Mobile communications system and method for providing mobile unit handover in wireless communication systems that employ beamforming antennas
First Claim
1. In a radio network having a plurality of base stations, each providing wireless communication services for mobile units in a respective geographic coverage area that may or may not overlap with the geographic coverage areas of other of the base stations, and an interface connected to the base stations, a method of handoff a wireless communication with a mobile unit conducted via a first base station to a second base station comprising:
- detecting a handover trigger event during the mobile unit'"'"'s wireless communication via the first base station;
transmitting an omnidirectional sounding pulse from the mobile unit;
communicating information related to the detected sounding pulse to the interface by each base station detecting the sounding pulse;
selecting the second base station from the base stations that detected the sounding pulse based on the communicated information; and
continuing the mobile unit'"'"'s wireless communication via the selected second base station.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for handover a mobile unit from a first base station to a second base station in a wireless communication systems employing smart antenna technology. Following trigger events of a handover, the mobile station generates a physical signal sounding pulse transmitted by an isotropic antenna. The sounding pulse may consist of a common sequence of symbols or a specific sequence of symbols that uniquely identifies the mobile station. A series of sounding pulses can be sent according to a power ramping procedure until a base station has focused a communications beam toward the mobile. Receiving base stations provide feedback information upon detection of the sounding pulse allowing the mobile unit and/or base station to form communication beams toward each other. A mapping protocol may also be utilized by the communication system.
112 Citations
44 Claims
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1. In a radio network having a plurality of base stations, each providing wireless communication services for mobile units in a respective geographic coverage area that may or may not overlap with the geographic coverage areas of other of the base stations, and an interface connected to the base stations, a method of handoff a wireless communication with a mobile unit conducted via a first base station to a second base station comprising:
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detecting a handover trigger event during the mobile unit'"'"'s wireless communication via the first base station;
transmitting an omnidirectional sounding pulse from the mobile unit;
communicating information related to the detected sounding pulse to the interface by each base station detecting the sounding pulse;
selecting the second base station from the base stations that detected the sounding pulse based on the communicated information; and
continuing the mobile unit'"'"'s wireless communication via the selected second base station. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A communication network for wireless communication with mobile units comprising:
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a plurality of base stations, each providing wireless communication services in a geographic coverage area that may or may not overlap with the geographic coverage areas of other of the base stations;
at least one base station interface connected to the base stations such that each base station has a controlling interface associated with its base station to mobile unit wireless communications;
each base station configured to detect sounding pulses emitted from mobile units in order to establishment wireless communication with such mobile units;
each base station configured to communicate information related to a detected sounding pulse from a mobile unit to a selected interface;
each interface, when acting as a controlling interface for a serving base station where a communication of a communicating mobile unit is conducted via the serving base station, configured to select a handover base station for continuing the wireless communication of the communicating mobile unit based on information communicated from each base station that detected a sounding pulse emitted from the communicating mobile unit during the communication with the serving base station; and
each base station configured to direct a communication beam when selected as the handover base station for a communicating mobile unit to continue the communicating mobile unit'"'"'s wireless communication via the handover base station. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A communication network for wireless communication comprising:
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a plurality of base stations, each providing wireless communication services in a geographic coverage area that may or may not overlap with the geographic coverage areas of other of the base stations;
mobile units, each configured to transmit an omnidirectional sounding pulse during a wireless communication via a serving base station upon the occurrence of a handover trigger event to initiate handover to continue the communication via a handover base station and to select the handover base station based on reception of information communicated from base stations responding to the sounding pulse within a predefined time period from its transmitting of an omnidirectional sounding pulse;
each base station configured to detect sounding pulses emitted from mobile units in order to establishment wireless communication with such mobile units;
each base station configured to communicate information related to a detected sounding pulse from a mobile unit to the mobile unit; and
each base station configured to direct a communication beam when selected as the handover base station for a communicating mobile unit to continue the communicating mobile unit'"'"'s wireless communication via the handover base station. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29)
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30. In a radio network having a plurality of base stations, each providing wireless communication services in a respective geographic coverage area that may or may not overlap with the geographic coverage areas of other of the base stations, a method for handoff of a wireless communication conducted by a communicating mobile unit via a serving base station to a handover base station comprising:
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transmitting an omnidirectional sounding pulse from the communicating mobile unit during the wireless communication upon the occurrence of a triggering event;
directing a communication beam from base stations detecting the sounding pulse towards the mobile unit;
selecting a handover base station from the base stations that detected the sounding pulse based on the communication beams received by the mobile unit; and
continuing the wireless communication via the selected handover base station. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A mobile unit for use in a radio network having a plurality of base stations, each base station providing wireless communication services in a respective geographic coverage area that may or may not overlap with the geographic coverage areas of other of the base stations, the mobile unit comprising:
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a transmitter configured to transmit an omnidirectional sounding pulse based on the occurrence of a triggering event during a wireless communication conducted via a serving base station;
a receiver configured to receive communication beams from base stations that detected a sounding pulse transmitted by the mobile unit; and
a processor configured to select a handover base station via which the mobile unit is to continue the wireless communication based on communication beams received by the mobile unit from base stations that detected the sounding pulse transmitted by the mobile unit. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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Specification