Repeater that Reports Detected Neighbors

• US 20080062906A1
• Filed: 04/30/2004
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Willis, Daniel, Sheynblat, Leonid, Baker, Kenneth, Wheatley, Charles
• Granted Patent: US 8,514,764 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/155 Ground-based stations H04B7/204 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00835 Determination of neighbour cell lists
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/047 using dedicated repeater stations

Abstract

This disclosure is directed to a repeater and base station control device implemented in a wireless communication system. The repeater includes a control unit capable of detecting signals sent from various base stations in the wireless communication system. In accordance with this disclosure, the repeater identifies a set of base stations that it can detect, and then sends information indicative of the set of base stations that the repeater can detect to a specific base station that gets repeated by the repeater. In this manner, the repeater can be used to help assess network topology. The base station control device receives the information from the base station and can use the information to update a neighbor list.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving information in a wireless communication system, the information being indicative of signals of a set of base stations that a repeater can detect in the wireless communication system; and

updating a neighbor list based on the received information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing the updated neighbor list to be sent to one or more subscriber units of the wireless communication system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information identifies a set of phase offsets detected from the signals of the set of base stations.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information includes identification codes detected from the signals of the set of base stations.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication system comprises a code division multiple access (CDMA) system and the information identifies pseudo-random noise (PN) offsets.

6. A method executed in a repeater of a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

identifying signals associated with a set of base stations that the repeater can detect; and

sending information indicative of the set of base stations to a specific base station that is repeated by the repeater.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the information identifies a set of phase offsets detected from the signals of the set of base stations.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the information includes identification codes detected from the signals of the set of base stations.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the wireless communication system comprises a code division multiple access (CDMA) system and the information identifies pseudo-random noise (PN) offsets.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising identifying energy levels of the signals and sending information indicative of the energy levels.

11. The method of claim 6, further comprising identifying pilot symbols of the signals and sending information indicative of the identified pilot symbols.

12. A computer readable medium comprising computer readable instructions that when executed in a device of a wireless communication system, cause the device to update a neighbor list based on information received from a repeater in the wireless communication system, the information being indicative of signals of a set of base stations that the repeater can detect.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12, further comprising instructions that when executed cause the device to send the updated neighbor list to one or more subscriber units of the wireless communication system.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the information identifies a set of phase offsets detected from the signals of the set of base stations.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the information includes identification codes detected from the signals of the set of base stations.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the wireless communication system comprises a code division multiple access (CDMA) system and the information identifies pseudo-random noise (PN) offsets.

17. A computer readable medium comprising computer readable instructions that when executed in a repeater of a wireless communication system, cause the repeater to:

identify signals associated with a set of base stations that the repeater can detect; and

send information indicative of the set of base stations to a specific base station that is repeated by the repeater.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the information identifies a set of phase offsets detected from the signals of the set of base stations.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the information includes identification codes detected from the signals of the set of base stations.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the wireless communication system comprises a code division multiple access (CDMA) system and the information identifies pseudo-random noise (PN) offsets.

21. A device of a wireless communication system, the device comprising:

a receiver to receive information in the wireless communication system, the information being indicative of signals from a set of base stations that a repeater can detect in the wireless communication system; and

a control unit to update a neighbor list based on the received information.

22. The device of claim 21, further comprising a transmitter to send the updated neighbor list to a specific one of the base stations for transmission to one or more subscriber units of the wireless communication system.

23. The device of claim 21, wherein the information identifies a set of phase offsets detected from the signals of the set of base stations.

24. The device of claim 21, wherein the information includes identification codes detected from the signals of the set of base stations.

25. The device of claim 21, wherein the wireless communication system comprises a code division multiple access (CDMA) system and the information identifies pseudo-random noise (PN) offsets.

26. A repeater of a wireless communication system comprising a control unit to identify signals associated with a set of base stations that the repeater can detect and cause the repeater to send information indicative of the set of base stations to a specific base station that is repeated by the repeater.

27. The repeater of claim 26, wherein the information identifies a set of phase offsets detected from the signals of the set of base stations.

28. The repeater of claim 26, wherein the information includes identification codes detected from the signals of the set of base stations.

29. The repeater of claim 26, wherein the wireless communication system comprises a code division multiple access (CDMA) system and the information identifies pseudo-random noise (PN) offsets.

30. A wireless communication system comprising:

a repeater that identifies signals associated with a set of base stations that the repeater can detect, and sends information indicative of the set of base stations that the repeater can detect; and

a device that receives the information and updates a neighbor list based on the information.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the information identifies a set of phase offsets detected from the signals of the set of base stations.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein the information includes identification codes detected from the signals of the set of base stations.

33. The system of claim 30, wherein the wireless communication system comprises a code division multiple access (CDMA) system and the information identifies pseudo-random noise (PN) offsets.

34. A device of a wireless communication system comprising:

means for receiving information in the wireless communication system, the information being indicative of signals from a set of base stations that repeater can detect in the wireless communication system;

means for storing a neighbor list; and

means for updating the neighbor list based on the received information.

35. The device of claim 34, further comprising means for sending the updated neighbor list to one or more subscriber units of the wireless communication system.

36. A repeater of a wireless communication system comprising:

means for identifying signals associated with a set of base stations that the repeater can detect; and

means for sending information indicative of the set of base stations to a specific base station that gets repeated by the repeater.

37. The repeater of claim 36, wherein the wireless communication system comprises a code division multiple access (CDMA) system and the information identifies pseudo-random noise (PN) offsets.