Private base stations

• US 6,381,231 B1
• Filed: 11/27/1998
• Issued: 04/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Ranta, Pekka, Silventoinen, Marko
• Primary Examiner(s): Hsu, Alpus H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Qureshi, Afsar M.
• Application Number:
  US09/101,600
• Publication Number:
  US 20020024939A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,250 Days
• Field of Search: 370/280, 370/310, 370/328, 370/331, 370/332, 370/337, 370/336, 370/345, 370/347, 370/350, 370/498, 370/503, 370/915, 370/329, 370/343, 455/426, 455/437, 455/502, 455/552, 455/444, 455/446, 455/449, 714/707, 714/715, 714/798
• US Class Current: 370/332
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/16 for PBS [Private Base Station] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/32 Hierarchical cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0015 one node acting as a reference for the others
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

A private base station (231) provides communication directly between a cellular mobile telephone (201) operable within a cellular network and a public switched terrestrial network (116). The base station is configurable to establish communication to a mobile telephone while minimizing interference with similar base stations. The base stations may transmit on similar frequencies but within different time division multiplexed time slots.

Claims

1. A base station configured to communicate with cellular mobile telephones, said cellular mobile telephones being operable within a time division multiple access macro cellular network utilizing a plurality of timeslots of defined duration within a time frame having a defined number of timeslots, said base station including signaling means for establishing a call and transmission a means for transmitting user traffic, wherein

said base station is a private base station separate from and not forming part of a macro cellular network, and said base station is arranged to provide communication directly between one of said cellular mobile telephones and a public switched terrestrial network;

said signaling means is configured to establish a call by transmitting signaling information over an available timeslot of said defined duration within a time frame having said defined number of timeslots; and

said transmission means is configured to transmit user-traffic via the same timeslot used for establishing the call by said signaling means.

2. A private base station according to claim 1, wherein said processing means is configured to synchronize said base station to a second base station and thereafter identify itself as being available to synchronize a third base station.

3. A base station according to claim 2, wherein a synchronized base station identifies transmission characteristics of a master base station and performs transmissions using alternative transmission characteristics.

4. A base station according to claim 1, wherein the timeslot being used for the transmission of user traffic is fully occupied by the transmission of said user traffic when configured to transmit user traffic.

5. A base station according to claim 1, wherein said user traffic is transmitted at half rate and intervening timeslots are available for signaling.

6. A method of communication between base stations and cellular mobile telephones, said cellular mobile telephones being operable within a time division multiple access macro cellular network utilizing a plurality of timeslots of defined duration within a time frame having a defined number of timeslots, wherein said base stations establish calls by signaling and thereafter effect said established call by transmission, wherein

said base station is a private base station separate from and not forming part of a macro cellular network, and said base station is arranged to provide communication directly between one of said cellular mobile telephones and the public switched terrestrial network;

said signaling step is performed to establish a call by transmitting signaling information over an available timeslot of said defined duration within a time frame having said defined number of timeslots; and

said transmission step is performed using the same timeslot used for establishing said call by the signaling step.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein said base station is synchronized to a second base station and thereafter identifies itself as being available to synchronize a third base station.

8. A method of communicating according to claim 7, wherein a synchronized base station identifies transmission characteristics of a master base station and performs transmissions using alternative transmission characteristics.

9. A method of communicating according to claim 6, wherein the timeslot being used for the transmission of user traffic is fully occupied by the transmission of said user traffic when configured to transmit user traffic.

10. A method of communicating according to claim 6, wherein said user traffic is transmitted at half rate and intervening timeslots are available for signaling.

11. A base station configured to communicate with cellular mobile telephones operable within a DCS 1900 cellular network utilizing a plurality of timeslots of defined duration within a time frame having a defined number of timeslots, said base station including signaling means for establishing a call and transmission means for transmitting user traffic, wherein

said base station is a private base station separate from and not forming part of a macro cellular network, and said base station is arranged to provide communication directly between one of said cellular mobile telephones and a public switched terrestrial network;

said signaling means is configured to establish a call by transmitting signaling information over an available timeslot of said defined duration within a time frame having said defined number of timeslots; and

said transmission means is configured to transmit user-traffic via the same timeslot used for establishing the call by said signaling means.

12. A base station configured to communicate with cellular mobile telephones operable within a GSM cellular network utilizing a plurality of timeslots of defined duration within a time frame having a defined number of timeslots, said base station including signaling means for establishing a call and transmission means for transmitting user traffic, wherein

said base station is a private base station separate from and not forming part of a macro cellular network, and said base station is arranged to provide communication directly between one of said cellular mobile telephones and a public switched terrestrial network;

said signaling means is configured to establish a call by transmitting signaling information over an available timeslot of said defined duration within a time frame having said defined number of timeslots; and

said transmission means is configured to transmit user-traffic via the same timeslot used for establishing the call by said signaling means.