Protection system for wireless NLOS backhaul

• US 10,306,653 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2013
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Coldrey, Mikael
• Primary Examiner(s): Lai, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Andrew C
• Application Number:
  US14/764,542
• Publication Number:
  US 20150365959A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,309 Days
• 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: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/56 based on priority criteria

Abstract

A protection system, configured for switching between backhaul technologies for upholding a communication in a wireless backhaul network, to a main node, to a dependent node, and a method for switching between backhaul technologies for upholding a communication. The protection system comprises a main node and a dependent node, wherein the main node and the dependent node are configured for communicating with each other via a backhaul channel, and a switching unit configured for selecting a backhaul technology for a communication via the backhaul channel, wherein at least one of the main node and the dependent node are further configured for measuring a quality parameter of the backhaul channel, wherein the switching unit is further configured for switching the backhaul technology selected for the communication via the backhaul channel to a predefined backhaul technology dependent on the quality parameter measured.

Claims

1. A protection system, configured for switching between backhaul technologies for upholding a communication in a wireless backhaul network, comprising:

a main node and a dependent node, wherein the main node and the dependent node are configured for communicating with each other via a backhaul channel;

a switching unit configured for selecting a backhaul technology for a communication via the backhaul channel, wherein at least one of the main node and the dependent node are further configured for measuring a quality parameter of the backhaul channel, wherein the switching unit is further configured for switching the backhaul technology selected for the communication via the backhaul channel to a predefined backhaul technology dependent on the quality parameter measured; and

a diversity unit configured for receiving a status parameter of the backhaul channel transmitted from the switching unit, the switching unit being arranged at least partly inside the main node or being arranged at least partly inside the dependent node, wherein the diversity unit is further configured for controlling and for prioritizing data traffic between the main node and the dependent node dependent on one or more of;

(i) the status parameter and (ii) the quality parameter.

2. The protection system according to claim 1, wherein the switching unit is further configured for requesting the status parameter of the backhaul channel, wherein the status parameter comprises a communication status from at least one of the main node and the dependent node.

3. The protection system according to claim 2, wherein the switching unit is further configured for transmitting the requested status parameter of the backhaul channel to one or more of the dependent node and to the main node.

4. The protection system according to claim 1, wherein the quality parameter of the backhaul channel comprises one or more of a received signal strength parameter, a channel quality indicator parameter, a latency measure parameter and repeated retransmission requests, wherein the quality parameter is configured for indicating performance of the backhaul channel.

5. The protection system according to claim 1, wherein the predefined backhaul technology comprises one or more of a mobile telecommunication technology, a microwave technology, and a wireless local area network technology.

6. The protection system according to claim 1, wherein the diversity unit is arranged at least partly inside the main node and/or is arranged at least partly inside the dependent node, the diversity unit being further configured for scheduling data traffic towards the dependent node and/or towards the main node dependent on the quality parameter and/or dependent on the status parameter.

7. The protection system according to claim 6, wherein the diversity unit arranged at least partly inside the dependent node is further configured for sending a prioritizing request and/or for sending a scheduling request to the main node.

8. The protection system according to claim 1, wherein the predefined backhaul technology corresponds to HSPA and/or LTE and is based on a relaying-type of backhaul.

9. The protection system according to claim 1, wherein the dependent node is arranged in non-line-of-sight to the main node within a predefined coverage area of the main node.

10. The protection system of claim 1, wherein the switching the backhaul technology selected for the communication via the backhaul channel comprises switching to a mix of a first predefined backhaul technology and a second predefined backhaul technology, wherein the first predefined backhaul technology is different than the second predefined backhaul technology.

11. The protection system of claim 10, wherein the main node and the dependent node are further configured for communicating with each other using the mix of the first predefined backhaul technology and the second predefined backhaul technology at the same time.

12. The protection system of claim 1, wherein the main node corresponds to a macro cell and the dependent node corresponds to a pico cell.

13. A main node, configured for communicating in a protection system, wherein the main node is configured for communicating via a backhaul channel and for measuring a quality parameter of the backhaul channel, wherein the protection system is configured for switching between backhaul technologies for upholding a communication in a wireless backhaul network, comprising:

a main node and a dependent node, wherein the main node and the dependent node are configured for communicating with each other via a backhaul channel;

a switching unit configured for selecting a backhaul technology for a communication via the backhaul channel, wherein at least one of the main node and the dependent node are further configured for measuring a quality parameter of the backhaul channel, wherein the switching unit is further configured for switching the backhaul technology selected for the communication via the backhaul channel to a predefined backhaul technology dependent on the quality parameter measured; and

a diversity unit configured for receiving a status parameter of the backhaul channel transmitted from the switching unit, the switching unit being arranged at least partly inside the main node or being arranged at least partly inside the dependent node, wherein the diversity unit is further configured for controlling and for prioritizing data traffic between the main node and the dependent node dependent on one or more of;

(i) the status parameter and (ii) the quality parameter.

14. The main node according to claim 13, comprising a switching unit configured for selecting a backhaul technology for a communication via the backhaul channel, wherein the switching unit is further configured for switching the backhaul technology selected for the communication via the backhaul channel to a predefined backhaul technology dependent on the quality parameter of the backhaul channel measured.

15. A method for switching between backhaul technologies for upholding a communication, comprising:

selecting, by a switching unit, a backhaul technology used for a communication via a backhaul channel;

measuring, by a main node or a dependent node, a quality parameter of the backhaul channel;

switching, by the switching unit, the backhaul technology selected for the communication via the backhaul channel to a predefined backhaul technology dependent on the measured quality parameter

receiving, by a diversity unit, a status parameter of the backhaul channel; and

controlling and prioritizing data traffic, by the diversity unit, over the backhaul channel dependent on one or more of;

(i) the status parameter and (ii) the quality parameter.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising controlling data traffic and of prioritizing data traffic dependent on the quality parameter measured.

17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising sending a prioritizing request and/or of sending a scheduling request via the backhaul channel.