SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ASSISTED NETWORK ACQUISITION AND SEARCH UPDATES

• US 20120069800A1
• Filed: 09/16/2010
• Published: 03/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Soliman, Samir S., Awoniyi, Olufunmilola O.
• Granted Patent: US 9,756,553 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method and system provide assisted acquisition of a wireless link between user equipment and a femtocell unit. After an initial calibration of timing and/or frequency information, the user equipment enters into a low-power state. The femtocell unit monitors for system updates using a network listen module that sniffs the air interface of one or more neighboring cells. Upon a trigger event, the femtocell unit provides aiding information, for example, timing and/or frequency information corresponding to a change in timing and/or frequency of the air interface, over a second radio, e.g., a wireless personal area network interface. Thus, the user equipment may remain in the low-power state and receive updates with respect to the wireless wide area network interface. Subsequently, upon wake-up, the user equipment may utilize the aiding information, for example, to recalibrate its timing and/or frequency. Thus, acquisition of the wireless link with the femtocell unit may be expedited.

Claims

1. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

a network interface for gathering aiding information corresponding to at least one cell of a network;

a first radio for providing a communication channel to user equipment; and

a second radio for providing an aiding information message comprising the aiding information gathered from the at least one cell to the user equipment.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the aiding information is adapted to be utilized by the user equipment to affect communication over the communication channel provided by the first radio.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the aiding information is further adapted to be utilized by the user equipment to aid in system acquisition of a communication link corresponding to the communication channel provided by the first radio.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the aiding information is adapted to be utilized by the user equipment to aid in system acquisition of at least one of a communication link between the user equipment and the at least one cell of the network.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the communication over the communication channel comprises a connection between the user equipment and the network.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the aiding information comprises a wake-up indicator for instructing the user equipment to wake-up from a low-power state.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first radio is adapted to provide a WWAN link.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second radio is adapted to provide a low-power radio link.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the second radio is adapted to provide an out-of-band radio link.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second radio is configured to provide the aiding information to the user equipment when the user equipment is in a low-power state.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second radio is configured to provide the aiding information to the user equipment when the user equipment is in a connected mode.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second radio is configured to provide the aiding information to the user equipment when the user equipment is in an idle mode.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the aiding information comprises at least one of:

channel measurements corresponding to an air interface with the at least one cell;

frequency information corresponding to the air interface with the at least one cell;

a strength of a reference signal from the at least one cell;

ranking information of reference signals from a plurality of cells in the network;

absolute timing corresponding to the first radio;

differential timing corresponding to a difference in timing between the first radio and the second radio;

absolute timing of a neighboring cell;

or differential timing corresponding to a difference in timing between the first radio and a neighboring cell.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the network interface comprises network listen circuitry for sniffing an air interface corresponding to the at least one cell.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the network interface comprises a backhaul connection for utilizing an Internet connection to communicate with the network.

16. A method of wireless communication, comprising:

determining aiding information for adjusting a first wireless link with a user equipment;

transmitting the aiding information to the user equipment over a second wireless link, different from the first wireless link; and

communicating with the user equipment over the first wireless link,

wherein the communicating utilizes an adjustment to the first wireless link corresponding to the aiding information.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a request from the user equipment over the second wireless link to provide to the user equipment over the second wireless link the aiding information for adjusting the first wireless link.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

performing an initial calibration of timing and/or frequency information corresponding to the first wireless link.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the determining of the aiding information comprises determining a change in the timing and/or frequency information corresponding to the first wireless link during the time since the initial calibration.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the performing of the initial calibration comprises synchronizing the timing and/or frequency information between the femtocell and the user equipment utilizing circuitry corresponding to the first wireless link, and

wherein the determining of the aiding information comprises providing the aiding information from the circuitry corresponding to the first wireless link to circuitry corresponding to the second wireless link.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the performing of the initial calibration comprises synchronizing the timing and/or frequency information between circuitry corresponding to the first wireless link and circuitry corresponding to the second wireless link, and

wherein the determining of the aiding information further comprises providing the aiding information from the circuitry corresponding to the first wireless link to the circuitry corresponding to the second wireless link.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the aiding information comprises at least one of:

channel measurements corresponding to an air interface with the at least one cell;

frequency information corresponding to the air interface with the at least one cell;

a strength of a reference signal from the at least one cell;

ranking information of reference signals from a plurality of cells in the network;

absolute timing corresponding to the first radio;

differential timing corresponding to a difference in timing between the first radio and the second radio;

absolute timing of a neighboring cell;

or differential timing corresponding to a difference in timing between the first radio and a neighboring cell.

23. A method of wireless communication, comprising:

performing an initial calibration of timing and/or frequency information corresponding to a first radio link with a femtocell;

receiving aiding information over a second radio link with the femtocell different from the first radio link with the femtocell, the aiding information corresponding to an adjustment of the timing and/or frequency information corresponding to the first radio link with the femtocell; and

adjusting a timing and/or frequency characteristic of the first radio link with the femtocell in accordance with the aiding information.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising entering a low-power state,

wherein the receiving of the aiding information occurs while in the low-power state.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising entering into an idle mode,

wherein the receiving of the aiding information occurs while in the idle mode.

26. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means for performing an initial calibration of timing and/or frequency information corresponding to a first radio link with a femtocell;

means for receiving aiding information over a second radio link with the femtocell different from the first radio link with the femtocell, the aiding information corresponding to an adjustment of the timing and/or frequency information corresponding to the first radio link with the femtocell; and

means for adjusting a timing and/or frequency characteristic of the first radio link with the femtocell in accordance with the aiding information.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising means for entering a low-power state,

wherein the means for receiving the aiding information is configured to receive the aiding information while in the low-power state.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising means for entering into an idle mode,

wherein the means for receiving the aiding information is configured to receive the aiding information while in the idle mode.

29. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means for determining aiding information for adjusting a first wireless link with a user equipment;

means for transmitting the aiding information over a second wireless link, different from the first wireless link, to the user equipment; and

means for communicating with the user equipment over the first wireless link, wherein the means for communicating is configured to utilize an adjustment corresponding to the aiding information.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, further comprising:

means for receiving a request from the user equipment over the second wireless link to provide to the user equipment over the second wireless link the aiding information for adjusting the first wireless link.

31. The apparatus of claim 29, further comprising:

means for performing an initial calibration of timing and/or frequency information corresponding to the first wireless link.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the means for determining the aiding information comprises means for determining a change in the timing and/or frequency information corresponding to the first wireless link during the time since the initial calibration.

33. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the means for performing the initial calibration comprises means for synchronizing the timing and/or frequency information between the femtocell and the user equipment utilizing means for providing the first wireless link, and

wherein the means for determining the aiding information comprises means for providing the aiding information from the means for providing the first wireless link to means for providing the second wireless link.

34. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the means for performing the initial calibration comprises means for synchronizing the timing and/or frequency information between means for providing the first wireless link and means for providing the second wireless link, and

wherein the means for determining the aiding information further comprises means for providing the aiding information from the means for providing the first wireless link to the means for providing the second wireless link.

35. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the aiding information comprises at least one of:

channel measurements corresponding to an air interface with at least one cell;

frequency information corresponding to the air interface with the at least one cell;

reference signal strength of a reference signal from the at least one cell;

reference signal ranking information of the reference signals from a plurality of cells including the at least one cell;

absolute timing corresponding to the first radio;

differential timing corresponding to a difference in timing between the first radio and the second radio;

absolute timing of a neighboring cell;

or differential timing corresponding to a difference in timing between the first radio and a neighboring cell.

36. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising code for;

determining aiding information for adjusting a first wireless link with a user equipment;

transmitting the aiding information over a second wireless link, different from the first wireless link, to the user equipment; and

communicating with the user equipment over the first wireless link, wherein the communicating utilizes an adjustment corresponding to the aiding information.

37. The computer program product of claim 36, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises code for receiving a request from the user equipment over the second wireless link to provide to the user equipment over the second wireless link the aiding information for adjusting the first wireless link.

38. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises code for performing an initial calibration of timing and/or frequency information corresponding to the first wireless link.

39. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein the code for determining the aiding information comprises code for determining a change in the timing and/or frequency information corresponding to the first wireless link during the time since the initial calibration.

40. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein the code for performing the initial calibration comprises code for synchronizing the timing and/or frequency information between the femtocell and the user equipment utilizing circuitry corresponding to the first wireless link, and

wherein the code for determining the aiding information comprises code for providing the aiding information from the circuitry corresponding to the first wireless link to circuitry corresponding to the second wireless link.

41. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein the code for performing the initial calibration comprises code for synchronizing the timing and/or frequency information between circuitry corresponding to the first wireless link and circuitry corresponding to the second wireless link, and

wherein the code for determining the aiding information further comprises code for providing the aiding information from the circuitry corresponding to the first wireless link to the circuitry corresponding to the second wireless link.

42. The computer program product of claim 36, wherein the aiding information comprises at least one of:

channel measurements corresponding to an air interface with the at least one cell;

frequency information corresponding to the air interface with the at least one cell;

a strength of a reference signal from the at least one cell;

ranking information of reference signals from a plurality of cells in the network;

absolute timing corresponding to the first radio;

differential timing corresponding to a difference in timing between the first radio and the second radio;

absolute timing of a neighboring cell;

or differential timing corresponding to a difference in timing between the first radio and a neighboring cell.

43. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to;

determine aiding information for adjusting a first wireless link with a user equipment;

transmit the aiding information over a second wireless link, different from the first wireless link, to the user equipment; and

communicate with the user equipment over the first wireless link, wherein the communicating utilizes an adjustment corresponding to the aiding information.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive a request from the user equipment over the second wireless link to provide to the user equipment over the second wireless link the aiding information for adjusting the first wireless link.

45. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to perform an initial calibration of timing and/or frequency information corresponding to the first wireless link.

46. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the determining of the aiding information comprises determining a change in the timing and/or frequency information corresponding to the first wireless link during the time since the initial calibration.

47. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the performing of the initial calibration comprises synchronizing the timing and/or frequency information between the femtocell and the user equipment utilizing circuitry corresponding to the first wireless link, and

wherein the determining of the aiding information comprises providing the aiding information from the circuitry corresponding to the first wireless link to circuitry corresponding to the second wireless link.

48. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the performing of the initial calibration comprises synchronizing the timing and/or frequency information between circuitry corresponding to the first wireless link and circuitry corresponding to the second wireless link, and

wherein the determining of the aiding information further comprises providing the aiding information from the circuitry corresponding to the first wireless link to the circuitry corresponding to the second wireless link.

49. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the aiding information comprises at least one of:

channel measurements corresponding to an air interface with the at least one cell;

frequency information corresponding to the air interface with the at least one cell;

a strength of a reference signal from the at least one cell;

ranking information of reference signals from a plurality of cells in the network;

absolute timing corresponding to the first radio;

differential timing corresponding to a difference in timing between the first radio and the second radio;

absolute timing of a neighboring cell;

or differential timing corresponding to a difference in timing between the first radio and a neighboring cell.