Methods and apparatus for wireless communication

• US 8,315,229 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2010
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Fong, Mo-han, Zhang, Hang, Vrzic, Sophie, Novak, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao, Kwang B
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIU, JUNG
• Application Number:
  US12/801,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20110080893A1
• Time in Patent Office: 868 Days
• Field of Search: 370/203, 370204-215, 370229-240, 370310-337, 370338-350, 370/395.1, 370/395.3, 370/395.4, 370/395.41, 370/395.42, 370/395.5, 370/395.52, 370/395.53, 370412-421, 370431-457, 370458-463, 370464-497, 370498-522, 370523-520, 370521-529
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0083 Determination of parameters used for hand-off, e.g. generation or modification of neighbour cell lists
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00835 Determination of neighbour cell lists

Abstract

One method of wireless communication involves acknowledging that an anchor base station received a handover indication signal. Another method involves: receiving, from base stations of an active set, offset signals identifying a respective differences in time between a reference time and respective times when the base station received a ranging signal from a mobile station; and transmitting, to the mobile station, a ranging control signal in response to the respective offset signals. Another method involves transmitting, to a mobile station in response to an active set signal, a system configuration information signal including system configuration information of a base station in an active set. Another method involves determining an uplink control channel power parameter in response to channel condition signals received from base stations in an active set. Another method involves transmitting a control signal to base stations in an active set on respective control channels. Apparatuses are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating acquisition, by a mobile station in radio communication with an anchor base station, of data representing distances between the mobile station and base stations of an active set of base stations in radio communication with the mobile station, the active set including a subset of neighbor base stations of the anchor base station, the method comprising:

transmitting, from the anchor base station to each other base station of the active set, a ranging resource signal identifying a reference code and a reference time associated with the mobile station;

causing the mobile station to transmit a ranging signal including the reference code to each base station of the active set at a time in response to the reference time, such that each base station of the active set receives the ranging signal at a respective time;

receiving, from each base station of the active set, a respective offset signal identifying a respective difference in time between the reference time and the respective time when the base station of the active set received the ranging signal; and

transmitting, to the mobile station, a ranging control signal in response to the respective offset signals.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating the reference code from a pseudo-randomly generated code.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting the ranging control signal comprises transmitting a ranging control signal representing an average of the respective differences in time between the reference time and the respective times when each base station of the active set received the ranging signal.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting the ranging control signal comprises transmitting a plurality of ranging control signals, each one of the plurality of ranging control signals associated with a respective base station of the active set and representing the respective difference in time between the reference time and the respective time when the base station of the active set received the ranging signal.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the active set further includes the anchor base station.

6. A base station apparatus comprising:

a first interface for facilitating radio communication with a mobile station;

a second interface for facilitating communication with at least one neighbor base station in an active set in radio communication with the mobile station; and

a processor in communication with the first and second interfaces, the processor operably configured to;

cause the second interface to transmit, to the at least one neighbor base station in the active set, a ranging resource signal identifying a reference code and a reference time associated with the mobile station;

cause the first interface to transmit, to the mobile station, a ranging command signal directing the mobile station to transmit a ranging signal including the reference code to each base station in the active set at a time in response to the reference time, such that each base station in the active set receives the ranging signal at a respective time;

receive, from the second interface, a respective offset signal from each neighbor base station in the active set, each respective offset signal identifying a respective difference in time between the reference time and the respective time when the neighbor base station in the active set received the ranging signal; and

cause the first interface to transmit, to the mobile station, a ranging control signal in response to each of the respective offset signals.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the processor is further operably configured to generate the reference code from a pseudo-randomly generated code.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the ranging control signal represents an average of each of the respective differences in time between the reference time and the respective time when each base station in the active set received the ranging signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the ranging control signal comprises a plurality of ranging control signals, each one of the plurality of ranging control signals associated with a respective one of each base station of the active set, and representing the respective difference in time between the reference time and the respective time when the respective base station received the ranging signal.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the active set further includes the apparatus, and wherein the processor is further operably configured to:

receive, from the first interface, the ranging signal from the mobile station;

calculate a difference in time between the reference time and a time when the apparatus received the ranging signal from the mobile station; and

cause the first interface to transmit, to the mobile station, the ranging control signal in response to the difference in time between the reference time and the time when the apparatus received the ranging signal from the mobile station.

11. A base station apparatus configured for radio communication with a mobile station and for communication with at least one neighbor base station in an active set in radio communication with the mobile station, the apparatus comprising:

means for transmitting, to the at least one neighbor base station in the active set, a ranging resource signal identifying a reference code and a reference time associated with the mobile station;

means for transmitting, to the mobile station, a ranging command signal directing the mobile station to transmit a ranging signal including the reference code to each base station in the active set at a time in response to the reference time, such that each base station in the active set receives the ranging signal at a respective time;

means for receiving a respective offset signal from each base station in the active set, each respective offset signal identifying a respective difference in time between the reference time and the respective time when the base station in the active set received the ranging signal; and

means for transmitting, to the mobile station, a ranging control signal in response to each of the respective offset signals.