Low-cost internet-base-station (LCIB) radio-frequency (RF) adaptation using stationary transceivers

• US 8,184,598 B1
• Filed: 05/29/2008
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Talley, Ryan S., Barbee, Bryan T., Sill, Timothy W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Ian N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Brian T
• Application Number:
  US12/129,425
• Time in Patent Office: 1,454 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/335
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/325 Power control of control or pilot channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/36 with a discrete range or set of values, e.g. step size, ramping or offsets
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/50 at the moment of starting communication in a multiple access environment

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for implementing low-cost Internet-base-station (LCIB) radio-frequency (RF) adaptation using stationary transceivers. In an embodiment, an LCIB emits a pilot beacon having an adjustable transmission-power level. The LCIB repeatedly wirelessly sends transmissions for receipt by each transceiver in a set of one or more stationary transceivers while increasing the power level at which the transmissions are sent. The transceivers are arranged to wirelessly send acknowledgements to the LCIB upon successful receipt of the transmissions. The LCIB receives at least one acknowledgement from a subset of the transceivers, and responsively sets the pilot-beacon transmission-power level equal to an operating value, which the LCIB selects based at least in part on a minimum transmission-sending power level needed to receive an acknowledgement from each transceiver in the subset.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

emitting by a low-cost Internet base station (LCIB) a pilot beacon that has an adjustable pilot-beacon transmission-power level;

repeatedly wirelessly sending by the LCIB transmissions for receipt by each transceiver in a set of multiple stationary transceivers while increasing from a first value to a second value a transmission-sending power level at which the transmissions are sent, wherein the transceivers are arranged to wirelessly send acknowledgements to the LCIB upon successful receipt of the transmissions;

receiving by the LCIB at least one acknowledgement from each transceiver in a subset of the set of transceivers, the subset consisting of some or all of the transceivers in the set of transceivers;

sorting by the LCIB the transceivers in the subset in an ascending order of transmission-sending power needed to elicit at least one acknowledgement from the respective transceiver;

identifying by the LCIB, when proceeding from transceiver to transceiver in the ascending order and from the beginning thereof, a first occurrence of a delta between the respective transmission-sending powers needed to elicit at least one acknowledgement from a first transceiver and a second transceiver listed consecutively in the ascending order exceeding a threshold power delta, and responsively modifying by the LCIB the subset by removing from the subset the second transceiver and any one or more additional transceivers appearing after the second transceiver in the ascending order;

after the modifying of the subset, selecting by the LCIB an operating value based at least in part on a minimum transmission-sending power level needed to receive an acknowledgement from each transceiver in the subset, wherein the minimum transmission-sending power level is between the first and second values, inclusive; and

setting by the LCIB the pilot-beacon transmission-power level equal to the selected operating value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein emitting the pilot beacon comprises emitting the pilot beacon on a macro-network carrier.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein emitting the pilot beacon comprises emitting a frequency-hopping pilot beacon on a set of macro-network carriers, the method carried out with respect to each macro-network carrier in the set of macro-network carriers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the LCIB provides service on a traffic-carrying carrier, wherein the pilot beacon comprises information usable by mobile stations for handing off to the traffic-carrying carrier.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the LCIB providing service to mobile stations according to a first wireless protocol, wherein the LCIB sends the transmissions to and receives the acknowledgements from the transceivers according to the first wireless protocol.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first wireless protocol is a code division multiple access (CDMA) protocol.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the LCIB providing service to mobile stations according to a first wireless protocol, wherein the LCIB sends the transmissions to and receives the acknowledgements from the transceivers according to a second wireless protocol different from the first wireless protocol.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first wireless protocol is a code division multiple access (CDMA) protocol, and wherein the second wireless protocol is selected from the group consisting of WiFi, simple radio frequency (RF), and Bluetooth.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each transmission comprises a probe message, and wherein each acknowledgement comprises an acknowledgement message.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating a plurality of transceivers with the LCIB, wherein the set of transceivers consists of the plurality of transceivers.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the second value is the minimum transmission-sending power level needed to receive an acknowledgement from each transceiver in the subset.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the second value is a maximum transmission-sending power level at which the LCIB is arranged to be able to send the transmissions for receipt by the transceivers.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the operating value based at least in part on the minimum transmission-sending power level needed to receive an acknowledgement from each transceiver in the subset comprises deriving the operating value from the minimum transmission-sending power level using at least one of a conversion table and a function.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising deploying the LCIB in a location, and deploying the transceivers in power outlets around a perimeter of the location.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein each acknowledgement indicates at least one of received power and signal quality with respect to the transmissions sent by the LCIB.

16. A low-cost Internet base station (LCIB) comprising:

a communication interface;

a processor; and

data storage comprising instructions executable by the processor for causing the LCIB to carry out functions including;

emitting a pilot beacon that has an adjustable pilot-beacon transmission-power level;

repeatedly wirelessly sending transmissions for receipt by each transceiver in a set of multiple stationary transceivers while increasing from a first value to a second value a transmission-sending power level at which the transmissions are sent, wherein the transceivers are arranged to wirelessly send acknowledgements to the LCIB upon successful receipt of the transmissions;

receiving at least one acknowledgement from each transceiver in a subset of the set of transceivers, the subset consisting of some or all of the transceivers in the set of transceivers;

sorting the transceivers in the subset in an ascending order of transmission-sending power needed to elicit at least one acknowledgement from the respective transceiver;

identifying, when proceeding from transceiver to transceiver in the ascending order and from the beginning thereof, a first occurrence of a delta between the respective transmission-sending powers needed to elicit at least one acknowledgement from a first transceiver and a second transceiver listed consecutively in the ascending order exceeding a threshold power delta, and responsively modifying the subset by removing from the subset the second transceiver and any one or more additional transceivers appearing after the second transceiver in the ascending order;

after the modifying of the subset, selecting an operating value based at least in part on a minimum transmission-sending power level needed to receive an acknowledgement from each transceiver in the subset, wherein the minimum transmission-sending power level is between the first and second values, inclusive; and

setting the pilot-beacon transmission-power level equal to the selected operating value.

17. A system comprising:

(i) a low-cost Internet base station (LCIB) programmed to carry out functions including;

emitting a pilot beacon that has an adjustable pilot-beacon transmission-power level,

repeatedly wirelessly sending transmissions for receipt by each transceiver in a set of multiple stationary transceivers while increasing from a first value to a second value a transmission-sending power level at which the transmissions are sent,

receiving at least one acknowledgement from each transceiver in a subset of the set of transceivers, the subset consisting of some or all of the transceivers in the set of transceivers;

sorting the transceivers in the subset in an ascending order of transmission-sending power needed to elicit at least one acknowledgement from the respective transceiver;

identifying, when proceeding from transceiver to transceiver in the ascending order and from the beginning thereof, a first occurrence of a delta between the respective transmission-sending powers needed to elicit at least one acknowledgement from a first transceiver and a second transceiver listed consecutively in the ascending order exceeding a threshold power delta, and responsively modifying the subset by removing from the subset the second transceiver and any one or more additional transceivers appearing after the second transceiver in the ascending order;

after the modifying of the subset, selecting an operating value based at least in part on a minimum transmission-sending power level needed to receive an acknowledgement from each transceiver in the subset, wherein the minimum transmission-sending power level is between the first and second values, inclusive; and

(ii) the set of stationary transceivers, each programmed to carry out functions including wirelessly sending acknowledgements to the LCIB upon successful receipt of the transmissions.