AUTOMATIC PROVISIONING OF HANDOFF PARAMETERS FOR FEMTOCELL

• US 20090093252A1
• Filed: 05/13/2008
• 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: Davis, Mark E., Czaja, Stanislaw, Lee, Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 9,363,770 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/343 taking into account loading or congestion level

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 parameters, 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 providing efficient handoffs between a macro base station and an access point base station, the method comprising:

performing at least one measurement of signals received by the access point base station from at least one access terminal, wherein the access point base station provides wireless communication in a local area;

connecting to a service provider through a wired connection, wherein the service provider provides wireless communication in a macro area intersected partially with the local area;

transmitting first information to the service provider, wherein the first information comprises location information of the access point base station and the at least one measurement;

receiving second information from the service provider, wherein the second information comprises a plurality of handoff parameters, the plurality of handoff parameters comprising a macro to access point base station drop threshold and an access point base station to macro drop threshold, wherein the plurality of handoff parameters are determined based on the location information and the at least one measurement; and

operating based on the plurality of handoff parameters.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the plurality of handoff parameters provide handoff thresholds and hysteresis information regardless of the location of the access point base station within a macro coverage area.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises, in response to a moving of the at least one access terminal from the macro area to the local area:

receiving signal strength information from the at least one access terminal; and

in response to the signal strength information indicating that the signal strength is above the macro to access point base station drop threshold, the access point base station sending a handoff request to the service provider;

wherein the handoff request causes the at least one access terminal to begin using the access point base station.

4. The method of claim 3,

wherein the handoff request causes the at least one access terminal to remove the macro base station from an access terminal active set.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to a moving of the at least one access terminal from the local area to the macro area,

receiving information regarding an increase in macro cell signal strength from the at least one access terminal;

and

in response to the signal strength information indicating that the signal strength is above the access point base station to macro drop threshold, the access point base station sending a handoff request to the service provider;

wherein the handoff request causes the at least one access terminal to begin using the macro base station.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one measurement comprises signal measurements of the macro base station.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises, in response to a change in the network:

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

operating based on the one or more updated handoff parameters, wherein said operating based on the one or more updated handoff parameters provides more efficient handoffs between the macro base station and the access point base station.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first information further comprises capability information of the access point base station;

and

wherein the plurality of handoff parameters are determined based on the capability information

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the access point base station is a femtocell connected to the service provider via a wired connection.

10. A femtocell, comprising:

an interface for providing communication with at least one access terminal in a local area and communication with a service provider over a wired network in a macro area intersected partially with the local area;

a processor coupled to the interface;

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

perform at least one measurement of signals received from the at least one access terminal;

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 the at least one measurement;

receive second information from the service provider, wherein the second information comprises a plurality of handoff parameters, the plurality of handoff parameters comprising a macro to femtocell drop threshold and a femtocell to macro drop threshold, wherein the plurality of handoff parameters are determined based on the location information and the at least one measurement; and

operate based on the plurality of handoff parameters.

11. The femtocell of claim 10,

wherein the plurality of handoff parameters provide handoff thresholds and hysteresis information regardless of the location of the access point base station within a macro coverage area.

12. The femtocell of claim 10, wherein the program instructions are further executable to, in response to a moving of the at least one access terminal from the macro area to the local area:

receive signal strength information from the at least one access terminal; and

in response to the signal strength information indicating that the signal strength is above the macro to femtocell drop threshold, send a handoff request to the service provider;

wherein the handoff request causes the at least one access terminal to begin using the femtocell.

13. The femtocell of claim 12, wherein the handoff request causes the access terminal to remove the macro base station from an access terminal active set.

14. The femtocell of claim 10, wherein the program instructions are further executable to, in response to a moving of the at least one access terminal from the local area to the macro area:

receive information regarding an increase in macro cell signal strength from the at least one access terminal; and

in response to the signal strength information indicating that the signal strength is above the femtocell to macro drop threshold, send a handoff request to the service provider;

wherein the handoff request causes the at least one access terminal to begin using the macro base station.

15. The femtocell of claim 10, wherein the program instructions are further executable to, in response to a change in the network:

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

operate based on the one or more updated handoff parameters, wherein said operating based on the one or more updated handoff parameters provides more efficient handoffs between the macro base station and the femtocell.

16. A computer-accessible memory medium storing program instructions for providing efficient handoffs between a macro base station and an access point base station, wherein the program instructions are executable to:

perform at least one measurement of signals received by the access point base station from at least one access terminal, wherein the access point base station provides wireless communication in a local area;

connect to a service provider through a wired connection, wherein the service provider provides wireless communication in a macro area intersected partially with the local area;

transmit first information to the service provider, wherein the first information comprises location information of the access point base station and the at least one measurement;

receive second information from the service provider, wherein the second information comprises a plurality of handoff parameters, the plurality of handoff parameters comprising a macro to access point base station drop threshold and an access point base station to macro drop threshold, wherein the plurality of handoff parameters are determined based on the location information and the at least one measurement; and

operate based on the plurality of handoff parameters.

17. The memory medium of claim 16, wherein the plurality of handoff parameters provide handoff thresholds and hysteresis information regardless of the location of the access point base station within a macro coverage area.

18. The memory medium of claim 16, wherein the program instructions are further executable to, in response to a moving of the at least one access terminal from the macro area to the local area:

receive signal strength information from the at least one access terminal; and

in response to the signal strength information indicating that the signal strength is above the macro to access point base station drop threshold, send a handoff request to the service provider;

wherein the handoff request causes the at least one access terminal to begin using the access point base station.

19. The memory medium of claim 16, wherein the program instructions are further executable to, in response to a moving of the at least one access terminal from the local area to the macro area,

receive information regarding an increase in macro cell signal strength from the at least one access terminal;

and

in response to the signal strength information indicating that the signal strength is above the access point base station to macro drop threshold, send a handoff request to the service provider;

wherein the handoff request causes the at least one access terminal to begin using the macro base station.

20. A method for providing efficient handoffs between a macro base station and an access point base station, the method comprising:

connecting to the access point base station through a wired connection, wherein the access point base station provides wireless communication in a local area, and wherein the service provider provides wireless communication in a macro area intersected partially with the 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 at least one measurement of signals received by the access point base station from at least one access terminal;

providing second information from the service provider, wherein the second information comprises a plurality of handoff parameters, the plurality of handoff parameters comprising a macro to access point base station drop threshold and an access point base station to macro drop threshold, wherein the plurality of handoff parameters are determined based on the location information and the at least one measurement; and

wherein the access point base station is operable to use the plurality of handoff parameters to provide more efficient handoffs between the macro base station and 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 for the one or more access terminals in a macro area; and

an access point base station for providing wireless communication for 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;

perform at least one measurement of signals received by the access point base station from the one or more access terminal;

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 the at least one measurement;

receive second information from the service provider, wherein the second information comprises a plurality of handoff parameters, the plurality of handoff parameters comprising a macro to access point base station drop threshold and an access point base station to macro drop threshold, wherein the plurality of handoff parameters are determined based on the location information and the at least one measurement; and

operate based on the plurality of handoff parameters.