Method and apparatus for cellular communication over data networks

• US 20060209752A1
• Filed: 05/17/2006
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Wijngaarden, Adriaan Jeroen De Lind Van, Ma, Zhengxiang, Zierdt, Michael George, Kim, Jungsang, Olkhovets, Anatoli, Feder, Peretz Moshe, Sizer, Theodore II, Siegel, Arnold Brian
• Granted Patent: US 7,929,487 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/283 in response to processing delays, e.g. caused by jitter or round trip time [RTT]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0055 Transmission or use of information for re-establishing the radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0072 of resource information of target access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/04 Reselecting a cell layer in multi-layered cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

Cellular signals or other wireless signals/messages are introduced into a building or to an outside location by transmitting packets corresponding to those signals over a data network and low cost cables to designated locations within the data network. Once the designated packets containing the signals reach the destination, they are then broadcast over the air to a terminal capable of receiving the wireless message. In a first embodiment, an in-building gigabit Ethernet network, such as that currently existing presently in many buildings, is used to distribute radio signals indoors. Instead of transmitting the radio signals over the air from a repeater connected to a base station, coded baseband signals generated by the coding processor (e.g., a CDMA Modem Unit) in the base station are packetized and sent over the Ethernet network to radio processing equipment and antennas distributed throughout the building. The radio processing equipment strips the packet headers from the baseband signal packets so those signals can be broadcast via the antennas to one or more mobile terminals. Additionally, hard handoff is employable upon entering a building using specifically configured pilot signals.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication comprising:

creating a first plurality of data packets, wherein each packet in said first plurality comprises a plurality of coded cellular signals;

addressing each of said first plurality of data packets to at least a first sector of a cellular network, said sector comprising at least one radio transceiver,

wherein said at least one radio transceiver comprises an antenna adapted to broadcast said plurality of coded cellular signals;

transmitting said first plurality of data packets over a data network associated with said at least a first sector to said at least one radio transceiver; and

broadcasting said cellular signals over the air.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said radio transceivers are located within a building.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least a first sector is associated with a first port on a network switch.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least a first sector is associated with a plurality of ports on at least a first network switch.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said data network comprises a Gigabit Ethernet network.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

transmitting a second plurality of data packets across said Gigabit Ethernet network; and

broadcasting said second plurality of data packets over the air in a signal conforming to at least a first IEEE 802.11 standard.

56. The method of claim 1 wherein a first portion of said plurality of data packets are associated with a first carrier frequency corresponding to a pilot channel and second portion of said plurality of data packets are associated with a second carrier frequency corresponding to a primary communication channel.

7. A method for transmitting a first plurality of data packets over a data network, each packet in said first plurality comprising a plurality of coded cellular signals, said data network comprising at least a first sector of a cellular network, said at least a first sector comprising at least a first radio transceiver, said method comprising:

addressing each of said packets in said plurality of data packets to a first address associated with said at least a first sector, wherein said at least a first radio transceiver in said at least a first sector is adapted to transmit and receive cellular signals.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

addressing each packet in said plurality of data packets to at least a second address associated with said at least a first sector.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said at least a first radio transceiver is located within a building.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein said at least a first sector is associated with a first port on a data network switch.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein said at least a first sector is associated with a plurality of ports on at least a first data network switch.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein said data network comprises a Gigabit Ethernet network.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

transmitting a second plurality of data packets across said Gigabit Ethernet network; and

addressing each packet in said second plurality of data packets to said at least a first radio transceiver, wherein said at least a first radio transceiver is further adapted to transmit and receive wireless signals conforming to at least a first IEEE 802.11 standard.

14. A radio transceiver comprising:

means for receiving data packets, said data packets comprising coded cellular signals; and

means for transmitting said cellular signals.

15. The radio transceiver of claim 14 further comprising:

means for receiving cellular signals over the air;

means for generating a plurality of data packets comprising said received cellular signals;

means for addressing each packet in said plurality of data packets to at least a first summing device associated with at least a first sector of a cellular network; and

means for transmitting said first plurality of data packets over a data network associated with said at least a first sector to said summing device.

16. The radio transceiver of claim 14 wherein said means for transmitting comprises means for extracting said cellular signals from said packets.

17. The radio transceiver of claim 16 wherein said means for transmitting is adapted to transmit said cellular signals at a predetermined time relative to at least one other cellular signal.

18. The radio transceiver of claim 16 wherein said means for transmitting is adapted to transmit said cellular signals at a predetermined frequency.

19. The radio transceiver of claim 14 further comprising:

access equipment adapted to transmit and receive wireless signals conforming to at least a first IEEE 802.11 standard.

20. A data network switch for use in a wireless communication system, said wireless communications system comprising at least a first sector, said data network switch comprising:

means for receiving a plurality of data packets, said data packets comprising a plurality of coded cellular signals associated with said sector;

means for extracting the coded cellular signals from said data packets;

means for summing the coded cellular signals, thus forming a data stream comprising summed coded baseband signals; and

means for forming data packets containing said summed coded cellular signals.

21. A data network switch for use in a wireless communication system, said wireless communication system comprising at least a first sector, said data network switch comprising:

means for receiving a first plurality of data packets, said data packets comprising a plurality of coded cellular signals associated with said sector;

means for duplicating said data packets, thus forming a second plurality of data packets;

means for transmitting said second plurality of data packets to at least a first destination in said data network.

22. A method for use in a wireless communication system, said system comprising at least a first sector, said method comprising:

receiving a first plurality of data packets, said first plurality of data packets comprising a plurality of coded cellular signals associated with said sector;

extracting the coded cellular signals from said first plurality of data packets;

summing the coded cellular signals, thus forming a data stream comprising summed coded cellular signals; and

forming a second plurality of data packets containing said summed coded cellular signals.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

transmitting said second plurality of data packets to a first node in said data network.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

extracting said summed coded cellular signals; and

transmitting said coded cellular signals to at least a first destination within a cellular network.

25. Apparatus for interfacing a cellular network with a data network, said apparatus comprising:

means for receiving cellular signals from said cellular network;

means for creating a plurality of packets containing said cellular signals; and

means for transmitting said packets to at least a first destination within said data network.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein said cellular signals comprise coded baseband signals.

27. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein said cellular signals comprise radio frequency signals.

28. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein said cellular signals comprise intermediate frequency signals.

29. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein said cellular signals comprise transmit diversity signals.

30. A method for interfacing a cellular network with a data network, said method comprising:

receiving cellular signals from said cellular network;

creating a plurality of packets containing said cellular signals; and

transmitting said packets to at least a first destination within said data network.

31. Apparatus for interfacing a cellular network with a data network, said apparatus comprising:

means for receiving packets from said data network, said packets comprising a plurality of cellular signals;

means for extracting said cellular signals from said packets; and

means for transmitting said cellular signals to at least a first destination within said cellular network.

32. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said cellular signals comprise coded baseband signals.

33. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said cellular signals comprise radio frequency signals.

34. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said cellular signals comprise intermediate frequency signals.

35. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said cellular signals comprise receive diversity signals.

36. A method for interfacing a cellular network with a data network, said method comprising:

receiving packets from said data network, said packets comprising a plurality of cellular signals;

extracting said cellular signals from said packets; and

transmitting said cellular signals to at least a first destination within said cellular network.

37. A method for use in synchronizing the timing between a wireless network and a data network, said method comprising:

determining the minimum time for transmission between two points in said data network;

estimating a delay spread over a first plurality of data packets transmitted across said data network;

delaying the transmission of a second plurality of data packets from at least a first node in said data network.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein said step of estimating comprises measuring a delay spread over said first plurality of data packets.

39. The method of claim 37 wherein said node comprises a remote radio head.

40. A method for use in synchronizing the frequency between a wireless network and a data network, said method comprising:

forwarding to a remote radio head a frequency reference associated with a first clock, said first clock associated with a data network; and

locking the frequency associated with a second clock with said frequency reference, said second clock associated with said remote radio head.

41. A method for use in synchronizing the frequency between a wireless network and a data network, said method comprising:

applying a first indication of a time to at least a first data packet, said data packet comprising a plurality of coded cellular signals;

recording at a first node in said data network the arrival time of said at least a first data packet;

determining a difference between said first indication and said arrival time of said at least a first data packet; and

maintaining said difference between said first indication and said arrival time by altering a clock associated with said first node in said data network.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein said coded cellular signals comprise coded cellular baseband signals.

43. The method of claim 41 wherein said at least a first data packet is selected as having a small said difference between said first indication and said arrival time relative to the value of said difference for at least a second data packet in a plurality of data packets.

44. The method of claim 41 wherein said difference between said first indication and said arrival time is determined for a first plurality of said data packets, and said altering of said clock associated with said first indication performed such that the minimum of said differences for a second plurality of packets having said arrival time subsequent to said first plurality is approximately the same as the minimum of said differences of said first plurality.

45. A wireless network capable of supporting communications both internal to and external to a building comprising 1) a first base station with an associated first antenna that combined are adapted for transmission of a first primary signal and a first pilot signal at a first carrier frequency with a first P/N offset said transmission emanating external to said building, 2) a second base station with an associated second antenna that combined are adapted for transmission of a second primary signal with a second P/N offset and at a second carrier frequency, said transmission emanating internal to said building, 3) a third base station with an associated antenna that combined are adapted for transmission of a second pilot signal emanating internal to said building at said first carrier frequency, with said second P/N offset and at an intensity that avoids unacceptable interference with said first primary signal, and 4) a fourth base station with an associated antenna adapted for transmission of a third pilot signal emanating external to said building at said second carrier frequency with said first P/N offset wherein A) said first carrier frequency and said second carrier frequency are different and B) said first P/N offset and said second P/N offset are different.

46. The network of claim 45 wherein at least two of said second, third, and fourth base station are the same base station.

47. The network of claim 45 wherein said second base station comprises a base station interface card.

48. The network of claim 45 wherein said antenna associated with said third base station is located within 100 feet of an exit of said building.

49. A method for communication including the continuing of said communication when a user of a primary network communication channel at a one carrier frequency moves between outside a building and inside a building and continues communicating on another carrier frequency, said method comprises 1) transmitting from an antenna external to said building a first pilot signal at a second P/N offset with a second carrier frequency and at an intensity that avoids unacceptable interference with said primary communication channel, 2) transmitting from an antenna internal to said building a second pilot signal at a first carrier frequency with a first P/N offset, and at an intensity that avoids unacceptable interference with said primary channel communication wherein A) said first and second carrier frequency are different, and B) said first P/N offset and said second P/N offset are different.

50. The method of claim 49 wherein said antenna internal to said building is located within 100 feet of an entrance to said building.

51. The method of claim 49 wherein after said user enters said building detection of said second pilot signal results in said communication continuing on a primary channel propagating internal to said building at said second carrier frequency.

52. The method of claim 51 wherein said communication continuing occurs as a result of a hard handoff.

53. The method of claim 49 wherein said first carrier frequency of said primary communication channel and said second pilot signal undergo synchronization wherein said primary communication channel first carrier frequency is set in a wireless network and said second pilot signal first carrier frequency is set is a data network, and wherein said synchronization is accomplished by applying a first indication of a time to at least a first data packet associated with said carrier frequency of said primary communication channel in a plurality of coded cellular signals, recording at a first node in said data network the arrival time of said at least a first data packet, determining a difference between said first indication and said arrival time of said at least a first data packet and maintaining said difference between said first indication and said arrival time by altering a clock associated with said first node in said data network.

54. the method of claim 53 wherein said difference between said first indication of said arrival time is determined for a first plurality of said data packets and altering of said clock associated with said first indication is performed such that the minimum of said differences for a second plurality of packets having said arrival time subsequent to said first plurality is approximately the same as the minimum of said differences of said first plurality.

55. The method of claim 53 wherein said pilot is generated at said second mode.