AUTOMATIC PROVISIONING OF FEMTOCELL

• US 20090092096A1
• Filed: 05/20/2008
• Published: 04/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IPCOMM LLC, Via Telecom Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: IPCOMM LLC, Via Telecom Inc. (VIA Technologies)
• Inventors: Czaja, Stanislaw, Lee, Anthony, Davis, Mark E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,223,683 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

Automatic provisioning of an access point base station or femtocell. The method may include the femtocell transmitting first information (e.g., location information, signal measurement information, capability information, etc.) to a service provider (e.g., over an IP network). The femtocell may receive second information from the service provider, where the second information includes one or more operational parameters. The operational parameters may include hand-off parameters, admission policy information, PN or scrambling codes, power parameters, and/or other parameters. The femtocell may operate according to the received parameters to provide access for a plurality of access terminals in a local area.

Claims

1. A method for performing automatic provisioning of an access point base station, the method comprising:

transmitting first information to the service provider, wherein the first information comprises location information of the access point base station and capability information of the access point base station;

receiving second information from the service provider, wherein the second information comprises one or more operational parameters; and

operating based on the one or more operational parameters.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the capability information comprises propagation characteristics of the environment in which the access point base station is located.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein said operating based on the one or more operational parameters provides reduced interference caused by the access point base station.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein a macro base station provides wireless communication in a macro area intersected partially with the local area, and wherein said operating based on the one or more operational parameters provides more efficient handoffs between the macro base station and the access point base station.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein the one or more operational parameters are determined based on a coverage area propagation model.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a macro base station provides wireless communication in a macro area intersected partially with the local area, and wherein the method further comprises:

performing at least one measurement of signals received by the access point base station from the macro base station;

wherein the first information comprises the at least one measurement.

7. The method of claim 1,

in response to a change in the network:

receiving updated operational parameters from the service provider;

operating based on the updated operational parameters, wherein said operating based on the updated operational parameters reduces interference caused by the access point base station in the changed network and provides more efficient handoffs in the changed network.

8. The method of claim 1,

wherein the access point base station is a femtocell connecting to the service provider via a wired connection.

9. A femtocell, comprising:

an interface for providing communication with one or more access terminals in a local area and communication with a service provider over a wired network;

a processor coupled to the interface;

a memory medium coupled to the processor, wherein the memory medium comprises program instructions executable to;

connect to the service provider using the interface;

transmit first information to the service provider, wherein the first information comprises location information of the femtocell and capability information of the femtocell;

receive second information from the service provider, wherein the second information comprises one or more operational parameters; and

operate the femtocell based on the one or more operational parameters.

10. The femtocell of claim 9,

wherein the capability information comprises propagation characteristics of the environment in which the femtocell is located.

11. The femtocell of claim 9,

wherein said operating based on the one or more operational parameters provides reduced interference caused by the femtocell.

12. The femtocell of claim 9,

wherein a macro base station provides wireless communication in a macro area intersected partially with the local area, and wherein said operating based on the one or more operational parameters provides more efficient handoffs between the macro base station and the femtocell.

13. The femtocell of claim 9,

wherein the one or more operational parameters are determined based on a coverage area propagation model.

14. The femtocell of claim 9, wherein a macro base station provides wireless communication in a macro area intersected partially with the local area, and wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

perform at least one measurement of signals received by the femtocell from the one or more access terminals;

wherein the first information comprises the at least one measurement.

15. The femtocell of claim 9, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

in response to a change in the network;

receive updated operational parameters from the service provider;

operate based on the updated operational parameters, wherein said operating based on the updated operational parameters reduces interference caused by the femtocell in the changed network and provides more efficient handoffs in the changed network.

16. A computer accessible memory medium storing program instructions for operating an access point base station, wherein the program instructions are executable to:

connect to the service provider using an interface;

transmit first information to the service provider, wherein the first information comprises location information of the access point base station and capability information of the access point base station;

receive second information from the service provider, wherein the second information comprises one or more operational parameters;

operate the point base station based on the one or more operational parameters.

17. The memory medium of claim 16,

wherein the capability information comprises propagation characteristics of the environment in which the access point base station is located.

18. The memory medium of claim 16,

wherein said operating based on the one or more operational parameters provides reduced interference caused by the access point base station.

19. The memory medium of claim 16, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

in response to a change in the network;

receive updated operational parameters from the service provider;

operate the access point base station based on the updated operational parameters, wherein said operating based on the updated operational parameters reduces interference caused by the point base station in the changed network and provides more efficient handoffs in the changed network.

20. A method for performing automatic provisioning of an access point base station, the method comprising:

connecting to an access point base station through a wired connection, wherein the access point base station provides wireless communication in a local area;

receiving first information from the access point base station, wherein the first information comprises location information of the access point base station and capability information of the access point base station; and

transmitting second information to the access point base station based on the first information, wherein the second information comprises one or more operational parameters for the access point base station;

wherein the one or more operational parameters are useable to configure the access point base station.

21. A communication system for providing wireless communication with one or more access terminals, comprising:

a service provider;

a macro base station for providing wireless communication with the one or more access terminals in a macro area; and

an access point base station for providing wireless communication with the one or more access terminals in a local area intersected partially with the macro area, and wherein the access point base station is configured to;

connect to the service provider;

transmit first information to the service provider, wherein the first information comprises location information of the access point base station and capability information of the access point base station;

receive second information from the service provider, wherein the second information comprises one or more operational parameters; and

operate based on the one or more operational parameters.