Abstract: This disclosure presents a method and apparatus for mitigating interference arising from Device-to-Device, D2D, communications, in cases where the frequency band used for D2D transmissions is adjacent to an active cellular carrier or other frequency band carrying critical communications. Among the several mitigation techniques disclosed herein, a wireless device may reduce possible out-of-band interference arising from its D2D transmissions by adjusting transmit power and/or time/frequency resource allocations when it is determined that there is an interference risk. Such mitigations provide improved performance for the D2D transmissions and for the communications in the critical frequency band.

Abstract: Systems and methods for Radio Access Technology (RAT) selection for devices capable of Device-to-Device (D2D) communication are disclosed. In some embodiments, a method of operation of a wireless device in a cellular communications network is provided. The method includes camping on a first cell on a first carrier, where the first cell does not support D2D communication. The method also includes, during a first time interval when the first cell satisfies one or more criteria for the wireless device to remain camped on the first cell, monitoring at least one second carrier on a set of pre-configured radio resources for at least one of the group consisting of: a second cell that supports D2D communication, a signal from a second wireless device that supports D2D communication, and D2D communication.

Abstract: A method in, and a network node (110, 140), for supporting compensation of cell outage in a cellular communications network (100). The cellular communications network (100) comprises a compensating cell (135) for compensating the cell outage and a supporting cell (115) neighbouring the compensating cell (135). The network node (110, 140) obtains (502, 1202) a sub-band of a system bandwidth for uplink scheduling of resources for the compensating cell (135). The network node (110, 140) schedules (503, 1203), in response to the cell outage, resources for the supporting cell (115) with restricted uplink scheduling within the sub-band. The network node applies (504, 1204) the scheduled resources in the supporting cell (115), thereby supporting the compensation of cell outage. As a result, higher Signal to Interference and Noise Ratio (SINR) is enabled in the uplink in the compensating cell. This may e.g.

Abstract: A method and network node (400) for supporting evaluation of performance of a radio network. The network node employs carrier aggregation with multiple carriers used in corresponding multiple cells (Cell 1, Cell2, Cell 3). The network node retrieves (4:1) statistical information regarding utilization of radio resources, wherein the statistical information indicates secondary cell use of radio resources in a particular cell. The network node reports (4:5) the statistical information to an Operation and Maintenance, O&M, node (404), thereby enabling the O&M node to use the statistical information for evaluating (4:6) how a measured performance of the radio network is related to secondary cell usage.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an arrangement, a communication network node and a user equipment allowing for probing of alternative antenna configurations in a communication network system as well as a method for such probing. The method comprises making one of the reconfigurable antennas (15a2, 15b2) of at least one cell (19a, 19b) temporarily available for probing and reconfiguring one or more antenna parameters thereof in accordance with a probing antenna parameter set. A new probe cell (20a, 20b) is transmitted from the prepared antenna (15a2, 15b2) and measurement reports collected from the user equipments (18) within the at least one cell (19a, 19b) and the probe cell (20a, 20b). The probing antenna parameter set is evaluated based on the collected measurement reports whereupon is determined if the reconfigurable physical antennas (15a1, 15a2, 15b1, 15b2) of the cell shall use the probing antenna parameter set or the initial antenna parameter set.

Abstract: A method of operating a repeater for wireless communication includes broadcasting, from the repeater, a pilot signal in a service area associated with the repeater. The pilot signal carries a scrambling code that permits mobile terminals to decode information transmitted by the repeater. The method further includes receiving a request to initiate communication from a mobile terminal that has received the pilot signal and, in response to receiving the request, establishing a communication link with the mobile terminal. The method further includes receiving, at a first antenna of the repeater, data transmitted wirelessly by the mobile terminal and transmitting, over a second antenna of the repeater, the received data to a base station.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and arrangements in a wireless communication system, and in particular to uplink outer loop power control. A Node B identifies if a UE from which the Node B receives data is in a predetermined set of power challenged situations. The Node B transmits to the RNC an indication to hold the SIR target of the UE if the UE has been identified to be in a power challenged situation. As a consequence, the uplink outer loop power control (OLPC) procedure in the RNC will not change the SIR target of the UE. This implies that the output power level of the UE remains unchanged as long as the UE remains in the power challenged situation. Thus, user and network performance are improved in the wireless communication system.

Abstract: A method is provided in a base station for handling a request from a first user equipment for accessing a service in a radio communications network. The method comprises the steps of receiving a first time interval of an incoming signal comprises a first signal sent from the first user equipment and a second signal sent from the second user equipment, interpreting the first signal as being a possible service access request message preamble, and sending an acknowledgement, that the preamble is detected, to the first user equipment. The method comprises the further steps of delaying the first time interval of the incoming signal, identifying the second signal in the first time interval of the incoming signal during the delay, washing the identified second signal away from the first time interval of the incoming signal during the delay, and deciding whether the possible preamble is a real preamble or not, by analyzing the washed incoming signal.

Abstract: Cooperating nodes, and methods therein, for mobility procedures in a wireless communication system supporting UE groups. One of the cooperating nodes is a base station being associated with a UE group comprising UEs having correlated mobility related parameters. The method in the base station comprises receiving, from a first UE in the UE group, a mobility related parameter associated with the first UE. The method further comprises determining whether to initiate a mobility related procedure for a second UE in the UE group based on the received mobility related parameter; and further comprises initiating the mobility related procedure for the second UE when it is determined that the mobility related procedure is to be performed. Thereby, prediction and decisions related to mobility events, e.g. handover events, for the second UE or for the whole group may be performed e.g.

Abstract: A method and network node (400) for supporting evaluation of usage of a radio network feature in radio communication between wireless devices (402) and the network node. The network node (400) retrieves (4:1) statistical information regarding the usage of the radio network feature, and reports (4:5) the statistical information to an Operation and Maintenance, O&M, node (404). The O&M node then uses (4:6) the statistical information for evaluating how measured performance (4:3) of the radio network is related to the usage of the radio network feature.

Abstract: A method in a first radio network controller, RNC, (105, 405) for handling a reuse of a scrambling code in a cellular network (100) is provided. The first RNC (105, 405) defines a set of scrambling codes. Each scrambling code in the defined set is locally reused by at least two cells in the cellular network (100). The first RNC (105, 405) receives a measurement report from a user equipment (180). The measurement report is related to a scrambling code that is comprised in the defined set of scrambling codes. The first RNC (105, 405) determines that the reported scrambling code is comprised in the defined set of scrambling codes. The first RNC (105, 405) initiates, based on the determination, a process for identifying, among the at least two cells in which the reported scrambling code is locally reused, an originating cell from which the reported scrambling code originates.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a mobile relay node, RN, (16) with complete and valid neighbor cell information. The RN (16) requests this information from a donor base station (12) upon detecting a defined condition characteristically indicating that movement of the RN (16) has rendered previously obtained neighbor cell information incomplete or invalid. The RN (16) may generate the request to identify cells (18) currently neighboring the mobile cell (20). The donor base station (12) may then provide the RN (16) information that more specifically pertains to the mobile cell's neighbors, rather than generally pertaining to the donor cell's neighbors. Other embodiments compensate for the RN's incomplete or invalid neighbor cell information. These embodiments permit the RN (16) to identify a target cell (18) with a non-unique cell identifier in a handover message sent to the donor base station (12).

Abstract: Inter-radio access technology (IRAT) ping pong handover of a user equipment (UE) connection between a source radio access technology (RAT) communications network, e.g., LTE, and a different target RAT communications network, e.g., UTRAN, is detected. A control node determines IRAT ping pong handover information and evaluates an IRAT handover request message for the UE connection from the source RAT network with respect to the handover ping pong information. Based thereon, the node determines that the UE connection meets one or more ping pong conditions associated with the handover ping pong information and provides an indication of an IRAT ping pong handover condition to a base station in the source RAT network to allow the base station to make mobility adjustments.

Abstract: A base station, and corresponding method therein, for assisting in the establishment of an auxiliary bearer. The base station is configured to identify a need for establishing an auxiliary bearer and then send a request for such a bearer to a network node. Also, a communications node is configured to receive a bearer establishment request and identify that such a request is for an auxiliary bearer. The communications node is further configured to associate the auxiliary bearer with a pre-existing bearer established within the communications node.

Abstract: In a method of interference mitigation in a multi user detection capable radio base station in a communication system, which radio base station comprises a set of confined detection modules, at least one of which is capable of handling multiple user connections, first and at least a second subset of detection modules are formed from said set, wherein the second set comprises at least one interference mitigation capable detection module. Interference information from the first subset is communicated to the second subset, interference originating in user connections of the first subset are then mitigated from the user connections of the second subset. Subsequently, interference is mutually mitigated between the connections within the interference mitigation capable detection module.

Abstract: Device, computer readable medium and method for joint multi-user processing in a first base station of a telecommunication network, which includes at least a second base station and first and second terminals served by the corresponding first and second base stations. The method includes issuing, at the first base station, a first uplink transmission grant for the first terminal; receiving, at the first base station, from the second base station scheduling information about an uplink transmission of the second terminal, wherein an uplink transmission grant for the uplink transmission of the second terminal is issued by the second base station; and jointly decoding, at the first base station, an uplink transmission from the first terminal and the uplink transmission from the second terminal, which is not served by the first base station, based on the received scheduling information about the uplink transmission of the second terminal.

Abstract: A first unit for use in a base station in a mobile telecommunication network is adapted to use an identity for identifying a mobile terminal or for identifying a channel in the uplink. The first unit manages information of at least one additional identity of a mobile terminal or a channel belonging to at least a second base station for interference mitigation purposes. The first unit detects whether the mobile terminal or channel identified by the additional identity is active and mitigates cell-interference caused by an active mobile terminal or a channel identified by the additional identity. A second unit reserves at least one identity for identifying a mobile terminal or for identifying a channel in order to make the at least one identity identifiable to at least a second base station.

Abstract: A set of reporting features are specified for implementation by lower-level Self-Optimizing Network (SON) functions to support the observation of network SON algorithms by high-level SON functions (e.g., OAM functions). The lower-level SON functions may be operative to adjust local parameters related to the network element serving area and/or capacity. The reported SON algorithm events and measurements can be defined such that they can be used by the higher-level SON function to resolve conflicts and control the lower-level SON functions. Some embodiments specify SON function reporting features and their configuration in the framework of the 3GPP defined Itf-N interface specification.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method in a network node (106) for establishing neighbor cell relations in a wireless network for a source cell (107) served by the network node (106). The method comprises establishing (34) a temporary neighbor cell relation for a received unknown neighbor cell identification; verifying (36) validity of the temporary neighbor cell relation, and establishing (38) a permanent neighbor cell relation based on the established temporary neighbor cell relation, if the temporary neighbor cell relation is found valid, thus avoiding that a false neighbor cell identification results in a faulty permanent neighbor cell relation. Disclosed is also a corresponding apparatus in a network node for establishing neighbor cell relations in a wireless network.

Abstract: In a method of interference mitigation in a multi user detection capable radio base station in a communication system, which radio base station comprises a set confined detection modules, at least one of which is capable of handling multiple user connections, first and at least a second subset of detection modules are formed from said set, wherein the second set comprises at least one interference mitigation capable detection module. Interference information from the first subset is communicated to the second subset, interference originating in user connections of the first subset are then mitigated from the user connections of the second subset. Subsequently, interference is mutually mitigated between the connections within the interference mitigation capable detection module.