Wireless base station to base station synchronization in a communication system, such as a system employing a short range frequency hopping or time division duplex scheme
First Claim
1. A system for wirelessly exchanging communications with at least one mobile unit, the system comprising:
- more than two base station units coupled to a network, wherein each base station unit includes an internal clock, and a processor and at least one radio configured to communicate wirelessly with the mobile unit under a Bluetooth protocol, wherein the Bluetooth protocol is a short-range, frequency hopping protocol for transmitting and receiving information during time division duplex pairs of transmit and receive slots;
wherein each base station unit is further configured to;
(a) enter into a synchronization mode,(b) receive a sync signal from a neighboring base station unit,(c) determine if the neighboring base station unit is synchronized based on the received sync signal,(d) if the neighboring base station unit is synchronized, then synchronize the internal clock based on the received sync signal, wherein the synchronizing is performed without assistance from a system controller,(e) select one transmit slot from the pairs of slots,(f) lock the other base station units from transmitting on the one selected transmit slot,(g) wirelessly transmit synchronization information during the one selected transmit slot,(h) permit the other base station units to unlock, and(i) exit the synchronization mode.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a network, a method is disclosed for wirelessly exchanging communications with at least one mobile unit. The network includes first and second base stations units coupled to the network, and may include a system controller. The method includes: receiving a communication signal from the second base station unit, wherein the first and second base station units are configured to employ a wireless communications protocol, and wherein the wireless communications protocol does not provide for handoff of communications links between base station units; at the first base station unit, determining if the second base station unit has been synchronized based on the communication signal; at the first base station unit, if the second base station unit is synchronized, then synchronizing an internal clock based on the synchronized second base station, wherein the synchronizing is performed without assistance from a system controller.
102 Citations
54 Claims
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1. A system for wirelessly exchanging communications with at least one mobile unit, the system comprising:
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more than two base station units coupled to a network, wherein each base station unit includes an internal clock, and a processor and at least one radio configured to communicate wirelessly with the mobile unit under a Bluetooth protocol, wherein the Bluetooth protocol is a short-range, frequency hopping protocol for transmitting and receiving information during time division duplex pairs of transmit and receive slots; wherein each base station unit is further configured to; (a) enter into a synchronization mode, (b) receive a sync signal from a neighboring base station unit, (c) determine if the neighboring base station unit is synchronized based on the received sync signal, (d) if the neighboring base station unit is synchronized, then synchronize the internal clock based on the received sync signal, wherein the synchronizing is performed without assistance from a system controller, (e) select one transmit slot from the pairs of slots, (f) lock the other base station units from transmitting on the one selected transmit slot, (g) wirelessly transmit synchronization information during the one selected transmit slot, (h) permit the other base station units to unlock, and (i) exit the synchronization mode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. In a network for wirelessly exchanging communications with mobile units, wherein the network includes first and second base stations units coupled to the network, and a system controller coupled to the network, a method comprising:
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at the first base station unit, receiving a communications signal from the second base station unit, wherein the first and second base station units are configured to employ a wireless communications protocol, and wherein the wireless communications protocol does not provide for handoff of communications links between base station units; at the first base station unit, determining if the second base station unit has been synchronized based on the communications signal; and at the first base station unit, if the second base station unit is synchronized, then synchronizing an internal clock based on the synchronized second base station, wherein the synchronizing is performed without assistance from the system controller or mobile units; wherein base station units in the network are synchronized in waves based on an initial communications signal from an initial seed base station unit. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. In a network for wirelessly exchanging communications with mobile units, wherein the network includes first and second base stations units coupled to the network, and a system controller coupled to the network, a method comprising:
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at the first base station unit, receiving a communications signal from the second base station unit, wherein the first and second base station units are configured to employ a wireless communications protocol, and wherein the wireless communications protocol does not provide for handoff of communications links between base station units; at the first base station unit, determining if the second base station unit has been synchronized based on the communications signal; and at the first base station unit, if the second base station unit is synchronized, then synchronizing an internal clock based on the synchronized second base station, wherein the synchronizing is performed without assistance from the system controller or mobile units; and at the first base station unit, if the second base station unit is not synchronized, then waiting until a new communications signal from another base station unit in the network that is synchronized. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. In a network for wirelessly exchanging communications with mobile units, wherein the network includes first and second base stations units coupled to the network, and a system controller coupled to the network, a method comprising:
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at the first base station unit, receiving a communications signal from the second base station unit, wherein the first and second base station units are configured to employ a wireless communications protocol, and wherein the wireless communications protocol does not provide for handoff of communications links between base station units; at the first base station unit, determining if the second base station unit has been synchronized based on the communications signal; and at the first base station unit, if the second base station unit is synchronized, then synchronizing an internal clock based on the synchronized second base station, wherein the synchronizing is performed without assistance from the system controller or mobile units, and sending a lock request message to the second base station unit, and receiving therefrom a lock granted message.
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23. In a network for wirelessly exchanging communications with mobile units, wherein the network includes first and second base stations units coupled to the network, and a system controller coupled to the network, a method comprising:
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at the first base station unit, receiving a communications signal from the second base station unit, wherein the first and second base station units are configured to employ a wireless communications protocol, and wherein the wireless communications protocol does not provide for handoff of communications links between base station units; at the first base station unit, determining if the second base station unit has been synchronized based on the communications signal; and at the first base station unit, if the second base station unit is synchronized, then synchronizing an internal clock based on the synchronized second base station, wherein the synchronizing is performed without assistance from system controller or mobile units, and selecting an initial seed base station unit (1) under a random process, (2) by transmitting, from a system controller, a query signal, and designating an initial base station unit to respond as the seed base station unit, or (3) by transmitting between the first and second base station units initial messages to select the seed base station unit. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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26. In a network for wirelessly exchanging communications with mobile units, wherein the network includes first and second base stations units coupled to the network, and a system controller coupled to the network, a method comprising:
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at the first base station unit, receiving a communications signal from the second base station unit, wherein the first and second base station units are configured to employ a wireless communications protocol, and wherein the wireless communications protocol does not provide for handoff of communications links between base station units; at the first base station unit, determining if the second base station unit has been synchronized based on the communications signal; and at the first base station unit, if the second base station unit is synchronized, then synchronizing an internal clock based on the synchronized second base station, wherein the synchronizing is performed without assistance from system controller or mobile units; wherein at the first base station unit, receiving a similar communications signal from a third base station unit, and applying differing weight factors to the communications signals from the second and third base station units. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
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29. In a network for wirelessly exchanging communications with at least one mobile unit, wherein the network includes multiple network access points coupled to the network, a method performed by at least some network access points comprising:
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receiving a sync signal from a neighboring network access point; locking at least neighboring network access points from synchronizing; choosing a transmission slot under a slotted communications protocol; recording synchronization information, and unlocking the neighboring network access points. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. In a picocellular communications network, wherein at least one mobile unit communicates with at least a portion of the network, an apparatus comprising:
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a wireless network access point coupled to the picocellular communications network, wherein the network access point includes; a memory, at least one radio for transmitting and receiving data on respective transmit and receive slots, and a processor coupled to the memory and the radio, wherein the network access point is configured for; receiving a communications signal from a nearby network access point, wherein the radio and processor are configured to employ a slotted wireless communications protocol, and wherein the wireless communications protocol does not provide for handoff of communications links between network access points; determining if the nearby network access point has been synchronized based on the communications signal; and if the nearby network access point is synchronized, then synchronizing the transmit and receive slots based on the synchronized nearby network access point, wherein the synchronizing is performed without assistance from a system controller or mobile units; wherein the memory includes; a lower Bluetooth protocol stack, a radio environment monitoring component for monitoring links with mobile units, configured to operate below a Host Controller Interface (“
HCI”
) under a Bluetooth protocol;a radio environment management component to evaluate quality of links with mobile units and assist in handing off mobile units to a neighboring base station unit, wherein the radio environment management component is configured to operate above the HCI, and wherein the radio environment management and monitoring components are configured to, at least in part, facilitate synchronizing the transmit and receive slots. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. In a picocellular communications network, wherein at least one mobile unit communicates with at least a portion of the network, an apparatus comprising:
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a wireless network access point coupled to the picocellular communications network, wherein the network access point includes; a memory, at least one radio for transmitting and receiving data on respective transmit and receive slots, and a processor coupled to the memory and the radio, wherein the network access point is configured for; receiving a communications signal from a nearby network access point, wherein the radio and processor are configured to employ a slotted wireless communications protocol, and wherein the wireless communications protocol does not provide for handoff of communications links between network access points; determining if the nearby network access point has been synchronized based on the communications signal; and if the nearby network access point is synchronized, then synchronizing the transmit and receive slots based on the synchronized nearby network access point, wherein the synchronizing is performed without assistance from a system controller or mobile units a lower Bluetooth protocol stack, a radio environment monitoring component for monitoring links with mobile units, configured to operate below a Host Controller Interface (“
HCI”
) under a Bluetooth protocol;wherein the radio environment monitoring component communicates wirelessly with a peer radio environment monitoring component of the nearby network access point to synchronize the transmit and receive slots. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51)
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52. In a picocellular communications network, wherein at least one mobile unit communicates with at least a portion of the network, an apparatus comprising:
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a wireless network access point coupled to the picocellular communications network, wherein the network access point includes; a memory, at least one radio for transmitting and receiving data on respective transmit and receive slots, and a processor coupled to the memory and the radio, wherein the network access point is configured for; receiving a communications signal from a nearby network access point, wherein the radio and processor are configured to employ a slotted wireless communications protocol, and wherein the wireless communications protocol does not provide for handoff of communications links between network access points; determining if the nearby network access point has been synchronized based on the communications signal; and if the nearby network access point is synchronized, then synchronizing the transmit and receive slots based on the synchronized nearby network access point, wherein the synchronizing is performed without assistance from a system controller or mobile units, wherein the memory includes; a radio environment monitoring component for monitoring a link with a mobile unit, wherein the mobile unit is communicating wirelessly with the nearby network access point, and a synchronization manager that receives data from the monitoring component regarding a synchronization status of the nearby network access point from the monitored link, and wherein the synchronization manager may postpone a resynchronization process if the wireless network access point is determined to be synchronized to the nearby network access point based on the synchronization status. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54)
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Specification