MOBILE REPEATER SYSTEM BASED AD HOC TRUNKED SITES

• US 20140112242A1
• Filed: 10/22/2012
• Published: 04/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Gustafson, Leslie G., VILMUR, Roger M., EYAL, Eilon, NADJAR, Doron, SERFATY, Salomon
• Granted Patent: US 9,100,988 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/327
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/08 Trunked mobile radio systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A first Mobile Repeater System (MRS), configured to serve as an access point associated with a Basic Service Set (BSS), broadcasts a Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID). Other Mobile Repeater Systems (MRSs) join the BSS to create a local ad hoc trunked site in which each of the MRSs are communicatively coupled via at least one WLAN communication link. These MRSs include the first MRS and a second MRS. The first MRS can be configured to provide a control channel for communication with a first subscriber unit, and the second MRSs can be configured to provide a first trunked traffic channel for communication with the first subscriber unit.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

broadcasting a Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID) from a first Mobile Repeater System (MRS) that is configured to serve as an access point associated with a Basic Service Set (BSS);

creating a local ad hoc trunked site comprising a plurality of Mobile Repeater Systems (MRSs) including the first MRS and a second MRS, wherein each of the plurality of MRSs are communicatively coupled via at least one Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) communication link;

configuring the first MRS to provide a control channel for communication with a first subscriber unit; and

configuring the second MRS to provide a first trunked traffic channel for communication with the first subscriber unit.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising, after the WLAN communication link is established:

establishing a system network connection that communicatively couples the first MRS to a fixed network equipment (FNE).

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein establishing a system network connection comprises:

establishing a communication path between a base station to the first MRS over a network-to-repeater RF communication link; and

establishing a second communication path between the base station and the fixed network equipment (FNE).

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the base station is an Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) Project 25 (P25) compliant base station that communicates with a first trunked mobile interface of the first MRS and a second trunked mobile interface of the second MRS in accordance with an APCO 25 communication protocol.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein the base station is cellular base station that communicates with a first broadband modem interface of the first MRS and a second broadband modem interface of the second MRS in accordance with a Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication protocol.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the control channel is implemented using a first pair of assigned frequencies over a first repeater-to-subscriber RF communication link.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the first trunked traffic channel is implemented using a second pair of assigned frequencies over a second repeater-to-subscriber RF communication link, wherein the second pair of assigned frequencies is different than the first pair of assigned frequencies.

8. A network, comprising:

a first subscriber unit; and

a local ad hoc trunked site, comprising;

a plurality of Mobile Repeater Systems (MRSs) each being programmed with a Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID), the plurality of MRSs comprising;

a first MRS being configured to broadcast the BSSID and to serve as an access point that establishes Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) communication link with each of the other MRSs to form a Basic Service Set (BSS), wherein the first MRS is further configured to provide a control channel for communication with the first subscriber unit; and

a second MRS configured to join the BSS, and to provide a first trunked traffic channel for communication with the first subscriber unit.

9. A network according to claim 8, further comprising:

a fixed network equipment (FNE) communicatively coupled to the first MRS, wherein the first MRS is programmed to establish a system network connection to the fixed network equipment (FNE).

10. A network according to claim 8, further comprising:

a fixed network equipment (FNE) communicatively coupled to the first MRS, wherein the first MRS is programmed to establish a system network connection to the fixed network equipment (FNE) after the WLAN communication link is established.

11. A network according to claim 8, wherein the control channel is implemented using a first pair of assigned frequencies over a first repeater-to-subscriber RF communication link, and wherein the first trunked traffic channel is implemented using a second pair of assigned frequencies over a second repeater-to-subscriber RF communication link, wherein the second pair of assigned frequencies is different than the first pair of assigned frequencies.

12. A network according to claim 9, further comprising:

a base station, wherein the first MRS is programmed to communicate with the base station over a network-to-repeater RF communication link.

13. A network according to claim 12, wherein the base station is a first base station that is configured to establish the system network connection to the fixed network equipment (FNE) over another communication link between the base station and the fixed network equipment (FNE).

14. A network according to claim 13, wherein the first base station is Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) Project 25 (P25) compliant first base station that communicates with a first trunked mobile interface of the first MRS and a second trunked mobile interface of the second MRS in accordance with an APCO 25 communication protocol.

15. A network according to claim 9, further comprising:

a cellular base station that communicates with a first broadband modem interface of the first MRS and a second broadband modem interface of the second MRS.

16. A network according to claim 8, wherein control information communicated over the control channel via a first repeater-to-subscriber RF communication link is transported over a first bearer between the cellular base station and the fixed network equipment (FNE), and

wherein the traffic information communicated over first trunked traffic channel via a second repeater-to-subscriber RF communication link is transported over a guaranteed bit rate (GBR) bearer between the cellular base station and the fixed network equipment (FNE).

17. A network according to claim 8, further comprising:

other subscriber units located within communication range of the local ad hoc trunked site, and wherein the plurality of MRSs further comprise;

other MRSs that are configured to provide other trunked traffic channels for communication with the other subscriber units.

18. A method for establishing a network of mobile repeater systems to provide ad-hoc trunked coverage at an incident scene, the method comprising:

communicating among the mobile repeater systems to automatically establish a WLAN communication link with one another;

then communicating among the mobile repeater systems to establish a trunked site, wherein each of the mobile repeater systems are configured to provide either a control channel or a traffic channel; and

after the mobile repeater systems have self-organized to establish the trunked site, automatically establishing a system network connection between at least one of the mobile repeater systems and an infrastructure-based network.