Method for managing the operating mode of an access point

Abstract

Method for managing an access point operating mode. The method for managing an access point operating mode (2-1) of a telecommunications network (NW) comprises, following a specified event relating to at least one network device detected in the network: - a step of switching the access point to a so-called degraded operating mode in which the access point operates at reduced capacity; and - a step of announcing, within a coverage area of ​​the access point, said degraded operating mode of the access point. Figure for the abstract: Fig. 1.

Description

Title of the invention: Method for managing an operating mode of an access point. Prior art.

[0001] The invention belongs to the general field of telecommunications.

[0002] It relates more particularly to the management of an operating mode of an access point of a telecommunications network, such as, for example, a base station of a 5G mobile network, also called a gNodeB. The invention, however, applies to all types of networks and all types of access points.

[0003] With global warming, most companies, and in particular fixed and mobile network operators, are now sensitive to issues of sustainable development and corporate social responsibility (CSR). Some companies have already set themselves targets for reducing their energy consumption and carbon footprint, and more generally for improving their energy efficiency.

[0004] In the context of mobile networks, and in particular mobile networks defined by the 3GPP standard (for "Third Generation Partnership Project"), the search for improved energy efficiency was initially addressed at the level of user equipment (UE). The UE is indeed the entity most constrained in terms of energy budget, and improving its energy efficiency makes it possible, in particular, to maximize its autonomy and preserve the condition of its battery. Thus, various mechanisms have been defined over the years by the 3GPP standard for this purpose, such as discontinuous reception or DRX (for "Discontinuous Reception"), wake-up signals or WUS (for "Wake-Up Signal"), adaptive monitoring of the control channel PDCCH (for "Physical Downlink Control Channel"), paging early indication or PEI (for "Paging Early Indication"), etc.

[0005] More recently, the issue of energy efficiency at the network equipment level has become a strategic concern for mobile network operators, with the continuous increase in data rates offered by these networks and the network densification underlying new generations of mobile radio systems. In addition to CSR concerns, network energy consumption represents a growing share of operators' operating expenses (OPEX).

[0006] Various approaches can be considered to control the energy consumption of network equipment, and more particularly that of network access points such as base stations.

[0007] A first approach is typically linked to spectral efficiency, and focuses on the design of L1 and L2 layers in order to achieve the best possible throughput for the lowest possible signal-to-noise plus interference ratio.

[0008] A second approach, also known as "Advanced Sleep Mode" (or ASM), involves exploiting periods of low upstream or downstream traffic through the access point to switch the access point to sleep mode. This second approach was initially implemented proprietaryly by infrastructure vendors, and subsequently by operators. Then, standardized elements were gradually introduced at the 3GPP level under the term "Network Energy Saving techniques."

[0009] These network energy-saving techniques are aimed more specifically at adapting the operating mode of network base stations in terms of the power of the signals transmitted by the base station, active antennas, bandwidth, and / or discontinuous transmission / reception (DRX / DTX). In other words, the base station operates in a low-energy consumption state in exchange for a reduced capacity in terms of resources (transmitted power, active antennas, spectrum, active time slots, etc.), but this is not detrimental to user equipment located within its coverage area due to the low traffic associated with this user equipment.

[0010] In particular, a technique commonly considered in this context, and when the base station has multiple frequency bands, is the (total) deactivation of certain frequency bands. The implementation of this technique relies on maintaining a so-called coverage band to ensure continuity of service, while the other bands are used for capacity. Thus, during periods of low traffic, the network operator may decide to deactivate certain capacity bands at a base station, provided that this is transparent to active users within the cell covered by that base station, and in particular that it does not impact their quality of service (QoS).

[0011] The use of these ASM techniques at the level of a base station is thus limited today to periods of lower traffic associated with user equipment covered by the base station in order to allow a reduction in the energy consumption of the network while preserving the quality of service offered to users.

[0012] It also requires a prediction of the traffic associated with the user equipment covered by the base station, for example by means of an intelligence algorithm Artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning (ML). If this prediction is incorrect, activating such an ASM technique can lead to an unacceptable QoS situation for some base station users. Description of the invention

[0013] The invention notably remedies the aforementioned drawbacks by proposing a method for managing an operating mode of an access point of a telecommunications network, this method comprising, following a determined event relating to at least one piece of network equipment detected in the network: - a step involving switching the access point to a so-called degraded operating mode in which the access point operates at reduced capacity; and - an announcement step, over a coverage area of ​​the access point, of said degraded operating mode of the access point.

[0014] Correspondingly, the invention also relates to an access point to a telecommunications network comprising:

[0015] - a failover module configured to, following a determined event relating If at least one network device is detected on the network, switch the access point to a degraded operating mode in which the access point operates at reduced capacity; and

[0016] - an advertising module configured to advertise over a coverage area of ​​the point access the degraded operating mode into which the access point is switched by the failover module.

[0017] Thus, the invention proposes that upon detection of a particular event, for example a change in the power supply to a network access point, the latter switches to a degraded operating mode in order to conserve its resources, and in the aforementioned example, its energy supply. The invention advantageously provides that an access point switching to such a degraded operating mode informs the user equipment it serves of this reduced-capacity operation (for example, by broadcasting such information over its coverage area), so that the equipment can adapt to this degraded operation of the access point.By "reduced capacity," we mean that the access point has a capacity lower than its nominal capacity, that is, the capacity for which it is designed under normal operating conditions and which reflects its ability to support a certain number of users and meet their traffic needs with a satisfactory quality of service (QoS). Such capacity depends on the traffic of users within its coverage area and their QoS requirements, taking into account the resources available to the access point, particularly in terms of power, etc. connection to the core network (also called "backhaul link"), computing resources, usable bandwidth, etc. The capacity of an access point can thus be expressed, in a way known in itself, in terms of computing capacity and / or speed, available power, available bands, and / or available hardware elements (for example number of antennas, power amplifiers, etc.) at the access point, etc.

[0018] No limitations are attached to the entity initiating the switchover of the access point to a reduced-capacity operating mode (the access point itself or another network entity), nor to the context in which this switchover is decided. The activation of a degraded operating mode at the access point is linked to the occurrence of a specific event in the network, typically an event likely to reduce the access point's capacity, such as the implementation by the access point of a technique to deactivate capacity frequency bands managed by the access point during a period of low traffic, as mentioned previously.

[0019] Advantageously, the invention is not limited to switching the access point to a reduced-capacity operating mode during periods of low traffic in order to avoid impacting the quality of service provided to the user equipment it serves. Thanks to the announcement made by the access point, which informs user equipment of the reduced capacity, the invention also allows such a switchover following the detection of other events, such as an anomaly affecting the operation of at least one piece of network equipment. This equipment could be the access point itself or another piece of network infrastructure equipment. Such an anomaly could, in particular, concern the power supply to the access point or a connection link from the access point to a core network ("backhaul link") of the telecommunications network.For example, reduced capacity operation of the access point may be triggered following a mains power outage of the access point due to an incident or maintenance of predetermined duration, a switchover of the access point's mains power to a backup power supply (e.g. a battery), insufficient power supply (e.g. a battery powered by photovoltaic panels in a low sunlight context), or following a backhaul link failure, a failure of part of the network infrastructure, excessive temperature, a decrease in the available computing capacity of the access point, etc.

[0020] In another context, the mechanism proposed by the invention can be used to adapt to the energy mix (or mix) present in the access point's coverage area, and for example, to reduce its electricity consumption when electricity has a significant carbon impact, in order to allow the network operator to meet its carbon commitments where applicable. The invention can It can also be used to adapt to certain regulatory constraints, particularly in terms of carbon impact, exposure to electromagnetic fields or EMF (for "Electromagnetic Field"), etc. Of course, these are only illustrative examples and the invention is applicable in many other contexts.

[0021] The invention thus offers the access point the possibility of modulating its capacity to adapt to its context (for example, by modulating its traffic load according to its available capacity), and in particular to its energy situation or any other situation that requires it, as mentioned above, by switching to a degraded operating mode. This allows it to conserve its energy resources rather than, as in the prior art, continuing to provide services to the user equipment it serves under nominal operating conditions until its power supply is depleted. In this way, the access point can extend its autonomy, and therefore incidentally its ability to provide essential services to user equipment located within its coverage area (for example, emergency services).

[0022] Such a switch to a degraded operating mode can impact the quality of service experienced by the user devices served by the access point. Thanks to the invention, these user devices are informed of this reduced-capacity operation of the access point and encouraged to adapt to the situation (for example, by changing access points, and / or by changing their behavior and use of the access point's resources, by foregoing non-essential services, by reducing their traffic requirements, etc.), which helps to limit the risk of congestion at the access point. Through their behavior in response to the access point's announcement, they can also contribute to preserving the access point's resources and improving its situation while awaiting a return to full capacity.

[0023] The invention thus offers great flexibility and adaptability to network operators for defining their network management policy, and in particular their energy management policy.

[0024] In a particular embodiment, the degraded operating mode into which the access point is switched is selected according to the nature and / or severity of the detected anomaly.

[0025] The invention enables the access point to autonomously trigger a degraded operating mode adapted to its situation due to the detected anomaly. It can take into account, in particular, the expected duration of the anomaly if known to the access point, its magnitude, etc., but also its nature, which may impact its capacity and how to adapt that capacity.

[0026] In particular, in a particular embodiment, the degraded operating mode into which the access point is switched may include a degradation, for at least one user device located in said coverage area of ​​the access point, of at least one element among a latency, a throughput, a number of allocated physical resource blocks, a transmitted signal power and / or a number and / or types of accessible services.

[0027] It is therefore possible to consider gradual degraded operating modes of the access point adapted to the context and the detected event, and when this event is an anomaly affecting the operation of a network equipment, to the nature and / or severity of this anomaly.

[0028] For example, the least degraded operating modes envisaged by the access point may result in a decrease in the quality of service offered to users located within the access point's coverage area due to the degradation of one of the aforementioned parameters (e.g., increased latency, decreased coverage area, reduced throughput, limitation of the number of physical resource blocks allocated to a user device, etc.). Conversely, the most degraded operating modes envisaged by the access point may entail a limitation of the services accessible within the coverage area and, in the most extreme operating mode, may only allow emergency calls and SMS (Short Message Service) messages.

[0029] In a particular embodiment, the step of announcing the management process includes at least one piece of information from: - information representative of a level of degradation induced by the degraded operating mode into which the access point is switched; - information representative of at least one area adjacent to the coverage area of ​​the access point, covered by at least one other access point of the network which is not switched to a degraded operating mode or which is switched to a degraded operating mode with a lower level of degradation; - information representative of the duration of the access point switching into said degraded operating mode; - information representative of a behavior to be adopted by at least one user device located in the coverage area of ​​the access point.

[0030] This information provides valuable guidance to user equipment, enabling it to make informed choices regarding behavior adapted to the reduced capacity operation of the access point. Furthermore, it allows users within the access point's coverage area to be informed. This information can be used to identify any service filtering policies applied by the access point based on its location. This type of information allows the access point to effectively adapt its traffic load within its coverage area according to its available capacity.

[0031] In a particular embodiment, the announcement step is implemented periodically over the coverage area of ​​the access point.

[0032] Such periodic announcements ensure that all user equipment present or entering the coverage area of ​​the access point is informed of the degraded operating mode of the access point.

[0033] For example, during the announcement step, the degraded operating mode of the access point is announced in a system information block broadcast by the access point over its coverage area.

[0034] This advantageously allows a user device to have this information before connecting to the access point, and to do so, if necessary, with full knowledge of the situation, possibly adapting its behavior to the access point's energy status. Conversely, given this notification and the reduced capacity of the access point, the user device may choose not to connect to the access point and postpone its connection to the network, or select another access point that does not operate at reduced capacity.

[0035] This not only saves the resources of the access point, but also limits the risk of degraded quality of experience for network users.

[0036] The invention also applies to an announcement implemented aperiodically (for example with a period varying according to a degree of activity in the coverage area of ​​the access point) or punctually, for example following the detection of the event leading to switching the access point to the degraded operating mode.

[0037] In view of the foregoing, the invention is therefore based not only on the management process implemented by an access point, and correspondingly, on the access point capable of implementing this process, but also on the user equipment receiving the announcement from the access point and acting accordingly.

[0038] Thus, according to a second aspect, the invention relates to a method of communication by a user device located within the coverage area of ​​an access point of a telecommunications network, this method comprising: - a step involving the reception of an announcement made by an access point within its coverage area, indicating a so-called degraded operating mode in which the access point operates at reduced capacity and has switched over; and - a triggering step for at least one action to take into account the degraded operating mode of the access point.

[0039] Correspondingly, the invention also relates to user equipment comprising: - a receiving module configured to receive, when the user equipment is located within the coverage area of ​​a network access point, an announcement made by the access point in said coverage area of ​​a so-called degraded operating mode in which the access point operates at reduced capacity and has switched over; and - a trigger module, configured to trigger at least one action to take into account the degraded operating mode of the access point.

[0040] The communication method and user equipment according to the invention benefit from the same advantages mentioned above as the management method and access point according to the invention.

[0041] No limitation is attached to the actions triggered by the user equipment to take into account the degraded operating mode of the access point level.

[0042] Typically, at least one action triggered during the triggering step may depend on a level of degradation likely to affect a quality of service provided to said user equipment via the access point and induced by the degraded operating mode into which the access point has switched.

[0043] By way of illustration, an action triggered during the triggering step may include a re-selection of another access point in the network that has not switched to a degraded operating mode or that has switched to a degraded operating mode with a lower level of degradation likely to affect a quality of service provided to said user equipment.

[0044] According to another example, at least one action triggered during the triggering step can be chosen from: - a cancellation and / or adaptation of at least part of the traffic exchanged between the user equipment and the access point; - a reduction in the number and / or at least one type of services accessible by a user of the user's equipment; - a notification from a user of the user equipment.

[0045] Of course, these are only illustrative examples and are not in themselves limiting to the invention, and other actions can be considered to allow the user equipment to take into account the degraded operating mode of the access point. The actions triggered can be at the discretion of the user equipment, depending in particular on its environment and / or the context in which it finds itself, while taking into account the reduced capacity of the access point so as not to create network congestion. Alternatively, it can be envisaged that the actions triggered in response to the access point announcement is imposed on the user equipment by the network operator, for example in the access point announcement.

[0046] In a particular embodiment, the management and communication processes are implemented by a computer.

[0047] The invention also relates to a computer program on a recording medium, this program being capable of being implemented in a computer or more generally in an access point according to the invention and comprising instructions adapted to the implementation of a management process as described above.

[0048] The invention also relates to a computer program on a recording medium, this program being capable of being implemented in a computer or more generally in user equipment conforming to the invention and comprising instructions adapted to the implementation of a communication method as described above.

[0049] Each of these programs can use any programming language, and be in the form of source code, object code, or code intermediate between source code and object code, such as in a partially compiled form, or in any other desirable form.

[0050] The invention also relates to an information medium or a recording medium readable by a computer, and comprising instructions for a computer program as mentioned above.

[0051] The information or recording medium can be any entity or device capable of storing programs. For example, the medium can include a storage means, such as a ROM, for example a CD-ROM or a microelectronic circuit ROM, or a magnetic recording means, for example a hard disk drive, or a flash memory.

[0052] On the other hand, the information or recording medium can be a transmissible medium such as an electrical or optical signal, which can be transmitted via an electrical or optical cable, by radio link, by wireless optical link or by other means.

[0053] The program according to the invention can in particular be downloaded onto an Internet-type network.

[0054] Alternatively, the information or recording medium may be an integrated circuit in which a program is incorporated, the circuit being adapted to execute or to be used in the execution of the management and communication processes according to the invention.

[0055] According to a third aspect, the invention also relates to a system comprising at least one access point of a telecommunications network according to the invention and at least one user equipment according to the invention located within a coverage area of ​​the access point.

[0056] It can also be envisaged, in other embodiments, that the management and communication processes, the access point, the user equipment and the system according to the invention present in combination all or part of the aforementioned characteristics. Brief description of the drawings

[0057] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the description below, with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an example of an embodiment without being limiting in any way. In the figures:

[0058] [Fig-1] [Fig.1] represents, in its environment, a system in a network in accordance with the invention, in a first embodiment;

[0059] [Fig.2] [Fig.2] schematically represents the hardware architecture of a computer capable of hosting any of the entities according to the invention belonging to the system of [Fig.1];

[0060] [Fig. 3] [Fig. 3] represents, in flowchart form, the main steps of a management process according to the invention as implemented by an access point of the system of [Fig. 1]; and

[0061] [Fig.4] [Fig.4] represents, in the form of a flowchart, the main steps of a communication process according to the invention as implemented by a user equipment of the system of [Fig.1]. Description of the invention

[0062] Figure 1 represents, in its environment, a system 1 according to the invention, in a particular embodiment in which the system 1 participates in managing the operating mode of at least one access point, generally referred to as 2, of an NW telecommunications network. By way of illustration, we are interested here in an operating mode of access point 2 that allows control of the energy consumption of access point 2.

[0063] In the example considered in [Fig. 1], the NW network is a 5G cellular mobile network as defined by the 3GPP standard, and the access points 2 belonging to system 1 are base stations 2-1, 2-2, 2-3 of the NW network, also called gNodeBs, according to the invention. In a manner known per se, such a base station 2, and more generally such an access point, is configured (antennas, transmitted power, etc.) to cover a nominal geographic area, generally referred to as ZC (and more particularly as ZC-1, ZC-2, ZC-3 for base stations 2-1, 2-2, 2-3 respectively), this coverage area ZC corresponding, for example, here to a cell of the NW network.

[0064] Under normal operating conditions, the access points 2 are assumed herein to be continuously supplied with electrical power, for example via a mains power supply (SRC) distributing urban electricity, in a manner known per se. They also have a backup power supply (B ATT), such as, for example, a battery charged by photovoltaic panels.

[0065] These assumptions are not limiting in themselves and the invention applies in other contexts, typically to other types of fixed or mobile networks (e.g. 4G, 6G, WLAN (for "Wireless Local Area Network"), etc.), incidentally to other types of access points allowing access to these networks and other coverage areas of these access points, to other sources of electrical energy supplying these access points, or to other configurations of system 1 and to other purposes than the management of the electrical consumption of the access points 2 of the NW network.

[0066] According to the invention, the system 1 further comprises at least one user equipment or UE 3, according to the invention, and located in the coverage area of ​​one of the access points 2 managed by the system 1. In the example illustrated in [Fig.1], the user equipment 3 is located in the ZC-1 coverage area of ​​the base station 2-1.

[0067] In the embodiment described herein, the access point 2 (i.e., in the example considered in [Fig. 1], the base stations 2-1, 2-2 and 2-3) and the user equipment 3 according to the invention have the hardware architecture of a computer 4, as shown in [Fig. 2]. This hardware architecture is based in particular on a processor PROC, random access memory MEM, read-only memory ROM, non-volatile memory NVM, and COM means for communication via, in particular, the NW network or any other network.

[0068] The non-volatile NVM memory constitutes a recording medium according to the invention, readable by the PROC processor and on which a computer program according to the invention is recorded.

[0069] This program, denoted PROG2 when the hardware architecture of computer 4 is that of an access point 2 according to the invention, is stored in the non-volatile NVM memory and comprises instructions defining the main steps of a management process according to the invention. More specifically, it defines the functional modules of access point 2 (shown in [Fig. 1]), which rely on and / or control all or part of the PROC, MEM, ROM, NVM, and COM elements of computer 4 mentioned above. These functional modules include, in particular, in the embodiment described herein: - a 2A failover module configured to, following a specific event relating to at least one network device detected in the network, switch access point 2 into a so-called degraded operating mode in which access point 2 operates at reduced capacity; and - an advertising module 2B configured to advertise on the coverage area ZC of access point 2 the degraded operating mode into which access point 2 is switched by its failover module 2A.

[0070] It should be noted that no limitation is attached to the entity detecting this event. The event in question can be detected by the access point 2 itself or by another network entity (not shown in [Fig. 1]), such as, for example, an OAM (for "Operations, Administration and Management") entity for the operations, administration and management of the NW network, controlled by the NW network operator, which reports the detection of the event to the access point 2 or sends it a failover command to a limited capacity operating mode.

[0071] Furthermore, no limitation is attached to the nature of the event capable of triggering a switchover of access point 2 to a reduced-capacity operating mode. Thus, in the illustrative example of managing the power consumption of access point 2 considered here, such an event could be an anomaly (i.e., a deviation from nominal operation) affecting access point 2 and concerning its power supply. Such an anomaly is, for example, a power outage of its mains supply (which may be unexpected or scheduled), a temporary switchover of access point 2 to its backup power supply, a reduction in the amount of electrical energy available to access point 2, or an insufficient amount of electrical energy available to it (compared to an unlimited amount of energy such as that supplied by the mains supply), etc.

[0072] These are, however, only illustrative, non-limiting examples of the invention. The invention can be applied to other events detected in the NW network, such as an anomaly concerning the backhaul link connecting access point 2 to the core of the NW network, a temporary switchover from a fiber backhaul link to a backup backhaul link with a lower capacity, such as a microwave backhaul link, a failure affecting one or more pieces of equipment in the NW network infrastructure, etc.

[0073] The functions of modules 2A and 2B are described further later with reference to the steps of the management process according to the invention.

[0074] When the hardware architecture of the computer 4 is that of a user device 3 according to the invention, the program stored in the non-volatile NVM memory is a PROG3 program comprising instructions defining the main steps of a communication method according to the invention. More specifically, it defines the functional modules of the user device 3 (represented (see [Fig. 1]), which rely on and / or control all or part of the PROC, MEM, ROM, NVM, and COM components of computer 4 mentioned previously. These functional modules include, in particular, in the embodiment described here: - a 3A receiving module, configured to receive, when user equipment 3 is within the coverage area ZC of an access point 2 in the NW network, an announcement made by the latter within its coverage area of ​​the degraded operating mode in which access point 2 is operating at reduced capacity and has switched over if necessary; and - a 3B triggering module, configured to trigger at least one action to take into account the degraded operating mode of access point 2. Examples of such actions are described in more detail later.

[0075] The functions of modules 3A and 3B are further described below with reference to the steps of the communication process according to the invention.

[0076] Fig. 3 represents the main steps of a management process according to the invention, as implemented by an access point 2 of the system 1, for example by the base station 2-1, in a particular embodiment.

[0077] It is assumed here, as a preliminary matter, that base station 2-1 is nominally (i.e., under normal operating conditions) supplied with continuous and (virtually) unlimited electrical power via its SRC mains supply distributing urban electricity. These normal operating conditions allow it to ensure, in a manner known per se, a certain quality of service (referred to as nominal) to user equipment located within its coverage area, within the limits of its design. It thus operates in a nominal operating mode MOD-NOM (step E00).

[0078] It is now assumed that the nominal power supply to base station 2-1 via the SRC mains supply is disrupted, for example, the SRC mains supply to base station 2-1 is temporarily suspended following a technical incident, and the power supply to base station 2-1 automatically switches to its backup power supply (BATT), at least for a limited time depending on the size of this backup power supply and the amount of energy available to it. Base station 2-1 detects, in a manner known per se and not detailed here, this anomaly affecting its nominal power supply and the switchover to its backup power supply (step E10). It also incidentally detects that it has a limited amount of electrical energy available to operate (and thus perform its functions) within the NW network.

[0079] In the embodiment described here, following this detection, base station 2-1 determines that it has a reduced and limited power supply, and decides to The base station 2-1 switches (or is configured to switch), via its 2A failover module, to a lower power consumption mode. More specifically, according to the invention, base station 2-1 switches, via its 2A failover module, to a MOD-LESS degraded operating mode in which it operates at reduced capacity (step E20). This failover aims to extend its autonomy, and therefore its ability to provide essential services to user equipment within its ZC-1 coverage area, such as emergency services, VoIP services, etc., when it does not have nominal (i.e., under normal conditions) access to electrical power. The MOD-LESS degraded operating mode activated by base station 2 can thus be considered, in the example considered here, as a power-saving mode.

[0080] Base station 2-1 can be configured to switch to a given MOD-LESS degraded operating mode based on its context, and more specifically here on its power status, or to switch to a MOD-LESS degraded operating mode that it chooses based on one or more predefined criteria. Such a criterion may include, in particular, the context (for example, the power status) in which base station 2-1 is located, the nature and / or severity of the detected anomaly that led to a switch to a degraded operating mode (for example, based on the charge level of the backup battery B ATT), the expected duration of the anomaly, if any (for example, if this anomaly is related to a scheduled maintenance operation), the current traffic load on the ZC-1 coverage area, etc.

[0081] In the embodiment described herein, base station 2-1 is configured to switch to a MOD-LESS degraded operating mode selected from one of the operating modes defined in Table 1 below. According to this example, depending on the degraded operating mode selected, a degradation is expected for at least one user device located within the ZC-1 coverage area of ​​base station 2 (typically for user device 3), of at least one of the following: latency, throughput, number of physical resource blocks (PRBs) allocated to that user device, transmitted signal power, and / or number and / or types of services accessible by that user device. These degraded operating modes are particularly relevant for enabling base station 2-1 to adapt its traffic load to accommodate its power limitations.

[0082] [Tables 1] Modes and Features: Mode 1 - Increased Latency Mode 2: Reduced coverage area capacity (e.g., cell) - Limited available bandwidth (e.g., DL 2 Mbps / UL 1 Mbps) - Increased latency - Limited number of physical resource blocks (PRBs) per UE - Increased latency - Reduced services available: voice and SMS only - Reduced services available: emergency call and SMS only

[0083] In the example in Table 1, the higher the mode index, the greater the expected degradation of the quality of service provided to user equipment located in the coverage area of ​​base station 2-1.

[0084] Each degraded operating mode defined at the base station 2-1 level corresponds to a reduction in the resources available to base station 2-1 to perform its functions over its coverage area ZC-1, compared to its nominal operation. This may correspond, for example, to the deactivation of one or more capacity bands if base station 2-1 has several frequency bands, to the reduction of its transmission power, to the spacing of the transmission of periodic signals, to the deactivation of some of its antennas when base station 2-1 is multi-antenna, to discontinuous transmission / reception (DTX / DRX), etc., or other mechanisms known to those skilled in the art.

[0085] Thus, for example, by way of illustration and not limitation in itself, one can imagine that Mode 1 is used to cope with a degradation of the backhaul link of base station 2-1. The use of a backup link increases latency and therefore leads to a reduction in the capacity of base station 2-1.

[0086] According to another example, Mode 3 can be activated at base station 2-1 when it experiences a limitation of available electrical power. To counteract this limitation, certain frequency bands can be deactivated in whole or in part, typically to retain only the lowest frequency bands or to use certain frequency bands only on a portion of the bandwidth (for example, for a 100 MHz band, only 50 MHz could be used). This results in a reduction of radio resources available at base station 2-1 to handle user traffic within its coverage area.

[0087] According to yet another example, Mode 5 can correspond to a situation in which the base station is powered by battery for an indefinite period. Therefore, it is configured to provide a minimum service (e.g., SMS, emergency calls) for as long as possible.

[0088] Following the selection of a suitable MOD-LESS degraded operating mode and the switchover of base station 2-1 to this MOD-LESS degraded operating mode, base station 2-1 announces, via its 2B advertising module, its reduced-capacity operation to user equipment located within its coverage area ZC-1 (step E30). More specifically, in the embodiment described here, module 2B periodically broadcasts, within its coverage area ZC-1, a message comprising an information signal, named here, for example, "CAPA-LOW," representative of the MOD-LESS degraded operating mode into which base station 2-1 has switched. This information signal is, for example, inserted into a system information block (SIB) broadcast within the ZC-1 coverage area, in a manner known to those skilled in the art and not described here.Further details on such system information blocks are given for example in the 3GPP TS 38.331 document entitled "3GPP; TSGRAN; NR; Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol specification (Release 18)" v 18.3.0, September 2024, in particular in paragraph 5.2.

[0089] In the embodiment described herein, the system information block comprising the "CAPA-LOW" information signal informing user equipment of the operation at reduced capacity of base station 2-1 further includes at least one of the following additional information: - a LEVEL information representative of a level of degradation induced by the degraded operating mode MOD-LESS into which the base station 2-1 is switched: in the aforementioned example from Table 1, this may consist of indicating the index of the chosen mode (e.g. LEVEL= 2), assuming that the user equipment of the NW network is configured to be able to interpret this index; - R-CELL information representative of at least one area adjacent to the ZC-1 coverage area of ​​base station 2-1, covered by at least one other base station in the NW network that is not switched to a degraded operating mode or that is switched to a degraded operating mode with a lower level of degradation compared to the MOD-LESS degraded operating mode of base station 2-1. This information may take the form of a list of base station identifiers. base stations that may be re-selected by a user device 3 located in the coverage area ZC-1, or frequencies associated with these base stations, or identifiers of cells covered by these base stations, etc. Typically, in the example considered above of the degraded operating mode 2 chosen for base station 2-1 and in the configuration illustrated in [Fig.1], such information may include at least one base station among base stations 2-2 and 2-3 that is operating at full capacity or in a degraded operating mode indexed 1 in Table 1; - a TTR information representative of the switchover time of base station 2-1 in the degraded operating mode MOD-LESS. If, for example, the switchover of base station 2-1 in a degraded operating mode is linked to a maintenance operation of limited duration on the electrical network, known to the NW network operator, a switchover of base station 2-1 in MOD-LESS mode limited to this duration can be considered; - ACT information representing a behavior to be adopted by user equipment located in the ZC-1 coverage area in response to the reduced capacity operation of base station 2-1. This information can be explicit or inferred by user equipment from the degradation level information (e.g., the degraded operating mode index) through appropriate configuration. Thus, in the example of mode 2 selected for base station 2-1, such a behavior to be adopted could include the cancellation, by a user device located in the ZC-1 coverage area and connected to base station 2-1, of all background traffic (e.g., software updates, caching, automatic content downloads, pooling, etc.) as well as traffic associated with large volumes (e.g., streaming, downloads exceeding 10 MB, etc.).

[0090] Of course, this is a non-exhaustive list of information that may accompany the announcement of base station 2-1, and other information may be considered as an alternative or in addition to the aforementioned information.

[0091] Furthermore, in the embodiment described herein, periodic dissemination of the degraded operating mode into which base station 2-1 is switched is envisaged in a system information block. However, other ways of announcing the reduced capacity of base station 2-1 can be envisaged, for example by using a message other than a system information block, or with a variable period depending on the traffic load on the ZC-1 coverage area over time or of the severity of the detected anomaly, or even aperiodically (e.g., on an occasional basis), etc.

[0092] In the embodiment described here, base station 2-1 maintains its degraded operating mode until the event that caused it to switch to reduced-capacity operation disappears; in other words, in the illustrative example considered here, until its mains power supply is restored (test step E40). It then resumes a nominal operating mode and announces it on its coverage area ZC-1 in the same or similar manner as described previously for the MOD-LESS degraded operating mode (step E50).

[0093] However, in another embodiment, it can be envisaged that if the energy situation of base station 2-1 worsens (for example, the level of its backup battery B ATT is below a certain threshold), base station 2-1 switches to an even more degraded operating mode and announces this new, even more degraded operating mode in a similar or identical way to what was previously described for the MOD-LESS degraded operating mode.

[0094] Fig. 4 represents the main steps of the communication process, as implemented, in a particular embodiment, by a user equipment of the system 1 located in the coverage area ZC-1 of the base station 2-1 (for example, the user equipment 3) and receiving the advertisement from the base station 2-1.

[0095] According to the invention, upon receiving, via its receiving module 3A, the announcement broadcast by the base station 2-1 (step F10), the user equipment 3 is required to adapt its behavior to the reduced capacity operating mode of the base station 2-1 (step F20).

[0096] More specifically, the user equipment 3 triggers, via its triggering module 3B, at least one action to take into account the MOD-LESS degraded operating mode of the base station 2-1.

[0097] Such an action can be understood as previously mentioned in the announcement of base station 2-1 (ACT information mentioned previously).

[0098] Alternatively, the user equipment 3 can be configured with a number of actions to be taken depending on the index of the degraded operating mode into which the base station 2-1 has switched.

[0099] The actions in question can be chosen according to the level of degradation likely to affect the quality of service provided to user equipment located in the ZC-1 coverage area and induced by the MOD-LESS degraded operating mode of base station 2-1. For example, different actions can be associated with the different possible degraded operating modes of Base station 2-1 (see examples in Table 1). However, it should be noted that some actions may apply to all modes.

[0100] Such actions may, for example, include, but are not limited to: - a re-selection of another base station in the NW network that has not switched to a degraded operating mode or that has switched to a degraded operating mode with a lower level of degradation likely to affect the quality of service provided to user equipment located in its coverage area. Such a re-selection can be carried out, for example, from the R-CELL list provided, where applicable, in the base station 2-1 announcement; - cancellation and / or adaptation of at least part of the traffic exchanged between user equipment 3 and base station 2-1, such as all "non-essential" or non-priority background traffic (e.g., software updates, caching, automatic content downloads, pooling, etc.) or traffic associated with large volumes of data (e.g., streaming, downloads exceeding 100 MB, etc.); - a reduction in the number and / or at least one type of services accessible by a user of said user equipment (for example, a restriction to emergency services); - a notification from a user of user equipment 3; - etc.

[0101] Other actions can of course be envisaged, at the initiative of the user of the user equipment 3 for example, or depending on the context in which the user equipment 3 is located, etc.

[0102] Examples of actions depending on the degraded operating mode activated at the base station 2-1 are given in the following Table 2, which echoes the examples of modes considered in Table 1. These actions allow for an effective adaptation of the traffic load of base station 2-1 in its coverage area ZC-1 according to its available capacity to accommodate the reduction of this capacity.

[0103] [Tables2] Action Modes Regardless of the mode Otherwise: regularly test the areas near the R-CELL list provided if applicable in the announcement - Notify the user of the user's equipment using a pre-established message, For example: "Due to a technical incident, your network connection is temporarily limited." If the TTR (Time To Repair) is available, indicate: "Expected duration of the incident: TTR" Mode 1 - Cancel all background traffic (updates, caching, automatic content downloads, pooling) - Notify the user: "Connection temporarily limited capacity - please reduce your usage" Modes 2 and 3 - Cancel all background traffic (updates, caching, automatic content downloads,(pooling) - Notify the user: "Temporarily limited capacity and bandwidth connection - please limit your usage to the bare minimum" Mode 4 - Do not initiate new data sessions or video calls - close an existing session or video call - Notify the user: "Severely limited connection - Voice calls and SMS only" Mode 5 - Do not initiate new data sessions or video calls - close an existing session or video call - Do not initiate new voice calls - close an existing call - Notify the user: "Extremely limited connection - Emergency calls and SMS only"

[0104] Implementing such actions at the user equipment 3 level presents no difficulty for a person skilled in the art. For example, the limitations of modes 2 and 3 indicated in Table 2 can be achieved through appropriate configuration of the scheduler of user equipment 3 and / or the implementation of traffic adaptation measures. For modes 3 and 4, the recommended actions can The possible access categories or access classes for user equipment 3, as described for example in the 3GPP TS 24.501 document entitled "3GPP Technical Specification Group Core Network and Terminals; Non-Access-Stratum (NAS) protocol for 5G System (5GS); Stage 3; Release 18", v 18.8.0, September 2024, can be implemented in the configuration. Furthermore, notifications to the user of user equipment 3 can be made in a manner known per se via the screen of user equipment 3 or any other interface (e.g., speaker) allowing interaction with the user.

[0105] Thus, thanks to the appropriate behavior of the user equipment 3, the traffic exchanged with the base station 2-1 can be reduced, which allows the latter to control, in the example considered here, its energy consumption.

Claims

Demands

1. Method of managing an operating mode of an access point (2-1) of a telecommunications network (NW), said method comprising, following a specified event relating to at least one network device detected in the network (E10): - a step (E20) of switching the access point into a so-called degraded operating mode in which the access point operates at reduced capacity; and - a step (E30) of announcing, over a coverage area of ​​the access point, said degraded operating mode of the access point.

2. Management method according to claim 1 wherein said determined event is an anomaly affecting the operation of said at least one network equipment.

3. Management method according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said anomaly relates to a power supply of the access point or a connection link of the access point to a core network of said telecommunications network.

4. A management method according to any one of claims 2 or 3 wherein the degraded operating mode into which the access point is switched is selected according to the nature and / or severity of the detected anomaly.

5. A management method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the degraded operating mode into which the access point is switched includes a degradation, for at least one user device located in said coverage area of ​​the access point, of at least one element of a latency, a throughput, a number of allocated physical resource blocks, a transmitted signal power and / or a number and / or types of accessible services.

6. A management method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said announcement step comprises at least one piece of information from: - information (LEVEE) representative of a level of degradation induced by the degraded operating mode into which the access point is switched; - information (R-CELL) representative of at least one area adjacent to the coverage area of ​​the access point,

7.

8. covered by at least one other network access point that is not switched to a degraded operating mode or that is switched to a degraded operating mode with a lower level of degradation; - a piece of information (TTR) representative of the duration of the access point switching into said degraded operating mode; - information (ACT) representative of a behavior to be adopted by at least one user device located in the coverage area of ​​the access point. Management method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the announcement step (E30) is implemented periodically on said coverage area. Management method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein during the announcement step (E30), the degraded operating mode of the access point is announced in a system information block broadcast by the access point over its coverage area.

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