Power saving in a cellular communications network by deactivating a base station

摘要

In a cellular communications network comprising a first base station 10 and a second base station 20, the downlink transmission power of the second base station is reduced in order to save power based on the level of data traffic being communicated through the second base station. The downlink transmission power of the first base station is increased to extend its coverage area to include that of the second base station. In power saving mode the second base station continues to receive initial uplink transmissions from a mobile station 200 within its cell and a determination is made as to whether the second base station can provide a better communication service than the first base station. If so, the downlink transmission power of the second base station is increased and the transmission power of the first base station is decreased. The uplink transmissions received at the first and second base stations may be subject to diversity combining.