Dynamic radio coverage area transition management

Abstract

A coverage transition is performed where a compensation service area is expanded to cover an energy saving service area and the energy saving service area is deactivated. The coverage transition is managed by transferring user equipment devices (UE devices) from an energy saving service area to a transition service area that at least partially overlaps with the energy saving service area. The UE devices may be transferred using a handover procedure between communication stations where each UE device is assigned communication frequencies for communication with the transition communication station that are not used by the energy saving communication station or the compensation service area, thereby avoiding, or at least minimizing, interference. After all UE devices are transferred from the energy saving service area, the communication stations are configured to deactivate the energy saving service area and to expand the compensation service area to cover the energy saving service area.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A base station for controlling a first cell comprising:
 a controller configured to control the first cell so that the first cell replaces at least part of a coverage of a second cell in response to modification of the coverage of the second cell; and   a transmitter configured to transmit an eNB configuration message, which indicates that the first cell replaces the at least part of the coverage of the second cell, to another base station not managing the second cell.   
     
     
         2 . An apparatus provided in a base station for controlling a first cell comprising:
 a controller, wherein the controller is configured to perform processing of:
 controlling the first cell so that the first cell replaces at least part of a coverage of a second cell in response to modification of the coverage of the second cell; and 
 transmitting an eNB configuration message, which indicates that the first cell replaces the at least part of the coverage of the second cell, to another base station not managing the second cell. 
   
     
     
         3 . A method comprising:
 controlling, at a base station, a first cell so that the first cell replaces at least part of a coverage of a second cell in response to modification of the coverage of the second cell; and   transmitting, at the base station, an eNB configuration message, which indicates that the first cell replaces the at least part of the coverage of the second cell, to another base station not managing the second cell.