Carrier information exchange between base stations

• US 8,427,976 B1
• Filed: 11/30/2012
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ofinno Technology, LLC
• Inventors: Dinan, Esmael Hejazi
• Primary Examiner(s): LIU, JUNG
• Application Number:
  US13/691,720
• Time in Patent Office: 144 Days
• Field of Search: 370/203, 370204-215, 370229-240, 370310-337, 370338-350, 370351-394, 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: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2601 Multicarrier modulation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0005 Control or signalling for completing the hand-off
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0072 of resource information of target access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/06 Reselecting a communication resource in the serving access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal

Abstract

A first base station receives an application protocol message from a second base station. The second base station communicates employing at least one backward compatible carrier and at least one non-backward compatible carrier. The application protocol message comprises a identifier of the second base station, cell identifiers, and information identifying a carrier type. The base station operates a wireless device handover based, at least in part, on information in the second application protocol message.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

a) transmitting, by a first base station, a first message to initiate an association between said first base station and a second base station, said first message comprising a first initiation tag;

b) receiving, by said first base station, a second message from said second base station, said second message comprising;

i) a second verification tag, said second verification tag equal to said first initiation tag;

ii) a second initiation tag;

iii) a first state parameter comprising;

(1) at least one parameter related to operational information of said association; and

(2) a message authentication code generated as a function of a private key;

c) transmitting, by said first base station, at least one third message to said second base station;

said at least one third message comprising;

i) a first verification tag, said first verification tag equal to said second initiation tag; and

ii) a parameter comprising said first state parameter;

d) receiving, by said first base station, at least one fourth message from said second base station, said at least one fourth message comprising;

i) an acknowledgement for the receipt of said parameter; and

ii) a second application protocol message, comprising;

(1) a identifier of said second base station, said second base station comprising a plurality of carriers comprising;

(a) at least one backward compatible carrier; and

(b) at least one non-backward compatible carrier, a first common reference signal overhead of each of said at least one non-backward compatible carrier being substantially lower than a second common reference signal overhead of each of said at least one backward compatible carrier;

(2) at least one mobility management entity group identifier;

(3) a cell identifier for each of said at least one backward compatible carrier; and

(4) information identifying a carrier type for each of said plurality of carriers, said carrier type being one of at least a backward compatible type and a non-backward compatible type; and

e) operating, by said first base station, a wireless device handover employing said association and based, at least in part, on information in said at least one fourth message.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting, by said first base station, said first initiation tag value employing a pseudo-random process.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said first message further comprising a first advertised receiver window credit representing a dedicated buffer space that said first base station reserves for a window of received packets from said second base station.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one third message further comprises said first base station transport address and said second base station transport address.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said second base station places said first initiation tag in a verification tag of every transport layer packet that said second base station transmits to said first base station within said association.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said first state parameter further comprises:

a) a timestamp on when said first state parameter is created; and

b) a lifespan of the first state parameter.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said message authentication code is a function of at least one parameter related to said operational information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said operational information comprises at least one of the following:

a) a parameter in said first message;

b) a parameter in said second message;

c) a state of said association;

d) a configuration parameter of said first base station; and

e) a configuration parameter of said second base station.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said second application protocol message further comprises:

a) a cell identifier for each of said at least one non-backward compatible carrier; and

b) information identifying a corresponding backward compatible carrier for each of said at least one non-backward compatible carrier.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising, transmitting by said first base station a second common reference signal on a pre-configured OFDM resource region of said at least one non-backward compatible carrier.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said second application protocol message further comprises a cell identifier for each of said at least one non-backward compatible carrier.

12. A method comprising:

a) receiving, by a first base station, a second application protocol message from a second base station, said second application protocol message comprising;

i) a identifier of said second base station, said second base station comprising a plurality of carriers comprising;

(1) at least one backward compatible carrier; and

(2) at least one non-backward compatible carrier, a first common reference signal overhead of each of said at least one non-backward compatible carrier being substantially lower than a second common reference signal overhead of each of said at least one backward compatible carrier;

ii) at least one mobility management entity group identifier;

iii) a cell identifier for each of said at least one backward compatible carrier; and

iv) information identifying a carrier type for each of said plurality of carriers, said carrier type being one of at least a backward compatible type and a non-backward compatible type; and

b) operating, by said first base station, a wireless device handover based, at least in part, on information in said second application protocol message.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said second application protocol message further comprises a cell identifier for each of said at least one non-backward compatible carrier.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising broadcasting on said at least one backward compatible carrier, by said first base station, a common cell reference signal, while no common reference signal is transmitted on said at least one non-backward compatible carrier.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising, transmitting by said first base station a second common reference signal in a pre-configured subset of the subframes on said at least one non-backward compatible carrier.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising, transmitting by said first base station a second common reference signal on a pre-configured OFDM resource region of said at least one non-backward compatible carrier.

17. A first base station comprising:

a) one or more communication interfaces;

b) one or more processors; and

c) memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause said first base station to;

i) receive a second application protocol message from a second base station, said second application protocol message comprising;

(1) a identifier of said second base station, said second base station comprising a plurality of carriers comprising;

(a) at least one backward compatible carrier; and

(b) at least one non-backward compatible carrier, a first common reference signal overhead of each of said at least one non-backward compatible carrier being substantially lower than a second common reference signal overhead of each of said at least one backward compatible carrier;

(2) at least one mobility management entity group identifier;

(3) a cell identifier for each of said at least one backward compatible carrier; and

(4) information identifying a carrier type for each of said plurality of carriers, said carrier type being one of a backward compatible type and a non-backward compatible type; and

ii) operate a wireless device handover based, at least in part, on information in said second application protocol message.

18. The first base station of claim 17, wherein said second application protocol message further comprises:

a) a cell identifier for each of said at least one non-backward compatible carrier; and

b) information identifying a corresponding backward compatible carrier for each of said at least one non-backward compatible carrier.

19. The first base station of claim 17, wherein said instructions, when executed, further cause said first base station to transmit a channel state information reference signal on:

a) said at least one non-backward compatible carrier; and

b) said at least one backward compatible carrier.

20. The first base station of claim 17, wherein said instructions, when executed, further cause said first base station to transmit a demodulation reference signal on:

a) said at least one non-backward compatible carrier; and

b) said at least one backward compatible carrier.