Virtual cell mapping in macrodiverse wireless networks with frequency hopping

• US 7,194,017 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2005
• Issued: 03/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rateze Remote Mgmt. L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Northstar Acquisitions LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Ghoshtagore, Ujjal Kumar, Somasekhara, Archana, Hervey, Morris Marvin Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ha; Dac
• Assistant Examiner(s): Joseph; Jaison
• Application Number:
  US11/288,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20060104334A1
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• Field of Search: 375/132, 375/133, 375/134, 375/135, 375/136, 375/137, 370/347, 370/350, 370/480, 455/452
• US Class Current: 375/132
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7143 Arrangements for generation of hop patterns
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/715 Interference-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/7154 with means for preventing interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/022 Site diversity; Macro-diversity using two or more spaced independent antennas H04B7/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0602 using antenna switching H04B7/0686 takes precedence; antenna beam directivity switching H01Q3/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/10 Dynamic resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point

Abstract

A communication system for communication with mobile stations through a plurality of base stations at macrodiverse locations and with frequency hopping (FH). Two or more adjacent base stations communicate with mobile stations in a region between the adjacent base stations using coordinated orthogonal frequency hopping sequences. The communication system operates with virtual cells formed of physical sectors from adjacent base stations. Where base stations each operate with three sectors, virtual cells use three adjacent sectors of three adjacent base stations, respectively, and the coordinated orthogonal frequency hopping sequences are used for the adjacent sectors of each of the virtual cells. For GSM, the coordinated orthogonal frequency hopping sequences in each virtual cell are defined by a single hopping sequence number (HSN) and a set of mobile allocation index offsets (MAIOs). Fast macrodiversity switching is employed in combination with FH.

Claims

1. A system for wireless mobile communications, the system comprising:

at least a first virtual cell including at least one sector from each of at least three adjacent base stations, each of the at least three adjacent base stations comprising a cell region partitioned into at least three sectors, the at least three adjacent base stations adapted to communicate with at least one mobile station via coordinated orthogonal frequency hopping sequences, and

hopping sequence control means for controlling said coordinated orthogonal frequency hopping sequences in said at least first virtual cell by employing a single hopping sequence number and a set of mobile allocation index offsets in said at least first virtual cell, wherein said single hopping sequence number and said set of mobile allocation index offsets in the sectors comprising said at least first virtual cell is different from a hopping sequence number and a set of mobile allocation index offsets associated with sectors of said at least three adjacent base stations outside said at least first virtual cell.

2. The communication system of claim 1 wherein each of said base stations includes hopping management means for managing communications between said mobile stations and said base stations using said coordinated orthogonal frequency hopping sequences.

3. The communication system of claim 1 wherein said hopping sequence control means is included in a base station controller.

4. The communication system claim 1 wherein said hopping sequence control means is included in a base station controller and wherein each of said base stations includes base station timing means for controlling the timing of said of communications with mobile stations and wherein said base station controller includes controller timing means for synchronizing the timing of said base station timing means in said plurality of base stations.

5. The communication system of claim 4 wherein said sectors have optimized sector antennas with sharp cutoff at sector boundaries whereby interference from adjacent sectors is minimized.

6. The communication system of claim 1 wherein said hopping sequence control means controls said frequency hopping sequences with 1/1 frequency reuse.

7. The communication system of claim 6 wherein said the base stations employ broadcast channels and dedicated channels for said communications with the mobile stations and wherein said communication system includes fast macrodiversity switching management means for adaptively switching dedicated channels among said base stations while said broadcast channels remain unswitched.

8. The communication system of claim 1 wherein said base stations are located at macrodiverse locations and employ broadcast channels and dedicated channels for said communications with the mobile stations and wherein said communication system includes fast macrodiversity switching management means for adaptively switching dedicated channels among said base stations while said broadcast channels remain unswitched.

9. The communication system of claim 1 wherein each of said base stations includes a base station manager comprising:

a macrodiversity processor for processing modules including fast macrodiversity switching means, hopping management means and timing means, a database for storing hoping sequence numbers and sets of mobile allocation index offsets, resource and airlink control means for controlling downlink signals to said mobile stations and for controlling uplink signals from said mobile stations, interface means for interfacing communications among said base stations and the hopping sequence control means.

10. The communication system of claim 1 wherein each of said base stations includes a base station manager for managing fast macrodiversity switching and coordinated orthogonal frequency hopping.

11. The communication system of claim 1 wherein, each of said base stations includes a base station manager, said plurality of base stations includes a home base station and one or more assistant base stations, said home base station includes a home base station manager for controlling dedicated channels for particular mobile stations, said one or more assistant base stations each including an assistant base station manager for controlling dedicated channels for ones of said mobile stations switched to said one or more assistant base stations.

12. The communication system of claim 1 wherein said communications are TDMA.

13. The communication system of claim 12 wherein said communications use a GSM protocol.