Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOAD CONTROL ON WIRELESS
COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK
[0001] This application is a National Phase Entry of International
Application No.
PCT/CN2011/074891, filed on May 30, 2011.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001a] The present invention relates to the field of wireless
communications
technologies, and in particular, to a method and an apparatus for load control
on a wireless
communications network.
BACKGROUND
[0002] With the popularity of UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications
System,
Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) networks and extensive application
of smart
UEs (customer equipment (subscriber installation, user equipment), UEs have an
increasingly
greater impact on an RAN (Radio Access Network, radio access network).
[0003] When a UE requests access to a NodeB (base station), the UE
sends an RRC
(Radio Resource Control, radio resource control) connection request to the
NodeB, the NodeB
sends the received RRC connection request to an RNC (Radio Network Controller,
radio
network controller), and the RNC chooses to reject or process the RRC
connection request
and instructs the NodeB to reject or allow access of the UE. When there are
too many UEs
that access one NodeB, the NodeB becomes a bottleneck of the entire UMTS
network.
100041 A method for load control on a UMTS network in the prior art is as
follows:
An RNC determines, according to load usage conditions of all NodeBs managed by
the RNC,
to uniformly reject or process RRC connection requests of all NodeBs.
[0005] In the prior art, the RNC cannot distinctively process an RRC
connection
request of each NodeB or distinctively perform flow control on each NodeB
according to a
specific load usage condition of each NodeB.
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SUMMARY
[0006] Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and an
apparatus for
load control on a wireless communications network, so that an RNC can
distinctively perform
flow control on each NodeB according to a specific load usage condition of
each NodeB.
[0007] In one aspect, a method for load control on a wireless
communications network
is provided, including:
receiving, by a radio network controller RNC, a radio resource control RRC
connection request sent by a base station, and acquiring, by the RNC, a flow
control level of
the base station; and
choosing, by the RNC according to the flow control level of the base station,
to
reject or process the RRC connection request.
[0008] In another aspect, a method for load control on a wireless
communications
network is provided, including:
receiving, by a base station, a load status request sent by a radio network
controller RNC; and
sending, by the base station, a load status report to the RNC, where the load
status report carries load information of the base station, so as to enable
the RNC to determine
a flow control level of the base station according to the load information of
the base station.
[0009] In another aspect, an apparatus for load control on a wireless
communications
network is provided, where the apparatus is arranged on a radio network
controller RNC, and
the apparatus specifically includes:
a flow control level acquiring module, configured to receive a radio resource
control RRC connection request sent by a base station and acquire a flow
control level of the
base station; and
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a control processing module, configured to choose, according to the flow
control level of the base station acquired by the base station flow control
level acquiring
module, to reject or process the RRC connection request.
[0010] In another aspect, an apparatus for load control on a wireless
communications
network is provided, where the apparatus is arranged on a base station, and
the apparatus
specifically includes:
a load status request receiving module, configured to receive a load status
request sent by a radio network controller RNC; and
a load status report sending module, configured to send a load status report
to
the RNC, where the load status report carries load information of the base
station, so as to
enable the RNC to determine a flow control level of the base station according
to the load
information of the base station.
10010a] There is also provided a radio network controller RNC for load
control on a
wireless communications network, specifically comprising:
a receiver, configured to receive a radio resource control RRC connection
request sent by a base station; and
a processor connected to the receiver, configured to acquire a flow control
level of the base station, and choose to reject or process the RRC connection
request
according to the flow control level of the base station.
[0011] As can be seen from the technical solutions provided in the
embodiments of the
present invention, in the embodiments of the present invention, an RNC
chooses, according to
a flow control level of a NodeB, to reject or process the RRC connection
request. In this way,
the RNC can
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distinctively process an RRC connection request of each NodeB and
distinctively perform flow
control on each NodeB according to a specific load usage condition of each
NodeB.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a processing flowchart of a method for load control on a
wireless
communications network according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention;
[0013] FIG 2 is a processing flowchart of a method for load control on a
wireless
communications network according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention;
[0014] FIG 3 is a schematic structural diagram of an apparatus for load
control on a wireless
communications network according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of another apparatus for
load control on a
wireless communications network according to Embodiment 3 of the present
invention; and
[0016] FIG 5 is a structural diagram of another apparatus for load
control on a wireless
communications network according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
Embodiment 1
[0017] A processing procedure of a method for load control on a wireless
communications
network according to this embodiment is as shown in FIG 1, including:
[0018] 11. An RNC receives an RRC connection request sent by a NodeB, and
the RNC
acquires a flow control level of the NodeB.
[0019] For example, the RNC may receive a load status report that includes
load information of
the NodeB and is sent by the NodeB, and determine the flow control level of
the NodeB according
to the load information of the NodeB.
[0020] Further, the load information of the NodeB may be overload
indication information or
normal load indication information, and the RNC determines the flow control
level of the NodeB
according to the amount of the overload indication information and the normal
load indication
information that are received in a set time period.
[0021] 12. The RNC chooses, according to the flow control level of the
NodeB, to reject or
process the RRC connection request.
[0022] For example, the RNC compares the flow control level of the NodeB
with a threshold
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and chooses, according to a comparison result, to reject or process the RRC
connection
request.
[0023] Further, the RNC may convert the flow control level of the
NodeB into a flow
control probability factor, where the flow control probability factor is
proportional to the flow
control level, and the flow control probability factor is an integer.
[0024] The RNC may generate a random number, where the random number
is an
integer; and reject the RRC connection request when the flow control
probability factor is
greater than the random number; otherwise, process the RRC connection request.
[0025] As can be seen from the technical solution provided in the
embodiment, in this
embodiment, an RNC chooses, according to a flow control level of a NodeB, to
reject or
process the RRC connection request. In this way, the RNC can distinctively
process an RRC
connection request of each NodeB and distinctively perform flow control on
each NodeB
according to a specific load usage condition of each NodeB.
Embodiment 2
[0026] A processing procedure of a method for load control on a wireless
communications network according to this embodiment is as shown in FIG. 2,
including:
[0027] 21. A load status request and a load status report may be
transmitted through a
lub interface between an RNC and a NodeB in this embodiment of the present
invention,
where the load status request is used by the RNC to instruct the NodeB to
report load status
information, and the load status report is used by the NodeB to report the
load status
information to the RNC.
[0028] When the RNC needs to know the load status information of the
NodeB, the
RNC may send a load status request to the NodeB and start a load status
statistics timer.
[0029] 22. After receiving the load status request, the NodeB sends a
load status report
to the RNC, where the load status report carries load information of the
NodeB.
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[0030] For example, after receiving the load status request, the
NodeB determines,
according to a set time interval, whether its load exceeds a preset threshold;
if yes, sends a
load status report that carries overload indication information to the RNC;
otherwise, sends a
load status report that carries normal load indication information to the RNC.
[0031] Further, the NodeB may determine, according to a set time interval
(five
seconds for example), whether power resources used by the NodeB exceed a
preset power
resource congestion threshold and whether signaling resources used by the
NodeB exceed a
preset signaling resource congestion threshold.
[0032] When determining that the power resources used by the NodeB
exceed the
power resource congestion threshold and/or the signaling resources used by the
NodeB exceed
the signaling resource congestion threshold, the NodeB sends a load status
report that carries
the overload indication information to the RNC; otherwise, sends a load status
report that
carries the normal load indication information to the RNC.
[0033] 23. In a timing duration of the load status statistics timer,
the RNC receives the
load status report sent by the NodeB and determines a flow control level of
the NodeB
according to the load information of the NodeB carried in the load status
report.
[0034] For example, the RNC may determine the flow control level of
the NodeB
according to the amount of the overload indication information and the normal
load indication
information that are received in a set time period. Specifically, in the
timing duration of the
load status statistics timer, the RNC adds a set value to a saved value of the
flow control level
of the NodeB when the load status report carries the overload indication
information and
reduces the saved value of the flow control level of the NodeB by the set
value when the load
status report carries the normal load indication information.
[0035] Exemplarily, a value range of the value of the flow control
level of the NodeB
may be 0-10 that indicate 11 flow control levels of the NodeB. The set value
may be 1.
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[0036] 24. The RNC may compare the flow control level of the NodeB
with a
threshold and choose, according to a comparison result, to reject or process
the RRC
connection request.
[0037] Further, the RNC may convert the flow control level of the
NodeB into a flow
control probability factor, where the flow control probability factor is
proportional to the flow
control level, and the flow control probability factor is an integer, for
example, it may be an
integer between 0 and 100.
[0038] A random number is used as the threshold in this embodiment of
the present
invention because an RRC connection request that is received by the NodeB and
sent by a
mobile terminal is random. The RNC generates a random number, where the random
number
is an integer, for example, it may be an integer between 0 and 100. When the
flow control
probability factor is greater than the random number, the RRC connection
request is rejected;
otherwise, the RRC connection request is processed, and the NodeB is
instructed to accept an
access request of the mobile terminal.
[0039] Further, in the preceding 21, a load status termination message may
further be
transmitted through the tub interface between the RNC and the NodeB, where the
load status
termination message is used by the RNC to instruct the NodeB to stop reporting
the load
status information.
[0040] Therefore, in the preceding 23, after the timing duration of
the load status
statistics timer expires, the RNC stops receiving the load status report after
sending the load
status termination message to the NodeB. After receiving the load status
termination message
sent by the RNC, the
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NodeB stops sending the load status report to the RNC.
[0041] The RNC saves the last acquired value, of the flow control level
of the NodeB.
According to the preceding processing procedure, the RNC may acquire and save
values of flow
control levels of all NodeBs managed by the RNC.
[0042] Further, in the preceding 21, a congestion statistics interval timer
may further be started
when the RNC starts the load status statistics timer in this embodiment of the
present invention,
where a timing duration of the congestion statistics interval timer is shorter
than the timing duration
of the load status statistics timer.
[0043] Therefore, in the preceding 23, before the congestion statistics
interval timer expires, the
RNC does not process the received load status report sent by the NodeB. After
the congestion
statistics interval timer expires and before the load status statistics timer
expires, the received load
status report sent by the NodeB is processed so as to acquire the overload
indication information or
the normal load indication information that is carried in the load status
report.
[0044] The congestion statistics interval timer is configured to set a
time interval for performing
statistics collection on the load status information of the NodeB, so as to
prevent the NodeB from
frequently and repeatedly reporting the overload indication information in a
relatively short
duration.
[0045] As can be seen from the technical solution provided in the
embodiment, in this
embodiment, an RNC perceives a load usage condition of a NodeB according to a
received load
status report sent by the NodeB and chooses, according to the load usage
condition of the NodeB, to
reject or process the RRC connection request. In this way, the RNC can
distinctively process an
RRC connection request of each NodeB and distinctively perform flow control on
each NodeB
according to a specific load usage condition of each NodeB.
[0046] An RNC may flexibly control a statistics duration and a
statistics time interval of a load
usage condition of a NodeB by arranging a load status statistics timer and a
congestion statistics
interval timer, thereby preventing the NodeB from frequently and repeatedly
reporting overload
indication information in a relatively short duration. The NodeB may flexibly
choose, according to
a condition of power resources or signaling resources used by the NodeB, to
send a load status
report that carries overload indication information or normal load indication
information to the
RNC.
Embodiment 3
[0047] This embodiment provides an apparatus for load control on a
wireless communications
network, where the apparatus may be arranged on an RNC, a specific structure
of the apparatus is as
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shown in FIG 3, and the apparatus specifically includes:
a flow control level acquiring module 31, configured to receive a radio
resource control
RRC connection request sent by a NodeB and acquire a flow control level of the
NodeB; and
a control processing module 32, configured to choose, according to the flow
control
level of the NodeB acquired by the flow control level acquiring module, to
reject or process the
RRC connection request.
[0048] As can be seen from the technical solution provided in the
embodiment, in this
embodiment, an RNC chooses, according to a flow control level of a NodeB, to
reject or process the
RRC connection request. In this way, the RNC can distinctively process an RRC
connection request
of each NodeB and distinctively perform flow control on each NodeB according
to a specific load
usage condition of each NodeB.
[0049] This embodiment further provides another apparatus for load
control on a wireless
communications network, where the apparatus may be arranged on an RNC, a
specific structure of
the apparatus is as shown in FIG 4, and the apparatus specifically includes:
a flow control level acquiring module 41, configured to receive a radio
resource control
RRC connection request sent by a NodeB and acquire a flow control level of the
NodeB; and
a control processing module 42, configured to compare the flow control level
of the
NodeB acquired by the flow control level acquiring module 41 with a threshold,
and choose,
according to a comparison result, to reject or process the RRC connection
request.
[0050] Specifically, the flow control level acquiring module 41 may
include:
a load status report receiving module 411, configured to receive a load status
report sent
by the NodeB, where the load status report carries load information of the
NodeB; and
a flow control level determining module 412, configured to determine a flow
control
level of the base station according to the load information of the NodeB.
[0051] Further, the flow control level determining module 412 may include:
a timing controlling module 4121, configured to send a load status request to
the NodeB
and start a load status statistics timer; and
a calculation processing module 4122, configured to determine the flow control
level of
the NodeB according to the amount of overload indication information and
normal load indication
information that are received in a timing duration of the load status
statistics timer. Specifically, in
the timing duration of the load status statistics timer, a load status report
sent by the NodeB
according to a set time interval is received; and the RNC adds a set value to
a saved value of the
flow control level of the NodeB when the load status report carries the
overload indication
information, and reduces the value of the flow control level of the NodeB by
the set value when the
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load status report carries the normal load indication information.
Exemplarily, a value range of the value of
the flow control level of the NodeB may be 0-10 that indicate 10 flow control
levels of the NodeB. The set
value may be 1. When a value of a flow control level that is obtained through
calculation is greater than 10,
the value of the flow control value is set to 10; and when a value of a flow
control level that is obtained
through calculation is less than 0, the value of the flow control value is set
to 0.
[0052] Further, the timing controlling module 4121 is further
configured to, after the load status
statistics timer expires, send a load status termination message to the NodeB.
[0053] The calculation processing module 4122 is further configured
to stop receiving the load
status report and save the last acquired value of the flow control level of
the NodeB.
[0054] Further, the timing controlling module 4121 is further configured to
start a congestion
statistics interval timer when starting the load status statistics timer,
where a timing duration of the
congestion statistics interval timer is shorter than the timing duration of
the load status statistics timer.
[0055] The calculation processing module 4122 is further configured
to, before the congestion
statistics interval timer expires, not process the received load status report
sent by the NodeB; and after the
congestion statistics interval timer expires, process the received load status
report sent by the NodeB.
[0056] Specifically, the control processing module 42 may include:
a comparison processing module 421, configured to compare the flow control
level of the
NodeB with a threshold; and
a choosing processing module 422, configured to choose, according to a
comparison result
acquired by the comparison processing module, to reject or process the RRC
connection request.
[0057] Further, the comparison processing module 421 is further
configured to convert the flow
control level of the NodeB into a flow control probability factor, where the
flow control probability factor is
proportional to the flow control level, and the flow control probability
factor is an integer between 0 and 100.
[0058] The choosing processing module 422 is further configured to
generate a random number,
where the random number is an integer between 0 and 100; reject the RRC
connection request when the
flow control probability factor acquired by the comparison processing module
is greater than the random
number; otherwise, process the RRC connection request.
[0059] This embodiment further provides another apparatus for load
control on a wireless
communications network, where the apparatus may be arranged on a NodeB, a
specific structure of
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the apparatus is as shown in FIG. 5, and the apparatus specifically includes:
a load status request receiving module 51 configured to receive a load status
request
sent by an RNC; and
a load status report sending module 52, configured to send a load status
report to the
RNC, where the load status report carries load information of the NodeB, so as
to enable the RNC
to determine a flow control level of the NodeB according to the load
information of the NodeB.
[0060] Specifically, the load status report sending module 52 is further
configured to, after the
load status request is received, determine, according to a set time interval,
whether load of the
NodeB exceeds a preset threshold; if yes, send a load status report that
carries overload indication
information to the RNC; otherwise, send a load status report that carries
normal load indication
information to the RNC.
[0061] Further, the load status report sending module 52 may determine,
according to a set time
interval (five seconds for example) after the load status request is received,
whether power
resources used by the base station exceed a preset power resource congestion
threshold and whether
signaling resources used by the base station exceed a preset signaling
resource congestion threshold,
where the signaling resources may be signaling board CPUs.
[0062] When determining that the power resources used by the base
station exceed the power
resource congestion threshold and/or the signaling resources used by the base
station exceed the
signaling resource congestion threshold, the load status report sending module
52 sends a load
status report that carries the overload indication information to the RNC;
otherwise, sends a load
status report that carries the normal load indication information to the RNC.
[0063] Further, after receiving a load status termination message sent
by the RNC, the load
status report sending module 52 stops sending a load status report to the RNC.
[0064] In conclusion, as can be seen from the technical solution
provided in the embodiment of
the present invention, in this embodiment of the present invention, an
apparatus for load control is
arranged on an RNC, and the apparatus for load control perceives a load usage
condition of a
NodeB according to a received load status report sent by the NodeB and
chooses, according to the
load usage condition of the NodeB, to reject or process the RRC connection
request. In this way, the
RNC can distinctively process an RRC connection request of each NodeB and
distinctively perform
flow control on each NodeB according to a specific load usage condition of
each NodeB.
[0065] The apparatus for load control in the RNC may flexibly control a
statistics duration and
a statistics time interval of a load usage condition of a NodeB by arranging a
load status statistics
timer and a congestion statistics interval timer, thereby preventing the NodeB
from frequently and
repeatedly reporting overload indication information in a relatively short
duration.
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[0066] In this embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for load
control is arranged on
a NodeB, and after receiving a load status request sent by an RNC, the
apparatus for load control
sends a load status report that carries load information of the NodeB to the
RNC, so as to enable the
RNC to determine a flow control level of the NodeB according to the load
information of the
NodeB.
[0067] The apparatus for load control on the NodeB may flexibly choose,
according to a
condition of power resources or signaling resources used by the NodeB, to send
a load status report
that carries overload indication information or normal load indication
information to the RNC.
[0068] A specific process of using the apparatus in this embodiment of
the present invention to
perform load control is similar to the foregoing method embodiments, and
therefore no further
details are provided herein.
[0069] A person of ordinary skill in the art may understand that all or a
part of the processes of
the methods in the foregoing embodiments may be implemented by a computer
program instructing
relevant hardware. The program may be stored in a computer readable storage
medium. When the
program runs, the processes of the foregoing methods in the embodiments are
performed. The
storage medium may be a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a read-only memory
(Read-Only Memory,
ROM), or a random access memory (Random Access Memory, RAM), and so on.
[0070] The foregoing descriptions are merely exemplary specific
embodiments of the present
invention, but are not intended to limit the protection scope of the present
invention. Any variation
or replacement readily figured out by a person skilled in the art within the
technical scope disclosed
in the present invention shall fall within the protection scope of the present
invention. Therefore, the
protection scope of the present invention shall be subject to the protection
scope of the claims.
