IN-VEHICLE PICO-CELL SYSTEM AND METHOD THEREFOR

• US 20070155381A1
• Filed: 12/30/2005
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Alberth, William P., Declerck, Daniel J., Krause, David J., Welnick, William E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,014,705 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/432.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/48 for in-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/06 Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks

Abstract

An apparatus (100) generates a preferred roaming list (108) for a wireless mobile station (404) that includes area identification data (such as GEO GROUP_ID) (200) corresponding to an area serviced by at least one wireless wide area network, such as a ground based CDMA system and an area services by at least one in-vehicle wireless pico-cell (402), such as a wireless CDMA pico-cell located on an aircraft or any other suitable vehicle. The area identification data (200) is associated with a wireless in-vehicle pico-cell system identification data (205) and in the case of a CDMA pico cell system, a system identification data SID) and network identification (NID) data pair (206) associated with the in-vehicle wireless pico-cell (402).

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

logic operative to generate a preferred roaming list for a wireless mobile station that comprises at least area identification data corresponding to an area serviced by at least one wireless wide area network and an area serviced by at least one in-vehicle wireless pico cell and wherein the area identification data is associated with at least in-vehicle wireless pico cell system identification data associated with the in-vehicle wireless pico cell.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the in-vehicle wireless pico cell system identification data is a system identification data and network identification data pair which are linked to priority data that assigns the in-vehicle wireless pico cell to be most preferred over the wireless wide area network.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the logic is also operative to generate the preferred roaming list so as to comprise data representing a system table that contains an in-vehicle wireless CDMA pico cell system identification data and network identification data pair associated with an in-vehicle wireless CDMA pico cell and data representing an acquisition table comprising CDMA pico cell channels indexed by the CDMA pico cell system identification data and network identification data pair.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the logic provides a user interface that provides user selectability of the area identification data corresponding to the area serviced by at least one wireless in-vehicle wireless pico cell.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising memory, operatively coupled to the logic, that stores the preferred roaming list that comprises the at least first area identification data corresponding to an area serviced by at least one wireless wide area network and an area serviced by at least one in-vehicle wireless pico cell and wherein the preferred roaming list comprises the in-vehicle wireless pico cell system identification data associated with the in-vehicle wireless pico cell.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the preferred roaming list comprises a plurality of geographical groups each identified by area identification data and wherein the plurality of groups each includes a in vehicle wireless pico-cell system identification data with a highest priority.

7. A control apparatus for controlling an in-vehicle wireless pico cell comprising:

control logic operative to;

register wireless mobile stations that desire to use the in-vehicle wireless pico cell;

determine if a received pico cell communication that does not require transcoding in-vehicle is for a registered wireless mobile station; and

if so, route the received pico cell communication to another registered wireless mobile station.

8. The control apparatus of claim 7 wherein the control logic is operative to route the received pico cell communication to an off vehicle link if the received pico cell communication requires transcoding.

9. The control apparatus of claim 7 wherein the control logic is operative to cause a pico cell neighbor list and channel list to be transmitted to the wireless mobile stations that identifies only the in-vehicle pico cell.

10. The control apparatus of claim 7 wherein the control logic is operative to generate a service interruption notification to the registered wireless mobile stations in response to an indication that the in-vehicle pico cell will be unavailable.

11. The control apparatus of claim 10 wherein the service interruption notification includes information as to when the pico service will be unavailable.

12. The control apparatus of claim 9 wherein the control logic is operative to cause a wireless mobile station protect message to be transmitted wherein the protect message instructs the wireless mobile stations not to transmit.

13. A code division multiple access (CDMA) pico cell communication system comprising:

an in-vehicle wireless CDMA pico cell; and

a wireless mobile station operative to communicate with the in-vehicle CDMA pico cell comprising;

memory that stores a preferred roaming list that comprises at least first area identification data corresponding to an area serviced by at least one wireless wide area network and an area serviced by at least one in-vehicle wireless CDMA pico cell and wherein the preferred roaming list comprises in-vehicle wireless CDMA pico cell system identification data and network identification data pair associated with the in-vehicle wireless CDMA pico cell; and

mobile station control logic operative to locate the in-vehicle wireless CDMA pico cell based on the stored preferred roaming list that comprises the at least first area identification data corresponding to the geographical area serviced by at least one wireless wide area network and the geographical area serviced by at least one in-vehicle wireless CDMA pico cell and wherein the preferred roaming list comprises in-vehicle wireless CDMA pico cell system identification data and network identification data pair associated with the in-vehicle wireless CDMA pico cell.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the in-vehicle CDMA pico cell comprises a CDMA pico cell transceiver and antenna operatively coupled thereto;

and

CDMA pico cell control logic operatively coupled to the CDMA pico cell transceiver that is operative to cause a pico cell neighbor list and channel list to be transmitted to the wireless mobile station that identifies only the in-vehicle CDMA pico cell to the wireless mobile station.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the CDMA pico cell is operative to register wireless mobile stations that desire to use the in-vehicle wireless CDMA pico cell;

determine if a received CDMA pico cell communication that does not require transcoding in-vehicle is for a registered wireless mobile station; and

if so, route the received CDMA pico cell communication to another registered wireless mobile station.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the in-vehicle wireless CDMA pico cell is operative to route the received CDMA pico cell communication to an off vehicle link if the received CDMA pico cell communication requires transcoding.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein the in-vehicle wireless CDMA pico cell is located in an aircraft.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein the in-vehicle wireless CDMA pico cell is operative to generate a service interruption notification to the registered wireless mobile stations in response to an indication that the CDMA pico cell will be unavailable.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the service interruption notification includes information as to when the CDMA pico service will be unavailable.

20. The system 13 wherein the in-vehicle wireless CDMA pico cell is operative to cause a CDMA pico cell protect message to be transmitted wherein the protect message instructs the wireless mobile stations not to transmit.

21. An apparatus comprising:

logic operative to generate a preferred roaming list for a wireless mobile station that comprises at least first area identification data corresponding to an area serviced by at least one wireless wide area network and second area identification data corresponding to an area serviced by at least one in-vehicle wireless CDMA pico cell.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the second area identification information comprises in-vehicle wireless CDMA pico cell system identification data and network identification data pair associated with the in-vehicle wireless CDMA pico cell.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the logic is also operative to generate the preferred roaming list so that the second area identification data corresponding to an area serviced by at least one in-vehicle wireless CDMA pico cell is associated with data representing unique in-vehicle wireless CDMA pico cell system identification data and network identification data pair associated with the in-vehicle wireless CDMA pico cell and data representing an acquisition table comprising CDMA pico cell channels indexed by the CDMA pico cell system identification data and network identification data pair.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the logic is also operative to generate the preferred roaming list so that the second area identification data corresponding to an area serviced by at least one in-vehicle wireless CDMA pico cell is associated with a wireless wide area network having an associated CDMA pico cell system identification data and network identification data pair and wherein the CDMA pico cell system identification data and network identification data pair is assigned to be most preferred over the wireless wide area network.

25. A method comprising:

generating a preferred roaming list for a wireless mobile station that comprises at least first area identification data corresponding to an area serviced by at least one wireless wide area network and an area serviced by at least one in-vehicle wireless CDMA pico cell and wherein the first area identification data is associated with an in-vehicle wireless CDMA pico cell system identification data and network identification data pair associated with the in-vehicle wireless CDMA pico cell.

26. The method of claim 25 comprising linking the CDMA pico cell system identification data and network identification data pair to priority data to assign the in-vehicle wireless CDMA pico cell to be most preferred over the wireless wide area network.

27. The method of claim 26 comprising generating the preferred roaming list comprising data representing a system table that contains the in-vehicle wireless CDMA pico cell system identification data and network identification data pair associated with the in-vehicle wireless CDMA pico cell and data representing an acquisition table comprising CDMA pico cell channels indexed by the CDMA pico cell system identification (data and network identification data pair.

28. The method of claim 25 comprising providing user selectability of the first area identification data corresponding to the area serviced by at least one wireless in-vehicle CDMA pico cell.

29. The method of claim 25 wherein the in-vehicle wireless CDMA pico cell system identification data and network identification data pair associated with the in-vehicle wireless CDMA pico cell corresponds to an area in an aircraft.

30. A method comprising:

registering wireless mobile stations that desire to use an in-vehicle pico cell;

determining if a received pico cell communication that does not require transcoding in-vehicle is for a registered pico cell device; and

if so, routing the received pico cell communication to another registered pico cell device.

31. The method of claim 30 comprising routing the received pico cell communication to an off vehicle link if the received pico cell communication requires transcoding.

32. The method of claim 30 comprising transmitting a pico cell neighbor list and channel list to the wireless mobile stations that identifies only the in-vehicle pico cell.

33. The method of claim 30 comprising generating a service interruption notification to the registered wireless mobile stations in response to an indication that the pico cell will be unavailable.

34. The method of claim 30 wherein the service interruption notification includes information as to when the pico service will be unavailable.

35. The method of claim 30 comprising transmitting a pico cell device protect message that instructs the wireless mobile stations not to transmit.

36. A method comprising:

generating a preferred roaming list for a wireless mobile station that comprises at least first area identification data corresponding to an area serviced by at least one wireless wide area network and second area identification data corresponding to an area serviced by at least one in-vehicle wireless CDMA pico cell; and

storing the generated preferred roaming list.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein the second area identification information comprises in-vehicle wireless CDMA pico cell system identification data and network identification data pair associated with the in-vehicle wireless CDMA pico cell.

38. The method of claim 36 comprising generating the preferred roaming list so that the second area identification data corresponding to an area serviced by at least one in-vehicle wireless CDMA pico cell is associated with data representing unique in-vehicle wireless CDMA pico cell system identification data and network identification data pair associated with the in-vehicle wireless CDMA pico cell and data representing an acquisition table comprising CDMA pico cell channels indexed by the CDMA pico cell system identification data and network identification data pair.

39. The method of claim 36 comprising generating the preferred roaming list so that the second area identification data corresponding to an area serviced by at least one in-vehicle wireless CDMA pico cell is associated with a wireless wide area network having an associated system identification data and network identification data pair and wherein the CDMA pico cell system identification data and network identification data pair is assigned to be most preferred over the wireless wide area network.

40. A control apparatus for controlling an in-vehicle code division multiple access (CDMA) pico cell comprising:

control logic operative to control the in-vehicle wireless CDMA pico cell in a beacon mode using first network identification data and cause a CDMA pico cell protect message to be transmitted wherein the protect message instructs wireless mobile stations not to transmit;

and control the in-vehicle CDMA pico cell in an in-use mode to use a second and different network identification data causing the wireless mobile stations to transmit to the CDMA pico cell.

41. The control apparatus of claim 40 wherein the control logic is operative to register the wireless mobile stations as users of the CDMA pico cell when in the in-use mode.

42. A method for controlling an in-vehicle CDMA pico cell comprising:

controlling the in-vehicle CDMA pico cell in a beacon mode using first network identification data and causing a CDMA pico cell device protect message to be transmitted wherein the protect message instructs wireless mobile stations not to transmit;

and controlling the in-vehicle CDMA pico cell in an in-use mode to use second and different network identification data causing the wireless mobile stations to transmit to the CDMA pico cell.

43. The method of claim 42 comprising registering the wireless mobile stations as users of the CDMA pico cell when in the in-use mode.