Incorporation of mesh base stations in a wireless system

• US 10,085,221 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2016
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kim, Byoung-Jo J., Shankaranarayanan, Nemmara K., Saha, Amit Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Daniel, Jr., Willie J
• Application Number:
  US15/291,484
• Publication Number:
  US 20170099643A1
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/021 in wireless networks with changing topologies, e.g. ad-hoc networks self-organizing networks H04W84/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/143 Downlink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/343 taking into account loading or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/46 in multi hop networks, e.g. wireless relay networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/27 between access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 between access points

Abstract

Incorporation of a mesh base station in a wireless network is presented herein. The mesh base station can utilize common wireless resource allocations as a corresponding wireless base station while transmitting to wireless subscriber stations during the same time period. The mesh base station obtains a data packet from the wireless base station over a backhaul link during a scheduled time period and transmits the data packet to the designated wireless subscriber station during another scheduled time period. The wireless base station and the mesh base station can also receive data packets from wireless subscriber stations during a same time period. A wireless network can be configured with two mesh base stations at an approximate boundary of two adjacent sector coverage areas, where a coverage area is supported by a wireless base station and each mesh base station supports wireless subscriber stations within a coverage radius.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

initiating, by a system comprising a processor, a first wireless transmission of a first transmission power, to occur during a first period, of first data from a first access point device of a wireless coverage sector to a second access point device of the wireless coverage sector using an assigned wireless resource; and

initiating, by the system, a second wireless transmission of the first data from the second access point device to a first wireless device that is located within the wireless coverage sector, and initiating, by the system, a third wireless transmission of second data from the first access point device to a second wireless device that is located within the wireless coverage sector, wherein the second wireless transmission comprises a second transmission power that is lower than the first transmission power, wherein the second wireless transmission has been scheduled to occur during a second period after the first period using the assigned wireless resource, wherein the third wireless transmission comprises a third transmission power that is higher than the second transmission power, and wherein the third wireless transmission has been scheduled to occur during the second period using the assigned wireless resource.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the assigned wireless resource is a frequency.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the assigned wireless resource is a time slot.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the assigned wireless resource is a code sequence.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating, by the system, a determination of a traffic load of the first access point device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

in response to initiating a transfer of traffic load data representing the traffic load, initiating, by the system, a change of a transmit power of the second access point device based on the traffic load data.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating, by the system, a reception of traffic load data for the first access point device; and

initiating, by the system based on the traffic load data, a modification of a sensitivity value with respect to a sensitivity of reception of signals by the second access point device.

8. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

initiating a first wireless transmission of first data from a first device of a wireless coverage region to a second device of the wireless coverage region using a wireless resource allocation during a first designated transmission period; and

in response to the initiating of the first wireless transmission,

initiating a second wireless transmission, using the wireless resource allocation during a second designated transmission period following the first designated transmission period, of the first data from the second device to a first user equipment that is located within the wireless coverage region, and

initiating a third wireless transmission, using the wireless resource allocation during the second designated transmission period, of second data from the first device to a second user equipment that is located within the wireless coverage region, wherein the first wireless transmission comprises a first transmission power that is greater than a second transmission power of the second wireless transmission.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining traffic load data; and

sending the traffic load data directed to the second device for facilitating a change of a transmit power of the second device as a function of the traffic load data.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the initiating the second wireless transmission comprises initiating the second wireless transmission of the first data from the second device using a code sequence, and wherein the initiating the third wireless transmission comprises initiating the third wireless transmission of the second data from the first device using the code sequence.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the wireless resource allocation comprises a frequency allocation.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the wireless resource allocation comprises a time slot allocation.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the wireless resource allocation comprises a code sequence allocation.

14. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

sending, during a first period of time via a first access point device of a sector using an allocated wireless resource, a first wireless communication of first data directed to a second access point device of the sector for facilitating a transmission, during a second period of time after the first period of time via the second access point device using the allocated wireless resource, of a second wireless communication of the first data directed to a first wireless subscriber device that is located within the sector; and

sending, during the second period of time, the second wireless communication via the second access point device using the allocated wireless resource and a third wireless communication of second data directed, via the first access point device using the allocated wireless resource, to a second wireless subscriber device that is located within the sector, wherein the first wireless communication comprises a first transmission power that is greater than a second transmission power of the second wireless communication.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the first period of time is associated with communications corresponding to a backhaul link between the first access point device and the second access point device.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining traffic load data; and

sending the traffic load data directed to the second access point device for facilitating a change of a transmit power of the second access point device as a function of the traffic load data.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the facilitating the transmission comprises facilitating the transmission, via the second access point device, of the second wireless communication using a code sequence, and wherein the sending the third wireless communication comprises sending the third wireless communication of the second data using the code sequence.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving traffic load data; and

initiating, based on the traffic load data, a modification of a sensitivity of reception of signals by the second access point device.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the allocated wireless resource comprises a communication frequency.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the allocated wireless resource comprises a code sequence.