System and method to facilitate acquisition of access point base stations

• US 8,116,772 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2008
• Issued: 02/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Dean, Richard Finch
• Primary Examiner(s): MIZRAHI, DIANE D
• Application Number:
  US12/328,630
• Publication Number:
  US 20100144337A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,167 Days
• Field of Search: 455/422.1, 455436-444
• US Class Current: 455/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

An indoor base transceiver system (BTS) provides economical coverage by having a network-coupled base station that monitors a plurality of remote transceiver units (RTUs), or RF nodes, communicating by base-band conduits at symbol data rate. The BTS can reduce cost by interconnecting coverage nodes at the bit rate and can reduce cost by interconnecting coverage nodes at the symbol rate. The BTS can implement the modulation/demodulation function in a split fashion, with part of this accomplished in the RF Node and part accomplished in an Aggregator of the base station. System capacity can be retained by using selection combining and by using maximal ratio combining. Multiple carriers can be supported by messaging on the signal link and performing the frequency selection/generation at the remote Node. Deployment can be simplified by allowing coverage overlap of Nodes.

Claims

1. A method for communicating over-the-air telephony from within a building, comprising:

receiving over the air a radio frequency (RF) telephony signal from a communication device at a first remote transceiver unit (RTU) of a plurality of RTUs spaced within a structure;

demodulating a data signal from the RF telephony signal and transmitting the data signal and associated data for the first RTU across a data rate communication channel at the bit or symbol rate;

receiving the data signal and associated data at the base station;

aggregating the data signal at the base station; and

concluding communication by interfacing to a backhaul link to a communication network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the data signal and associated data from the first RTU and receiving a delayed version of the data signal from another RTU having an overlapping coverage area; and

aggregating the data signal from both RTUs to improve signal quality.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

transmitting the data signal to the base station at a symbol rate that is a multiple of data signal rate; and

performing soft decision maximal ratio combining at the base station for increased spatial gain.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising weighing the symbol rate as an indication of received signal strength or quality.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

demodulating a data signal from a selected one of a cellular band and a personal communication service (PCS) band RF telephony signal; and

transmitting the data signal and associated data that further comprises the selected band.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting the first RTU for transmitting data signals back to the communication device; and

transmitting a data signal from the base station to the first RTU; and

RF modulating the data signal by the first RTU.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the base station facilitating a handover of a telephony session of the communication device with an outside base transceiver station (BTS) via coordination over the backhaul link.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising selecting the first RTU by the base station to facilitate a sector transfer of a telephony session of the communication device between two sectors within the structure.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising introducing a differential delay in forward link transmission for diversity.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising utilizing a common RF channel from a plurality of RTUs to the communication device to avoid soft handover requirements.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising utilizing a common RF channel by using a common carrier frequency and a selected one of a group consisting of a common pseudo noise offset and scrambling code.

12. An apparatus for communicating over-the-air telephony from within a building, comprising:

means for receiving over the air a radio frequency (RF) telephony signal from a communication device at a first remote transceiver unit (RTU) of a plurality of RTUs spaced within a structure;

means for demodulating a data signal from the RF telephony signal and transmitting the data signal and associated data for the first RTU across a data rate communication channel at the bit or symbol rate;

means for receiving the data signal and associated data at the base station;

means for aggregating the data signal at the base station; and

means for concluding communication by interfacing to a backhaul link to a communication network.

13. An apparatus for communicating over-the-air telephony from within a building, comprising:

a plurality of remote transceiver units (RTUs) for spacing within a structure, a first RTU for receiving over the air a radio frequency (RF) telephony signal from a communication device, and for demodulating a data signal from the RF telephony signal and transmitting the data signal and associated data for the first RTU;

a data rate communication channel for communication at the bit or symbol rate; and

a base station for receiving the data signal and associated data at the base station, for aggregating the data signal at the base station, and for concluding communication by interfacing to a backhaul link to a communication network.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising the base station for receiving the data signal and associated data from the first RTU and receiving a delayed version of the data signal from another RTU having an overlapping coverage area, and for aggregating the data signal from both RTUs to improve signal quality.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising the first RTU for transmitting the data signal to the base station at a symbol rate that is a multiple of data signal rate, and the base station for performing soft decision maximal ratio combining for increased spatial gain.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising the base station for weighing the symbol rate as an indication of received signal strength or quality.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising the first RTU for demodulating a data signal from a selected one of a cellular band and a personal communication service (PCS) band RF telephony signal, and for transmitting the data signal and associated data that further comprises the selected band.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising the base station for selecting the first RTU for transmitting data signals back to the communication device;

and transmitting a data signal from the base station to the first RTU, and the first RTU for RF modulating the data signal.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising the base station facilitating a handover of a telephony session of the communication device with an outside base transceiver station (BTS) via coordination over the backhaul link.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising selecting the first RTU by the base station to facilitate a sector transfer of a telephony session of the communication device between two sectors within the structure.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising introducing a differential delay in forward link transmission for diversity.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising utilizing a common RF channel to the communication device to avoid soft handover requirements.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising utilizing a common RF channel by using a common carrier frequency and a selected one of a group consisting of a common pseudo noise offset and scrambling code.

24. A computer program product for communicating over-the-air telephony from within a building, comprising:

a computer-readable storage medium comprising,

a first set of instructions for causing a computer to receive over the air a radio frequency (RF) telephony signal from a communication device at a first remote transceiver unit (RTU) of a plurality of RTUs spaced within a structure;

a second set of instructions for causing the computer to demodulate a data signal from the RF telephony signal and transmitting the data signal and associated data for the first RTU across a data rate communication channel at the bit or symbol rate;

a third set of instructions for causing the computer to receive the data signal and associated data at the base station;

a fourth set of instructions for causing the computer to aggregate the data signal at the base station; and

a fifth set of instructions for causing the computer to conclude communication by interfacing to a backhaul link to a communication network.

25. At least one processor for communicating over-the-air telephony from within a building, comprising:

a first processor module, comprising hardware, for receiving over the air a radio frequency (RF) telephony signal from a communication device at a first remote transceiver unit (RTU) of a plurality of RTUs spaced within a structure;

a second processor module for demodulating a data signal from the RF telephony signal and transmitting the data signal and associated data for the first RTU across a data rate communication channel at the bit or symbol rate;

a third processor module for receiving the data signal and associated data at the base station;

a fourth processor module for aggregating the data signal at the base station; and

a fifth processor module for concluding communication by interfacing to a backhaul link to a communication network.