Communication between overlapping WRAN cells working in different channels

• US 8,249,033 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2011
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics Incorporated (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics Incorporated (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Chu, Liwen, Hu, Wendong, Vlantis, George A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brandt, Christopher M
• Application Number:
  US13/174,127
• Publication Number:
  US 20110255520A1
• Time in Patent Office: 418 Days
• Field of Search: 370/336, 370/329, 455/450, 455/451, 455/452.1, 455/452.2, 455/453
• US Class Current: 370/336
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/26 for hybrid routing by combining proactive and reactive routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/22 with access to wired networks

Abstract

A common control channel for base station (“BS”)/consumer premise equipment (“CPE”) communication in areas of overlapping coverage by wireless regional area network (“WRAN”) cells operating on different working channels is disclosed. A common control channel is selected from among the various working channels sensed in each of a plurality of overlapping WRAN cells so as to enable BS/CPE and BS/BS communication. Once chosen, each CPE within the overlapping area communicates with the controlling BS via an enhanced coexistence beacon protocol messages. These messages include timing and other synchronization information.

Claims

1. A method for communication in overlap areas formed by a plurality of overlapping wireless regional area network (“

WRAN”

) cells wherein each WRAN cell is operating on a different channel and wherein each WRAN is associated with a base station (“

BS”

) and a plurality of consumer premise equipments (“

CPEs”

), the method comprising;

transmitting, between at least one CPE and a BS within at least one WRAN cell in the plurality of overlapping WRAN cells, an enhanced coexistence beacon protocol (“

ECBP”

) packet on the at least one WRAN cell'"'"'s working channel;

sensing working channels used by other WRAN cells of the plurality of overlapping WRAN cells;

selecting a common control channel for an overlap area formed by the plurality of overlapping WRAN cells; and

transmitting ECBP packets on the common control channel,

wherein each ECBP packet includes the following fields;

former common control channel ID, current common control channel ID, BS ID of the common control channel owner, current working channel ID, and synchronization type.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the ECBP packets include common control channel data.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the common control channel is selected from a working channel of at least one of the plurality of overlapping WRAN cells forming the overlap area.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein sensing includes energy detection to identify whether any sensed channel is associated with a user.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein sensing includes detecting a channel user type.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the common control channel is selected for use by each CPE.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting includes identifying a smallest common control channel.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising synchronizing frames among the plurality of overlapping WRAN cells responsive to receiving ECBP packets on the common control channel from neighboring WRAN cells.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein synchronizing includes multiple channel synchronization.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein WRAN cell synchronize time information is based on received ECBP packets.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein ECBP packets include global positioning system time information.

12. A system for common control channel communication in a plurality of wireless regional area network (“

WRAN”

) cells wherein each WRAN is associated with a base station (“

BS”

) and a plurality of consumer premise equipments (“

CPEs”

), the system comprising;

a plurality of overlap areas formed by overlapping the plurality of WRAN cells;

an enhanced coexistence beacon protocol (“

ECBP”

) packet transmitted on a working channel of at least one of the plurality of WRAN cells;

at least one CPE of the plurality of CPEs operating in one of the plurality of overlap areas configured to sense channels being used by neighboring WRAN cells; and

a common control channel for the plurality of overlap areas wherein the common control channel is selected based on sensed channels and used to convey ECBP packets in each of the plurality of overlap areas,

wherein each ECBP packet includes the following fields;

former common control channel ID, current common control channel ID, BS ID of the common control channel owner, current working channel ID, and synchronization type.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the common control channel is the working channel of at least one of the plurality of WRAN cells.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the ECBP packets include common control channel data.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the common control channel is selected for use by each CPE.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein selecting includes identifying a smallest common control channel.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein responsive to receiving ECBP packets on the common control channel from neighboring WRAN cells, frames among the plurality of overlapping WRAN cells are synchronized.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the common control channel enables multiple channel synchronization.

19. The system of claim 12 wherein ECBP packets includes WRAN cell synchronize time information.

20. The system of claim 12 wherein ECBP packets include global positioning system time information.

21. The system of claim 12 wherein the common control channel is selected by a dynamic frequency hopping community leader.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the common control channel carries ECBP messages that include dynamic frequency hopping community management messages.

23. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoding an enhanced coexistence beacon protocol (“

ECBP”

) packet, wherein the ECBP packet comprises;

a former common control channel ID;

a current common control channel ID;

a base station (“

BS”

) ID of a common control channel owner;

a current working channel ID;

a synchronization type.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the ECBP packet further comprises a GPS time.

25. A base station (“

BS”

) or consumer premise equipments (“

CPE”

) comprising the non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 23.

26. A method for communication for a consumer premise equipment (“

CPE”

) in overlap areas formed by a plurality of overlapping wireless regional area network (“

WRAN”

) cells wherein each WRAN cell is operating on a different channel and wherein each WRAN is associated with a base station (“

BS”

) and a plurality of CPEs, the method comprising;

sending and receiving an enhanced coexistence beacon protocol (“

ECBP”

) packet on a working channel at the request of a base station associated with a WRAN cell of the plurality of overlapping WRAN cells, wherein the working channel is an operating channel of the WRAN cell;

sensing working channels used by other WRAN cells of the plurality of overlapping WRAN cells;

selecting a common control channel for an overlap area formed by the plurality of overlapping WRAN cells; and

sending and receiving ECBP packets on the common control channel,

wherein each ECBP packet includes the following fields;

former common control channel ID, current common control channel ID, BS ID of the common control channel owner, current working channel ID, and synchronization type.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising continuously monitoring and sensing for the presence of new working channels and revisit selecting a new common control channel and sending and receiving on the new common control channel.

28. A CPE implementing the method of claim 26.