Dynamically updating the location of mobile wireless repeaters

• US 10,021,521 B1
• Filed: 07/26/2016
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2016
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Reeves, Raymond Emilio, McMullen, Michael P., Bartlett, Roger Danforth, Peden, Mark Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Pasia, Redentor
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mak, Peter K
• Application Number:
  US15/219,489
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/06 Hybrid resource partitioning, e.g. channel borrowing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/24 Cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0055 Transmission or use of information for re-establishing the radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0072 of resource information of target access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0077 of access information of target access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/047 using dedicated repeater stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

A Long-Term Evolution (LTE) communication system to facilitate updating network topology information when a mobile wireless repeater changes its attachment comprises a network topology server, a former macro LTE base station to which the mobile wireless repeater was previously attached, and a new macro LTE base station to which the mobile wireless repeater is presently attached. The network topology is server configured to receive updated attachment information transmitted from the mobile wireless repeater and transfer an attachment scan instruction for delivery to the former macro LTE base station and the new macro LTE base station. The former and new macro LTE base stations are configured to determine network attachment information for one or more network wireless repeaters and transfer the network attachment information for delivery to the network topology server. The network topology server is further configured to receive the network attachment information and update a network topology map.

Claims

1. A method of operating a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) communication system to facilitate updating network topology information when a mobile wireless repeater changes its attachment, the method comprising:

in a network topology server, receiving updated attachment information transmitted from the mobile wireless repeater;

in the network topology server, processing the updated attachment information to identify a former macro LTE base station to which the mobile wireless repeater was previously attached and a new macro LTE base station to which the mobile wireless repeater is presently attached;

in the network topology server, transferring an attachment scan instruction for delivery to the former macro LTE base station and the new macro LTE base station;

in the former macro LTE base station, in response to the attachment scan instruction, determining former network attachment information for one or more former network wireless repeaters attached to the former macro LTE base station and transferring the former network attachment information for delivery to the network topology server;

in the new macro LTE base station, in response to the attachment scan instruction, determining new network attachment information for one or more new network wireless repeaters attached to the new macro LTE base station and transferring the new network attachment information for delivery to the network topology server; and

in the network topology server, receiving the former network attachment information and the new network attachment information and updating a network topology map with the former network attachment information and the new network attachment information.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the topology server receiving a request for a proximate location of a User Equipment (UE) device served by the mobile wireless repeater and returning a location of the mobile wireless repeater in response to the request.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a location of the mobile wireless repeater along with the updated attachment information transmitted from the mobile wireless repeater.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a velocity vector of the mobile wireless repeater along with the updated attachment information transmitted from the mobile wireless repeater.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the updated attachment information transmitted from the mobile wireless repeater comprises receiving former repeater attachment information and new repeater attachment information.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the wherein the former repeater attachment information comprises a former donor node and one or more former serving nodes, and the new repeater attachment information comprises a new donor node and one or more new serving nodes.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the former network attachment information for the one or more former network wireless repeaters attached to the former macro LTE base station comprises querying each of the former network wireless repeaters attached to the former macro LTE base station for their attachment information.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the former network attachment information for the one or more former network wireless repeaters attached to the former macro LTE base station comprises pinging each of the former network wireless repeaters attached to the former macro LTE base station to determine delay time information, and processing the delay time information to determine a sequencing order of the one or more former network wireless repeaters.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the new network attachment information for the one or more new network wireless repeaters attached to the new macro LTE base station comprises querying each of the new network wireless repeaters attached to the new macro LTE base station for their attachment information.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the new network attachment information for the one or more new network wireless repeaters attached to the new macro LTE base station comprises pinging each of the new network wireless repeaters attached to the new macro LTE base station to determine delay time information, and processing the delay time information to determine a sequencing order of the one or more new network wireless repeaters.

11. A Long-Term Evolution (LTE) communication system to facilitate updating network topology information when a mobile wireless repeater changes its attachment, the LTE communication system comprising:

a network topology server configured to receive updated attachment information transmitted from the mobile wireless repeater, process the updated attachment information to identify a former macro LTE base station to which the mobile wireless repeater was previously attached and a new macro LTE base station to which the mobile wireless repeater is presently attached, and transfer an attachment scan instruction for delivery to the former macro LTE base station and the new macro LTE base station;

the former macro LTE base station configured to, in response to the attachment scan instruction, determine former network attachment information for one or more former network wireless repeaters attached to the former macro LTE base station and transfer the former network attachment information for delivery to the network topology server;

the new macro LTE base station configured to, in response to the attachment scan instruction, determine new network attachment information for one or more new network wireless repeaters attached to the new macro LTE base station and transfer the new network attachment information for delivery to the network topology server; and

the network topology server further configured to receive the former network attachment information and the new network attachment information and update a network topology map with the former network attachment information and the new network attachment information.

12. The LTE communication system of claim 11 further comprising the network topology server configured to receive a request for a proximate location of a User Equipment (UE) device served by the mobile wireless repeater and return a location of the mobile wireless repeater in response to the request.

13. The LTE communication system of claim 11 further comprising the network topology server configured to receive a location of the mobile wireless repeater along with the updated attachment information transmitted from the mobile wireless repeater.

14. The LTE communication system of claim 11 further comprising the network topology server configured to receive a velocity vector of the mobile wireless repeater along with the updated attachment information transmitted from the mobile wireless repeater.

15. The LTE communication system of claim 11 wherein the network topology server configured to receive the updated attachment information transmitted from the mobile wireless repeater comprises the network topology server configured to receive former repeater attachment information and new repeater attachment information.

16. The LTE communication system of claim 15 wherein the wherein the former repeater attachment information comprises a former donor node and one or more former serving nodes, and the new repeater attachment information comprises a new donor node and one or more new serving nodes.

17. The LTE communication system of claim 11 wherein the former macro LTE base station configured to determine the former network attachment information for the one or more former network wireless repeaters attached to the former macro LTE base station comprises the former macro LTE base station configured to query each of the former network wireless repeaters attached to the former macro LTE base station for their attachment information.

18. The LTE communication system of claim 11 wherein the former macro LTE base station configured to determine the former network attachment information for the one or more former network wireless repeaters attached to the former macro LTE base station comprises the former macro LTE base station configured to ping each of the former network wireless repeaters attached to the former macro LTE base station to determine delay time information and process the delay time information to determine a sequencing order of the one or more former network wireless repeaters.

19. The LTE communication system of claim 11 wherein the new macro LTE base station configured to determine the new network attachment information for the one or more new network wireless repeaters attached to the new macro LTE base station comprises the new macro LTE base station configured to query each of the new network wireless repeaters attached to the new macro LTE base station for their attachment information.

20. The LTE communication system of claim 11 wherein the new macro LTE base station configured to determine the new network attachment information for the one or more new network wireless repeaters attached to the new macro LTE base station comprises the new macro LTE base station configured to ping each of the new network wireless repeaters attached to the new macro LTE base station to determine delay time information and process the delay time information to determine a sequencing order of the one or more new network wireless repeaters.