Acquiring time synchronization and location information with a femtocell

• US 8,937,936 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2009
• Issued: 01/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IPCOMM LLC, LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation), Via Telecom Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Via Telecom Inc. (VIA Technologies)
• Inventors: Czaja, Stanislaw, Wei, Paul Chun-Hsiung, Kim, Sang Gook, Sun, Li-Hsiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Chirag
• Assistant Examiner(s): Esmaeilian, Majid
• Application Number:
  US12/463,798
• Publication Number:
  US 20090298515A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,080 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.5, 370/350
• US Class Current: 370/350
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 7/041 using special codes as synchronising signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

A method for acquiring time synchronization and location information with a Femtocell includes an access point base station conveying an activation request to a service provider through a wired connection, where the service provider provides wireless communication in a macro area, and where the access point base station provides wireless communication in a local area. The method also includes the access point base station performing a first plurality of procedures to acquire a time synchronization and a second plurality of procedures to acquire a location of the access point base station.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

an access point base station automatically conveying an activation request to a service provider through a wired connection, wherein the service provider provides wireless communication in a macro area, and wherein the access point base station provides wireless communication in a local area, and wherein said automatically conveying is performed without receiving user input requesting transmission of the activation request;

the access point base station performing a first plurality of procedures to acquire a time synchronization, wherein the first plurality of procedures comprises at least employing a CDMA channel and highly detectable pilot protocol, in parallel;

the access point base station performing a second plurality of procedures to acquire a location of the access point base station, wherein the second plurality of procedures comprises at least employing a position determination entity request and the highly detectable pilot protocol, in parallel;

the access point base station conveying the acquired location to the service provider; and

the access point base station initially determining a change in a corresponding wireless network, and reporting the change to the service provider prior to receiving updated operational parameters.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the access point base station is a femtocell, and wherein the access point base station performs some of the first and second pluralities of procedures in parallel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the first plurality of procedures is included in the second plurality of procedures.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the second plurality of procedures includes:

acquiring an initial location; and

in response to the initial location, acquiring a specific location using some of the second plurality of procedures.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information from the service provider, wherein the received information is determined based on at least the acquired location.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the received information includes a base station identifier.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the received information includes one or more power parameters and an assigned pseudorandom number (PN) offset or an assigned scrambling code.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the change in the a corresponding wireless network comprises addition or removal of access point base stations.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second plurality of procedures futher comprises employing global positioning system (GPS).

10. A femtocell, comprising:

at least one wireless port for providing bi-directional communication with one or more access terminals, wherein the at least one wireless port is usable in providing wireless communication in a local area;

a first port for providing bi-directional communication with a service provider over an IP network;

a processor coupled to the at least one wireless port and the first port;

a memory medium coupled to the processor, wherein the memory medium comprises program instructions executable to;

automatically convey an activation request to a service provider through a wired connection, wherein said automatically conveying is performed without receiving user input requesting transmission of the activation request;

perform a first plurality of procedures to acquire a time synchronization, wherein the first plurality of procedures comprises at least employing a CDMA channel and highly detectable pilot protocol, in parallel;

perform a second plurality of procedures to acquire a location of the access point base station, wherein the second plurity of procedures comprises at least employing a position determination entity request and highly detectable pilot protocol, in parallel;

convey the acquired location to the service provider; and

initially determine a change in a corresponding wireless network, and report the change to the service provider prior to receiving updated operational parameters.

11. The femtocell of claim 10, wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform the first and second pluralities of procedures in parallel.

12. The femtocell of claim 10, wherein one of the first plurality of procedures is included in the second plurality of procedures.

13. The femtocell of claim 10, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

acquire an initial location; and

in response to the initial location, acquire a specific location using some of the second plurality of procedures.

14. The femtocell of claim 10, wherein the program instructions are further executable to receive information from the service provider, wherein the received information is determined based on at least the acquired location, and wherein the received information includes an assigned pseudorandom number (PN) offset or an assigned scrambling code.

15. The femtocell of claim 10, wherein the change in the a corresponding wireless network comprises addition or removal of access point base stations.

16. The femtocell of claim 10, wherein the second plurality of procedures futher comprises employing a global positioning system (GPS).

17. A method comprising:

receiving an activation request from an access point base station to a service provider through a wired connection, wherein the service provider provides wireless communication in a macro area, the access point base station provides wireless communication in a local area, and wherein the activation request was automatically transmitted by the access point base station without receiving user input requesting transmission of the activation request;

receiving a location of the access point base station, wherein the access point base station performs a first plurality of procedures to acquire a time synchronization and a second plurality of procedures to acquire the received location, and wherein the first plurality of procedures comprises at least employing a CDMA channel and highly detectable pilot protocol, in parallel and wherein the second pluraity of procedures comprises at least employing a position determination entity request and the highly detectable pilot protocol, in parallel; and

receiving a report from the access point base station indicating a change in a corresponding wireless network, wherein the change is initially determined by the access point base station and is reported prior to the access point base station receiving updated operational parameters.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the service provider assigning a pseudorandom number (PN) offset or a scrambling code to the access point base station based on at least the received location.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising the service provider assigning a base station identifier to the access point base station based on at least the received location.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising the service provider conveying a list of neighboring macro base stations to the access point base station.

21. A method comprising:

an access point base station conveying an activation request from an access point base station to a service provider through a wireless connection, wherein the service provider provides wireless communication in a macro area, and wherein the access point base station provides wireless communication in a local area;

the access point base station performing a first plurality of procedures to acquire a time synchronization, wherein the first plurality of procedures comprises at least employing a CDMA channel and highly detectable pilot protocol, in parallel;

the access point base station performing a second plurality of procedures to acquire a location of the access point base station, wherein the second plurality of procedures comprises at least employing a position determination entity request and the highly detectable pilot protocol, in parallel;

the access point base station conveying the acquired location to the service provider; and

the access point base station initially determining a change in a corresponding wireless network, and reporting the change to the service provider prior to receiving updated operational parameters.

22. A method comprising:

automatically configuring an access point base station without requiring a user to manually configured the access point base station, said automatically configuring comprising;

the access point base station automatically conveying an activation request to a service provider through a wired connection, wherein the service provider provides wireless communication in a macro area, and wherein the access point base station provides wireless communication in a local area;

the access point base station performing a first plurality of procedures to acquire a time synchronization, wherein the first plurality of procedures comprises at least employing a CDMA channel and highly detectable pilot protocol, in parallel;

the access point base station performing a second plurality of procedures to acquire a location of the access point base station, wherein the second plurality of procedures comprises at least employing a position determination entity request and the highly detectable pilot protocol, in parallel; and

the access point base station conveying the acquired location to the service provider.