COMMUNICATION SYSTEM HAVING NETWORK ACCESS STRUCTURE

• US 20110096736A1
• Filed: 05/21/2010
• Published: 04/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kwon, Tae Soo, Moon, Jung Min, Cho, Dong Ho, Jo, O Hyun, Jang, Kyung Hun, Shin, Chang Yong
• Granted Patent: US 8,412,206 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/24 Cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

A communication system with an improved network access structure for inter-cell cooperation is provided. The communication system includes a central unit and at least one radio access unit. The at least one radio access unit may form at least one virtual cell by merging or separating cells of radio access units according to a distribution of terminals, statuses of channels, an amount of traffic, and the like.

Claims

1. A central unit, comprising:

a central controller configured to form at least one virtual cell by merging at least two cells among a plurality of cells of radio access units, or to form the at least one virtual cell by separating at least one cell among the plurality of the cells of the radio access units;

first processing modules configured to perform signal processing in a radio resource control (RRC) layer, a media access control (MAC) layer, and a physical (PHY) layer for the at least one virtual cell; and

a switch configured to connect the first processing modules to radio access units according to whether the cells of the radio access units are merged or are separate,

wherein each of the radio access units comprises a second processing module, and each second processing module is configured to transmit and receive a radio frequency (RF) signal using at least one antenna.

2. The central unit of claim 1, wherein the central controller is further configured to merge or separate the cells of the radio access units according to at least one condition selected from a group consisting of a distribution of terminals served by the radio access units, statuses of channels formed between the radio access units and the terminals, an amount of traffic for the terminals, and any combination thereof.

3. The central unit of claim 2, wherein the central controller comprises a database configured to:

manage information associated with the statuses of the channels formed between the radio access units and the terminals; and

manage information associated with the amount of traffic.

4. The central unit of claim 2, wherein the central controller comprises a mobility manager configured to gather information associated with a mobility of the terminals.

5. The central unit of claim 2, wherein the central controller comprises a virtual cell manager configured to manage and control the at least one virtual cell.

6. The central unit of claim 2, wherein the central controller comprises an inter-cell interference coordinator configured to control interference occurring in the at least one virtual cell.

7. The central unit of claim 2, wherein the central controller comprises a quality of service (QoS) manager configured to manage a requested QoS or a priority of the terminals.

8. The central unit of claim 1, wherein, if a single particular virtual cell is formed based on a cell of a particular radio access unit, the switch is further configured to connect a second processing module included in the particular radio access unit to one of the first processing modules.

9. The central unit of claim 1, wherein, if a cell of a first radio access unit and a cell of a second radio access unit are merged into a single virtual cell, the switch is further configured to connect a second processing module included in the first radio access unit and a second processing module included in the second radio access unit to one of the first processing modules.

10. The central unit of claim 1, wherein an RF module configured to convert between the RF signal and a baseband signal is included in at least one of the first processing modules and the second processing modules.

11. The central unit of claim 10, wherein the radio access units and the central unit are further configured to transmit or receive the RF signal or the baseband signal.

12. The central unit of claim 1, wherein, if a particular radio access unit includes both a first processing module and a second processing module, the switch is further configured to directly connect the particular radio access unit to the central controller.

13. The central unit of claim 12, wherein, if the particular radio access unit and another radio access unit that includes a second processing module are merged with each other to form a single virtual cell, the switch is further configured to connect the second processing module included in the particular radio access unit and the second processing module included in the another radio access unit to one of the first processing modules.

14. The central unit of claim 12, wherein, if the first processing module included in the particular radio access unit is connected to a second processing module included in another radio access unit so that the particular radio access unit and the other radio access unit form a single virtual cell, the switch is further configured to directly connect the first processing module included in the particular radio access unit and the second processing module included in the another radio access unit to the central controller.

15. The central unit of claim 1, wherein the central unit is connected to another central unit.

16. The central unit of claim 15, wherein a cell of a particular radio access unit associated with the central unit is merged with a cell of another radio access unit associated with the another central unit to form a virtual cell.

17. A method of operating a terminal, the method comprising:

transmitting, to at least one of a plurality of radio access units, information associated with at least one condition selected from a group consisting of a data rate requested by the terminal, a requested QoS, a channel status, an interference amount, and any combination thereof;

receiving, from at least one of the plurality of radio access units, information associated with a virtual cell, the virtual cell formed by merging cells of the plurality of radio access units or by separating the cells of the plurality of radio access units for cooperative communication with respect to the terminal; and

performing an initialization for communication with the plurality of radio access units in the virtual cell.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein information associated with the virtual cell comprises an identifier of the virtual cell.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising requesting a merging or separating of the cells of the plurality of radio access units.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program to implement a method of operating a terminal, the method comprising:

transmitting, to at least one of a plurality of radio access units, information associated with at least one condition selected from a group consisting of a data rate requested by the terminal, a requested QoS, a channel status, an interference amount, and any combination thereof;

receiving, from at least one of the plurality of radio access units, information associated with a virtual cell, the virtual cell formed by merging cells of the plurality of radio access units or by separating the cells of the plurality of radio access units for cooperative communication with respect to the terminal; and

performing an initialization for communication with the plurality of radio access units in the virtual cell.