Methods for supporting multiple operators in a wireless basestation

• US 9,094,953 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2013
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aviat U.S., Inc. (Aviat Networks Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Redline Innovations Group Inc.
• Inventors: Picker, Dan, Vengosh, Ronen, Cohen, Rephael Gur
• Primary Examiner(s): MEHRA, INDER P
• Application Number:
  US13/890,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20130244675A1
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: 455/63.11, 455/63.2, 455/63.3, 455/405, 455/432.1, 455/434, 455/436, 455/437, 455/438, 455/439, 455/442, 455/444, 455/447, 455/448, 455/449, 455/450, 455/451, 455/452.1, 455/452.2, 455/453, 455/560, 455/509, 455/561, 370/252, 370/310.2, 370/328, 370/329, 370/331, 370/332, 370/333, 370/334, 370/338, 450/450, 450/434, 450/448, 450/447, 450/452.1, 450/453, 450/454, 450/552.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/00 Arrangements affording multiple use of the transmission path
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/00 Local resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1215 for collaboration of different radio technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points

Abstract

Methods for a wireless Base Station (BS) capable of simultaneously providing service to subscribers of multiple Operators. Depending upon the particular deployment requirements or equipment capabilities, each Operator may be operating on the same or different frequencies (in which different frequencies may be adjacent, closely separated, or widely separated). The wireless BS will distinguish and logically separate and route the traffic between each subscriber device and its relevant Operator'"'"'s Core Network, potentially supporting different logical or even different physical interfaces between the wireless BS and each Operator.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically generating a plurality of Radio Access Networks (RAN) by a single wireless Base Station (BS), comprising:

determining dynamically a first and a second amounts of wireless Access Spectrum needed by a wireless BS to wirelessly convey data from a first and a second corresponding Core Network data sources;

allocating the first and the second amounts of wireless Access Spectrum, out of a pool of pre-allocated wireless Access Spectrum belonging to the wireless BS, to a first and a second RAN of the wireless BS respectively;

communicating, by the wireless BS, a first and a second data sets with the first and the second Core Network data sources respectively;

conveying, by the wireless BS, to a first and a second sets of wireless Subscriber Stations (SS), the first and the second data sets, over the first and the second RAN respectively; and

wherein the first Core Network data source belongs to a first Operator, the second Core Network data source belongs to a second Operator, the first RAN is associated with an identity of the first Operator, and the second RAN is associated with an identity of the second Operator.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining from time to time the first and the second amounts of wireless Access Spectrum needed by the wireless BS to wirelessly convey the first and second data sets; and

allocating from time to time the first and the second amounts of wireless Access Spectrum.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining the first and the second amounts of wireless Access Spectrum from a first and a second data rates associated with communicating the data sets.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising measuring the first and second data rates.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising querying the first and the second Core Network data sources for the first and the second data rates.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein at some point in time most of the pool of pre-allocated wireless Access Spectrum is allocated as the first amount of wireless Access Spectrum to the first RAN.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein at some point in time most of the pool of pre-allocated wireless Access Spectrum is allocated as the second amount of wireless Access Spectrum to the second RAN.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating the first and the second data sets with the first and the second Core Network data sources using at least one Backhaul link.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one Backhaul link comprises a first network Tunnel connecting the first Core Network data source with the wireless BS and a second network Tunnel connecting the second Core Network data source with the wireless BS.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the wireless BS is an integrated Pico-BS, having the network Tunnels directly connected to the first and second Core Network data sources, and the Pico-BS substantially does not require a dedicated infrastructure to facilitate connectivity with the Core Networks data sources other than the at least one Backhaul link and an IP network comprising the Core Network data sources.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the first data set is communicated over a first Backhaul link, and the second data set is communicated over a second Backhaul link.

12. A method for servicing multiple Operators via a single wireless Base Station (BS) utilizing dynamic allocation of spectrum, comprising:

communicating, by a wireless BS, first and second data sets with a first Core Network data source belonging to a first Operator and a second Core Network data source belonging to a second Operator, respectively, over first and second network Tunnels, respectively;

conveying, by the wireless BS, to a first and a second sets of wireless Subscriber Stations (SS), the first and the second data sets respectively, over a first and a second RAN respectively, utilizing a first amount and a second amount of wireless Access Spectrum respectively;

determining that the first amount of wireless Access Spectrum is not sufficient to convey the first data set; and

increasing the first amount of wireless Access Spectrum at the expense of the second amount of wireless Access Spectrum, thereby making the first amount of wireless Access Spectrum better suited to convey the first data set.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein increasing the first amount of wireless Access Spectrum at the expense of the second amount of wireless Access Spectrum further comprises:

determining a third amount of spectrum that can be reduced from the second amount of wireless Access Spectrum, without substantially impairing the ability of the second amount of wireless Access Spectrum to convey the second data set;

reducing the third amount of spectrum from the second amount of wireless Access Spectrum; and

adding the third amount of spectrum to the first amount of wireless Access Spectrum.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein increasing the first amount of wireless Access Spectrum at the expense of the second amount of wireless Access Spectrum further comprises:

determining a third amount of spectrum to be reduced from the second amount of wireless Access Spectrum and to be added to the first amount of wireless Access Spectrum, such that the third amount of spectrum is operative to substantially equate the ability of the first amount of wireless Access Spectrum to convey the first data set with the ability of the second amount of wireless Access Spectrum to convey the second data set;

reducing the third amount of spectrum from the second amount of wireless Access Spectrum; and

adding the third amount of spectrum to the first amount of wireless Access Spectrum.

15. A method for dynamically generating a plurality of Radio Access Networks (RAN) by a single wireless Base Station (BS), comprising:

determining dynamically a first and a second amounts of wireless Access Spectrum needed by a wireless BS to wirelessly convey data from a first and a second corresponding Core Network data sources;

allocating the first and the second amounts of wireless Access Spectrum, out of a pool of pre-allocated wireless Access Spectrum belonging to the wireless BS, to a first and a second RAN of the wireless BS respectively;

communicating, by the wireless BS, a first and a second data sets with the first and the second Core Network data sources respectively using at least one Backhaul link,

wherein the at least one Backhaul link comprises a first network Tunnel connecting the first Core Network data source with the wireless BS and a second network Tunnel connecting the second Core Network data source with the wireless BS; and

conveying, by the wireless BS, to a first and a second sets of wireless Subscriber Stations (SS), the first and the second data sets, over the first and the second RAN respectively.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the wireless BS is an integrated Pico-BS, having the network Tunnels directly connected to the first and second Core Network data sources, and the Pico-BS substantially does not require a dedicated infrastructure to facilitate connectivity with the Core Networks data sources other than the at least one Backhaul link and an IP network comprising the Core Network data sources.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first data set is communicated over a first Backhaul link, and the second data set is communicated over a second Backhaul link.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein at some point in time most of the pool of pre-allocated wireless Access Spectrum is allocated as the first amount of wireless Access Spectrum to the first RAN.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein at some point in time most of the pool of pre-allocated wireless Access Spectrum is allocated as the second amount of wireless Access Spectrum to the second RAN.

20. A method for dynamically generating a plurality of Radio Access Networks (RAN) by a single wireless Base Station (BS), comprising:

determining dynamically a first and a second amounts of wireless Access Spectrum needed by a wireless BS to wirelessly convey data from a first and a second corresponding Core Network data sources;

allocating the first and the second amounts of wireless Access Spectrum, out of a pool of pre-allocated wireless Access Spectrum belonging to the wireless BS, to a first and a second RAN of the wireless BS respectively;

communicating, by the wireless BS, a first and a second data sets with the first and the second Core Network data sources respectively;

conveying, by the wireless BS, to a first and a second sets of wireless Subscriber Stations (SS), the first and the second data sets, over the first and the second RAN respectively;

determining from time to time the first and the second amounts of wireless Access Spectrum needed by the wireless BS to wirelessly convey the first and second data sets,

said determining performed using a first and a second data rates associated with communicating the data sets, and

said first and second data rates obtained by measuring;

allocating from time to time the first and the second amounts of wireless Access Spectrum.