Active/standby operation of a femtocell base station

• US 8,520,634 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2010
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semtech Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sierra Wireless Incorporated
• Inventors: Wu, Huaming
• Primary Examiner(s): Thier, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAILE, FEBEN
• Application Number:
  US12/850,423
• Publication Number:
  US 20120033611A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/329, 370/331, 370/332, 455/422.1, 455/423, 455/424, 455/425, 455/435.1, 455/436, 455/440, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0206 in access points, e.g. base stations access point devices per se H04W88/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for operating a femtocell base station of a wireless communication system. A method of the present invention comprises obtaining a list of designated wireless devices capable of communication with the base station; counting the number of designated wireless devices currently within range of the base station; and switching the base station between an active state and a standby state based on the count. The base station may obtain information for counting wireless devices currently within range by monitoring the wireless environment, and/or by monitoring information received through a network interface.

Claims

1. A method for operating a femtocell base station, the method comprising:

a. obtaining, by the femtocell base station, a list of one or more designated wireless devices capable of wireless communication with the femtocell base station;

b. determining, by the femtocell base station, an operating condition of the femtocell base station, the operating condition indicative of a count of the designated wireless devices which are in a condition for wireless communication with the femtocell base station; and

c. switching, by the femtocell base station, the femtocell base station between an active state and a standby state based on the operating condition, wherein the femtocell base station facilitates communication between one or more wireless devices and a communication network when in the active state, and wherein the standby state corresponds to reduced operation of the femtocell base station compared with the active state,

wherein determining the operating condition comprises paging one or more of the designated wireless devices via one or more cellular base stations other than the femtocell base station, each of the one or more designated wireless devices configured to respond to said paging by providing an indication of location for provision to the femtocell base station via a network interface of the femtocell base station, and wherein the count of the designated wireless devices which are in the condition for wireless communication with the femtocell base station is based at least in part on said indications of location.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a wireless interface of the femtocell base station is powered down during the standby state, and wherein determining the operating condition during the standby state comprises use of the network interface of the femtocell base station.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the operating condition comprises scanning the wireless environment to determine a count of designated wireless devices within wireless communication range of the femtocell base station.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the operating condition comprises querying a database to determine location information related to one or more designated wireless devices.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the database is stored in memory of the femtocell base station, and wherein the designated wireless devices are configured to transmit messages to the femtocell base station for updating the database.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the operating condition is performed in accordance with a schedule.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the schedule is determined dynamically based at least in part on location information related to the one or more designated wireless devices.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein determining the operating condition is performed during wake-up events, said wake-up events generated in accordance with the schedule, and wherein a scheduled frequency of the wake-up events increases as more of the designated wireless devices are determined to be in locations closer to the femtocell base station, based on the location information.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the operating condition is performed upon receipt of a wake message by the femtocell base station.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein a wireless interface of the femtocell base station is configured to transition to an ON state in response to a wake-up event, wherein the wake-up event is generated in accordance with a dynamic schedule, and wherein the schedule is based at least in part on determined distances to the one or more designated wireless devices associated with other base stations.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the femtocell base station is configured to determine the operating condition in response to wake-up events, wherein a time interval between wake-up events is changed dynamically based on feedback related to usage history of the designated wireless devices.

12. A femtocell base station comprising:

a. a wireless interface configured for wireless communication with one or more wireless devices at least when the femtocell base station is in an active state;

b. a network interface coupled to the wireless interface;

the network interface configured for communicative coupling with a communication network; and

c. a control module operatively coupled to one or both of the wireless interface and the network interface, the control module comprising at least one data processor configured to;

i. obtain a list of one or more designated wireless devices capable of wireless communication with the femtocell base station;

ii. determine an operating condition of the femtocell base station, the operating condition indicative of a count of the designated wireless devices which are in a condition for wireless communication with the femtocell base station; and

iii. switch the femtocell base station between the active state and a standby state based on the operating condition, wherein the femtocell base station facilitates communication between one or more wireless devices and the communication network when in the active state, and wherein the standby state corresponds to reduced operation of the femtocell base station compared with the active state,

wherein to determine the operating condition the control module is configured to page one or more of the designated wireless devices via one or more cellular base stations other than the femtocell base station, each of the one or more designated wireless devices configured to respond to said paging by providing an indication of location for provision to the femtocell base station via the network interface, and wherein the count of the designated wireless devices which are in the condition for wireless communication with the femtocell base station is based at least in part on said indications of location.

13. The femtocell base station according to claim 12, wherein the wireless interface is powered down during the standby state, and wherein determining the operating condition during the standby state comprises use of the network interface.

14. The femtocell base station according to claim 12, wherein determining the operating condition comprises scanning, using the wireless interface, the wireless environment to determine a count of designated wireless devices within wireless communication range of the femtocell base station.

15. The femtocell base station according to claim 12, wherein determining the operating condition comprises querying a database to determine location information related to one or more designated wireless devices.

16. The femtocell base station according to claim 15, wherein the database is stored in memory of the femtocell base station, and wherein the designated wireless devices are configured to transmit messages to the femtocell base station for updating the database.

17. The femtocell base station according to claim 12, wherein determining the operating condition is performed in accordance with a schedule.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the schedule is determined dynamically based at least in part on location information related to the one or more designated wireless devices.

19. The femtocell base station according to claim 12, wherein determining the operating condition is performed upon receipt of a wake message by the network interface.

20. A computer program product comprising a memory having computer readable code embodied therein, for execution by at least one CPU, for performing a method for operating a femtocell base station, the method comprising:

a. obtaining a list of one or more designated wireless devices capable of wireless communication with the femtocell base station;

b. determining an operating condition of the femtocell base station, the operating condition indicative of a count of the designated wireless devices which are in a condition for wireless communication with the femtocell base station; and

switching the femtocell base station between an active state and a standby state based on the operating condition, wherein the femtocell base station facilitates communication between one or more wireless devices and a communication network when in the active state, and wherein the standby state corresponds to reduced operation of the femtocell base station compared with the active state;

wherein determining the operating condition comprises paging one or more of the designated wireless devices via one or more cellular base stations other than the femtocell base station, each of the one or more designated wireless devices configured to respond to said paging by providing an indication of location for provision to the femtocell base station via a network interface of the femtocell base station, and wherein the count of the designated wireless devices which are in the condition for wireless communication with the femtocell base station is based at least in part on said indications of location.

21. A method for operating a femtocell base station, the method comprising:

a. obtaining, by the femtocell base station, a list of designated wireless devices capable of wireless communication with the femtocell base station;

b. in response to one of the designated wireless devices joining another base station, transmitting an update message from said one of the designated wireless devices to the femtocell base station, the update message communicated at least in part via the communication network to a network interface of the femtocell base station, the update message comprising an indication of location of said one of the designated wireless devices;

c. determining, by the femtocell base station, an operating condition of the femtocell base station, the operating condition indicative of a count of the designated wireless devices which are in a condition for wireless communication with the femtocell base station, wherein the count is based at least in part on said indication of location; and

d. switching, by the femtocell base station, the femtocell base station between an active state and a standby state based on the operating condition, wherein the femtocell base station facilitates communication between one or more wireless devices and a communication network when in the active state, and wherein the standby state corresponds to reduced operation of the femtocell base station compared with the active state.