Providing timing reference for femto cell in wireless communication networks
First Claim
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1. A method for providing a timing reference to a femto base station (Femto BS) in wireless communications in a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network, comprising:
- operating a CDMA Mobile Station (MS) receiver in the Femto BS to provide receiving functions in the Femto BS;
using the CDMA MS receiver to search and acquire CDMA signals from adjacent cells on at least one CDMA channel in one frequency band;
selecting a CDMA signal from the adjacent cells with Pilot Pseudorandom Noise (PN) Offset of an earliest timing shift to be a timing reference for the Femto BS;
operating the Femto BS to monitor the CDMA signals from adjacent cells in the CDMA network to update the timing reference;
supporting a handoff between cells in the CDMA network and the Femto BS using a virtual Femto BS at a position different from an actual location of the Femto BS by a distance equal to a transmission delay from base station of the cell having the earliest timing shift; and
using the Femto BS to provide timing reference relay so that the Femto BS and one or more other femto base stations form a timing reference network that is synchronized to a single timing source.
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Abstract
Apparatus, techniques and systems are described for providing timing reference from acquired wireless communication signals of adjacent cells and synchronizing a base station to a network based on such a timing reference without directly relying on a satellite-based timing reference.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method for providing a timing reference to a femto base station (Femto BS) in wireless communications in a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network, comprising:
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operating a CDMA Mobile Station (MS) receiver in the Femto BS to provide receiving functions in the Femto BS; using the CDMA MS receiver to search and acquire CDMA signals from adjacent cells on at least one CDMA channel in one frequency band; selecting a CDMA signal from the adjacent cells with Pilot Pseudorandom Noise (PN) Offset of an earliest timing shift to be a timing reference for the Femto BS; operating the Femto BS to monitor the CDMA signals from adjacent cells in the CDMA network to update the timing reference; supporting a handoff between cells in the CDMA network and the Femto BS using a virtual Femto BS at a position different from an actual location of the Femto BS by a distance equal to a transmission delay from base station of the cell having the earliest timing shift; and using the Femto BS to provide timing reference relay so that the Femto BS and one or more other femto base stations form a timing reference network that is synchronized to a single timing source. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method for providing a timing reference to a femto base station (Femto BS) in wireless communications in a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network, comprising:
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operating a CDMA mobile station (MS) receiver in the Femto BS to perform acquisition of CDMA signals from adjacent cells in the CDMA network while turning off a CDMA base station modem in the Femto BS; turning on and operating the Femto BS modem and associated RF circuitry after the CDMA MS receiver has acquired CDMA signals from adjacent cells; and processing the acquired CDMA signals from adjacent cells to produce a timing reference for the Femto BS to synchronize with the CDMA network. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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8. A method for providing a timing reference to a femto base station (Femto BS) in wireless communications in a wireless network, comprising:
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operating the Femto BS to acquire wireless signals from adjacent cells in the wireless network; processing the acquired wireless signals from adjacent cells to extract timing information from the acquired wireless signal; selecting the extracted timing information in one of the acquired wireless signals to be a timing reference for the Femto BS to synchronize with the wireless network, without directly using a timing reference in a satellite-based positioning signal; and supporting a handoff to and from the Femto BS based on a virtual Femto BS at a position different from an actual location of the Femto BS by a distance equal to a transmission delay from a base station of the one of the acquired wireless signals selected to be the timing reference. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A wireless communication system, comprising:
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a radio access network comprising a plurality of base stations to provide radio access to wireless mobile stations, each base station comprising a positioning signal receiver that receives a satellite-based positioning signal that provides a satellite-based timing signal; a gateway providing communications between the radio access network and a core network; and a femto base station that provides radio access to wireless mobile stations and is in wireless communications with one or more base stations of the radio access network, the femto base station in communication with the gateway to access the core network, wherein the femto base station comprises a receiver module that acquires wireless signals from the one or more base stations and one or more other femto base stations, processes the acquired wireless signals to extract timing information from the acquired wireless signal, and selects the extracted timing information in one of the acquired wireless signals to be a timing reference for the femto base station to synchronize with the wireless communication system, without directly using a timing reference in a satellite-based positioning signal. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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Specification