Patent ID: 8644841
Filing Date: 2014-02-04
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
1. In a device configured to communicate with a plurality of heterogeneous types of base stations of a wireless communication system, the plurality including at least a macro base station and a micro base station, a method comprising: at the device, determining a relative load of access terminals being served by the macro base station and by the micro base station; at the device, based on the determined relative load, adjusting a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) bias corresponding to a threshold differential SNR between SNRs of the macro base station and of the micro base station, wherein the SNR bias is configured to be provided to an access terminal to cause the access terminal (i) to be biased to seek service from the micro base station if the access terminal detects an SNR from the micro base station that is less than the threshold differential SNR below an SNR that the access terminal detects from the macro base station, and (ii) to be biased to seek service from the macro base station otherwise; and at the device, communicating the adjusted SNR bias to one or more access terminals, wherein determining the relative load of access terminals being served by the macro base station and by the micro base station comprises: determining a first fraction of a maximum service capacity of the macro base station being used by the macro base station to serve a first group of access terminals; determining a second fraction of a maximum service capacity of the micro base station being used by the micro base station to serve a second group of access terminals; and comparing the first and second fractions.