Hierarchical cell deployment

• US 8,355,378 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2008
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Taaghol, Pouya, Venkatachalam, Muthaiah
• Primary Examiner(s): Nooristany, Sulaiman
• Application Number:
  US12/043,343
• Publication Number:
  US 20080219216A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,776 Days
• Field of Search: 370/331
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/32 Hierarchical cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/04 Reselecting a cell layer in multi-layered cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/324 by mobility data, e.g. speed data

Abstract

A hierarchical cell structure that may be applicable to any wireless communications network utilizing cells. One or more characteristics associated with a mobile device configured to communicate with the base stations via a wireless communications protocol are determined while the mobile device is communicating with a base station. The one or more characteristics are utilized to determine a subsequent base station to be the target of a handoff procedure.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining one or more cells of a plurality of hierarchical cells based on one or more characteristics associated with a mobile device configured to communicate with a plurality of base stations associated with the plurality of cells via a wireless communications protocol while the mobile device functions within a first cell of a first cell type, wherein at least one of the one or more characteristics is communicated to a first base station, associated with the first cell, via a field of a packet conforming to the wireless communications protocol wherein the one or more characteristics comprise at least one of a handoff frequency, a travel speed, a direction of travel, a bandwidth usage, and a current cell type;

utilizing the one or more characteristics to identify a second cell of a second cell type to be the target of a handoff procedure prior to performing the handoff procedure, wherein the second cell type is identified prior to the handoff procedure, wherein the one or more characteristics are communicated to a second base station associated with the second cell, wherein the target includes a larger cell in case of a high handoff frequency such that the mobile device is moved to the larger cell, and a smaller cell in case of a low handoff frequency such that the mobile device is moved to the smaller cell; and

transferring the mobile device from the first cell of the first cell type to function within the second cell of the second cell type;

wherein the second base station is selected from a cell type based on the one or more characteristics;

wherein the cell type is communicated as a 4- bit value within a WiMAX compliant message between the second base station and the mobile device; and

wherein the WiMAX compliant message comprises a DL_MAP message.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile device comprises a cellular-enabled communications device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile device comprises a laptop computer system.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless communications protocol comprises a WiMAX compliant protocol.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless communications protocol comprises a TDMA protocol.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless communications protocol comprises a CDMA protocol.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the multiple cells with corresponding base stations comprise at least a macrocell having a corresponding base station, wherein one or more microcells with respective base stations exist within the macrocell.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the coverage area and/or the data rate provided by the macrocell base station is different than the coverage area and/or the data rate of the microcell base stations.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein one or more picocells with respective base stations exist within the microcell.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the coverage area and/or the data rate provided by the microcell base station is different than the coverage area and/or the data rate of the picocell base stations.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the WiMAX compliant message comprises a MOB_NBR_ADV message.

12. A network comprising:

a plurality of base stations to provide wireless communications within a plurality of cells, the cells configured in a hierarchical architecture;

at least one mobile wireless device to communicate with one or more of the plurality of base stations via a wireless communications protocol;

the plurality of base stations or the mobile wireless device to determine one or more cells of the plurality of cells based on one or more characteristics associated with the mobile wireless device while the mobile wireless device functions within a first cell of a first cell type associated with a first base station in the plurality of base stations and to utilize the one or more characteristics to identify a second cell of a second cell type to be the target of a handoff procedure prior to performing the handoff procedure such that after the handoff the mobile wireless device communicates with a second base station associated with the second cell wherein the one or more characteristics comprise at least one of;

a handoff frequency, a travel speed, a direction of travel, a bandwidth usage, a current cell type, wherein the second cell type is identified prior to the handoff procedure, wherein the one or more characteristics are communicated to the second base station associated with the second cell;

transferring the mobile wireless device from the first cell of the first cell type to function within the second cell of the second cell type, wherein the target includes a larger cell in case of a high handoff frequency such that the mobile device is moved to the larger cell, and a smaller cell in case of a low handoff frequency such that the mobile device is moved to the smaller cell;

wherein the second base station is selected from a cell type based on the one or more characteristics;

wherein the cell type is communicated as a 4- bit value within a WiMAX compliant message between the second base station and the mobile device; and

wherein the WiMAX compliant message comprises a DL_MAP message.

13. The network of claim 12 wherein the wireless communications protocol comprises a WiMAX compliant protocol.

14. The network of claim 12 wherein the wireless communications protocol comprises a TDMA protocol.

15. The network of claim 12 wherein the wireless communications protocol comprises a CDMA protocol.

16. The network of claim 12 wherein the plurality of base stations provide multiple cells corresponding to the base stations that comprise at least a macrocell having a corresponding base station, wherein each macro cell includes one or more microcells with respective base stations.

17. The network of claim 16 wherein the coverage area and/or the data rate provided by the macrocell base station is different than the coverage area and/or the data rate of the microcell base stations.

18. The network of claim 16, wherein one or more picocells with respective base stations exist within the microcell.

19. The network of claim 18 wherein the coverage area and/or the data rate provided by the microcell base station is different than the coverage area and/or the data rate of the picocell base stations.

20. The network of claim 12 wherein the WiMAX compliant message comprises a MOB_NBR_ADV message.

21. At least one non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising a plurality of instructions that in response to being executed on a computing device, causes the computing device to carry out a method according to one or more operations comprising:

determining one or more cells of a plurality of hierarchical cells based on one or more characteristics associated with a mobile device configured to communicate with a plurality of base stations associated with the plurality of cells via a wireless communications protocol while the mobile device functions within a first cell of a first cell type, wherein at least one of the one or more characteristics is communicated to a first base station, associated with the first cell, via a field of a packet conforming to the wireless communications protocol wherein the one or more characteristics comprise at least one of a handoff frequency, a travel speed, a direction of travel, a bandwidth usage, and a current cell type;

utilizing the one or more characteristics to identify a second cell of a second cell type to be the target of a handoff procedure prior to performing the handoff procedure, wherein the second cell type is identified prior to the handoff procedure, wherein the one or more characteristics are communicated to a second base station associated with the second cell, wherein the target includes a larger cell in case of a high handoff frequency such that the mobile device is moved to the larger cell, and a smaller cell in case of a low handoff frequency such that the mobile device is moved to the smaller cell;

transferring the mobile device from the first cell of the first cell type to function within the second cell of the second cell type;

wherein the second base station is selected from a cell type based on the one or more characteristics;

wherein the cell type is communicated as a 4- bit value within a WiMAX compliant message between the second base station and the mobile device; and

wherein the WiMAX compliant message comprises a DL_MAP message.

22. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 21 wherein the mobile device comprises a cellular-enabled communications device.

23. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 21 wherein the mobile device comprises a laptop computer system.