CLASSIFYING ACCESS POINTS USING PILOT IDENTIFIERS

• US 20090135784A1
• Filed: 11/12/2008
• Published: 05/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Gorokhov, Alexei, Agashe, Parag A., Bhushan, Naga, Ulupinar, Fatih, Khandekar, Aamod, Prakash, Rajat, Horn, Gavin B.
• Granted Patent: US 9,603,062 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00835 Determination of neighbour cell lists
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point

Abstract

Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate grouping pilot identifies to indicate type and/or classification information regarding one or more access points. The access points can select or be assigned pilot identifiers from the group indicating a type or classification related to the access points. Thus, identifiers can be grouped into macrocell and/or femtocell groups or ranges such that an access point can indicate, and mobile devices can efficiently determine, whether the access point provides macrocell or femtocell coverage based on a range from which its pilot identifier is selected or assigned. In addition, the pilot identifiers can be utilized to indicate restricted association information regarding the access points.

Claims

1. A method for determining cell information for cell reselection in a wireless communication network, comprising:

receiving a pilot signal broadcast from an access point;

determining a pilot identifier comprised within the pilot signal; and

determining a type of the access point based at least in part on an identifier range in which the pilot identifier falls.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pilot identifier falls within the identifier range that indicates the access point type as a femtocell.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising reading a restricted association identifier from the access point based at least in part on the pilot identifier falling within the identifier range that indicates the access point type as a femtocell.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the restricted association identifier indicates the femtocell is restricted with respect to providing signaling, data access, registration, and/or service.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising requesting communication establishment with the access point based at least in part on verifying the restricted association identifier as within a specified range.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising reading a sector identifier from the access point based at least in part on the pilot identifier falling within the identifier range that indicates the access point type as a femtocell.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier range in which the pilot identifier falls relates to a smaller coverage access point or a larger coverage access point.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier range in which the pilot identifier falls relates to a location of the access point.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier range in which the pilot identifier falls relates to a transmit power of the access point.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier range in which the pilot identifier falls relates to a frequency band utilized by the access point for communication.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier range in which the pilot identifier falls relates to a transmission periodicity utilized by the access point for communication.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier range in which the pilot identifier falls relates to whether the access point is mobile or stationary.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising requesting communication establishment with the access point based at least in part on the determined type.

14. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

receive a pilot signal broadcasted from an access point;

obtain a pilot identifier comprised within the pilot signal that uniquely identifies the access point; and

detect a type of the access point based at least in part on associating the pilot identifier with a range of identifiers; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

15. A wireless communications apparatus that facilitates determining information related to an access point in a wireless network, comprising:

means for receiving a pilot signal from an access point;

means for receiving a pilot identifier comprised within the pilot signal; and

means for determining a type of the access point based at least in part on the pilot identifier.

16. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

code for causing at least one computer to receive a pilot signal broadcast from an access point;

code for causing the at least one computer to determine a pilot identifier comprised within the pilot signal; and

code for causing the at least one computer to determine a type of the access point based at least in part on an identifier range in which the pilot identifier falls.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

a cell reselector that receives a plurality of pilot signals broadcast from a plurality of access points;

a pilot identifier receiver that obtains a pilot identifier comprised within at least one of the plurality of pilot signals, the pilot identifier identifies at least one of the plurality of access points; and

an access point type determiner that detects a type of the at least one of the plurality of access points based at least in part on the pilot identifier.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the access point type detector determines the type of the at least one of the plurality of access points as a femtocell where the pilot identifier is within a specified range or a macrocell where the pilot identifier is in a disparate specified range.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a restricted association determiner that reads a restricted association identifier from the pilot signal where the type corresponds to a femtocell.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the restricted association identifier indicates the femtocell is restricted with respect to providing signaling, data access, registration, and/or service.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the cell reselector requests communication establishment with the at least one of the plurality of access points based at least in part on presence of the restricted association identifier within a specified range.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the cell reselector reads a sector identifier from the pilot signal where the type corresponds to a femtocell.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the access point type detector determines the type of the at least one of the plurality of access points is a smaller coverage access point where the pilot identifier is within a specified range or a larger coverage access point where the pilot identifier is in a disparate specified range.

24. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the access point detector further determines a location of the at least one of the plurality of access points based at least in part on a range in which the pilot identifier falls.

25. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the access point detector further determines a transmit power of the at least one of the plurality of access points based at least in part on a range in which the pilot identifier falls.

26. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the access point detector further determines a transmit frequency band of the at least one of the plurality of access points based at least in part on a range in which the pilot identifier falls.

27. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the access point detector further determines a transmit periodicity of the at least one of the plurality of access points based at least in part on a range in which the pilot identifier falls.

28. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the access point detector further determines whether the access point is mobile or stationary based at least in part on a range in which the pilot identifier falls.

29. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the cell reselector requests communication establishment with the at least one of the plurality of access points based at least in part on the determined type.

30. A method for selecting pilot identifiers for access points in a wireless communication network, comprising:

determining a type of an access point for communicating in a wireless communication network;

determining a range of pilot identifiers related to the type of the access point; and

selecting a pilot identifier from the range of pilot identifiers for subsequent transmission in a pilot signal over the wireless communication network for identifying the access point.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the range of pilot identifiers is determined based at least in part on a geographic location of the access point.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the range of pilot identifiers is determined based at least in part on a service provider associated with the access point.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein the range of pilot identifiers is determined based at least in part on an owner and/or type of owner associated with the access point.

34. The method of claim 30, wherein the range of pilot identifiers is determined based at least in part on a transmission frequency band of the access point.

35. The method of claim 30, wherein the range of pilot identifiers is determined based at least in part on a transmission periodicity of the access point.

36. The method of claim 30, wherein the range of pilot identifiers is determined based at least in part on whether the access point utilizes a secure or insecure backhaul to connect to a core wireless network.

37. The method of claim 30, wherein the range of pilot identifiers is determined based at least in part on whether the access point is mobile or stationary.

38. The method of claim 30, wherein the determined type of the access point is a femtocell.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising indicating a restricted association identifier in the pilot signal based on determining the type as femtocell.

40. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

detect a type of an access point for communicating in a wireless communication network;

determine a range of pilot identifiers related to the type of the access point; and

select a pilot identifier from the range of pilot identifiers for subsequent transmission in a pilot signal over the wireless communication network for identifying the access point; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

41. A wireless communications apparatus that facilitates indicating access point information in wireless communications, comprising:

means for receiving a type of an access point for communicating in a wireless communication network;

means for determining a range of pilot identifiers related to the type of the access point; and

means for selecting a pilot identifier from the range of pilot identifiers for subsequent transmission in a pilot signal over the wireless communication network.

42. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

code for causing at least one computer to determine a type of an access point for communicating in a wireless communication network;

code for causing the at least one computer to determine a range of pilot identifiers related to the type of the access point; and

code for causing the at least one computer to select a pilot identifier from the range of pilot identifiers for subsequent transmission in a pilot signal over the wireless communication network for identifying the access point.

43. An apparatus, comprising:

an access point type specifier that determines a type of an access point for communicating in a wireless communication network; and

a pilot identifier selector that determines a range of pilot identifiers related to the type of the access point and selects a pilot identifier from the range of pilot identifiers for subsequent transmission in a pilot signal over the wireless communication network.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the pilot identifier selector determines the range of pilot identifiers based at least in part on a geographic location of the access point.

45. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the pilot identifier selector determines the range of pilot identifiers based at least in part on a service provider associated with the access point.

46. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the pilot identifier selector determines the range of pilot identifiers based at least in part on an owner and/or type of owner associated with the access point.

47. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the pilot identifier selector determines the range of pilot identifiers based at least in part on a transmission frequency band of the access point.

48. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the pilot identifier selector determines the range of pilot identifiers based at least in part on a transmission periodicity of the access point.

49. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the access point specifier determines the type of the access point as a femtocell.

50. The apparatus of claim 49, further comprising a restricted association specifier that indicates a restricted association identifier in the pilot signal based on determining the type as femtocell.