Wireless femtocell setup methods and apparatus

• US 20090296641A1
• Filed: 05/28/2008
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Schmidt, Andreas, Bienas, Maik, Choi, Hyung-Nam
• Granted Patent: US 8,144,725 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/10 Dynamic resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/20 for indoor coverage or short range network deployment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/04 using triggered events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

Methods and apparatus that enable a wireless femtocell to operate in its designated frequency so as to minimize interference between the wireless femtocell and neighboring base stations (and other femtocells or nomadic cells). In one exemplary embodiment, the femtocell cell comprises a UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) femtocell which has the ability to scan the air interface in a manner similar to that associated with a UE in order to identify unallocated resources within the wireless network, and subsequently request access for the unallocated resources. Business methods useful in combination with the aforementioned methods and apparatus are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of operating a cell within a wireless network, said cell comprising a network connection with a core of said network, said method comprising:

scanning said network resources to identify at least a portion of unoccupied network resources;

requesting at least a portion of said unoccupied network resources from said core of said network; and

occupying said at least a portion of unoccupied network resources after being granted said unoccupied resources by said core.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said wireless network comprises a cellular network having a plurality of base stations, and said cell comprises a cell having a reduced set of capabilities as compared to that of one of said base stations.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said cellular network comprises a UMTS-enabled network, and said cell comprises a femtocell.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of scanning said network resources further comprises obtaining a plurality of initializing parameters.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said plurality of initializing parameters originates from an entity within said core of said network.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said plurality of initializing parameters originates from a computer-readable media internal to said cell.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of scanning said network resources comprises scanning only a subset of all resources associated with a selected network operator.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of scanning said network resources comprises scanning all resources which may affect the operation of said cell.

9. The method of claim 2, further comprising storing a cellular identification of a neighboring base station associated with said at least a portion of occupied cellular network resources identified.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said neighboring base station is designated a default base station.

11. A method of operating a cell operating within a cellular network, said cellular network comprising one or more base stations, said method comprising:

scanning a first frequency range of said cellular network;

determining the strongest base station transmission within said cellular network;

decoding a signal from at least one of said one or more base stations, said signal indicative of a geographic location;

reading data, said data correlating a default frequency range with said geographic location; and

determining a power signal from one or more neighboring devices operating within said default frequency range.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said first frequency range is determined per a cellular network standard.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising designating one of said one or more neighboring devices having the greatest power signal as a default neighboring device.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said cell comprises a UMTS femtocell, and said data comprises data stored locally to said femtocell.

15. A femtocell capable of operating within a wireless network, said femtocell comprising:

a processing device coupled to a memory;

a wireless subsystem;

a network interface subsystem in communication with a core portion of said wireless network; and

a plurality of executable instructions resident within said memory that, when executed by said processing device, perform the method comprising;

initiating a scan via said wireless subsystem to determine wireless network resources;

identifying at least a portion of unoccupied wireless network resources from said core portion via said network interface subsystem;

receiving a grant message from said core portion granting access to said unoccupied resources; and

signaling said wireless subsystem to occupy at least a portion of said unoccupied wireless network resources.

16. The femtocell of claim 15, wherein said cell comprises a UMTS femtocell, said wireless subsystem comprises a cellular air interface, and said network interface subsystem comprises a wired interface selected from the group consisting of:

(i) a DSL modem, (ii) a cable (DOCSIS) modem, and (iii) a T1 line.

17. A method of operating a network entity, said network entity being capable of directly or indirectly controlling one or more base stations and one or more femtocells within a wireless network, said method comprising:

allocating network resources to said one or more base stations;

receiving a request from at least one of said one or more femtocells, said request seeking permission to utilize at least a portion of said network resources; and

granting said request if it is determined that the network resources allocated to said one or more base stations will not be adversely affected by the one or more femtocells utilizing said at least a portion of said network resources.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising decoding a listing of occupied resources as detected by said one or more femtocells.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said wireless network comprises a cellular network, and said listing of occupied resources comprises one or more cellular entity identification values.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said one or more cellular entity identification values are further comprised of base station cellular entity identification values and femtocell cellular entity identification values.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising reading from a memory a listing of allocated resources for said one or more cellular entity identification values.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein said act of determining that the network resources allocated to said one or more base stations will not be adversely affected by the one or more femtocells utilizing said at least a portion of said network resources is based at least in part on minimizing radio frequency interference (RFI) within the wireless network.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein said act of determining that the network resources allocated to said one or more base stations will not be adversely affected by the one or more femtocells utilizing said at least a portion of said network resources is based at least in part on maximizing data throughput within the wireless network.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein said act of determining that the network resources allocated to said one or more base stations will not be adversely affected by the one or more femtocells utilizing said at least a portion of said network resources is determined based at least in part on providing a predetermined quality of service (QoS) level within the wireless network.

25. The method of claim 17, further comprising denying said request if it is determined that the network resources allocated to said one or more base stations will be adversely affected by the one or more femtocells utilizing said at least a portion of said network resources.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said denial comprises a denial message, said denial message further comprising a hold-off time indicative of a later period in time when a subsequent request may sent.

27. A method of doing business associated with a wireless network, said network comprising a plurality of substantially fixed base stations, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of substantially portable cells to respective ones of subscribers of said network, said plurality of cells augmenting the coverage of said substantially fixed base stations;

allocating network resources to at least one of said base stations;

receiving a request from at least one of said cells, said request seeking permission to utilize at least a portion of said network resources; and

granting or denying said request based at least in part on an evaluation of one or more profitability or revenue considerations relating to use of said at least portion of said network resources by said at least one base station or said at least one cell.

28. A computer readable apparatus comprising a storage medium, said medium comprising a plurality of executable instructions which, when executed by a computer of a network entity capable of directly or indirectly controlling one or more base stations and one or more femtocells within a wireless network, perform the method comprising:

allocating network resources to said one or more base stations;

receiving a request from at least one of said one or more femtocells, said request seeking permission to utilize at least a portion of said network resources; and

granting said request if it is determined that the network resources allocated to said one or more base stations will not be adversely affected by the one or more femtocells utilizing said at least a portion of said network resources.