METHODS CIRCUITS AND SYSTEMS FOR PROVIDING CELLULAR BASE STATION FUNCTIONALITY AT ONE OR MORE NODES OF A DATA NETWORK

• US 20100067426A1
• Filed: 07/21/2009
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellium Technologies, LTD.
• Original Assignee: David Voschina, Roy Kinamon
• Inventors: Voschina, David, Kinamon, Roy
• Granted Patent: US 9,072,120 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/313
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/12 Access point controller devices

Abstract

Disclosed are methods, circuits and systems for providing cellular base station functionality at one or more nodes of a data network. Baseband traffic and at least a portion of radio unit signaling may be transmitted over a data network from a base station (controller) to a radio equipped network appliance. The network appliance may emulate a native radio unit of the base station controller and may provide cellular base station services to one or more cellular devices. Baseband traffic and at least a portion of the radio unit signaling received from the one or more cellular device may be transmitted from the network appliance to the base station controller over the data network.

Claims

1. A radio equipped network appliance comprising:

a distributed network communication module adapted to engage in a communication session with a cellular base station controller; and

radio frequency circuitry or equipment adapted to emulate a native radio unit of the base station controller in response to baseband and radio unit signaling data received from the controller over the communication session.

2. The appliance according to claim 1, wherein said network communication module is further adapted to transmit uplink baseband data to the base station controller.

3. A cellular base station controller comprising:

a distributed network communication module adapted to encapsulate and/or packetize downlink baseband traffic and at least a portion of native radio unit signaling and to transmit same over a distributed data network to a radio equipped network appliance.

4. The base station controller according to claim 3, wherein said distributed network communication module is further adapted to receive and forward to said controller uplink baseband data from the network appliance.

5. A cellular base station extender comprising:

a signaling interceptor adapted to intercept downlink baseband traffic and at least a portion of radio unit signaling between a base station controller and a native radio unit of said base station; and

a distributed network communication module functionally associated with said interceptor and adapted to encapsulate and/or packetize the intercepted traffic and radio unit signaling into a communication session with a radio equipped network appliance.

6. A cellular base station extender according to claim 5, further comprising a signal injector adapted to forward to the controller uplink baseband data received from the network appliance.