SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING EXTENDING FEMTOCELL COVERAGE
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for configuring a wireless network comprising:
- providing a plurality of access points with a plurality of coverage areas, each access point configured to;
provide radio network access via an air interface to at least one mobile station; and
communicate with a core network via an IP network;
wherein at least one of the plurality of access points of the cluster is configured to perform a hand-in of a mobile station from a macrocell network comprising;
registering the mobile station at the hand-in access point with the core network, the hand-in access point defining an anchor access point for the respective mobile station; and
storing an association between the mobile station and the anchor access point within the network;
the method further comprising;
defining a cluster of the plurality of access points;
independently registering each access point of the cluster with the core network;
configuring each access point of the cluster for peer to peer communication with at least one other access point of the cluster; and
configuring the plurality of cluster access points to;
identify an anchor point for a mobile station when a communication requirement between the core network and the mobile station exists; and
establish a communication between the mobile station and the core network via the anchor access point irrespective of an access point of the cluster that is servicing the mobile station.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Femtocell coverage can be extended across a coverage area by providing a cluster of femtocell access points (FAPs). Each FAP is independently registered with a core network and provisioned with a location area code common to each FAP. At hand-in from the macrocell network, an association is made between the mobile station and the hand-in FAP, which becomes an anchor FAP for the duration of the mobile station'"'"'s presence within the cluster. Calls between the mobile station and the core network are routed via a servicing FAP of the cluster and the anchor FAP.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for configuring a wireless network comprising:
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providing a plurality of access points with a plurality of coverage areas, each access point configured to; provide radio network access via an air interface to at least one mobile station; and communicate with a core network via an IP network; wherein at least one of the plurality of access points of the cluster is configured to perform a hand-in of a mobile station from a macrocell network comprising; registering the mobile station at the hand-in access point with the core network, the hand-in access point defining an anchor access point for the respective mobile station; and storing an association between the mobile station and the anchor access point within the network; the method further comprising; defining a cluster of the plurality of access points; independently registering each access point of the cluster with the core network; configuring each access point of the cluster for peer to peer communication with at least one other access point of the cluster; and configuring the plurality of cluster access points to; identify an anchor point for a mobile station when a communication requirement between the core network and the mobile station exists; and establish a communication between the mobile station and the core network via the anchor access point irrespective of an access point of the cluster that is servicing the mobile station. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for establishing a communication between a core network and a mobile station on a radio access network comprising a plurality of access points, each access point configured to provide radio network access via an air interface to the mobile station, each access point configured to communicate with the core network via an IP network, and each access point being independently registered with the core network, the method comprising:
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indicating to the core network an association between the mobile station and an anchor access point of the cluster; determining a communication requirement between the core network and the mobile station; determining a servicing access point of the cluster able to service the mobile station; and establishing a connection path between the core network and the mobile station comprising the anchor access point and the servicing access point. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system comprising:
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a plurality of access points defining a cluster of access points, each access point of the cluster comprising a common location area code and each access point of the cluster configured to; provide radio network access via an air interface to at least one mobile station within a coverage area; communicate with a core network via an IP network, each access point of the cluster being independently registered with the core network; provide peer to peer communication with at least one other access point of the cluster; at least one of the access points of the cluster being configured to perform a hand-in of a mobile station from a macrocell network comprising; registering with the core network an association between the mobile station and an access point of the cluster, the associated access point defining an anchor access point for the respective mobile station; storing an association between the mobile station and the anchor access point within the cluster; wherein at least one access point of the cluster is configured to; determine a communication requirement for a mobile station within a coverage area of the cluster; identify an anchor access point for the mobile station; and establish a communication between the mobile station and the core network via the anchor access point. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification