Patent ID: 8570940

Claim:
A method in a communication system that includes a plurality of macro base stations and a plurality of low-cost Internet base stations (LCIBs), the method comprising: an LCIB controller determining a location of each of the plurality of LCIBs; based at least on the determined locations, the LCIB controller determining that the plurality of LCIBs are densely deployed; in response to the determination that the plurality of LCIBs are densely deployed, the LCIB controller (i) selecting respective operational parameters for each respective LCIB in the plurality and (ii) configuring each respective LCIB in the plurality to operate according to the respective operational parameters selected for the respective LCIB, so as to reduce interference between the plurality of LCIBs, wherein each LCIB in the plurality of LCIBs also has a respective set of standard operational parameters, wherein the plurality of LCIBs comprises a first LCIB and a second LCIB, and wherein the first LCIB is operating within a predetermined proximity to the second LCIB; and after configuring each respective LCIB in the plurality to operate according to the respective operational parameters, the LCIB controller (i) determining that the first LCIB is no longer densely deployed, wherein determining that the first LCIB is no longer densely deployed comprises (a) checking a registration status of the second LCIB, (b) determining that the second LCIB is no longer registered, and (c) in response to determining that the second LCIB is no longer registered, concluding that the second LCIB is no longer operating within a predetermined proximity to the first LCIB, and (ii) in response to determining that the first LCIB is no longer densely deployed, re-configuring the first LCIB to operate according to a set of standard operational parameters.