Moving cellular communication system operative in an emergency mode

• US 10,257,767 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2018
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ELTA Systems Limited (Government of Israel)
• Original Assignee: ELTA Systems Limited (Government of Israel)
• Inventors: Schwartz, Adi, Shoshan, Yaakov, Sherman, Itay, Weinsberg, Udi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Congvan
• Application Number:
  US15/863,151
• Publication Number:
  US 20180279106A1
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: 4554041, 4554042, 455403, 455434, 455436-439, 455445, 455446, 455521, 4555521, 455421, 455567, 370331-332
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15542 Selecting at relay station its transmit and receive resources selection of wireless resources by user or terminal H04W72/02; arrangements affording multiple use of the transmission path by two-dimensional division of the resources H04L5/0003, or by allocating sub-channels H04L5/003
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/1555 Selecting relay station antenna mode, e.g. selecting omnidirectional -, directional beams, selecting polarizations
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/005 of intercell interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/0056 Inter-base station aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0018 based on latency requirement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2212/00 Encapsulation of packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2517 using port numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0215 based on user or device properties, e.g. MTC-capable devices services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] H04W4/70; wireless resource selection or allocation plan definition based on terminal or device properties H04W72/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0268 using specific QoS parameters for wireless networks, e.g. QoS class identifier [QCI] or guaranteed bit rate [GBR] negotiating SLA or negotiating QoS H04W28/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/14 using intermediate storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/04 Reselecting a cell layer in multi-layered cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/00 Communication routing or communication path finding
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/22 using selective relaying for reaching a BTS [Base Transceiver Station] or an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/00 Local resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 : in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 : in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 : Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 : Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 : Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/085 : involving hierarchical organized mobility servers, e.g. hierarchical mobile IP [HMIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 : Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 : Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 : Moving wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 : using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 : Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A method operative in conjunction with a cellular communication network having a core element and comprising providing moving relays including base and mobile station functionality and a relay resource manager, all co-located, including providing an emergency moving relay from among the moving relays further including a simulated stationary network that includes a simulated IP connectivity gateway communicating with a simulated mobility management entity. The simulated stationary network simulates a stationary network'"'"'s operation; the emergency moving relay being a root of a sub tree that includes moving relays and mobile stations, and is configured to utilize its mobile and base station functionalities and relay resource manager for operating in:

• • (i) normal mode: emergency moving relay communicates with other relays in the network and with the stationary network;
  • (ii) emergency mode, including, in response to an emergency event, finding new networks to connect to.

Claims

1. A non-transitory tangible computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement an emergency communication method for a cellular communication system forming part of a cellular communication network having a core element, the method comprising:

providing at least one relay including;

at least one base station functionality serving at least one mobile station;

at least one mobile station functionality; and

a relay resource manager operative to manage at least one resource pertaining to at least one of the base station functionality and mobile station functionality, all co-located; and

providing the relay resource manager with a core functionality operative, selectably, to take over at least one core function performed by the core element, for the at least one mobile station served by the base station functionality, wherein;

the core functionality is also operative, selectably, to hand back the at least one functionality taken over from the core element, and

the handing back by the core functionality is performed by at least one of;

manual operation and autonomous operation.

2. The non-transitory tangible computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the core functionality takes over the functionality in real time and without disrupting ongoing communication over the network.

3. The non-transitory tangible computer readable medium according to claim 2, wherein the core functionality'"'"'s taking over is performed by the autonomous operation.

4. The non-transitory tangible computer readable medium according to claim 3, wherein the autonomous operation is performed by a command originated by at least one of:

an internal element of the relay, an internal element of a relay other than the relay, an element of the cellular communication network and an element external to the cellular communication network.

5. The non-transitory tangible computer readable medium according to claim 2, wherein the core functionality'"'"'s taking over is performed by manual operation.

6. The non-transitory tangible computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the core functionality comprises connecting between at least a pair of mobile stations characterized in that at least one core function pertaining to the pair which was previously performed at the core element is now performed by the core functionality of the relay resource manager.

7. The non-transitory tangible computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the core functionality comprises connecting between:

at least one mobile station characterized in that the core element previously performed at last one core function for the mobile station whereas the core functionality of the relay resource manager now performs the core function for the mobile station; and

at least one additional mobile station characterized in that the core element still performs the at last one core function for the additional mobile station'"'"'s core.

8. The non-transitory tangible computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the at least one core function comprises connecting between at least one mobile station characterized in that the core element previously served as the mobile station'"'"'s core whereas the core functionality of the relay resource manager now serves as the mobile station'"'"'s at least one core function and an application service server.

9. The non-transitory tangible computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the core functionality'"'"'s handing back is performed by the autonomous operation.

10. The non-transitory tangible computer readable medium according to claim 9, wherein the autonomous operation is performed by a command originated by at least one of:

an internal element of the relay, an internal element of a relay other than the relay, an element of the cellular communication network and an element external to the cellular communication network.

11. The non-transitory tangible computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the core functionality'"'"'s hand-back of the at least one core function from the core element includes handing back at least one connectivity gateway function of the core element'"'"'s functioning.

12. The non-transitory tangible computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the core functionality'"'"'s hand-back of the at least one core function from the core element includes handing back at least one security management function of the core element'"'"'s functioning.

13. The non-transitory tangible computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the core functionality'"'"'s handing back is performed by manual operation.

14. An emergency communication method for a cellular communication system forming part of a cellular communication network having a core element, the method comprising:

providing at least one relay including;

at least one base station functionality serving at least one mobile station;

at least one mobile station functionality; and

a relay resource manager operative to manage at least one resource pertaining to at least one of the base station functionality and mobile station functionality, all co-located; and

providing the relay resource manager with a core functionality operative, selectably, to take over at least one core function performed by the core element, for the at least one mobile station served by the base station functionality, wherein;

the core functionality is also operative, selectably, to hand back the at least one functionality taken over from the core element, and

the handing back by the core functionality is performed by at least one of;

manual operation and autonomous operation.

15. The emergency communication method according to claim 14, wherein the core functionality hands back the at least one core function without disrupting ongoing communication over the network.

16. The emergency communication method according to claim 14, wherein the core functionality'"'"'s take-over of the at least one core function from the core element includes taking over at least one mobility-management function in the core element'"'"'s functioning.

17. The emergency communication method according to claim 16, wherein the at least one mobility-management function comprises at least one of:

LTE MME, 3G RNC and WiMAX ASN.

18. The emergency communication method according to claim 14, wherein the core functionality'"'"'s take-over of the at least one core function from the core element includes taking over at least one policy-management and control function in the core element'"'"'s functioning.

19. The emergency communication method according to claim 14, wherein the core functionality'"'"'s take-over of the at least one core function from the core element includes taking over at least one QoS-management function of the core element'"'"'s functioning.

20. A cellular communication system forming part of a cellular communication network having a core element, the system comprising:

at least one relay including;

at least one base station functionality serving at least one mobile station;

at least one mobile station functionality; and

a relay resource manager operative to manage at least one resource pertaining to at least one of the base station functionality and mobile station functionality, all co-located, wherein the relay resource manager includes a core functionality operative, selectably, to take over at least one core function performed by the core element, for the at least one mobile station served by the base station functionality, wherein;

the core functionality is also operative, selectably, to hand back the at least one functionality taken over from the core element, and

the handing back by the core functionality is performed by at least one of;

manual operation and autonomous operation.

21. The cellular communication system according to claim 20, wherein the handing back is done in response to mobile station functionality connected to one of:

other relay base station functionality or static base station.