METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING COMMUNICATION IN PICO NETWORKS

• US 20080165709A1
• Filed: 01/05/2007
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Soliman, Samir S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,687,608 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/280
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/105 PBS [Private Base Station] network H04W84/12 - H04W84/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• 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

Techniques for extending coverage of a wireless communication network (e.g., a cellular network) to indoor and other locations are described. A wireless device may communicate with a base station in a wireless network via downlink and uplink frequency channels in a licensed frequency band using frequency division duplexing (FDD). The wireless device may communicate with a piconet base station (PBS) in a pico network (piconet) via the uplink frequency channel using time division duplexing (TDD). The PBS may communicate with the wireless device on the uplink frequency channel and may exchange data with the wireless network via a wireline communication link. The PBS may forward data received from the wireless device to the wireless network and may also forward data received from the wireless network for the wireless device to the wireless device. The PBS may receive paging messages from the wireless network for the wireless device and may forward the paging messages to the wireless device.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor configured to perform data processing for communication with a first base station in a wireless communication network using frequency division duplexing (FDD), and to perform data processing for communication with a second base station in a pico network (piconet) using time division duplexing (TDD); and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to perform processing for data transmission on an uplink frequency channel to the first and second base stations, and to perform processing for data reception on a downlink frequency channel for the first base station and on the uplink frequency channel for the second base station.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the downlink and uplink frequency channels are hi a licensed frequency band.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to register with the wireless communication network and to receive paging messages from fire wireless communication network via the second base station.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to perform data processing in accordance with a single radio technology for communication with the first and second base stations.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to perform data processing in accordance with Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA) or cdma2000 for communication with the first base station.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive an assignment of time slots from the second base station and to exchange data with the second base station in the assigned time slots.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one processor is configured to exchange data in protocol data units (PDUs) sent in the assigned time slots.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one processor is configured to detect for first base stations in the wireless communication network based on pilots transmitted by the first base stations on a downlink frequency channel, and to detect for second base stations in piconets based on beacons transmitted by the second base stations on an uplink frequency channel.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to detect for first base stations in the wireless communication network and, if no first base stations are detected, to detect for second base stations in piconets.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to detect for other first base stations in the wireless communication network, to detect for other second base stations in nearby piconets, and to send information on detected first and second base stations to the first base station in the wireless communication network.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to detect for other first base stations in the wireless communication network, to detect for other second base stations in nearby piconets, and to send information on detected first and second base stations to the second base station in the piconet.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a transceiver comprising a transmit path for sending data to the first and second base stations, a first receive path for receiving data from the first base station, and a second receive-path for receiving data from the second base station.

14. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor configured to perform data processing in accordance with a first radio technology for communication with a first base station in a wireless communication network on a licensed frequency band, and to perform data processing in accordance with a second radio technology for communication with a second base station in a pico network (piconet) on the licensed frequency band; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the second radio technology is same as the first radio technology.

16. A method comprising:

performing data processing for communication with a first base station in a wireless communication network using frequency division duplexing (FDD); and

performing data processing for communication with a second base station in a pico network (piconet) using time division duplexing (TDD).

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the performing data processing for communication with the first base station comprises performing processing for data transmission on an uplink frequency channel to the first base station, and performing processing for data reception on a downlink frequency channel from the first base station, and wherein the performing data processing for communication with the second base station comprises performing processing for data transmission on the uplink frequency channel to the second base station, and performing processing for data reception on the uplink frequency channel from the second base station.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

registering with the wireless communication network; and

receiving paging messages from the wireless communication network via the second base station.

19. An apparatus comprising:

means for performing data processing for communication with a first base station in a wireless communication network using frequency division duplexing (FDD); and

means for performing data processing for communication with a second base station in a pico network (piconet) using time division duplexing (TDD).

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the means for performing data processing for communication with the first base station comprises means for performing processing for data transmission on an uplink frequency channel to the first base station, and means for performing processing for data reception on a downlink frequency channel from the first base station, and wherein the means for performing data processing for communication with the second base station comprises means for performing processing for data transmission on the uplink frequency channel to the second base station, and means for performing processing for data reception on the uplink frequency channel from the second base station.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

means for registering with the wireless communication network; and

means for receiving paging messages from the wireless communication network via the second base station.

22. A computer-readable medium including instructions stored thereon, comprising:

a first instruction set for controlling communication with a first base station in a wireless communication network using frequency division duplexing (FDD); and

a second instruction set for controlling communication with a second base station in a pico network (piconet) using time division duplexing (TDD).

23. An apparatus supporting communication for a pico network (piconet), comprising:

at least one processor configured to perform data processing for communication with a wireless device on a frequency channel in a licensed frequency band using time division duplexing (TDD), and to perform processing for data exchanges with a wireless communication network via a wireline communication link; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the frequency channel used for communication with the wireless device is an uplink frequency channel for the wireless communication network.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive selection of the frequency channel from the wireless communication network.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the at least one processor is configured to send a beacon in each super-frame of a predetermined time duration, the beacon being used by wireless devices to detect the piconet.

27. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the at least one processor is configured to assign time slots to the wireless device and to exchange data with the wireless device in the assigned time slots.

28. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the at least one processor is configured to grant a request to download data, the request being sent previously by the wireless device to the wireless communication network or the piconet and stored until resources are available in the piconet.

29. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the at least one processor is configured to register the wireless device with the wireless communication network, to receive paging messages from the wireless communication network for the wireless device, and to send the paging messages to the wireless device.

30. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive paging messages from the wireless communication network for wireless devices, and to send the paging messages in beacons.

31. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the at least one processor is configured to forward data received from the wireless device to the wireless communication network, and to forward data received from the wireless communication network for the wireless device to the wireless device.

32. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive an access request from the wireless device and to grant or deny access to the wireless device based on a list of wireless devices allowed access to the piconet.

33. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the at least one processor is configured to direct the wireless device to switch to another frequency channel to mitigate interference.

34. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the at least one processor is configured to direct another wireless device not in the piconet to switch to another frequency channel to mitigate interference.

35. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the at least one processor is configured to send load information on the piconet to the wireless communication network.

36. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the at least one processor is configured to detect for other second base stations in nearby piconets and to send information on detected second base stations to the wireless communication network.

37. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising:

a transceiver comprising a transmit path for sending data to the wireless device and a receive path for receiving data from the wireless device.

38. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising:

an interface unit configured to exchange data with the wireless communication network via a backhaul modem.

39. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the at least one processor is implemented in an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the ASIC is a mobile station modem (MSM) used in the wireless device.

41. A method comprising:

performing data processing for communication with a wireless device on a frequency channel in a licensed frequency band using time division duplexing (TDD); and

performing processing for data exchanges with a wireless communication network via a wireline communication link.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

registering the wireless device with the wireless communication network;

receiving paging messages from the wireless communication network for the wireless device; and

sending the paging messages to the wireless device.

43. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

forwarding data received from the wireless device to the wireless communication network; and

forwarding data received from the wireless communication network for the wireless device to the wireless device.

44. An apparatus comprising:

means for performing data processing for communication with a wireless device on a frequency channel in a licensed frequency band using time division duplexing (TDD); and

means for performing processing for data exchanges with a wireless communication network via a wireline communication link.

45. The apparatus of claim 44, further comprising:

means for registering the wireless device with the wireless communication network;

means for receiving paging messages from the wireless communication network for the wireless device; and

means for sending the paging messages to the wireless device.

46. The apparatus of claim 44, further comprising:

means for forwarding data received from the wireless device to the wireless communication network; and

means for forwarding data received from the wireless communication network for the wireless device to the wireless device.