third RRC connection reconfiguration completion message to a target master control site and initiating a random access process to a slave site,   and,   the UE generating a third encryption key according to the third RRC connection reconfiguration message comprises:   the UE generating a third virtual cell key according to a current value of a second S counter in the third RRC connection reconfiguration message, the key from the core network and a current value of a next hop chaining counter (NCC) and generating the third encryption key according to the generated third virtual cell key and the physical address of the UE using a second encryption algorithm,   and,   the event that the signal quality of the master control site is less than the fifth preset threshold or the signal level of the master control site is less than the sixth preset threshold and the signal quality of the adjacent cell of the master control site is greater than the seventh preset threshold or the signal level of the adjacent cell of the master control site is greater than the eighth preset threshold, or the event that the signal quality of the master control site is less than the difference between the signal quality of the adjacent cell of the master control site and the first preset deviation value or the signal level of the master control site is less than the difference between the signal level of the adjacent cell of the master control site and the second preset deviation value comprises an A5 event.   
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . A method for building dynamically a virtual cell, comprising:
 a slave site receiving a first adding request message or a second adding request message from a master control site, generating a first encryption key according to the first adding request message or the second adding request message, performing configuration using the generated first encryption key, and sending a first adding command message or a second adding command message to the master control site;   wherein the first adding command message comprises a first encryption algorithm.   
     
     
         28 . The method for building dynamically a virtual cell according to  claim 27 , wherein the slave site generating the first encryption key according to the first adding request message comprises:
 selecting the first encryption algorithm for user equipment (UE) from an encryption algorithm list in the first adding request message, and generating the first encryption key according to a first virtual cell key in the first adding request message and a physical address of the UE using the first encryption algorithm;   the slave site generating the first encryption key according to the second adding request message comprises:   generating the first encryption key according to the first virtual cell key in the second adding request message and the physical address of the UE using the first encryption algorithm.   
     
     
         29 . The method for building dynamically a virtual cell according to  claim 27 , wherein the first adding command message or the second adding command message further comprises a first current value of a first S counter in the first adding request message or the second adding request message. 
     
     
         30 . The method for building dynamically a virtual cell according to  claim 27 , wherein after a random access process initiated by the UE is completed, the method further comprises:
 the slave site sending an adding completion message to the master control site.   
     
     
         31 . The method for building dynamically a virtual cell according to  claim 27 , wherein when the slave site receives a deletion request message from the master control site, the method further comprises:
 the slave site releasing corresponding resources and sending a deletion acknowledgement message to the master control site.   
     
     
         32 . The method for building dynamically a virtual cell according to  claim 27 , wherein when the slave site receives a third adding request message from a target master control site, the method further comprises:
 the slave site generating a second encryption key according to the third adding request message, performing configuration using the generated second encryption key, and sending a third adding command message to the target master control site,   and,   the slave site generating a third encryption key according to the third adding request message comprises:   generating the third encryption key according to a third virtual cell key in the third adding request message and the physical address of the UE using a second encryption algorithm in the third adding request message.   
     
     
         33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . (canceled) 
     
     
         36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . (canceled) 
     
     
         38 . (canceled) 
     
     
         39 . (canceled) 
     
     
         40 . (canceled) 
     
     
         41 . (canceled) 
     
     
         42 . (canceled) 
     
     
         43 . (canceled) 
     
     
         44 . (canceled) 
     
     
         45 . (canceled) 
     
     
         46 . (canceled) 
     
     
         47 . (canceled) 
     
     
         48 . (canceled) 
     
     
         49 . (canceled)