Sub base station and user equipment implementations

• US 7,136,639 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2001
• Issued: 11/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: O'Brien, J. Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Swerdlow, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US09/981,386
• Publication Number:
  US 20020193069A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,855 Days
• Field of Search: 455/436, 455/437, 455/439, 455/444, 455/61, 455/11.1, 455/417
• US Class Current: 455/426.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2609 Arrangements for range control, e.g. by using remote antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

A wireless communication station comprises a base station, a sub base station and a plurality of user equipments. The base station transmits a downlink communication and receives a combined uplink communication from the sub base station. The sub base station receives the downlink communication from the base station. The sub base station transmits the downlink communication to a plurality of user equipments. The sub base station receives uplink communications from the plurality of user equipments. The sub base station combines the received uplink communications as the combined uplink communication and transmits it to the base station. The plurality of user equipments receive downlink communications from the sub base station and transmits uplink communications to the sub base station.

Claims

1. A wireless dual use user equipment (UE) capable of operating in a cordless and cellular environment, the dual use user equipment comprising:

a modulation and demodulation device for modulating/demodulating data using a plurality of modulation/demodulation schemes, the plurality of modulation/demodulation schemes comprise a cordless scheme for communicating with a sub base and a cellular scheme for communicating with a base station;

a modulation and demodulation controller for switching the modulation/demodulation scheme of the modulation/demodulation device between the cordless scheme and the cellular scheme such that a transition between said cordless and cellular schemes is transparent to a user sending or receiving a communication signal from said dual use UE;

the modulation and demodulation controller initiating operation in the cellular environment by sending a handoff signal to a sub base responsive to a determination that said UE is leaving a cordless environment and switching to the cellular scheme;

whereby the sub base in response to the sent handoff signal ceases communications with a cellular base station and whereby in response to the ceased communications between the sub base and the cellular base station, the modulation and demodulation controller of the UE switches the modulation/demodulation scheme of the UE from the cordless scheme to the cellular scheme, thereby initiating communication of the UE directly with the cellular base station.

2. The dual use UE of claim 1 wherein the dual use UE determines it is leaving the cordless environment by measuring a received signal strength of a sub base transmission.

3. The dual use UE of claim 2 wherein the modulation and demodulation controller switches to the cellular environment when said signal strength is below a predetermined threshold.

4. The dual use UE of claim 1 wherein the dual use UE determines it is entering the cordless environment by detecting a sub base pilot signal.

5. The dual use UE of claim 4 wherein the dual use UE, upon detecting the sub base pilot signal, sends a handoff signal to the sub base;

whereby the sub base commences communicating to the cellular network and the dual use UE begins communicating with the sub base.