Microcell deployment strategies in WCDMA networks

• US 20030095512A1
• Filed: 11/14/2002
• Published: 05/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Erol Hepsaydir
• Original Assignee: Erol Hepsaydir
• Inventors: Hepsaydir, Erol
• Application Number:
  US10/294,446
• Publication Number:
  US 20030095512A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/320
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/32 Hierarchical cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/16 Central resource management; Negotiation of resources or communication parameters, e.g. negotiating bandwidth or QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/04 Reselecting a cell layer in multi-layered cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/563 of the wireless resources

Abstract

A WCDMA network using microcells and macrocells in which at least one frequency channel is shared by a microcell and a microcell within the macrocell. The shared frequency is allocated to calls whenever possible leaving an unshared frequency for use only if the shared frequency has insufficient capacity.

Claims

1. A code division multiple access (CDMA) mobile communications network in which a geographical area covered by the network is divided into macrocells and each macrocell has a node, whereby communications to and from a mobile terminal in a macrocell take place via the node over one or more of a number of frequency channels allocated to the macrocell, wherein at least one cell has a microcell defined within it having its own node and the microcell shares at least one frequency channel with its macrocell.

2. A code division multiple access (CDMA) mobile communications network as claimed in claim 1 in which the macrocell has at least one channel which is not shared with the microcell.

3. A code division multiple access (CDMA) mobile communications network as claimed in claim 1 in which the microcell has at least one channel which is not shared with the macrocell.

4. A method of allocating frequencies in a CDMA mobile communications network in which a geographical area covered by the network is divided into macrocells and each macrocell has a node, whereby communications to and from a mobile terminal in a macrocell take place via the node over one or more of a number of frequency channels allocated to the macrocell, wherein at least one cell has a microcell defined within it having its own node and the microcell shares at least one frequency channel with its macrocell, the method comprising allocating a shared frequency to a call in preference to an unshared frequency.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4 in which a call is allocated an unshared frequency only of the shared frequency or shared frequencies have insufficient capacity and/or cannot provide adequate quality of service.

6. A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein a call using an unshared frequency is moved to a shared frequency as soon as a shared frequency becomes available.