Wireless communications methods and apparatus using licensed-use system protocols with unlicensed-use access points

• US 20040240525A1
• Filed: 05/29/2003
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ATC Technology Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ATC Technology Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Inventors: Karabinis, Peter D., Singh, Rajendra
• Application Number:
  US10/447,461
• Publication Number:
  US 20040240525A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/132
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2637 for logical channel control
• 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 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Communications of a wireless terminal with an unlicensed-use access point are controlled using a control channel of a licensed-use wireless communications system. For example, communications of a wireless terminal with an unlicensed-use access point may be controlled using a Control Channel (CCH) of a GSM wireless communications system. The terminal may communicate with the unlicensed-use system using substantially the same protocol supported by the licensed-use wireless communications system.

Claims

1. A wireless communications method, comprising:

establishing control channel communications between a terminal and a first wireless communications system that supports a protocol in a licensed-use frequency band; and

communicating between the terminal and a second wireless communications system using a corresponding type of protocol in an unlicensed-use frequency band responsive to the control channel communications.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second wireless communications systems employ direct-sequence spreading and/or frequency hopping.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first wireless communications system comprises a GSM system and wherein the control channel comprises a Broadcast Control Channel (BCCH).

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first wireless communications system comprises a CDMA system.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising commanding the terminal over the control channel to utilize the second wireless communications system.

6. A method according to claim 5, further comprising:

determining quality of communications between the second wireless communications system and the terminal; and

wherein commanding the terminal over the control channel to utilize the second wireless communications system comprises commanding the terminal to utilize the second wireless communications system responsive to the determining of quality.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein determining quality of communications between the second wireless communications system and the terminal comprises detecting a presence signal transmitted by the second wireless communications system.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein detecting a presence signal comprises:

determining a signal pattern for the presence signal; and

detecting the presence signal based on the determined signal pattern.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein determining a signal pattern comprises determining a frequency hop pattern.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein determining a signal pattern comprises:

determining a time of day (TOD); and

determining the signal pattern based on the determined TOD.

11. A method according to claim 6:

wherein determining quality of communications between the second wireless communications system and the terminal comprises;

transmitting an access request message from the terminal;

receiving the access request message at the second wireless communications system; and

determining quality of communications between the terminal and the second wireless communications system from the received access request message;

wherein commanding the terminal over the control channel to utilize the second wireless communications system responsive to the determining of quality is preceded by communicating an indication of quality from the second wireless communications system to the first wireless communications system; and

wherein commanding the terminal over the control channel to utilize the second wireless communications system responsive to the determination of quality comprises commanding the terminal over the control channel to utilize a traffic channel of the second wireless communications system responsive to the communicated indication of quality.

12. A method according to claim 5, wherein commanding the terminal over the control channel to utilize the second wireless communications system comprises communicating information for providing multiple access discrimination for communications between the terminal and the second wireless communications system.

13. A method according to claim 1, comprising constraining the terminal to preferentially use the second wireless communications system for a type of communications.

14. A method according to claim 1, further comprising interleaving communications of the terminal between the first wireless communications system and the second wireless communications system.

15. A wireless communications method, comprising:

establishing and/or controlling communications of a wireless terminal with an unlicensed-use access point using a control channel of a licensed-use wireless communications system.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein establishing and/or controlling communications of a wireless terminal with an unlicensed-use access point using a control channel of a licensed-use wireless communications system comprises establishing and/or controlling communications of a wireless terminal with an unlicensed-use access point using a Broadcast Control Channel (BCCH) of a GSM wireless communications system.

17. A method according to claim 15, wherein establishing and/or controlling communications of a wireless terminal with an unlicensed-use access point using a control channel of a licensed-use wireless communications system comprises establishing and/or controlling communications of a wireless terminal with an unlicensed-use access point using a control channel of a CDMA wireless communications system.

18. A method according to claim 16, further comprising communicating between the terminal and the unlicensed-use access point using substantially the same protocol supported by the licensed-use wireless communications system.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein the licensed-use wireless communications system comprises a GSM system, and wherein communicating between the terminal and the unlicensed-use frequency access point using substantially the same protocol comprises using a frequency-hopping protocol.

20. A method according to claim 15, wherein establishing and/or controlling communications of a wireless terminal with an unlicensed-use access point using a control channel of a licensed-use wireless communications system comprises establishing and/or controlling communications of the wireless terminal with the unlicensed-use access point using the control channel responsive to quality of communications between the terminal and the unlicensed-use access point.

21. A method according to claim 20, further comprising detecting at the terminal a presence signal transmitted by the unlicensed-use access point, and wherein establishing and/or controlling communications of the wireless terminal with the unlicensed-use access point using the control channel responsive to quality of communications between the terminal and the unlicensed-use access point comprises establishing and/or controlling communications of the wireless terminal with the unlicensed-use access point responsive to detection of the presence signal.

22. A method according to claim 21, further comprising:

determining a signal pattern for the presence signal; and

detecting the presence signal based on the determined signal pattern.

23. A method according to claim 22, wherein determining a signal pattern comprises determining a frequency hop pattern.

24. A method according to claim 22, wherein determining a signal pattern comprises:

determining a time of day (TOD); and

determining the signal pattern based on the determined TOD.

25. A method according to claim 20, further comprising transmitting an access request message from the terminal, and wherein establishing and/or controlling communications of the wireless terminal with the unlicensed-use access point using the control channel responsive to quality of communications between the terminal and the unlicensed-use access point comprises establishing and/or controlling communications of the wireless terminal with the unlicensed-use access point using the control channel responsive to reception of the access request at the unlicensed-use access point.

26. A method according to claim 15, wherein establishing and/or controlling communications of a wireless terminal with an unlicensed-use access point using a control channel of a licensed-use wireless communications system comprises transmitting over the control channel information for multiple access discrimination for communications between the terminal and the unlicensed-use access point.

27. A method according to claim 15, further comprising constraining the terminal to preferentially use the unlicensed-use wireless communications system for a type of communications.

28. A method according to claim 15, further comprising interleaving communications of the terminal between the unlicensed use wireless communications system and the licensed-use wireless communications system.

29. A wireless communications system, comprising:

at least one of a licensed-use wireless communications system and an unlicensed-use wireless communications system; and

means for establishing and/or controlling communications of a wireless terminal with an unlicensed-use access point using a control channel of the licensed-use wireless communications system.

30. A system according to claim 29, wherein the means for establishing and/or controlling communications of a wireless terminal with an unlicensed-use access point using a control channel of a licensed-use wireless communications system comprises means for establishing and/or controlling communications of a wireless terminal with an unlicensed-use access point using a Broadcast Control Channel (BCCH) of a GSM wireless communications system.

31. A system according to claim 29, wherein the means for establishing and/or controlling communications of a wireless terminal with an unlicensed-use access point using a control channel of a licensed-use wireless communications system comprises means for establishing and/or controlling communications of a wireless terminal with an unlicensed-use access point using a control channel of a CDMA wireless communications system.

32. A system according to claim 29, further comprising means for communicating between the terminal and the unlicensed-use access point using substantially the same protocol supported by the licensed-use wireless communications system.

33. A system according to claim 32, wherein the licensed-use wireless communications system comprises a GSM system, and wherein the means for communicating between the terminal and the unlicensed-use access point using substantially the same protocol supported by the licensed-use wireless communications system comprises means for using a frequency-hopping protocol.

34. A system according to claim 29, wherein the means for establishing and/or controlling communications of a wireless terminal with an unlicensed-use access point using a control channel of a licensed-use wireless communications system comprises means for establishing and/or controlling communications of the wireless terminal with the unlicensed-use access point using the control channel responsive to quality of communications between the terminal and the unlicensed-use access point.

35. A system according to claim 34, further comprising means for detecting at the terminal a presence signal transmitted by the unlicensed-use access point, and wherein the means for establishing and/or controlling communications of the wireless terminal with the unlicensed-use access point using the control channel responsive to quality of communications between the terminal and the unlicensed-use access point comprises means for establishing and/or controlling communications of the wireless terminal with the unlicensed-use access point responsive to detection of the presence signal.

36. A system according to claim 35, further comprising:

means for determining a signal pattern for the presence signal; and

means for detecting the presence signal based on the determined signal pattern.

37. A system according to claim 36, wherein the means for determining a signal pattern comprises means for determining a frequency hop pattern.

38. A system according to claim 36, wherein the means for determining a signal pattern comprises:

means for determining a time of day (TOD); and

means for determining the signal pattern based on the determined TOD.

39. A system according to claim 34, further comprising means for transmitting an access request message from the terminal, and wherein the means for establishing and/or controlling communications of the wireless terminal with the unlicensed-use access point using the control channel responsive to quality of communications between the terminal and the unlicensed-use access point comprises means for establishing and/or controlling communications of the wireless terminal with the unlicensed-use access point using the control channel responsive to reception of the access request at the unlicensed-use access point.

40. A system according to claim 29, wherein the means for establishing and/or controlling communications of a wireless terminal with an unlicensed-use access point using a control channel of a licensed-use wireless communications system comprises means for transmitting over the control channel information for multiple access discrimination for communications between the terminal and the unlicensed-use access point.

41. A system according to claim 29, further comprising means for constraining the terminal to preferentially use the unlicensed-use wireless communications system for certain classes of communications.

42. A system according to claim 29, further comprising means for interleaving communications of the terminal between the unlicensed use wireless communications system and the licensed-use wireless communications system.

43. A wireless communications system, comprising:

a base station operative to establish and/or control communications of a wireless terminal with an unlicensed-use access point using a control channel defined in a licensed-use allocated to the wireless communications system.

44. A system according to claim 43, wherein the wireless communications system comprises a GSM wireless communications system, and wherein the base station is operative to establish and/or control communications of the wireless terminal with an unlicensed-use access point using a Broadcast Control Channel (BCCH).

45. A system according to claim 43, wherein the wireless communications system comprises a CDMA wireless communications system, and wherein the base station is operative to establish and/or control communications of the wireless terminal with an unlicensed-use access point using a control channel of the CDMA wireless communications system.

46. A wireless terminal comprising:

a transceiver operative to communicate over a control channel with a base station of a first wireless communications system that supports a spread-spectrum protocol in a first frequency band subject to a license and to communicate, responsive to a command received over the control channel, with a second wireless communications system that uses a corresponding type of spread-spectrum protocol in a second frequency band in an unlicensed manner.

47. A terminal according to claim 46, wherein the first and second wireless communications systems employ direct-sequence spreading and/or frequency hopping.

48. A terminal according to claim 46, wherein the first wireless communications system comprises a GSM system and wherein the control channel comprises a Broadcast Control Channel (BCCH).

49. A terminal according to claim 46, wherein the first wireless communications system comprises a CDMA system.

50. A terminal according to claim 46, wherein the transceiver is operative to detect a presence signal transmitted by the second wireless communications system.

51. A terminal according to claim 46, wherein the transceiver is operative to transmitting an access request message to the second wireless communications system.

52. A wireless terminal, comprising:

a transceiver operative to communicate with an unlicensed-use access point and a licensed-use wireless communications system using substantially the same protocol.

53. A terminal according to claim 52, wherein the unlicensed-use access point and a licensed-use wireless communications system employ direct-sequence spreading or frequency hopping.

54. A terminal according to claim 52, wherein the licensed-use wireless communications system comprises a GSM system.

55. A terminal according to claim 52, wherein the licensed-use wireless communications system comprises a CDMA system.

56. A terminal according to claim 52, wherein the transceiver is operative to detect a presence signal transmitted by the unlicensed-use access point.