Device beacon for handoff management of handoffs to base stations

• US 8,897,277 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2008
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Kalhan, Amit
• Primary Examiner(s): DOAN, PHUOC HUU
• Application Number:
  US12/267,171
• Publication Number:
  US 20100118841A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,209 Days
• Field of Search: 455/424, 455/561, 455/446, 370/331
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

A detecting base station comprises a device beacon detector that is configured to apply wireless wide area network (WWAN) system timing to receive a device beacon transmitted by a wireless communication device in accordance with the WWAN system timing and outside of a WWAN uplink channel. The detecting base station may include a wireless wide area network (WWAN) interface configured to receive the WWAN system timing from the WWAN.

Claims

1. A transceiver node comprising:

a device beacon detector configured to apply wireless wide area network (WWAN) system timing to receive a device beacon transmitted by a wireless communication device in accordance with the WWAN system timing and outside of a WWAN uplink channel; and

a transmitter configured to transmit a device proximity message to the WWAN that invokes transmission of a search message to the wireless communication device instructing the wireless communication device to adjust a searching scheme for searching for the transceiver node.

2. The transceiver node of claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless wide area network (WWAN) interface configured to receive the WWAN system timing from a WWAN.

3. The transceiver node of claim 2, wherein the device beacon is received within a Bluetooth frequency band.

4. The transceiver node of claim 2, wherein the device beacon is received within a wireless local area network (WLAN) frequency band.

5. The transceiver node of claim 1, wherein the device beacon is transmitted based on system timing information received from a WWAN macrocell base station at the wireless communication device.

6. The transceiver node of claim 5, wherein the transceiver node is a femtocell base station having a femtocell geographical service area smaller than a macrocell geographical service area of the WWAN macrocell base station.

7. The transceiver node of claim 6, wherein femtocell base station is configured to transmit a device proximity message to the WWAN at least indicating that the device beacon has been detected at the femtocell base station.

8. The transceiver node of claim 7, wherein the device beacon invokes transmission of a search message from the WWAN macrocell base station to the wireless communication device, the search message instructing the wireless communication device to adjust a search scheme for finding signals transmitted from an alternate base station.

9. The transceiver node of claim 8, wherein the search message instructs the wireless communication device to search for a signal transmitted from the femtocell base station.

10. The femtocell base station of claim 7, wherein the search message instructs the wireless communication device to adjust a searching scheme for searching for alternate base stations to increase a likelihood of detecting signals transmitted from the femtocell base station.

11. A femtocell base station comprising:

a wireless wide area network (WWAN) interface configured to receive WWAN system timing from a WWAN;

a device beacon detector configured to detect a device beacon transmitted from a wireless communication device receiving the WWAN system timing information from the WWAN and transmitting the device beacon in accordance with the WWAN system timing information and outside a WWAN uplink frequency band; and

a transmitter configured to transmit signals, wherein the WWAN interface is further configured to transmit a device proximity message to the WWAN that invokes transmission of a search message to the wireless communication device instructing the wireless communication device to adjust a searching scheme for searching for the femtocell base station to increase a likelihood of detecting the signals.

12. The femtocell base station of claim 11, wherein the search message is transmitted within a WWAN downlink channel.

13. The femtocell base station of claim 11, the device beacon is transmitted within a WLAN uplink channel.

14. The femtocell base station of claim 11, the device beacon is transmitted within a Bluetooth frequency band.

15. A method comprising:

receiving wireless wide area network (WWAN) timing information from a WWAN;

detecting a device beacon transmitted outside of a WWAN uplink frequency band from a mobile wireless communication device receiving the WWAN system timing information from the WWAN and transmitting the device beacon in accordance with the WWAN system timing information;

transmitting signals; and

transmitting a device proximity message to the WWAN that invokes transmission of a search message to the mobile wireless communication device instructing the mobile wireless communication device to adjust a searching scheme for searching for the signals and to increase a likelihood of detecting the signals.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the detecting the device beacon comprises detecting the device beacon within a wireless local area network (WLAN) frequency band.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the detecting the device beacon comprises detecting the device beacon within a Bluetooth frequency band.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the transmitting signals comprises transmitting WWAN signals within a femtocell geographical service area.