MOVING AD HOC NETWORK SMALL CELL RELAY HANDOVER

• US 20150181502A1
• Filed: 12/19/2013
• Published: 06/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Hans, Martin, Schmidt, Andreas, Bienas, Maik, Faerber, Michael, Cordeiro, Carlos, Niu, Huaning, Zong, Pingping, Li, Qian
• Granted Patent: US 9,351,229 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/70 Details of trackside communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0009 for a plurality of users or terminals, e.g. group communication or moving wireless networks user group management H04W4/08; processing of subscriber group data H04W8/186
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0016 Hand-off preparation specially adapted for end-to-end data sessions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0058 Transmission of hand-off measurement information, e.g. measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/302 due to low signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/324 by mobility data, e.g. speed data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/026 Route selection considering the moving speed of individual devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/22 using selective relaying for reaching a BTS [Base Transceiver Station] or an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/047 using dedicated repeater stations

Abstract

A mobile small station including a transceiver, a processor, and a memory having instructions for execution by the processor to exchange measurement information with a macro station, provide a wide area network connection and act as a relay for a small station moving network with the mobile small station, and perform handover of relay responsibilities to another mobile small station in the small station moving network.

Claims

1. A mobile small station comprising:

a transceiver;

a processor; and

a memory having instructions for execution by the processor to;

exchange measurement information with a macro station;

provide a wide area network connection and act as a relay for a small station moving network with the mobile small station; and

perform handover of relay responsibilities to another mobile small station in the small station moving network.

2. The mobile small station of claim 1 wherein the handover of relay responsibilities is performed before signal degredation adversely affects the relay.

3. The mobile small station of claim 1 wherein the measurement information is also exchanged with other mobile small stations in the small station moving network.

4. The mobile small station of claim 3 wherein the measurement information comprises signal strength over time.

5. The mobile small station of claim 4 wherein the instructions further cause the processor to compare exchanged measurement information to determine a speed of the mobile small station moving network and an order of small station moving network.

6. The mobile small station of claim 5 wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

detect a potential necessity to perform a handover; and

define an optimum point in time for the handover.

7. The mobile small station of claim 6 wherein the optimum point in time for the handover is defined as a point in time when a signal from a current relay is decreasing while a signal from a potential new relay is increasing, and such signals are approximately equal and providing a an acceptable quality of service.

8. The mobile small station of claim 6 wherein the instructions further cause the processor to identify a mobile small station to act as a relay for the small station moving network.

9. The mobile small station of claim 8 wherein the instruction further cause the processor to page the identified mobile small station via the small station moving network to obtain information about resources available in the identified mobile small station usable to shorten radio resource control (RRC) connection setup with the identified mobile small station act as a new relay for the small station moving network.

10. The mobile small station of claim 1 wherein the mobile small station is coupled to the small station moving network via a wire.

11. The mobile small station of claim 1 wherein the mobile small station is coupled to the small station moving network wirelessly.

12. A method comprising:

exchanging, via a mobile small station, measurement information with a macro station;

providing a wide area network connection and acting as a relay for a small station moving network with the mobile small station; and

performing a handover of relay responsibilities to another mobile small station in the small station moving network.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the handover of relay responsibilities is performed before signal degredation adversely affects the relay.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the measurement information is also exchanged with other mobile small stations in the small station moving network.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the measurement information comprises signal strength over time, and wherein the instructions further cause the processor to compare exchanged measurement information to determine a speed of the mobile small station moving network and an order of small station moving network.

16. The method of claim 15 and further comprising:

detecting a potential necessity to perform a handover; and

defining an optimum point in time for the handover, wherein the optimum point in time for the handover is defined as a point in time when a signal from a current relay is decreasing while a signal from a potential new relay is increasing, and such signals are approximately equal and providing a an acceptable quality of service.

17. A macro station comprising:

a transceiver;

a processor; and

a memory having instructions for execution by the processor to;

receive measurement information with a mobile small station moving with a small station moving network and serving as a relay for the network;

provide a wide area network connection to the mobile small station acting as the relay; and

perform handovers of the relay responsibilities.

18. The macro station of claim 17 wherein the handover is performed between two mobile small stations in the small station moving network.

19. The macro station of claim 17 wherein the handover is performed between two macro stations communicating with the same mobile small station acting as the relay in the small station moving network.

20. The macro station of claim 17 wherein the handover is performed between two macro stations and two mobile small stations such that a different mobile small station acts as a new relay for the small station moving network communicating with a different macro station.