Method and system for using a measure of spectral interference to determine whether to output signals to a wireless link

• US 7,328,021 B1
• Filed: 09/26/2002
• Issued: 02/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Satapathy, Durga
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Pablo N.
• Application Number:
  US10/255,792
• Time in Patent Office: 1,958 Days
• Field of Search: 455/445, 455/417, 455/422.1, 455/426.2, 455/428, 455423-424, 4554351-4352, 455436-439, 455/452.2, 455/456.5, 455443-444, 455/509, 455/513, 455/67.13, 455/67.11, 455524-525, 455/456, 455/461, 455/466, 455/442, 370331-333, 370/335, 370/337
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters

Abstract

A network entity, such as a base station, a mobile switching center, or a packet data serving node, may be communicatively coupled to at least two transmission paths, at least one of which is a wireless link. The network entity may receive signals from wireless terminals and output the signals to a first transmission path, i.e., a wireless link, or to a second transmission path, i.e., a wired link or another wireless link. The network entity may output the signals to the first transmission path or the second transmission path based on whether or not the measure of spectral interference for the wireless link meets predetermined criteria.

Claims

1. In a first network entity of a type that (i) receives signals from at least one source network entity and (ii) outputs the signals through one of two or more transmission paths, the two or more transmission paths including a wireless link, a method comprising:

obtaining, at the first network entity, a measure of spectral interference for the wireless link between the first network entity and a second network entity, wherein the first network entity receives the signals from the at least one source network entity, and wherein each of the first and second network entities is selected from the group consisting of a base station, a mobile switching center, and a packet data serving node that serves mobile stations and provides connectivity between a base station and an Internet;

making a determination of whether the measure of spectral interference for the wireless link meets predetermined criteria;

if the determination is that the measure of spectral interference for the wireless link meets the predetermined criteria, then outputting the signals to the wireless link; and

if the determination is that the measure of spectral interference for the wireless link does not meet the predetermined criteria, then outputting the signals to another transmission path of the two or more transmission paths.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one source network entity is a wireless terminal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network entity is separated from the at least one source network entity by an air interface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the other transmission path of the two or more transmission paths is a wired link.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the measure of spectral interference for the wireless link comprises receiving from another network entity a message, the message defining the measure of spectral interference for the wireless link.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the measure of spectral interference is selected from the group consisting of a bit error rate and a signal-to-noise ratio.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one source network entity is two or more source network entities, the method further comprising aggregating the signals from the two or more source network entities prior to the signals being outputted.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the measure of spectral interference is a signal-to-noise ratio;

and making the determination of whether the measure of spectral interference for the wireless link meets the predetermined criteria comprises determining whether the signal-to-noise ratio is above a threshold level.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the measure of spectral interference is a bit error rate;

and making the determination of whether the measure of spectral interference for the wireless link meets the predetermined criteria comprises determining whether the measure of spectral interference for the wireless link is below a threshold level.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the measure of spectral interference for the wireless link at the first network entity comprises measuring the spectral interference for the wireless link.

11. A first network entity of a type that (i) receives signals from at least one source network entity;

and (ii) that outputs the signals through one of two or more transmission paths, the two or more transmission paths including a wireless link, the first network entity comprising computer instructions stored in memory and executable by a processor for performing the following functions;

obtaining, at the first network entity, a measure of spectral interference for the wireless link between the first network entity and a second network entity, wherein the first network entity receives signals from the at least one source network entity, and wherein each of the first and second network entities is selected from the group consisting of a base station, a mobile switching center, and a packet data serving node that serves mobile stations and provides connectivity between a base station and an Internet;

making a determination of whether the measure of spectral interference for the wireless link meets predetermined criteria;

if the determination is that the measure of spectral interference for the wireless link meets the predetermined criteria, then outputting at the first network entity the signals sent from a wireless terminal to the wireless link; and

if the determination is that the measure of spectral interference for the wireless link does not meet the predetermined criteria, then outputting at the first network entity the signals received from the wireless terminal to another transmission path of the two or more transmission paths.

12. The first network entity of claim 11, wherein the at least one source network entity is a wireless terminal.

13. The first network entity of claim 11, wherein the at least one source entity is separated from the first network entity by an air interface.

14. The first network entity of claim 11, wherein the other transmission path of the two or more transmission paths is a wired link.

15. The first network entity of claim 11, wherein the computer instructions executable by the processor for obtaining the measure of spectral interference for the wireless link at the first network entity comprise computer instructions executable by the processor for performing the function of measuring the spectral interference for the wireless link.

16. The first network entity of claim 11, wherein the computer instructions executable by the processor for obtaining the measure of spectral interference for the wireless link comprise computer instructions executable by the processor for performing the function of receiving the measure of spectral interference from another network entity communicatively coupled to the first network entity.

17. The first network entity of claim 11, wherein the at least one source network entity is two or more source entities, the first network entity further comprising computer instructions executable by the processor for performing the function of aggregating the signals from the two or more source network entities prior to the signals being outputted.

18. The first network entity of claim 11, wherein the measure of spectral interference is a signal-to-noise ratio;

and the computer instructions executable by the processor for making the determination of whether the measure of spectral interference for the wireless link meets the predetermined criteria comprise computer instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor for determining whether the signal-to-noise ratio for the wireless link is above a threshold level.

19. The first network entity of claim 11, wherein the measure of spectral interference is a bit error rate;

and the computer instructions executable by the processor for making the determination of whether the measure of spectral interference for the wireless link meets the predetermined criteria comprise computer instructions stored in memory and executable by the processor for determining whether the bit error rate for the wireless link is below a threshold level.