Reducing latency and saving resources on ‘un’ interface in case of handover from pico base station

US10383011B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (Publ) · SE

Inventors

• Joel Berglund · Linköping, SE
• Erik Eriksson · Linköping, SE
• Fredrik Gunnarsson · Linköping, SE
• Martin Hessler · Linköping, SE
• Pontus Wallentin · Linköping, SE

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 12, 2014
• Grant date: Aug 13, 2019
• Expiry date: Dec 12, 2034

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04W36/04
• WIPO field: Digital communication
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Small base station, micro, femto or pico BTS (PBS) are connected via Un interface to a donor eNB DeNB. In case of a handover from that PBS packets that had not been acknowledged by a UE need to be forwarded to the target base station. Forwarding them via Un and DeNB to the target eNB causes latency and wast radio resources on Un. Thus, the DeNB uses information about the handover to buffer packets and, after being informed by PBS, forward those packets that had not been acknowledged by the UE. This procedure, therefore, saves resources on Un interface and reduces latency. No forwarding of those packets from PBS to DeNB is required. There is provided a method for forwarding data to a wireless terminal. The method is performed by a proxy node. The method comprises receiving data on a link between a core network and a backhaul hub node. The data is addressed to a wireless terminal served by, or handed over from, a serving network node. The method comprises receiving a first indication to forward the data to a target network node of the wireless terminal. The method comprises forwarding the data towards the target network node in response thereto. There is also provided a computer prog…