Network architecture for mobile communication network with billing module for shared resources

• US 20030050100A1
• Filed: 09/12/2001
• Published: 03/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Dent, Paul W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,086,271 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/562.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A mobile communication network includes an antenna site shared by two or more telecommunications service providers. The antenna site includes a shared resource, such as an antenna, telecommunications equipment, or bandwidth, used by multiple service providers and connects to multiple signal processing centers, each of which belongs to one of the service providers. The signal processing centers may provide modulating signals to the antenna site to use in modulating a carrier. The antenna site may also direct received signals from mobile terminals to the signal processing center for the appropriate service provider. A billing module at the antenna site maintains an accounting of resources used by each service provider.

Claims

1. A communication network comprising:

an antenna site including a shared transmitter used by two or more service providers to transmit signals to mobile subscribers;

a first signal processing center connected to said antenna site and belonging to a first service provider to generate a first modulating signal, wherein said first modulating signal is used at said antenna site to modulate an RF carrier; and

a second signal processing center connected to said antenna site and belonging to a second service provider to generate a second modulating signal, wherein said second modulating signal is used at said antenna site to modulate an RF carrier.

2. The communication network of claim 1 wherein said first and second modulating signals comprise I, Q modulating signals.

3. The communication network of claim 1 wherein said transmitter operates over a frequency band comprising a first frequency spectrum allocated to said first service provider and a second frequency spectrum allocated to said second service provider.

4. The communication network of claim 3 wherein said first and second modulating signals are used by said transmitter to modulate radio frequency carriers in different portions of said frequency bands.

5. The communication network of claim 4 wherein said first modulating signal is used by said transmitter to modulate a radio frequency carrier in said first frequency spectrum, and wherein said second modulating signal is used by said transmitter to modulate a radio frequency carrier in said second frequency spectrum.

6. The communications network of claim 1 further comprising a billing module at said antenna site to account for usage of said shared transmitter by said first and second service providers.

7. The communication network of claim 7 wherein said billing module accounts for usage of said transmitter based on a bandwidth-time product.

8. An antenna site in a communications network, said antenna site comprising:

at least one shared transmitter used by two or more service providers to communicate with mobile subscriber terminals; and

an interface to connect said antenna site with signal processing centers operated by each of said service providers, wherein said signal processing centers provide modulating signals to said antenna site that are used by said transmitter to modulate a radio frequency carrier.

9. The antenna site of claim 8 wherein said modulating signals comprise I, Q modulating signals.

10. The antenna site of claim 8 wherein said transmitter operates over a frequency band comprising a first frequency spectrum allocated to a first service provider and a second frequency spectrum allocated to a second service provider.

11. The antenna site of claim 10 wherein said modulating signals from different signal processing centers are used by said transmitter to modulate radio frequency carriers in different portions of said frequency band.

12. The antenna site of claim 11 wherein said modulating signals from a first signal processing center are used by said transmitter to modulate a radio frequency carrier in said first frequency spectrum, and wherein said modulating signals from a second signal processing center are used by said transmitter to modulate a radio frequency carrier in said second frequency spectrum.

13. The antenna site of claim 8 further comprising a billing module to account for usage of said shared transmitter by said two or more service providers.

14. The antenna site of claim 9 wherein said billing module accounts for usage of said transmitter based on a bandwidth-time product.

15. A communication network comprising:

an antenna site including a shared receiver used by two or more service providers to receive signals from mobile subscribers;

a first signal processing center connected to said antenna site and belonging to a first service provider to process selected signals received at said antenna site intended for said first service provider; and

a second signal processor connected to said antenna site and belonging to a second service provider to process selected signals received at said antenna site intended for said second service provider.

16. The communication network of claim 15 wherein said antenna site converts received signals to I, Q samples.

17. The communication network of claim 15 wherein said receiver operates over a frequency band comprising a first frequency spectrum allocated to said first service provider and a second frequency spectrum allocated to said second service provider are pooled at said antenna site.

18. The communication network of claim 17 wherein signals received at said antenna site in said first frequency spectrum are forwarded to said first service provider and wherein signals received at said antenna site in said second frequency spectrum are forwarded to said second service provider.

19. The communications network of claim 15 further comprising a billing module at said antenna site to account for usage of said shared receiver by said first and second service providers.

20. The communication network of claim 19 wherein said billing module accounts for usage of said transmitter based on a bandwidth-time product.

23. The antenna site of claim 15 wherein said receiver operates over a frequency band comprising a first frequency spectrum allocated to a first service provider and a second frequency spectrum allocated to a second service provider are pooled at said antenna site.

24. The antenna site of claim 17 wherein signals received at said antenna site in said first frequency spectrum are forwarded to said first service provider and wherein signals received at said antenna site in said second frequency spectrum are forwarded to said second service provider.

21. An antenna site in a communications network, said antenna site comprising:

at least one shared receiver used by two or more service providers to communicate with mobile subscriber terminals; and

an interface to connect said antenna site with signal processing centers operated by each of said service providers.

22. The antenna site of claim 21 wherein said antenna site converts received signals to I, Q samples.

25. The antenna site of claim 21 further comprising a billing module at said antenna site to account for usage of said shared receiver by said first and second service providers.

26. The antenna site of claim 25 wherein said billing module accounts for usage of said transmitter based on a bandwidth-time product.

27. A method of sharing network resources between multiple telecommunications service providers, said method comprising:

providing an antenna site having at least one shared resource used by two or more service providers to communicate with mobile subscribers;

connecting multiple signal processing centers to said antenna site such that multiple telecommunications service providers can use said shared resource.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising transmitting modulating signals from said signal processing centers to said antenna site and modulating a carrier at said antenna using said modulating signals received from said signal processing centers.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein transmitting modulating signals from said signal processing centers to said antenna site comprises transmitting I, Q modulating signals from said signal processing centers to said antenna site.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein said shared resource comprises a transmitter operating over a frequency band comprising a first frequency spectrum allocated to a first service provider and a second frequency spectrum allocated to a second service provider.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein first and second modulating signals received from different signal processing centers are used by said transmitter to modulate radio frequency carriers in different portions of said frequency band.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein said first modulating signal is used by said transmitter to modulate a radio frequency carrier in said first frequency spectrum, and wherein said second modulating signal is used by said transmitter to modulate a radio frequency carrier in said second frequency spectrum.

33. The method of claim 27 further comprising receiving signals from multiple subscriber terminals served by different telecommunications service providers at said antenna site and selectively transmitting said received signals to a corresponding signal processing center.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein selectively transmitting said received signals to a corresponding signal processing center comprises transmitting said received signals to said signal processing centers in the form of I, Q samples.

35. The method of claim 33 wherein said shared resource comprises a receiver operating over a frequency band comprising a first frequency spectrum allocated to a first service provider and a second frequency spectrum allocated to a second service provider.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein selectively transmitting said received signals to a corresponding signal processing center comprises selecting a signal processing center based on a carrier frequency of the received signal.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein signals received at said antenna site in said first frequency spectrum are transmitted to said first service provider and wherein signals received at said antenna site in said second frequency spectrum are transmitted to said second service provider.

38. The method of claim 27 further comprising maintaining an accounting at said antenna site for usage of said shared resource by said telecommunications service providers.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein maintaining an accounting at said antenna site for usage of said shared resource by said telecommunications service providers comprises maintaining an accounting based on a bandwidth-time product.

40. An antenna site in a communications network, said antenna site comprising:

at least one shared resource used by two or more service providers to communicate with mobile subscriber terminals;

an interface to connect said antenna site with a signal processing center operated by each of said service providers.

41. The antenna site of claim 40 wherein said shared resource comprises communications equipment located at said antenna site.

42. The antenna site of claim 40 wherein said shared resource comprises frequency spectrum.

43. The antenna site of claim 40 wherein said shared resource comprises an antenna.

44. The antenna site of claim 40 further comprising a billing module at said antenna site to account for usage of said shared resource by said two or more service providers.

45. The antenna site of claim 44 wherein said billing module accounts for usage of said shared resource based on a bandwidth-time product.