Method and device for configuring a single frequency network

Abstract

A telecommunication system is provided comprising a Single Frequency Network, which enables the activation and respectively deactivation of base stations, each providing a radio cell such as a so-called Small Cell. Single Frequency Networks provide the advantage that no handover procedures are required for user equipment traversing several radio cells. The subject matter of the present invention provides means for a location based adaption of the transmission parameters for operating the Small Cells in dependence of the location of the user equipment to be supplied.

1 . A method for configuring a selection of individual transmission points within a plurality of transmission points to form a single frequency network in which multiple transmission points transmit substantially the same signal simultaneously, the transmission points forming the single frequency network sharing transmission resources, the method comprising:
 detecting a location of a first user equipment, UE, device; and   configuring at least one transmission parameter of selected ones of the plurality of transmission points to form the single frequency network to serve the first UE device and adapting the selection of transmission points forming the single frequency network as a function of a movement of the first UE device,   wherein the method further comprises identifying one or more further UE devices having a movement pattern sufficiently similar to a movement pattern of the first UE device and forming a UE device cluster comprising the first UE device and the one or more further UE devices and ensuring that sufficient radio resources are available to the single frequency network to serve the UE device cluster.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one further transmission point is activated to join the single frequency network in response to the UE device cluster approaching the at least one further transmission point. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one transmission point of the selection of transmission points is detached from the single frequency network in response to the UE device cluster moving away from the at least one transmission point of the selection of transmission points. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the single frequency network is partitioned into clusters made up of operating subsets of transmission points using respective orthogonal resources. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the location is detected repeatedly for estimating a movement pattern of the UE device cluster. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein detecting the location is accomplished repeatedly according to one of a predefined schedule, predefined periods of time and a predefined user equipment behaviour profile. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein detecting a location comprises at least one of detecting a presence of a user equipment, detecting a location of a user equipment, detecting a trajectory, detecting a direction of movement, detecting a movement behaviour, estimating a movement behaviour, reading out a provided movement profile and considering an estimated movement profile. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein configuring at least one transmission parameter comprises forming a first cluster of transmission points being operated according to a first set of transmissions parameters and forming at least a second cluster of transmission points being operated according to a second set of transmissions parameters. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein a first cluster of transmission points is activated as a function of the detected location and furthermore a second cluster of transmission points is deactivated as a function of the detected location. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the UE device is operated according to one of a group of standards, the group comprising GSM, UMTS, one of the LTE family of standards and one of the IEEE 802.11 family of standards. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein configuring at least one transmission parameter comprises one of activating the transmission point, increasing a transmission power, decreasing a transmission power, switching between a first operational mode and a second operational mode, and switching between a first transmission scheme and a second transmission scheme. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the UE device is determined to be a reference device for a grouping of UE devices and wherein a determined movement of the reference device is used to establish a movement of the grouping. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the reference device is a UE device installed in or on a vehicle.