FEMTOCELL BASE STATION WITH MOBILE STATION CAPABILITY

• US 20090082010A1
• Filed: 09/26/2007
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Via Telecom Inc. (VIA Technologies)
• Inventors: Lee, Anthony, Chen, Ning Nicholas
• Granted Patent: US 8,103,267 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/424
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A communication device that includes a femtocell base station and a mobile station transmitter/receiver. The femtocell base station may provide bidirectional internet protocol (IP) communication for one or mobile devices to a cellular network. The femtocell base station may be operable to communicate with the cellular network using a wide area network. The mobile station transmitter/receiver may be coupled to the femtocell base station (in a same housing). The mobile station transmitter/receiver may be operable to perform radio frequency (RF) wireless communication with the cellular network, e.g., to detect and/or report environmental parameters, performing testing (e.g., loopback testing), and/or provide communication for the one or more mobile devices (e.g., when the wide area network is down), among others.

Claims

1. A communications device, comprising:

a femtocell base station for providing bidirectional communication for one or more mobile devices to a cellular network, wherein the femtocell base station is operable to communicate with the cellular network using a wide area network;

a mobile station transmitter/receiver coupled to the femtocell base station, wherein the mobile station transmitter/receiver is operable to perform radio frequency (RF) wireless communication with the cellular network; and

a port coupled to at least one of the femtocell base station or the mobile station transmitter/receiver, wherein at least one of the femtocell base station or the mobile station transmitter/receiver is operable to communicate using the port.

2. The device of claim 1,

wherein the mobile station transmitter/receiver is operable to receive a command from the cellular network and/or an external device to perform loopback testing, wherein the loopback testing involves the mobile station transmitter/receiver and the femtocell base station.

3. The device of claim 1,

wherein the mobile station transmitter/receiver is operable to receive a command from the cellular network;

wherein the mobile station transmitter/receiver is operable to provide the command to the femtocell base station;

wherein the femtocell base station is operable to perform a test based on the received command.

4. The device of claim 1,

wherein the femtocell base station is operable to generate wireless signals intended for a mobile device;

wherein the mobile station transmitter/receiver is operable to receive the wireless signals intended for the mobile device;

wherein the communications device is operable to perform testing based on the wireless signals received by the mobile station transmitter/receiver.

5. The device of claim 1,

wherein the mobile station transmitter/receiver is operable to generate wireless signals, wherein the wireless signals emulate signals generated by a mobile device;

wherein the femtocell base station is operable to receive the wireless signals;

wherein the communications device is operable to perform testing based on the wireless signals received by the femtocell base station.

6. The device of claim 1,

wherein the mobile station transmitter/receiver is operable to provide communication between the one or more mobile devices and the cellular network when the wide are network is not operational.

7. The device of claim 1,

wherein the mobile station transmitter/receiver is operable to receive communications from the cellular network when the wide area network is not operational.

8. The device of claim 1,

wherein the mobile station transmitter/receiver is operable to detect and report environmental parameters to the cellular network.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the femtocell base station comprises:

a processor; and

a memory medium, wherein the memory medium stores program instructions executable by the processor to perform IP communication over the wide area network using the port.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the mobile station transmitter/receiver comprises:

a processor; and

a memory medium, wherein the memory medium stores program instructions executable by the processor to perform the RF wireless communication.

11. A method, comprising:

receiving first wireless signals generated by a femtocell base station, wherein the first wireless signals emulate signals generated by a mobile device, wherein the first wireless signals are received by a mobile station transmitter/receiver coupled to the femtocell base station;

determining testing results based on the first wireless signals received by the mobile station transmitter/receiver;

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating second wireless signals, wherein the second wireless signals emulate signals generated by a mobile device, wherein the second wireless signals are generated by the mobile station transmitter/receiver, wherein the second wireless signals are intended for reception by the femtocell base station coupled to the mobile station transmitter/receiver;

determining testing results based on the second wireless signals received by the femtocell base station.

13. The method of claim 12,

wherein the first wireless signals and the second wireless signals are each generated in response to a testing signal from a cellular service provider.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

the mobile station transmitter/receiver performing wireless communication with the cellular network.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a request signal from a cellular server provider;

detecting environmental parameters of the mobile station transmitter/receiver; and

providing the environmental parameters to the cellular server provider.

16. A method, comprising:

a femtocell base station providing bidirectional communication for one or more mobile devices, wherein said providing comprises performing internet protocol (IP) communication with a cellular network over a wide area network;

a mobile station transmitter/receiver performing wireless communication with the cellular network;

wherein the mobile station transmitter/receiver and the femtocell base station are comprised in a housing of a communications device for providing cellular services for the one or mobile devices.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a command from the cellular network to perform loopback testing;

performing loopback testing using the femtocell base station and the mobile station transmitter/receiver.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a command from the cellular network; and

the femtocell base station performing a test based on the received command.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

the femtocell base station generating wireless signals intended for a mobile device;

the mobile station transmitter/receiver receiving the wireless signals intended for the mobile device; and

determining testing results based on the wireless signals received by the mobile station transmitter/receiver.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

the mobile station transmitter/receiver generating wireless signals, wherein the wireless signals emulate signals generated by a mobile device;

the femtocell base station receiving the wireless signals; and

determining testing results based on the wireless signals received by the femtocell base station.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the mobile station transmitter/receiver performing wireless communication with the cellular network comprises providing wireless communication for the one or more mobile devices when the wide area network is not operational.

22. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

the mobile station transmitter/receiver detecting radio environmental parameters; and

providing the radio environmental parameters to the cellular network.

23. A communications device, comprising:

a femtocell base station for providing bidirectional communication for one or more mobile devices to a cellular network, wherein the femtocell base station is operable to communicate with the cellular network using a wide area network;

a mobile station transmitter/receiver coupled to the femtocell base station, wherein the mobile station transmitter/receiver is operable to perform radio frequency (RF) wireless communication with the cellular network; and

housing, wherein the femtocell base station and the mobile station transmitter/receiver are comprised in the housing.