WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK BASE STATION EXTENSION

• US 20090103492A1
• Filed: 10/16/2008
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Alvarion Limited
• Inventors: Shousterman, Leonid, Marinchenco, Oleg, ALTSHULLER, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,942,163 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0205 at the air interface dynamic wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/047 using dedicated repeater stations

Abstract

Apparatus and methods to permit the deployment of wireless base stations, where a deployed remote base station is backhauled to the core network over a wireless connection to an operatively attached donor base station using protocols that encapsulate backhaul communications within standard subscriber communication protocols.

Claims

1. A device for use in a wireless managed communication network, said device comprising

a) a first interface unit for interfacing with a first base station, said first interface unit providing a standard backhauling interface for backhauling from the first base station, and

b) a second interface unit for interfacing with a second base station, the second base station being configured to provide backhauling from and to the first base station and from and to a core network,

such that the first and second interface units and the second base station jointly provide a channel for backhauling from the first base station.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the second interface unit is configured to encapsulate backhaul communications from the first base station within subscriber-station communications before transmission to the second base station and the second interface unit is further configured to de-encapsulate backhaul communications received from the second base station where said backhaul communications are destined for the first base station.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said first base station is further configured to handover subscribed stations to said second base station.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein said handover is according to a first criterion.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein said first criterion includes consideration of network performance.

6. The device of claim 4 wherein said first criterion includes consideration of operating load of said first base station.

7. The device of claim 4 wherein said first criterion includes consideration of operating load of said second base station.

8. A first base station for use in a wireless managed communication network, said first base station comprising

a) a backhauling unit for providing a backhauling communication channel, and

b) an interface unit, associated with said backhauling unit and configured to communicate with a second base station, thereby to make said backhauling communication channel available to said second base station.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein said interface unit is configured to communicate with said second base station using wireless communication.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein said wireless communication is according to protocols used by said first base station to communicate with subscriber stations operatively connected to said first base station.

11. The device of claim 8, wherein the interface unit is configured to encapsulate backhaul communications from the first base station within subscriber-station communications before transmission to the second base station and the interface unit is further configured to de-encapsulate backhaul communications received from the second base station.

12. The device of claim 8, wherein said first base station is further configured to handover subscriber stations to said second base station.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein said handover is according to a first criterion.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein said first criterion includes consideration of network performance.

15. The device of claim 13 wherein said first criterion includes consideration of operating load of said first base station.

16. The device of claim 13 wherein said first criterion includes consideration of operating load of said second base station.

17. An augmented base station for use in a managed wireless communications network, said augmented base station comprising

a) an in-band-backhauling device, and

b) a first base station for communicating with subscriber stations,

wherein said in-band-backhauling device comprises

a) a first interface unit for interfacing with said first base station, said first interface unit providing a standard backhauling interface for backhauling from the first base station, and

b) a second interface unit for interfacing with a second base station, the second base station being configured to provide backhauling from and to the first base station, and from and to a core network,

such that the first and second interface units and the second base station jointly provide a channel for backhauling from the first base station,

and said first base station is further configured to communicate with a third base station, thereby to make said channel for backhauling available to said third base station.

18. A method for controlling flow of traffic in a communication network, where said traffic includes messages of a first type encapsulated within messages of a second type, and said first type messages include at least one parameter defining control of said flow, said method comprising

examining a second type message to discern the contents of an encapsulated first type message,

recognizing said parameter within the first type message,

adjusting the flow of traffic in accordance with the parameter.

19. A proxying device for proxying network elements in a communication network, said network operating with at least two protocol layers, said layers comprising a lower layer and a higher layer, said network comprising

a) a communication link between a first and a second linking unit, said linking units communicating at the higher protocol layer,

b) a first remote device connected to the first linking unit and communicating with said first linking unit according to the lower protocol layer, and

c) a second remote device connected to the second linking unit and communicating with said second linking unit according to the lower protocol layer, said first linking unit incorporating one of said proxying device, said proxying device configured to represent and act on behalf of said second remote device with respect to communications with the first remote device.