Multi-service Provider Wireless Access Point

• US 20140010149A1
• Filed: 07/05/2012
• Published: 01/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cook, Charles Ivan
• Granted Patent: US 9,497,800 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0003 Software-defined radio [SDR] systems, i.e. systems wherein components typically implemented in hardware, e.g. filters or modulators/demodulators, are implented using software, e.g. by involving an AD or DA conversion stage such that at least part of the signal processing is performed in the digital domain digital baseband systems H04L25/00; digital modulation/demodulation H04L27/00; CDMA H04B1/707; TDMA H04B7/2643; image transmission H04N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0064 with separate antennas for the more than one band H04B1/0053 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0404 the mobile station comprising multiple antennas, e.g. to provide uplink diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/06 based on traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points

Abstract

Novel tools and techniques that can provide wireless service for multiple service providers from a single, multi-service provider wireless access point. In an aspect, a multi-service provider wireless access point might communicate with a plurality of wireless devices, each associated with a different wireless carrier, and route communications from each device to the appropriate carrier (and/or, similarly, transmit communications from each carrier to the appropriate wireless device). In this way, for example, a single wireless access point could provide service to cellphones of subscribers of a number of different carriers. Such a wireless access point can provide enhanced efficiency and reduced cost, along with the ability to provide higher service for a number of wireless carriers.

Claims

1. A method of providing wireless service for multiple service providers from a single access point, the method comprising:

providing a multi-service provider wireless access point having one or more radios to communicate with wireless devices and an uplink interface to provide an uplink connection to a plurality of wireless service providers;

receiving, at the multi-service provider wireless access point, a communication from a wireless device;

collecting, at the multi-service provider wireless access point, an identifier of the wireless device from the communication;

identifying, from the identifier of the wireless device, a wireless service provider serving the wireless device;

receiving, at the multi-service provider wireless access point, one or more subsequent communications from the wireless device; and

routing, from the multi-service provider wireless access point, the one or more subsequent communications to the identified wireless service provider, over the uplink connection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more radios comprise one or more software defined radios.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more radios consist of a single radio.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the plurality of wireless service providers collectively communicate on a plurality of frequency bands, and wherein the single radio is configured to communicate on the plurality of frequency bands.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the single radio employs orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (“

OFDMA”

) modulation.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the multi-service provider wireless access point further comprises a plurality of antennas in communication with the radio, the method further comprising:

mapping each of a plurality of sub-bands to one or more of the plurality of antennas;

identifying an sub-band for communications with the wireless device; and

communicating with the wireless device using the one or more antennas mapped to the identified sub-band.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein mapping a sub-band to one or more of the plurality of antennas comprises identifying the one or more antennas as providing enhanced communication performance for that sub-band.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein identifying an sub-band for communications with the wireless device comprises identifying the sub-band as a frequency range that is allocated to the identified wireless service provider.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein identifying the sub-band as a frequency range that is allocated to the identified wireless service provider comprises:

accessing a database correlating wireless service providers with allocated frequency ranges; and

searching the database for a record corresponding to the identified wireless service provider.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more radios comprise a long term evolution (“

LTE”

) radio.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more radios comprise a WiFi radio.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier is a mobile telephone number.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier is an electronic serial number (“

ESN”

).

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier is an media access control (“

MAC”

) address.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the uplink connection comprises an Ethernet connection.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the uplink connection comprises a passive optical network (“

PON”

) circuit.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the uplink connection comprises a digital subscriber line (“

DSL”

) connection or a Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (“

DOCSIS”

) connection.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein routing one or more subsequent connections to the identified wireless service provider comprises:

addressing the one or more subsequent connections to a network address corresponding to the identified wireless service provider; and

transmitting the one or more subsequent communications over the uplink connection.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a wireless service provider comprises:

accessing a database correlating wireless device identifiers with wireless service providers; and

searching the database for a record containing the identifier of the wireless device.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the database identifies a mobile switching center (“

MSC”

) of the identified service provider, the method further comprising;

updating the database to identify a different MSC as serving the wireless device; and

routing communications from the wireless device to the different MSC.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the identified wireless provider is a first wireless service provider, and wherein the different MSC is operated by a second wireless service provider having a relationship with the first wireless service provider.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

storing the database at the multi-service provider wireless access point.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the database is remote from the multi-service provider wireless access point.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein accessing the database comprises accessing the database over the uplink connection.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

registering the wireless device with a wireless network operated by the wireless service provider, based on the received communication from the wireless device.

26. A multi-service provider wireless access point, comprising:

one or more radios to communicate with wireless devices;

an uplink interface to provide an uplink connection to a plurality of wireless service providers;

a processor in communication with the one or more radios and the uplink interface; and

a non-transitory machine readable medium having encoded thereon a set of instructions executable by the processor to perform one or more operations, the set of instructions comprising;

instructions to receive a communication from a wireless device;

instructions to obtain, from the communication, an identifier of the wireless device;

instructions to identify, from the identifier of the wireless device, a wireless service provider serving the wireless device; and

instructions to receive one or more subsequent communications from the wireless device; and

instructions to route the one or more subsequent communications to the identified wireless service provider, over the uplink connection.