DYNAMIC RADIO ACCESS TECHNOLOGY BANDWIDTH ADAPTATION ACROSS ASYMMETRIC DSS NETWORKS

System and method are provided for a dynamic radio access technology (RAT) bandwidth adaptation across asymmetric dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) networks. DSS is implemented for Long Term Evolution (LTE) in 4G and New Radio (NR) in 5G. When the traffic usage for one radio access technology (LTE or NR) exceeds its bandwidth capacity, the radio network node adjust the bandwidth by a pre-defined step to accommodate the increased traffic usage of the radio access technology. The bandwidth of the corresponding radio access technology that shares the DSS is reduced. The expansion and reduction in bandwidths for the radio access technologies with DSS is designed to reduce interference.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

BACKGROUND

To overcome interference challenges observed with symmetric dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) solution, operators are exploring asymmetric DSS solutions in which both Long Term Evolution (LTE) and New Radio (NR) can have different carrier bandwidths. Current implementation is to define shared bandwidth portion manually and does not have the flexibility to dynamically expand and reduce this shared bandwidth portion within the larger bandwidth depending on varying traffic profiles.

Consider a band-X with contiguous 30 megahertz (MHz) bandwidth with NR cell defined for the entire bandwidth while 10 MHz is being used as shared DSS cell for both LTE and NR users. If LTE traffic usage gradually increases and congests the entire 10 MHz bandwidth while the 30 MHz bandwidth is underutilized, there is no mechanism to dynamically expand the LTE bandwidth inside the 30 MHz band-X. Similarly, if LTE shared 10 MHz bandwidth is significantly underutilized while NR traffic is high, it would be ideal to reduce the LTE bandwidth to minimize interference and improve NR throughputs.

SUMMARY

A method and system are provided to dynamically expand and reduce certain DSS shared radio access technology (RAT) bandwidth based on traffic usages. LTE and NR can share contiguous spectrum in an intra band scenario. When the bandwidth of LTE or NR exceeds a threshold, the bandwidth can be incrementally increased by a pre-defined amount, especially when the corresponding bandwidth of the adjacent technology (ie. the adjacent NR or LTE in DSS) is being underutilized. Also, when the bandwidth of LTE or NR is underutilized, the bandwidth can be incrementally reduced by a pre-defined amount, especially when the corresponding bandwidth of the adjacent technology in DSS is exceeding its bandwidth threshold.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Throughout this disclosure, several acronyms and shorthand notations are employed to aid the understanding of certain concepts pertaining to the associated system and services. These acronyms and shorthand notations are intended to help provide an easy methodology of communicating the ideas expressed herein and are not meant to limit the scope of embodiments described in the present disclosure. The following is a list of these acronyms:

Further, various technical terms are used throughout this description.

In a first aspect, a method and system of dynamically changing a radio access technology (RAT) bandwidth based on traffic usage is provided that includes operating dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) in a mobile communications network that includes a first wireless standard technology and a second wireless standard technology. A radio network node is configured to operate and monitor traffic usage in a first RAT and a second RAT. The first RAT operates in the first wireless standard technology and the second RAT operates in the second wireless standard technology. The first RAT is configured to operate with a first bandwidth larger than the second RAT that is configured to operate with a second bandwidth. The first RAT and the second RAT are configured to operate with DSS for a particular band. The radio network node is configured to expand the second bandwidth of the second RAT by a pre-defined amount when a second RAT utilization is higher than a second operator-defined threshold and a first RAT utilization is lower than a first operator-defined threshold. The radio network node is configured to reduce the second bandwidth of the second RAT by the pre-defined amount when the second RAT utilization is lower than the second operator-defined threshold and the first RAT utilization is higher than the first operator-defined threshold.

In a second aspect, a method of dynamically changing a radio access technology (RAT) bandwidth based on traffic usage is provided that includes operating dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) in a mobile communications network that includes 4G wireless technology and 5G wireless technology. A radio network node monitors traffic usage in Long Term Evolution (LTE) and New Radio (NR) and configures bandwidths for LTE and NR. LTE operates in 4G wireless technology and NR operates in 5G wireless technology. NR operates with a first bandwidth larger than LTE, which operates with a second bandwidth, where NR and LTE operate with DSS for a particular band. Or, NR operates with the first bandwidth smaller than LTE, which operates with the second bandwidth, where NR and LTE operate with DSS for the particular band. When NR has a larger assigned bandwidth than LTE, the second bandwidth of LTE is expanded by a pre-defined amount when a LTE utilization is higher than a LTE operator-defined threshold and a NR utilization is less than a NR operator-defined threshold. Also, when NR has a larger assigned bandwidth than LTE, the second bandwidth of LTE is reduced by the pre-defined amount when the LTE utilization is less than the LTE operator-defined threshold and the NR utilization is higher than the NR operator-defined threshold. When NR has a smaller assigned bandwidth than LTE, the first bandwidth of NR is expanded by a pre-defined amount when the NR utilization is higher than the NR operator-defined threshold and the LTE utilization is less than the LTE operator-defined threshold. Also, when NR has a smaller assigned bandwidth than LTE, the first bandwidth of NR is reduced by the pre-defined amount when the NR utilization is less than the NR operator-defined threshold and the LTE utilization is higher than the LTE operator-defined threshold.

InFIG.1, a graph100illustrates LTE and NR functioning in a shared radio access technology bandwidth. Particularly, graph100is an illustration of the assignment of bandwidth for New Radio (NR)110in 5G wireless technology and Long Term Evolution (LTE)120in 4G wireless technology. The actual assignment of bandwidth occurs in either an eNodeB, gNB, or ng-eNB, which are the radio access technology devices used to connect cellular wireless devices back to a core network. As one can see in graph100, LTE shares bandwidth with NR, and this shared bandwidth is referred to as dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS). For example, NR110could have a bandwidth of 30 MHz and LTE120could have a bandwidth of 10 MHz. The DSS would be that portion of 10 MHz shared between NR and LTE. This sharing of bandwidth enables an operator to have both 4G LTE users and 5G NR users operate in a same band-X105.

In an implementation of an embodiment of the present invention, the bandwidth of NR110and LTE120can dynamically be adjusted to accommodate changes in traffic usage for 5G NR users and 4G LTE users. This can occur when there is a contiguous bandwidth spectrum in an intra band scenario. An operator configures bandwidth thresholds for NR110and LTE120in an eNodeB, gNB, or ng-eNB. ForFIG.1, when traffic usage for LTE120reaches the bandwidth threshold, the eNodeB, gNB, or ng-eNB checks the bandwidth for NR110. And if the traffic usage for NR110is less than its allocated bandwidth threshold, the eNodeB, gNB, or ng-eNB increases the bandwidth of LTE120by a pre-defined amount. The increase in bandwidth can occur up to a set maximum imposed by the operator Likewise, if the traffic usage for LTE120is less than the bandwidth threshold set for 4G LTE users and the traffic usage for NR110is more than the bandwidth threshold set for 5G NR users, the eNodeB, gNB, or ng-eNB reduces the bandwidth of LTE120by a pre-defined amount. The decrease in bandwidth can continue to occur down to a minimum set by the operator.

Turning now toFIG.2, a graph200illustrates a converse of graph100. Graph200illustrates of NR and LTE functioning in a shared radio access technology bandwidth. Particularly, graph200is an illustration of the assignment of bandwidth for LTE210in 4G wireless technology and NR220in 5G wireless technology. As one can see in graph200, NR shares bandwidth with LTE, in DSS. For example, LTE210could have a bandwidth of 30 MHz and NR220could have a bandwidth of 10 MHz. The DSS would be that portion of 10 MHz shared between NR and LTE. This sharing of bandwidth enables the operator to have both 4G LTE users and 5G NR users operate in a same band-X205, similar to band-X105.

As stated before for NR110and LTE120, LTE210and NR220can dynamically be adjusted to accommodate changes in traffic usage for 4G LTE users and 5G NR users. The operator configures bandwidth thresholds for LTE210and NR220, which might be slightly less than the full bandwidths shown in graph200inFIG.2. For example, if LTE has a bandwidth of 30 MHz and NR220has a bandwidth of 10 MHz, the operator may allocate bandwidth thresholds that are less than the bandwidth maximums in order to reduce interference. Therefore, when traffic user for NR220reaches the bandwidth threshold, the eNodeB, gNB, or ng-eNB can check the bandwidth of LTE210. If the traffic usage for LTE210is less than the allocated bandwidth threshold, the eNodeB, gNB, or ng-eNB can incrementally increase the bandwidth of NR220by a pre-defined amount. Likewise, if the traffic usage for NR220is less than the bandwidth threshold set for 5G NR users and the traffic usage for LTE210is more than the bandwidth threshold set for 4G LTE users, the eNodeB, gNB, or ng-eNB (or any other assigned radio access technology) can reduce the bandwidth of NR220by a pre-defined amount. The decrease can continue in a loop or repetitive arrangement until a minimum set by the operator is reached.

Turning now toFIG.3, a method for dynamically changing radio access technology (RAT) bandwidth based on traffic usage is provided in a process300. In a step310, dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) is provided in a mobile communications network that includes a first wireless standard technology and a second wireless standard technology. In a step320, a radio network node monitors traffic usage in a first radio access technology (RAT) (e.g. NR110, LTE210) and a second radio access technology (RAT) (e.g. LTE120, NR220). The first RAT operates in the first wireless standard technology and the second RAT operates in the second wireless standard technology, in a step330. In a step340, the first RAT has a first bandwidth larger than the second RAT with a second bandwidth, with DSS for a particular band. In a step350, the second bandwidth of the second RAT is expanded by a pre-defined amount when a second RAT utilization is higher than a second operator-defined threshold, and a first RAT utilization is less than a first operator-defined threshold. The second bandwidth of the second RAT is reduced by the pre-defined amount when the second RAT utilization is less than the second operator-defined threshold, and the first RAT utilization is higher than the first operator-defined threshold, in a step360.

Turning now toFIG.4, a method for dynamically changing radio access technology (RAT) bandwidth based on traffic usage is provided in a process400. In a step410, dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) is provided in a mobile communications network that includes a 4G wireless technology and a 5G wireless technology. A radio network node monitors traffic usage in Long Term Evolution (LTE) (e.g. LTE120, LTE210) and New Radio (NR) (e.g. NR110, NR220) and configures bandwidths for LTE and NR, in a step420. LTE operates in 4G wireless technology and NR operates in 5G wireless technology, in a step430. In a step440, NR has a first bandwidth that is larger than LTE with a second bandwidth for a particular band. Or, NR has the first bandwidth that is smaller than LTE with the second bandwidth for the particular band. When NR has a larger assigned bandwidth than LTE, the second bandwidth of LTE is expanded by a pre-defined amount when a LTE utilization is higher than a LTE operator-defined threshold and a NR utilization is less than a NR operator-defined threshold, in a step450. In a step460, When NR has the larger assigned bandwidth than LTE, the second bandwidth of LTE is reduced by the pre-defined threshold amount when the LTE utilization is less than the LTE operator-defined threshold and the NR utilization is higher than the NR operator-defined threshold. In a step470, when NR has a smaller assigned bandwidth than LTE, the first bandwidth of NR is expanded by a pre-defined amount when the NR utilization is higher than the NR operator-defined threshold and the LTE utilization is less than the LTE operator-defined threshold. In a step480, when NR has a smaller assigned bandwidth than LTE, the first bandwidth of NR is reduced by the pre-defined amount when the NR utilization is less than the NR operator-defined threshold and the LTE utilization is higher than the LTE operator-defined threshold.