Patent ID: 8462807
Filing Date: 2013-06-11
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
1. A method of reducing a load on a first node in a cellular telecommunications network, which network includes a plurality of nodes, each of the nodes serving a plurality of telecommunications devices by providing communication resources thereto, the method comprising: selecting a target telecommunications device for handover from the first node to a second of said nodes; handing over the target device to the second node; allocating communication resources to the target device to enable the second node to serve the target device; selecting a matched telecommunications device that is served by the first node; and adjusting communication resources allocated to the matched device, the communication resources allocated to the matched device enabling the first node to serve the matched device, wherein the communication resources allocated to the matched device correspond to the communication resources allocated to the target device, the communication resources allocated to the target device enabling the second node to serve the target device, wherein the target device is selected in dependence upon a quality of a radio path between the target device and the first node and a radio path between the target device and the second node, and wherein at least one of the following is further provided: (i) the target device that is selected maximises the score: where R(UEy,eNB cn) is indicative of the quality of the radio path between the target device and the second node and R(UEy,eNBa) is indicative of the quality of the radio path between the target device and the first node; (ii) the matched device is selected from those devices served by the first node as a one of those devices for which the quality of the radio path between the matched device and the first node is better than the quality of the radio path between the target device and the first node; or (iii) the target device is selected from those devices served by the first node as a one of those devices for which the quality of the radio path between the target device and the second node is better than the quality of the radio path between the matched device and the second node.