Base station synchronization for a single frequency network

• US 8,711,833 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2008
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quarterhill Inc. (f/k/a Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Quarterhill Inc. (f/k/a Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Inventors: Connors, Dennis P., Ju, Huei-Jiun, Govind, Keerthi S., Zahedi, Sina
• Primary Examiner(s): Liu, Jung-Jen
• Application Number:
  US12/104,299
• Publication Number:
  US 20080259905A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,204 Days
• Field of Search: 370/203, 370310-338, 370/395.2, 370/395.3, 370/395.4, 370412-421, 370422-429, 370431-448, 370458-463, 370464-488, 370503-520
• US Class Current: 370/350
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00692 using simultaneous multiple data streams, e.g. cooperative multipoint [CoMP], carrier aggregation [CA] or multiple input multiple output [MIMO] allocation of physical resources in CoMP or in CA H04L5/0035
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/02 Buffering or recovering information during reselection ; Modification of the traffic flow during hand-off

Abstract

Methods, apparatus and systems for generating and synchronizing a macro-diversity region transmitted by base stations in a network includes a receiving module configured to receive a plurality of packets of content data. A controller module coupled to the receiving module and configured to generate a macro-diversity region data that includes at least one packet of the plurality of packets of content data, and to generate a time reference and frame offset information to indicate an offset from the time reference and to further identify a second base station transmission frame that will include the second macro-diversity region data. A communication module to communicate a macro-diversity region message that includes the macro-diversity region data and the macro-diversity region control information to a plurality of base stations, configured to synchronize the transmission of the macro-diversity region data at the plurality of base stations.

Claims

1. A method of broadcasting data from a base station of a wireless communication system comprising a plurality of base stations configured for synchronous transmission, the method comprising:

receiving, at the base station, a macro-diversity region message that includes;

macro-diversity region data having at least one packet of content data,

a time reference, and

a frame offset;

determining a frame from a plurality of frames based on the frame offset and the time reference;

including the macro-diversity region data into the determined frame; and

transmitting, in synchronization with the plurality of base stations, the determined frame including the macro-diversity region data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the base station, an indication of a modulation and coding scheme to be used in transmitting the macro-diversity region data in the determined frame.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving timing information from a global positioning system.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the base station, a symbol offset,

wherein the inserting the macro-diversity region data into the determined frame includes inserting the macro-diversity region data into the determined frame based on the symbol offset.

5. A base station in a network including a plurality of base stations for synchronous macro-diversity transmission, the base station comprising:

a receiving module configured to receive a macro-diversity region message having at least one packet of macro-diversity region data, a time reference, and a frame offset;

a control module configured to determine a frame from a plurality of frames based on the frame offset and the time reference, and to insert the at least one packet of macro-diversity region data into the determined frame; and

a transmitting module configured to transmit, in synchronization with the plurality of base stations, the determined frame including the at least one packet of macro-diversity region data.

6. The base station of claim 5, wherein the receiving module is configured to receive an indication of a modulation and coding scheme associated with the macro-diversity region data, and the transmitting module is configured to transmit the at least one packet of macro-diversity region data in the determined frame according to the indicated modulation and coding scheme.

7. The base station of claim 5, further comprising:

a timing module configured to receive signals from a global positioning system.

8. The base station of claim 5, wherein the receiving module is configured to receive a symbol offset, and the control module is configured to insert the at least one packet of macro-diversity region data into the determined frame based on the symbol offset.

9. A system for synchronous transmission of a macro-diversity region by a plurality of base stations, the system comprising:

a first base station comprising;

a first receiving module configured to receive macro-diversity region data, a time reference, and a frame offset;

a first control module configured to determine a frame from a plurality of frames based on the frame offset and the time reference, and to insert the macro-diversity region data into the determined frame; and

a first transmitting module configured to transmit the determined frame including the macro-diversity region data; and

a second base station comprising;

a second receiving module configured to receive the macro-diversity region data, the time reference, and the frame offset;

a second control module configured to determine a second frame from a plurality of second frames based on the frame offset and the time reference, and to insert the macro-diversity region data into the determined second frame; and

a second transmitting module configured to transmit the determined second frame including the macro-diversity region data.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first and second receiving modules are configured to receive an indication of a modulation and coding scheme to be used by the first base station and second base station in transmitting the macro-diversity region data in the first determined frame and the second determined frame.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the first base station and the second base station each receives timing information from a global positioning system.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the first receiving module of the first base station and the second receiving module of the second base station are each configured to receive a symbol offset, and the first control module of the first base station and the second control module of the second base station are each configured to insert the macro-diversity region data into the determined first frame and the determined second frame, respectively, based on the symbol offset.

13. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a central entity configured to transmit the macro-diversity region data, the time reference, and the frame offset to the first receiving module of the first base station and the second receiving module of the second base station.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the central entity is a macro-diversity region control module.

15. A base station comprising:

a receiving module configured to receive macro-diversity region data, a time reference, and a frame offset;

a control module configured to determine a downlink frame from a plurality of frames based on the frame offset and the time reference, and to insert the macro-diversity region data into the downlink frame; and

a transmitting module configured to transmit the downlink frame including the macro-diversity region data synchronously with a plurality of base stations.

16. The base station of claim 15, wherein the receiving module is configured to receive an indication of a modulation and coding scheme associated with the macro-diversity region data.

17. The base station of claim 15, wherein the control module is further configured to receive timing information from a global positioning system, and to determine the downlink frame from the plurality of frames also on the timing information from the global positioning system.

18. The base station of claim 15, wherein the receiving module is configured to receive a symbol offset, and the control module is further configured to insert the macro-diversity region data into the downlink frame based on the symbol offset.

19. The base station of claim 15, wherein the receiving module is configured to receive the macro-diversity region data, the time reference, and the frame offset from a central entity.

20. The base station of claim 19, wherein the central entity is a macro-diversity region control module.