Method for reconfiguring the resources of a base station of a non-federated radiocommunication infrastructure; Associated infrastructure and computer program product.

Abstract

Method for reconfiguring the resources of a base station of a non-federated radiocommunication infrastructure; Associated infrastructure and computer program product. This method (100, 200) for automatically reconfiguring the resources of a first base station of a radiocommunication infrastructure comprising the first base station and a second base station, one base station among the first and second base stations being fixed and the other base station among the first and second base stations being mobile, the first and second base stations not being federated, is characterized in that it is implemented by a first computer associated with the first base station, and comprises the steps of: periodically evaluating (120, 220) interference; and, in the event of interference being detected, reconfiguring (140, 170, 270) at least one radio resource of the first base station. Figure for abstract: Figure 2

Description

Title of the invention: Method for reconfiguring the resources of a base station of a non-federated radiocommunication infrastructure; Associated infrastructure and computer program product.

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of radiocommunication infrastructures. It relates more particularly to the case of infrastructures comprising one or more fixed base stations and a moving base station, the base stations not being federated with each other, in particular the mobile base station is not federated with the fixed base stations.

[0002] There are several possible levels of federation (network, telecom, service, radio, etc.). In this document, the concept of federation is understood at the radio level. When two base stations are not federated, they do not exchange any signaling between them. The base stations then make decisions on the use of their resources autonomously, i.e. without explicit exchange of messages with other stations.

[0003] In the context of radiocommunication infrastructures, a bubble is defined as a network composed of a base station and user equipment in communication with this base station. In a bubble, each user equipment is served by the base station. It is not necessary for application data to be exchanged between a user equipment and the base station for this user equipment to belong to the bubble associated with this base station.

[0004] A bubble is said to be fixed when the associated base station is fixed, or mobile when the associated base station is mobile, i.e. capable of moving. The concepts of "fixed" and "mobile" are relative. In certain applications, in particular PPDR ("Public Protection and Disaster Relief") applications, a temporary network may be redeployed, for example, every 30 minutes and considered fixed during its deployment period. The mobility of a station must then be evaluated in relation to this deployment period.

[0005] During operation of the infrastructure, two bubbles may use the same frequency channel or close channels. However, if this is the case for a mobile bubble which is caused during its movement to cover, even partially, a fixed bubble, interference will be created. This interference will disrupt communications on both the mobile bubble and the fixed bubble. It is then necessary to reconfigure the radio resources of one and / or the other bubble. But, since the interfering bubbles are not federated, they cannot negotiate with each other the use of the radio resource to avoid interference.

[0006] The article by Mahima Mehta et al., “A Self-Organized Resource Allocation using Inter-Cell Interference Coordination (ICIC) in Relay-Assisted Cellular Networks”, April 2014 1) proposes a frequency resource allocation to avoid interference between fixed bubbles. This method is called ICIC, for “Inter-Cell Interference Coordination”, i.e. “coordination of intercellular interference”.

[0007] This prior art does not concern the case where at least one base station is mobile relative to the other fixed base stations.

[0008] But above all, this allocation of radio resources requires coordination between the base stations, which is not feasible without effective federation of the bubbles by the radiocommunication infrastructure.

[0009] However, if the federation is no longer ensured, limited or cut off, the base stations can no longer be reconfigured in a coordinated manner and the quality of communications is then no longer ensured, which can be particularly detrimental in the case of critical communications.

[0010] There is therefore a need to ensure continuity of service for communications in progress on a set of bubbles comprising fixed bubbles and mobile bubbles when there is no federation at the radio level provided between these bubbles or when this federation has been temporarily lost.

[0011] The aim of the present invention is then to propose a method for automatic and autonomous reconfiguration of base stations following the movement of a mobile bubble causing interference on a fixed bubble.

[0012] For this purpose, the invention relates to a method for automatically reconfiguring the resources of a first base station of a radiocommunication infrastructure, the radiocommunication infrastructure comprising the first base station and a second base station, one base station among the first and second base stations being fixed and the other base station among the first and second base stations being mobile, the first and second base stations not being federated, characterized in that the method is implemented by a first computer associated with the first base station, and comprises the steps of: periodically evaluating interference; and, in the event of interference being detected, reconfiguring at least one radio resource of the first base station.

[0013] According to particular embodiments, the method comprises one or more of the following characteristics, taken in isolation or in all technically possible combinations:

[0014] - the reconfigured radio resource is chosen from a power, a frequency and a directivity of the first base station.

[0015] - the interference evaluation step consists of detecting interference suffered on a first bubble associated with the first base station and caused by communications on a second bubble associated with the second base station, or to estimate interference induced on the second bubble by communications on the first bubble.

[0016] - the interference evaluation step is based on quality measurements communications on uplinks and / or downlinks between each user equipment connected to the first base station.

[0017] - the first base station being the mobile station and the second base station being the fixed station, during the reconfiguration step, the first base station, in order not to disrupt the communications of the user equipment connected to the second base station, adjusts an instantaneous transmission power to seek to reduce interference and, when the instantaneous transmission power becomes less than or equal to a minimum transmission power, performs a frequency fallback on a so-called fallback sub-band, identified as free.

[0018] - the first base station being the fixed station and the second base station being the mobile station, during the reconfiguration step, the first base station, to protect its communications from user equipment connected to the first base station, performs a frequency fallback on a so-called fallback sub-band, identified as free.

[0019] - the foldback sub-band is identified by a frequency sweep of the band of operating frequency of the radiocommunication infrastructure; the fallback sub-band is identified from the detected interference; or the fallback sub-band is predefined by configuration of the first base station.

[0020] - to predefine the fallback sub-band, the method further comprises a step of initial configuration in which the controller associated with the first base station stores a first list of sub-bands allocated to the first base station and the controller associated with the second base station stores a second list of sub-bands prohibited to the second base station, the first list and the second list overlapping on at least one sub-band defined as the fallback band allowing the first base station to fallback in the event of interference detection.

[0021] - a sub-band is a portion of band - BWP (“BandWidth Part”) such that defined in version 15, published in December 2017, of the fifth generation standard - 5G mobile telephony.

[0022] - the interference evaluation step corresponds to the execution of an algorithm suitably parameterized machine learning for, from a plurality of measurements of the quality of communications on uplinks and / or downlinks between each user equipment connected to the first base station, determine a class of interference.

[0023] The invention also relates to an infrastructure and a computer program product for implementing the preceding method.

[0024] The invention and its advantages will be better understood on reading the detailed description which follows of a particular embodiment, given solely by way of non-limiting example, this description being made with reference to the appended drawings in which:

[0025] [Fig-1] [Fig.l] is a schematic representation in the form of modules functionalities of a radiocommunication infrastructure allowing the implementation of the method according to the invention;

[0026] [Fig.2] [Fig.2] is a block representation of the process according to the invention; and,

[0027] [Fig.3] [Fig.3] is a diagram of the frequency band during the fallback stage frequency of the process of [Fig.2].

[0028] We consider a radiocommunication infrastructure comprising fixed stations and a mobile station.

[0029] There is no federation between these stations, or at least between all the fixed stations, on the one hand, and the mobile station, on the other hand.

[0030] To make this infrastructure more resilient, the invention is based on:

[0031] - periodic detection, by a base station, of interference on the communications of users served by this base station. This detection is done without coordination between base stations. Each base station discovers its neighborhood based on its own quality measurements on the communication links in its bubble; and,

[0032] - when interference is detected, a real-time reallocation of the radio resources of the base station, without direct coordination with the base stations of the interfering and / or interfered bubbles. This reallocation consists of a reduction in the power of the incoming station, or a frequency reallocation of the sub-bands if the reduction in power does not guarantee the requested qualities of service - QOS ("quality of service").

[0033] Advantageously, the method is adapted according to the nature of the base station for which it is implemented, namely whether the base station is of the fixed or mobile type, to deploy a strategy consisting for example of favoring the communications of the fixed stations (since the latter belong to a network a priori already deployed) over those of the mobile station, by first reconfiguring the station mobile to limit the impact of its own emissions, then possibly the fixed station to protect itself from interference caused by the emissions of the mobile station.

[0034] [Fig.l] illustrates a preferred embodiment of a radiocommunication infrastructure for implementing the method according to the invention.

[0035] This infrastructure 1 comprises a fixed radiocommunication network 10 and a mobile radiocommunication network 20.

[0036] The fixed network 10 is for example a deployed network. It comprises fixed base stations, a base station controller associated with each base station, and a core network 30 to which each base station controller is connected.

[0037] A base station - BTS ("Base Transceiver Station") constitutes a radio access point for mobile equipment located in the coverage area of this base station. It comprises transmission / reception means. It is responsible for modulation, demodulation, error correction coding, etc. operations, the broadcasting of information on the cell and the feedback of information on the transmission quality to the base station controller to which it is connected.

[0038] The radio controller - BSC ("Base Station Controller") manages the radio channels (controls call admission, intercellular roaming ("handover"), and power control). It supervises the activation / deactivation of a channel.

[0039] Fixed stations are referred to as OTP (“On The Pause” in English) stations in the following.

[0040] In [Fig.l] three fixed stations are illustrated, respectively 11, 12 and 13.

[0041] The fixed base station 11 is associated with the controller 14, the fixed base station 12 is associated with the controller 15, and the fixed base station 13 is associated with the controller 16.

[0042] Each fixed base station is associated with a fixed cell.

[0043] A user equipment present in a cell can establish a communication link with the base station of this cell.

[0044] A bubble is composed of the association of a base station and user equipment linked to this base station.

[0045] Thus, for example, in [Fig.l], the fixed bubble 31 groups together the user equipment 31b 312 and 313 in connection with the fixed base station 11; the fixed bubble 32 groups together the user equipment 32i in connection with the fixed base station 12; and the fixed bubble 33 groups together the user equipment 33b 332 and 333 in connection with the fixed base station 13.

[0046] Fixed stations are not federated among themselves.

[0047] The mobile network 30 comprises at least one mobile station, such as the mobile base station 21 associated with a base station controller 24.

[0048] The mobile station is referred to as an OTM (“On The Move” in English) station in the following.

[0049] The mobile station 21 is for example carried on board a vehicle 29 moving with the speed y.

[0050] The coverage area of the mobile base station 21 defines a mobile cell.

[0051] User equipment present in the mobile cell, such as equipment 411 and 412, can establish a communication link with the mobile base station 21. This involves, for example, several receivers in the vehicle 29, carrying the mobile base station 21.

[0052] The mobile bubble 41 is then composed of the association of the mobile base station 21 and the user equipment that it serves.

[0053] Mobile station 21 is not federated with fixed stations 11, 12 and 13.

[0054] During operation of the infrastructure, the OTM station 21 moves so that the associated mobile bubble 41 overlaps the fixed bubble, for example the bubble 31, associated with a fixed station, for example the OTP station 11.

[0055] There is therefore a risk that the communications in the mobile bubble 41 and the communications in the fixed bubble 31 interfere with each other, thereby degrading the quality of the exchanges in progress.

[0056] The interfering fixed and mobile base stations are not explicitly coordinated with each other at the time of implementation of the method. Either this coordination has never existed, or it is temporarily unavailable.

[0057] According to the invention, each base station controller executes a program adapted to implement the automatic reconfiguration method according to the invention.

[0058] A radio controller is a computer comprising calculation means, such as a processor, storage means, such as a memory, and input / output interfaces, in particular for connection to the associated base station.

[0059] The memory of the radio controller stores in particular the instructions of computer programs. In particular, it stores a program whose execution allows the implementation of the method according to the invention.

[0060] Advantageously, the program is configured according to the nature of the associated base station, OTM station or OTP station.

[0061] Thus, the controller 24 of the OTM station 21 executes the program 101, while the controller 14, 15, 16 of the OTM station 11, 12, 12 executes the program 201.

[0062] A preferred embodiment of the automatic reconfiguration method according to the invention will now be presented with reference to [Fig.2].

[0063] The method makes it possible, in the event of interference being detected by a base station, based on the evolution of the quality of communications in the bubble that this base station serves, to automatically reconfigure the resources of this base station, in order to reduce this interference and consequently ensure continuity of service to users of the interfering bubbles.

[0064] The method is implemented while the base stations cannot communicate directly with each other to negotiate a reconfiguration.

[0065] The method is distributed in the sense that the controller associated with each base station implements the method, i.e. executes the corresponding program. Thus, each base station is autonomous in the management of its resources. Preferably, it adapts its reconfiguration depending on whether it is fixed or mobile.

[0066] [Fig.2] represents the implementation of a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention on the one hand for the OTM station 21, method 100 carried out by the controller 24, in parallel with the implementation of the method according to the invention for the OTP station 11, method 200 carried out by the controller 14, while the mobile bubble 41 associated with the OTM station 21, during its movement, passes into the fixed bubble 31 associated with the OTP station 11.

[0067] In the present embodiment, in the event of interference between the mobile bubble and the fixed bubble, the strategy chosen for the reconfiguration of the radio resources gives priority to the communications in progress on the fixed bubble 31, considering that it is the OTM station which disrupts the communications of the mobile bubble associated with an OTP station belonging to a deployed network.

[0068] Due to this particular strategy, the method according to the invention is adapted to the nature of the base station for which it is produced.

[0069] For an OTM station, such as station 21, the method 100 therefore advantageously begins with a configuration step 110, making it possible to indicate that the base station to be controlled is of the OTM type.

[0070] At the start of method 100, the station 21 is in a nominal operating state, or NOM mode, in which the communications in progress on the mobile bubble 41 are not degraded.

[0071] The OTM station 21 then uses all available resources, for example the entire frequency band available for the frequency resource.

[0072] Periodically, a detection step 120 is carried out to detect possible interference.

[0073] The iteration period of step 120 varies depending on the capabilities of transmitting radio measurements from the base station to the associated controller and the user equipment connected thereto. For example, the detection step 120 is iterated every second.

[0074] The detection step 120 aims to detect the interference caused by the presence of at least one neighboring bubble (in this case the fixed bubble 31 associated with the OTP station 11) in the vicinity of the OTM station 21.

[0075] This detection could be done by a frequency sweep, but, in the present embodiment, this detection is done by evaluating, by the controller 24, the interference suffered, i.e. interference caused by emissions from fixed bubble 31 on communications in mobile bubble 41, based on measurements of the degradation of connection quality provided by OTM station 21.

[0076] The controller 24 thus uses the radio data, such as:

[0077] - measurements on the uplinks (“UpLink”) and downlinks (“DownLink”) between each user equipment 41; and the base station 21, such as for example for a fifth generation infrastructure - 5G the instant indicators: CQI, CSI, PMI...); and / or,

[0078] - the measurement reports carried out by the equipment users 41; particularly during a handover situation•

[0079] For example, the controller 24 uses the decrease in the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) measured by a user equipment 41, a quantity which quantifies the quality of the signal on the downlink in the presence of interference and noise, this measurement being reported to the controller 24 via the base station 21.

[0080] Assuming that the impact suffered by the moving bubble due to the fixed bubble is related to the impact induced by the moving bubble on the fixed bubble, the detection of interference suffered is an indicator of the induced interference.

[0081] Advantageously, the controller 24 of the OTM station 21 implements an artificial intelligence algorithm - AI (or machine learning algorithm) making it possible to directly quantify the interference induced from the radio measurements collected in the mobile bubble. The AI algorithm implemented is for example capable, following a suitable learning phase, of estimating the interference class to which the interference that the bubble in question induces on the neighboring bubble belongs.

[0082] This AI algorithm can advantageously incorporate an estimation of the reliability of the learning by quantifying a confidence interval of the predictions.

[0083] Step 120 leads to a first result quantifying a level of interference, NI (interference suffered by the mobile bubble or interference caused on the mobile bubble). More generally, and in particular when an AI algorithm is implemented, the notion of interference class is used instead of that of level.

[0084] In step 130, the first result NI is compared to a first interference threshold, SL

[0085] Below this first threshold, it is decided that no interference is detected or that it is insufficient to significantly disrupt the communications in progress. This is the case, for example, when the moving bubble is tangent to the fixed bubble during its movement.

[0086] Under these conditions, the fixed base station remains in the nominal state “NOM” and the method 100 loops at the input of step 120 for a new iteration of the interference measurement at the following time step.

[0087] On the other hand, when the level NI is greater than or equal to the first interference threshold SI, it is decided that interference is detected and that its level disrupts the communications in progress.

[0088] Advantageously, the first threshold SI is chosen at a low value, so that the OTM station 21 initiates a reconfiguration of its resources as soon as it presents a risk to the quality of communications on the neighboring bubble, a priori a priority according to the particular strategy implemented in the present embodiment.

[0089] When interference is detected, the base station switches to a secure communications operating mode or “SECCOM” mode.

[0090] In SECCOM mode, a reconfiguration of the radio resources of the OTM station 21 is carried out on command from the controller 24.

[0091] This reconfiguration consists of modifying a power resource and / or a frequency resource of the base station 21.

[0092] Preferably, for an OTM station, when switching to SECCOM mode, the frequency reconfiguration is not automatic. Indeed, if the interference is not too strong and is detected quickly enough, the OTM station begins by lowering its transmission power.

[0093] Thus, in the present embodiment, a reduction in the transmission power of the OTM station 21 is first carried out, and, if this is not sufficient to limit the impact of its transmissions on the fixed bubble 31 without however losing its own communications, a frequency fallback of the OTM station 21 outside the occupied spectral band is then carried out.

[0094] Thus, in step 140, the controller 21 commands an adjustment of the current operating power of the OTM station 21.

[0095] This adjustment is preferably calculated according to the level of Ni interference suffered or induced.

[0096] This adjustment is a reduction in power when the moving bubble enters the fixed bubble and an increase in power when the moving bubble exits the fixed bubble.

[0097] Following a power adjustment, in step 150, the controller 24 updates the interference level NI. Preferably, the interference detection method of step 120 is repeated in step 150.

[0098] If the level of interference remains high, for example remains greater than or equal to SI, steps 140 and 150 are iterated in a loop so as to reach a plateau in power, below which there is no interference and above which there is interference.

[0099] For example, following the adjustment of the power in step 140, if interference is still detected (N1>S1) in step 150, during the next iteration of the loop, the power is reduced by a further step in step 140 and the effect of this reduction on the level of interference is evaluated once again in step 150.

[0100] For example, following the power adjustment in step 140, if interference is no longer detected (N1 <S1) à l’étape 150, lors de l’itération suivante de la boucle, la puissance est augmentée d’un pas à l’étape 140 et l’effet de cette augmentation sur le niveau des interférences est évalué à l’étape 150.

[0101] Advantageously, it is ensured that the instantaneous power P remains at all times greater than a minimum power Pmin.

[0102] Thus, at the end of an iteration of step 150, if it is found that there is still interference, the method goes to step 160, otherwise the method goes to step 180.

[0103] In step 160, the instantaneous power P is compared to the minimum power Pmin.

[0104] When the instantaneous power P is greater than the minimum power Pmin, the method 100 loops to step 140.

[0105] On the other hand, if the instantaneous power P is equal to the minimum power, we exit the loop of steps 140 and 150 because the adjustment of the instantaneous power P is not sufficient to eliminate the interference without going below the minimum power Pmin, which would mean the loss of the communications in progress between the user equipment 41i and the OTM station 21 on the mobile bubble.

[0106] The method 100 then moves into a frequency folding step 170.

[0107] Indeed, if the OTM 21 station is too close to the OTP 31 station and, consequently, the level of interference remains too high, the OTM 21 station can no longer lower its power at the risk of losing its own communications.

[0108] The controller 41 then reconfigures the frequency of the OTM station 21 so as to perform a frequency fallback.

[0109] Thus, in step 170, the OTM station 21 falls back to a so-called fallback frequency sub-band which is a free frequency sub-band of the frequency band used by the radiocommunication infrastructure 1.

[0110] In a simple embodiment, step 170 provides that the controller 24 controls the OTM station 21 to carry out a frequency sweep of the entire frequency band, in order to identify the sub-bands free from all interference.

[0111] The OTM station controller then selects at least one fallback sub-band from among the sub-bands identified as free.

[0112] Once the frequency folding has been carried out, the method moves on to step 180.

[0113] In step 180, the controller 24 controls the OTM station 21 to perform a frequency scan of the entire frequency band.

[0114] If the frequency band is not completely free, the method 100 returns to step 160.

[0115] If the frequency band is free, the base station switches from SECCOM mode to nominal NOM mode and the method 100 returns to step 120.

[0116] The method 200 implemented on the side of the OTP station 11 by the controller 14 preferably begins with an initial configuration step 210, making it possible to indicate that the station to be controlled is of the OTP type.

[0117] While the OTP station is in the nominal operating mode NOM, a step 220 of interference detection is carried out.

[0118] The detection step 220 is identical to step 120. Step 210 leads to a second result quantifying the level of interference, suffered or induced, N2.

[0119] In step 230, the level N2 is compared to a second interference threshold, S2.

[0120] Below the threshold S2, it is considered that no interference is detected. The method 200 returns to step 220 while maintaining the OTP station in the nominal state NOM.

[0121] On the other hand, when the level N2 is greater than or equal to the second interference threshold S2, it is considered that interference is detected and that its level disrupts the communications in progress.

[0122] Advantageously, the second threshold S2 can be adjusted so that the interference detected by the OTP station is interpreted as disturbances caused by a neighboring OTM station. The second threshold S2 is then advantageously chosen at a high value, so as to give the OTM station time to reconfigure its radio resources before the priority OTP station launches the reconfiguration of its own resources.

[0123] Thus, following interference detection in step 230, the OTP station switches to a SECCOM operating mode.

[0124] The reconfiguration of the radio resources of the OTP station 11 consists of modifying a power resource and / or a frequency resource of the OTP station.

[0125] In the present embodiment, only a frequency fold of the OTP station, outside the occupied spectral sub-band is carried out.

[0126] Indeed, since communications in the fixed bubble 31 are considered a priority, it is difficult to reduce the power of the OTP station 11 without risking losing ongoing communications, especially since the network is already deployed with transmission power configurations optimized to limit inter-cell interference with other neighboring OTP stations in the network. Therefore, it is not relevant to modify the power of the OTP station in the event of interference, at the risk to lose many communications, or conversely to interfere more with other OTP stations.

[0127] Thus, in step 270, the controller 14 then reconfigures the frequency of the OTM station 11 so as to carry out a frequency fallback.

[0128] Thus, in step 270, the OTM station 11 falls back to a so-called fallback frequency sub-band which is a free frequency sub-band of the frequency band used by the radiocommunication infrastructure 1.

[0129] In a simple embodiment, step 270 provides that the controller 14 controls the OTP station 11 to carry out a frequency scan of the entire frequency band, in order to identify the sub-bands free from all interference.

[0130] Preferably, the mobile bubble continues to transmit on its sub-band. Each fixed bubble performs a frequency sweep to detect all the free sub-bands. The fixed bubbles then apply a distributed channel allocation method to distribute the sub-bands identified as free between them. This method is for example presented in the article by J. Gaveau, X. Leturc, CJ Le Martret and M. Assaad, "Trial and Error Leaming for Dynamic Distributed Channel Allocation in Random Medium," in IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, vol. 20, no. 12, pp. 8177-8190, Dec. 2021, doi: 10.1109 / TWC.2021.3090924.

[0131] Once the frequency folding has been carried out towards one of the sub-bands identified as free, the method 200 moves on to step 280.

[0132] In step 280, the controller 14 controls the OTP station 11 to perform a frequency scan of the entire frequency band.

[0133] If the frequency band is not completely free, the method 200 periodically repeats step 280.

[0134] If the frequency band is free, the base station 11 is switched from SECCOM mode to nominal NOM mode and the method 200 returns to step 220.

[0135] In an alternative embodiment, in step 170 (270), instead of performing a frequency sweep to identify a possible fallback sub-band, one or more fallback sub-band(s) are allocated to the OTM station and deallocated to the OTP station.

[0136] Fallback sub-bands are allocated only to the OTM station 21. The fallback sub-bands allocated to the OTM station must not be part of the sub-bands usable by the OTP stations to avoid the stations interfering with each other after fallback.

[0137] The fallback sub-bands can be allocated / deallocated in a fixed manner: during the configuration step 110 for the OTM station and 210 for the OTP station, the associated controller stores a list of the sub-bands allocated to an OTM station and a list of the sub-bands prohibited to an OTP station, during a possible switch to SECCOM mode and the implementation of a frequency fallback.

[0138] A particularly advantageous implementation of a fixed allocation / deallocation can be made according to the 5G standard by considering that a sub-band is a portion of band - BWP ("bandwidth part"). An illustration of the use of BWPs is shown in [Fig.3].

[0139] According to the 5G standard, when a user equipment establishes a link with a base station, it is configured to be able to operate on the uplink channel and the downlink channel, on a maximum of four predefined BWPs. At any given time, a user equipment uses only one active BWP among the four predefined ones.

[0140] According to the invention, a user equipment of a mobile bubble is configured with at least one BWP belonging to the fallback sub-bands allocated to the OTP base station.

[0141] According to the invention, a user equipment of a fixed bubble is configured with at least one BWP outside the forbidden sub-bands, deallocated to the OTP base station.

[0142] In NOM mode, the OTM station 21 can use any BWP of the B band. For example, it configures the user equipment 411 with four BWPs, respectively BWP21 BWP22, BWP23 and BWP24.

[0143] The BWP21 is active at the moment when the OTM station switches to SECCOM mode and decides on frequency fallback (step 170). Following the fallback, the OTM base station can only operate on the B2 and B4 portions of the B band which have been allocated to it by configuration and it is the BWP22 which is for example selected as a fallback sub-band and becomes active for communication with the user equipment 411

[0144] In NOM mode, the OTP station 11 can use any BWP of the B band. For example, it configures the user equipment 311 with four BWPs, respectively B WP 11 BWP 12, BWP 13 and BWP 14.

[0145] The BWP11 is active at the moment when the OTP station switches to SECCOM mode and decides on frequency fallback (step 270). Following the fallback, the OTP base station can only operate on the portions B1, B3 and B5 of the B band, the portions B2 and B4 having been deallocated to it by configuration and it is the BWP12 which is for example selected as a fallback sub-band and becomes active for communication with the user equipment 31i.

[0146] One advantage of using BWPs is that no signaling is sent outside of the active BWPs.

[0147] Note that it is also possible to use other planned frequency fallback methods, such as freezing resources at the level of a base station scheduler. This method, like the change of band portion - BWP, is done instantly and without service interruption.

[0148] In another variant embodiment, steps 140, 150, 160 are replaced by a single step of implementing an AI algorithm.

[0149] The difficulty lies in identifying the conditions under which the OTM 21 station must reduce (increase) its power and under which it must stop reducing (increasing) it.

[0150] In other words, the value of the power regulation level as a function of the detected interference must be optimized, in order to allow an adapted adjustment of the power of the OTM station 21 to no longer interfere with the neighboring bubble, while limiting the loss of quality on its own communications. Such an adaptive adjustment has the advantage of being carried out more quickly than an iterative adjustment as presented above.

[0151] Therefore, an AI algorithm is advantageously implemented to identify this level.

[0152] The AI algorithm is for example of the classifier type to separate an acceptable situation for the OTM station 21 from an unacceptable situation. It is for example an interference level classifier. It takes as input different indicators of the quality of communications on the bubble and delivers as output an interference class selected from a plurality of possible interference classes.

[0153] The level is for example determined based on data such as:

[0154] - the speed of the OTM 21 station (measured for example with a sensor on the station OTM 21, by Doppler measurement on current communications, or other);

[0155] - criteria on the evolution (in particular the decrease) of one or more indicators performance - KPIs (signal quality, MCS, CQI, #Retransmissions, etc.) indicative of a rapprochement of station OTM 21 with the neighboring station OTP 31; and / or

[0156] - the desired flow rate on the communication links in the mobile bubble.

[0157] The diversity of this data makes it relevant to use an AI algorithm, which will make it possible to estimate the impact precisely and give an instantaneous value of the level which is adapted to the current situation encountered.

[0158] It was chosen to use as AI algorithm a support vector machine - SVM type algorithm for power reduction to manage the entry of the moving bubble into the fixed bubble, because such an algorithm predicts high levels well.

[0159] It was chosen to use as AI algorithm a K nearest neighbors - K-NN algorithm to increase the power when the moving bubble leaves the fixed bubble.

[0160] If a 5G implementation has been more particularly presented, the invention can be applied to other past or future radiocommunication standards. Those skilled in the art will know how to adapt the technical teaching of the present description.

[0161] For an OTP base station, the interference detection threshold may be more conservative, in order to allow an OTM base station to reconfigure itself before initiating its own reconfiguration. This prevents a base station in a deployed network from frequency fallbacking too hastily, without waiting to see if the reconfiguration of the OTM base station is sufficient to reduce interference to an acceptable level.

[0162] The SECCOM mode aims to maintain ongoing communications, primarily those of the fixed / deployed network, and then, if possible, those of the mobile stations. To do this, in SECCOM mode, we play on different resources such as frequency resources or the transmission power of the antennas. Other strategies could be implemented.

[0163] If in the present description the cases of reconfiguration of the power and the frequency have been mentioned, as a variant or in addition other radio resources could be reconfigured, such as for example spatial directivity (to do beam formation).

Claims

Claims

1. Method (100, 200) for automatically reconfiguring the resources of a first base station of a radiocommunication infrastructure (1), the radiocommunication infrastructure comprising the first base station and a second base station, one base station among the first and second base stations being fixed and the other base station among the first and second base stations being mobile, the first and second base stations not being federated, characterized in that the method is implemented by a first computer associated with the first base station, and comprises the steps of: - periodically evaluating (120, 220) interference; and, - in the event of interference being detected, reconfiguring (140, 170, 270) at least one radio resource of the first base station.

2. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein said at least one reconfigured radio resource is selected from a power, a frequency and a directivity of the first base station.

3. The method of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the step of evaluating interference comprises detecting interference experienced on a first bubble associated with the first base station and caused by communications on a second bubble associated with the second base station, or estimating interference induced on the second bubble by communications on the first bubble.

4. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the interference assessment step is based on measurements of the quality of communications on uplinks and / or downlinks between each user equipment connected to the first base station.

5. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which, the first base station being the mobile station and the second base station being the fixed station, during the reconfiguration step, the first base station, in order not to disturb the communications of the user equipment connected to the second base station, adjusts (140) an instantaneous transmission power to seek to reduce the interference and, when the instantaneous transmission power (P) becomes less than or equal to a minimum transmission power (Pmin), performs (170) a frequency foldback on a so-called foldback sub-band, identified as free.

6. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which, the first base station being the fixed station and the second base station being the mobile station, during the reconfiguration step, the first base station, to protect its communications from user equipment connected to the first base station, performs (270) a frequency fallback on a so-called fallback sub-band, identified as free.

7. A method according to claim 5 or claim 6, wherein: the fallback sub-band is identified by a frequency sweep of the operating frequency band of the radiocommunication infrastructure; the fallback sub-band is identified from detected interference; or the fallback sub-band is predefined by configuration of the first base station.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, to predefine the fallback sub-band, the method further comprises an initial configuration step (110, 120) in which a controller associated with the first base station stores a first list of sub-bands allocated to the first base station and a controller associated with the second base station stores a second list of sub-bands prohibited to the second base station, the first list and the second list overlapping on at least one sub-band defined as the fallback band allowing the first base station to fall back in the event of interference detection.

9. A method according to any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein a sub-band is a portion of a band as defined in version 15, published in December 2017, of the fifth generation mobile telephony standard.

10. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the step of evaluating the interference corresponds to the execution of a suitably parameterized machine learning algorithm to, from a plurality of measurements of the quality of the communications on uplinks and / or downlinks between each user equipment connected to the first base station, determine a class of interference.

11. Radiocommunication infrastructure (1) comprising a first base station and a second base station, one base station among the first and second base stations being fixed and the other base station being mobile, the first and second base stations not being federated, characterized in that, the first base station being connected to a first controller, the first controller is programmed to implement a method of reconfiguring a radio resource of the first base station according to any one of the preceding claims.

12. A computer program comprising software instructions which, when executed by a first controller of a first base station of a radiocommunication infrastructure according to claim 11, implement a method of reconfiguring a radio resource of the first base station, said method being according to the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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