METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR ADAPTIVE WIRELESS BACKHAUL AND NETWORKS

• US 20130142136A1
• Filed: 10/15/2012
• Published: 06/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Pi, Zhouyue, Khan, Farooq, Li, Ying, Abu-Surra, Shadi, Rajagopal, Sridhar
• Application Number:
  US13/652,303
• Publication Number:
  US 20130142136A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15507 Relay station based processing for cell extension or control of coverage area, network planning with network coordinated processing with regard to cell extension H04W16/26; network topologies using dedicated repeater stations H04W84/047; terminal devices adapted for relaying to or from an other terminal H04W88/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/1555 Selecting relay station antenna mode, e.g. selecting omnidirectional -, directional beams, selecting polarizations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0289 Congestion control load shedding arrangements in network planning H04W16/08; performing reselection for handling the traffic H04W36/22; wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12

Abstract

A communication network includes a base station configured to wirelessly communicate first communication traffic with a first network entity using a first beam, and communicate second communication traffic with a second network entity using a second beam. Each of the first and second communication traffic includes at least one of backhaul traffic, wireless access traffic, and traffic for coordination in-between network entities.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

wirelessly communicating first communication traffic with a first network entity using at least one of a first beam; and

wirelessly communicating second communication traffic with a second network entity using at least one of a second beam,

wherein each of the first and second communication traffic includes at least one of backhaul traffic, wireless access traffic, and traffic for coordination in-between network entities.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first or second network entity comprises at least one of a hub, a base station, a base station which is connected to a hub, a base station that can relay the backhaul traffic to a hub, a first base station that can relay the backhaul traffic to a second base station, a first base station that can communicate traffic for coordination in-between base stations to coordinate with a second base station, a mobile station, a gateway, an entity in an access network or an entity as part of an access network, an entity that is connected to a core network, an entity that is part of a core network, an entity belonging to a backhaul, and the like.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting at least one path for communicating the backhaul traffic, wherein the path is formed by selecting one of the first and second network entities along the path so that the backhaul traffic can be communicated with a core network,

wherein the selecting of one of the first and second network entities according to at least one of a quality of service (QoS), a loading level of the network entity, a communication failure, an energy level of the network entity, an energy level of the base station which can relay the backhaul traffic to the core network.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

powering at least one of the first and second network entities using an energy storage module; and

recharging the energy storage module using an energy generation module.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

powering on the at least one network entity when at least one of a first condition is met, wherein the first condition includes at least one of;

the backhaul traffic exceeds a first specified level;

a predefined periodic time for powering on the at least one network entity arrives;

the one network entity has the energy level exceeding a first threshold;

the one network entity receives a signal for powering on its transmission;

the network entity receives a random access signal from a mobile station for powering on the transmission; and

powering off the one network entity when at least one of a second condition is met, wherein the second condition includes at least one of;

the backhaul traffic becomes less than a second specified level;

a predefined periodic time for powering off arrives;

the one network entity has the energy level lower than a second threshold;

the one network entity receives a command from the core network for powering off its transmission;

the one network entity does not have any mobile stations to serve and the one network entity has not received any random access signal for a certain amount of time.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the beams are for wireless backhaul purpose or for wireless access purpose using at least one of a predefined identification signal, a mobile station using the beams for wireless access purpose, and the network entity using the beams for wireless backhaul purpose, wherein the beams including at least one of a synchronization channel, a broadcast channel, a reference signal, and a data control channel.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the identification signal associated with the first beam and the second beam are different relative to one another, the identification signal associated with each of the first and second beam comprising at least one of:

an explicit identifier to differentiate wireless access and wireless backhaul;

an implicit identifier indicated by partitioning a set of preambles into two sets, wherein

the identification signal is known beforehand by the mobile station and the network entities.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

allocating at least one of a resource allocation for wireless backhaul traffic when at least one of a first condition is met, wherein the first condition comprises;

a wireless backhaul traffic communication request from a neighboring network entity is received;

a neighboring base station that needs wireless backhaul traffic communication is on; and

releasing the at least one resource allocation for wireless backhaul traffic when at least one of a second condition is met, wherein the second condition comprises;

no wireless backhaul traffic communication request from the neighboring network entity is received; and

the neighboring base stations that need wireless backhaul traffic communication are off,

wherein the resource allocation includes at least one of an allocation of a time resource, allocation of a frequency resource including subcarrier, and allocation of a resource in spatial domain including beams, wherein the beams can be formed by using at least one of an antenna array, and an antenna subarray.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the second beam using a frame structure that is similar to the frame structure used by the first beam.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the beam is at least one of:

a transmitting beam, a beam formed by at least one of a transmitter for transmitting, a receiving beam, and a beam formed by at least one of a receiver for receiving.

11. A communication network comprising:

a first network entity configured to;

wirelessly communicate first communication traffic with a second network entity using at least one of a first beam; and

wirelessly communicate second communication traffic with a third network entity using at least one of a second beam,

wherein each of the first and second communication traffic includes at least one of backhaul traffic, wireless access traffic, and traffic for coordination in-between network entities.

12. The communication network of claim 11, wherein the first, second or third network entity comprises at least one of a hub, a base station, a base station which is connected to a hub, a base station that can relay the backhaul traffic to a hub, a mobile station, a second base station that can relay the backhaul traffic to a third base station, a first base station that can communicate traffic for coordination in-between base stations to coordinate with a second base station, a mobile station, a gateway, an entity in an access network or an entity as part of an access network, an entity that is connected to a core network, an entity which is part of a core network, an entity belonging to a backhaul, and the like.

13. The communication network of claim 11, wherein the first network entity is further configured to select at least one path for communicating the backhaul traffic, wherein the path is formed by selecting one of the second and third network entities along the path so that the backhaul traffic can be communicated with the core network,

wherein the selecting of one of the second and third network entities according to at least one of a quality of service (QoS), a loading level of the network entity, a communication failure, an energy level of the network entity, an energy level of the base station which can relay the backhaul traffic to the core network.

14. The communication network of claim 11, wherein at least one of the first, second and third network entities are configured to be powered using an energy storage module, and recharge the energy storage module using an energy generation module.

15. The communication network of claim 14, wherein the at least one network entity is configured to be powered on when at least one of a first condition is met, wherein the first condition includes at least one of:

the backhaul traffic exceeds a first specified level;

a predefined periodic time for powering on the at least one network entity arrives;

the one network entity has the energy level exceeding a first threshold;

the one network entity receives a signal for powering on its transmission;

the network entity receives a random access signal from a mobile station for powering on the transmission; and

the one network entity is configured to be powered off when at least one of a second condition is met, wherein the second condition includes at least one of;

the backhaul traffic becomes less than a second specified level;

a predefined periodic time for powering off arrives;

the one network entity has the energy level lower than a second threshold;

the one network entity receives a command from the core network for powering off its transmission;

the one network entity does not have any mobile stations to serve and the one network entity has not received any random access signal for a certain amount of time.

16. The communication network of claim 11, wherein the first network entity of further configured to determine whether the beams are for wireless backhaul purpose or for wireless access purpose using at least one of a predefined identification signal, a mobile station using the beams for wireless access purpose, and the network entity using the beams for wireless backhaul purpose, wherein the beams including at least one of a synchronization channel, a broadcast channel, a reference signal, and a data control channel.

17. The communication network of claim 16, wherein the identification signal associated with the first beam and the second beam are different relative to one another, the identification signal associated with each of the first and second beam comprising at least one of:

an explicit identifier to differentiate wireless access and wireless backhaul;

an implicit identifier indicated by partitioning a set of preambles into two sets, wherein

the identification signal is known beforehand by the mobile station and the network entities.

18. The communication network of claim 11, wherein the first network entity is further configured to allocate at least one of a resource allocation for wireless backhaul traffic when at least one of a first condition is met, wherein the first condition comprises:

a wireless backhaul traffic communication request from a neighboring network entity is received;

a neighboring base station that needs wireless backhaul traffic communication is on; and

releasing the at least one resource allocation for wireless backhaul traffic when at least one of a second condition is met, wherein the second condition comprises;

no wireless backhaul traffic communication request from the neighboring network entity is received; and

the neighboring base stations that need wireless backhaul traffic communication are off, wherein the resource allocation includes at least one of an allocation of a time resource, allocation of a frequency resource including subcarrier, and allocation of a resource in spatial domain including beams, wherein the beams can be formed by using at least one of an antenna array, and an antenna subarray.

19. The communication network of claim 11, wherein the first network entity is further configured to generate the second beam using a frame structure that is similar to the frame structure used by the first beam.

20. The communication network of claim 11, wherein the beam is at least one of:

a transmitting beam, a beam formed by at least one of a transmitter for transmitting, a receiving beam, and a beam formed by at least one of a receiver for receiving.