Wireless communication systems with femto nodes

• US 8,634,438 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2009
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Nanda, Sanjiv, Yavuz, Mehmet, Walton, J. Rodney, Black, Peter J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hamza, Faruk
• Assistant Examiner(s): LO, DIANE LEE
• Application Number:
  US12/625,061
• Publication Number:
  US 20100135234A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,519 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/500
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/04 Reselecting a cell layer in multi-layered cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

Systems and methods for performing a handoff of an access terminal from a macro node to a femto node are disclosed. To direct handoff of the access terminal, an identity of the femto node is determined. A femto node provided may be identified by at least a difference between the offset of a first pilot signal and the offset of a second pilot signal.

Claims

1. A wireless communication apparatus operative in a communication network, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive at least one message indicative of a plurality of different pilot signals from a communication device,

wherein a first pilot signal received from the communication device comprises a first offset applied to a code, a second pilot signal received from the communication device comprises a second offset applied to the code, and

wherein a combination of the first pilot signal received from the communication device, the second pilot signal received from the communication device, and a difference between the first offset of the first pilot signal and the second offset of the second pilot signal received from the communication device, acts as an identifier of the communication device; and

a transmitter configured to transmit an instruction to another communication device, the instruction instructing the other communication device to communicate with the communication device, wherein the transmitter transmits the instruction in response to the received at least one message.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the code comprises a pseudo noise short code.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the pseudo noise short code comprises a code or sequence of numbers that identifies the communication device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a processor configured to assign the first pilot signal and the second pilot signal to the communication device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of different pilot signals correspond to different pseudo noise short code offsets.

6. A wireless communication apparatus operative in a communication network, the apparatus comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit a plurality of different pilot signals from a communication device,

wherein a first pilot signal transmitted from the communication device comprises a first offset applied to a code, a second pilot signal transmitted from the communication device comprises a second offset applied to the code, and

wherein a combination of the first pilot signal transmitted from the communication device, the second pilot signal transmitted from the communication device, and a difference between the first offset of the first pilot signal and the second offset of the second pilot signal transmitted from the communication device, acts as an identifier of the communication device; and

a processor coupled to the transmitter, the processor being configured to direct the transmitter to transmit the plurality of different pilot signals.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the code comprises a pseudo noise short code.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit the plurality of different pilot signals concurrently.

9. A method for communicating in a communication network, the method comprising:

receiving at least one message indicative of a plurality of different pilot signals from a communication device,

wherein a first pilot signal received from the communication device comprises a first offset applied to a code, a second pilot signal received from the communication device comprises a second offset applied to the code, and

wherein a combination of the first pilot signal received from the communication device, the second pilot signal received from the communication device, and a difference between the first offset of the first pilot signal and the second offset of the second pilot signal received from the communication device, acts as an identifier of the communication device; and

transmitting an instruction to another communication device, the instruction instructing the other communication device to communicate with the communication device, wherein the instruction is transmitted in response to the received at least one message.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the code comprises a pseudo noise short code.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising assigning the first pilot signal and the second pilot signal to the communication device.

12. A method for communicating in a communication network, the method comprising:

transmitting a plurality of different pilot signals from a wireless communication apparatus,

wherein a first pilot signal transmitted from the wireless communication apparatus comprises a first offset applied to a code, a second pilot signal transmitted from the wireless communication apparatus comprises a second offset applied to the code, and

wherein a combination of the first pilot signal transmitted from the wireless communication apparatus, the second pilot signal transmitted from the wireless communication apparatus, and a difference between the first offset of the first pilot signal and the second offset of the second pilot signal transmitted from the wireless communication apparatus, acts as an identifier of the wireless communication apparatus; and

directing the transmitting of the plurality of different pilot signals.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the code comprises a pseudo noise short code.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising transmitting the plurality of different pilot signals concurrently.

15. A wireless communication apparatus operative in a communication network, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving at least one message indicative of a plurality of different pilot signals from a communication device,

wherein a first pilot signal received from the communication device comprises a first offset applied to a code, a second pilot signal received from the communication device comprises a second offset applied to the code, and

wherein a combination of the first pilot signal received from the communication device, the second pilot signal received from the communication device, and a difference between the first offset of the first pilot signal and the second offset of the second pilot signal received from the communication device, acts as an identifier of the communication device; and

means for transmitting an instruction to another communication device, the instruction instructing the other communication device to communicate with the communication device, wherein the means for transmitting transmits the instruction in response to the received at least one message.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the code comprises a pseudo noise short code.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising means for assigning the first pilot signal and the second pilot signal to the communication device.

18. A wireless communication apparatus operative in a communication network, the apparatus comprising:

means for transmitting a plurality of different pilot signals from a communication device,

wherein a first pilot signal transmitted from the communication device comprises a first offset applied to a code, a second pilot signal transmitted from the communication device comprises a second offset applied to the code, and

wherein a combination of the first pilot signal transmitted from the communication device, the second pilot signal transmitted from the communication device, and a difference between the first offset of the first pilot signal and the second offset of the second pilot signal transmitted from the communication device, acts as an identifier of the communication device; and

means for directing the means for transmitting to transmit the plurality of different pilot signals.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the code comprises a pseudo noise short code.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the means for transmitting is further configured to transmit the plurality of different pilot signals concurrently.

21. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium including program code stored thereon, the program code comprising:

code for causing a computer to receive at least one message indicative of a plurality of different pilot signals from a communication device,

wherein a first pilot signal received from the communication device comprises a first offset applied to a code, a second pilot signal received from the communication device comprises a second offset applied to the code, and

wherein a combination of the first pilot signal received from the communication device, the second pilot signal received from the communication device, and a difference between the first offset of the first pilot signal and the second offset of the second pilot signal received from the communication device, acts as an identifier of the communication device; and

code for causing the computer to transmit an instruction to another communication device, the instruction instructing the other communication device to communicate with the communication device, wherein the instruction is transmitted in response to the received at least one message.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the code comprises a pseudo noise short code.

23. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises code for causing the computer to assign the first pilot signal and the second pilot signal to the communication device.

24. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium including program code stored thereon, the program code comprising:

code for causing a computer to transmit a plurality of different pilot signals from a wireless communication apparatus,

wherein a first pilot signal transmitted from the wireless communication apparatus comprises a first offset applied to a code, a second pilot signal transmitted from the wireless communication apparatus comprises a second offset applied to the code, and

wherein a combination of the first pilot signal transmitted from the wireless communication apparatus, the second pilot signal transmitted from the wireless communication apparatus, and a difference between the first offset of the first pilot signal and the second offset of the second pilot signal transmitted from the wireless communication apparatus, acts as an identifier of the wireless communication apparatus; and

code for causing the computer to direct a transmission of the plurality of different pilot signals.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein the code comprises a pseudo noise short code.

26. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises code for causing the computer to transmit the plurality of different pilot signals substantially concurrently.

27. At least one processor for communication comprising:

a first module, comprising hardware, for receiving at least one message indicative of a plurality of different pilot signals from a communication device,

wherein a first pilot signal received from the communication device comprises a first offset applied to a code, a second pilot signal received from the communication device comprises a second offset applied to the code, and

wherein a combination of the first pilot signal received from the communication device, the second pilot signal received from the communication device, and a difference between the first offset of the first pilot signal and the second offset of the second pilot signal received from the communication device, acts as an identifier of the communication device; and

a second module for transmitting an instruction to another communication device, the instruction instructing the other communication device to communicate with the communication device, wherein the instruction is transmitted in response to the received at least one message.

28. At least one processor for communication comprising:

a first module, comprising hardware, for transmitting a plurality of different pilot signals from a wireless communication apparatus,

wherein a first pilot signal transmitted from the wireless communication apparatus comprises a first offset applied to a code, a second pilot signal transmitted from the wireless communication apparatus comprises a second offset applied to the code, and

wherein a combination of the first pilot signal transmitted from the wireless communication apparatus, the second pilot signal transmitted from the wireless communication apparatus, and a difference between the first offset of the first pilot signal and the second offset of the second pilot signal transmitted from the wireless communication apparatus, acts as an identifier of the wireless communication apparatus; and

a second module for directing the transmitting of the plurality of different pilot signals.