Small cell base station DTX mode

摘要

The present disclosure is directed to a system and method for transitioning small cell base stations out of a discontinuous transmission (DTX) mode. The system and method comprise monitoring at the small cell base stations uplink transmissions from user terminals (UTs) to a macrocell base station while the small cell base stations are in the DTX mode. The small cell base stations can use the monitored uplink transmissions to, for example, measure received power levels from the UTs and/or measure uplink path losses between the small cell base stations and the UTs. The small cell base stations can report these measured values back to the macrocell base station through a backhaul network. Based on these measurements, the macrocell base station can determine which small cell base stations can support which UTs without transitioning the small cell base stations out of the DTX mode.

主权项

1. A method for transitioning a small cell base station out of a discontinuous transmission (DTX) mode, the method comprising:
receiving a message from a macrocell base station to monitor an uplink transmission to the macrocell base station from a user terminal (UT); in response to receiving the message, monitoring at the small cell base station the uplink transmission while the small cell base station is in the DTX mode; reporting, to the macrocell base station, a measured received power associated with the uplink transmission and an uplink path loss measurement associated with the uplink transmission; and transitioning the small cell base station out of the DTX mode if instructed to by the macrocell base station based on the reported measured received power associated with the uplink transmission and the reported uplink path loss measurement associated with the uplink transmission.