Virtual cell network

• US 20050088992A1
• Filed: 10/19/2004
• Published: 04/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Bolin, Johan, Kangas, Ari
• Granted Patent: US 7,539,161 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

A virtual network is created by providing antennas controlled by the same base station with control signals of different virtual base stations. A virtual network controller comprised in the base station is arranged for performing handovers between sets of physical channels of the different virtual base stations. The handover is preferably performed transparently towards the main communication network. This transparency is preferably provided by associating physical channels of virtual base stations with communication channels of the main communications network. Preferably, position estimations of a mobile terminal connected to the base station are performed by the virtual network controller, whereby such estimations can be kept secret within the virtual network.

Claims

1. Radio access station, having access to m sets of physical channels, m being an integer larger than 1, the radio access station comprising:

antenna output for connection to n antennas, n being an integer larger than 1; and

a virtual network controller, comprising a channel translator, mutually associating channels used for communication with a radio access station controller with physical channels of the sets of physical channels used by the n antennas;

the virtual network controller being arranged to control handover operations between a first set of physical channels of the m sets of physical channels and a second set of physical channels of the m sets of physical channels.

2. Radio access station according to claim 1, wherein:

the virtual network controller being arranged to provide control signals associated with a first virtual radio access station on the first set of physical channels intended for a first antenna of the n antennas; and

the virtual network controller being arranged to provide control signals associated with a second virtual radio access station, different from the first virtual radio access station, on the second set of physical channels intended for a second antenna of the n antennas.

3. Radio access station according to claim 1, wherein the virtual network controller is arranged to terminate information associated with the separate virtual radio access stations, and to communicate only the information associated with the radio access station as a whole to the radio access station controller, whereby a connected mobile terminal experiences the n antennas as antennas of separate cells, while the radio access station controller experiences the n antennas as antennas of one single cell.

4. Radio access station according to claim 1, wherein the virtual network controller further comprises means for position estimation based on neighbor lists.

5. Radio access station according to claim 4, wherein the virtual network controller further comprises means for modifying neighbor lists of connected mobile terminals for forwarding to the radio access station controller.

6. Radio access station according to claim 1, wherein the antenna output is an output of a common antenna cable.

7. Radio access station according to claim 1, wherein the virtual network controller comprises a broadcast control signal injector.

8. Radio access station according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the n antennas is connected by a separate antenna cable.

9. Radio access station according to claim 1, wherein the radio access station is selected from the list of:

base station;

access point; and

node B.

10. Radio access station according to claim 1, wherein the radio access station operates according to GSM, whereby the sets of physical channels are frequency carriers and the physical channels are time slots.

11. Radio access station according to claim 1, wherein the radio access station operates according to CDMA or WCDMA, whereby the sets of physical channels are characterized by scrambling codes and the physical channels are characterized by channelisation codes.

12. Radio access station according to claim 1, further comprising means for restricting use of mobile terminals in areas covered by the radio access station.

13. Radio access station according to claim 12, wherein the means for restricting use comprises notification means, sending a notification to a mobile terminal when entering into an area of restricted use.

14. Radio access station according to claim 12, wherein the means for restricting use comprises disconnecting means, disconnecting communications to a mobile terminal being in an area of restricted use.

15. Radio access station according to claim 12, wherein the means for restricting use comprises authorization means, requesting an authorization verification from a mobile terminal being in or entering an area of restricted use.

16. Radio access network, comprising:

radio access station controller;

radio access station, having access to m sets of physical channels, m being an integer larger than 1; and

n antennas connected to the radio access station, n being an integer larger than 1;

the radio access station comprising a virtual network controller, in turn comprising a channel translator, mutually associating channels used for communication with the radio access station controller with physical channels of the sets of physical channels used by the n antennas;

the virtual network controller being arranged to control handover operations between a first set of physical channels of the m sets of physical channels and a second set of physical channels of the m sets of physical channels.

17. Radio access network according to claim 16, wherein:

the virtual network controller being arranged to provide control signals associated with a first virtual radio access station on the first set of physical channels intended for a first antenna of the n antennas; and

the virtual network controller being arranged to provide control signals associated with a second virtual radio access station, different from the first virtual radio access station, on the second set of physical channels intended for a second antenna of the n antennas.

18. Radio access network according to claim 16, wherein the virtual network controller being arranged to terminate information associated with the separate virtual radio access stations, and to communicate only the information associated with the radio access station as a whole to the radio access station controller, whereby a connected mobile terminal experiences the n antennas as antennas of separate cells, while the radio access station controller experiences the n antennas as antennas of one single cell.

19. Radio access network according to claim 16, wherein the virtual network controller further comprises means for position estimation based on neighbor lists.

20. Radio access network according to claim 19, wherein the virtual network controller further comprises means for modifying neighbor lists of connected mobile terminals for forwarding to the radio access station controller.

21. Radio access network according to claim 16, wherein the n antennas are connected by a common antenna cable.

22. Radio access network according to claims 16, further comprising signal selectors at each of the n antennas and in that the virtual network controller comprises a broadcast control signal injector.

23. Radio access network according to claim 16, wherein at least one of the n antennas is connected by a separate antenna cable.

24. Radio access network according to claim 16, wherein the radio access station is selected from the list of:

base station;

access point; and

node B.

25. Radio access network according to claim 16, wherein the radio access station controller is selected from the list of:

base station controller; and

radio network controller.

26. Radio access network according to claim 16, wherein the radio access network operates according to GSM, whereby the sets of physical channels are frequency carriers and the physical channels are time slots.

27. Radio access network according to claim 16, wherein the radio access network operates according to CDMA or WCDMA, whereby the sets of physical channels are characterized by scrambling codes and the physical channels are characterized by channelisation codes.

28. Method for managing a part of a mobile communications network, comprising the step of:

performing, in a radio access station, a handover of a communication between sets of physical channels of two antennas controlled by the radio access station.

29. Method according to claim 28, wherein the handover is performed transparently with respect to a radio access station controller controlling the radio access station.

30. Method according to claim 28, comprising the further steps of:

providing control signals associated with a first virtual radio access station on a first set of physical channels intended for a first antenna; and

providing control signals associated with a second virtual radio access station, different from the first virtual radio access station, on a second set of physical channels intended for a second antenna.

31. Method according to claim 28, comprising the further step of:

adaptively associating physical channels of virtual radio access stations with communication channels of use between the radio access station and the radio access station controller.

32. Method according to claim 28, comprising the further step of:

estimating, in the radio access station, a position of a mobile terminal connected to a virtual radio access station.

33. Method according to claim 32, wherein the step of estimating is based on a content of a neighbor list.

34. Method according to claim 32, comprising the further step of:

restricting use of a mobile terminal in areas covered by the radio access station.

35. Method according to claim 34, wherein the step of restricting use comprises the step of notifying a mobile terminal when entering into an area of restricted use.

36. Method according to claim 34, wherein the step of restricting use comprises the step of disconnecting communications to a mobile terminal being in an area of restricted use.

37. Method according to claim 34, wherein the step of restricting use comprises the step of requesting an authorization verification from a mobile terminal being in or entering an area of restricted use.