Method and apparatus for supporting communication in pico networks

• US 9,313,666 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2014
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Soliman, Samir S.
• Primary Examiner(s): TAYLOR, NATHAN SCOTT
• Application Number:
  US14/152,361
• Publication Number:
  US 20140126435A1
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/425, 455/426.1, 370/335, 370/331, 370/338
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/105 PBS [Private Base Station] network H04W84/12 - H04W84/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Techniques for extending coverage of a wireless communication network (e.g., a cellular network) to indoor and other locations are described. A wireless device may communicate with a base station in a wireless network via downlink and uplink frequency channels in a licensed frequency band using frequency division duplexing (FDD). The wireless device may communicate with a piconet base station (PBS) in a pico network (piconet) via the uplink frequency channel using time division duplexing (TDD). The PBS may communicate with the wireless device on the uplink frequency channel and may exchange data with the wireless network via a wireline communication link. The PBS may forward data received from the wireless device to the wireless network and may also forward data received from the wireless network for the wireless device to the wireless device. The PBS may receive paging messages from the wireless network for the wireless device and may forward the paging messages to the wireless device.

Claims

1. An apparatus supporting communication for a pico network (piconet), comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor, the at least one processor and the at least one memory being configured to;

receive an assignment of a frequency channel from a wireless communication network, the frequency channel being an assigned uplink frequency channel in a licensed frequency band of the wireless communication network;

receive a paging message for a wireless device from the wireless communication network via a communication link; and

send the paging message received from the wireless communication network to the wireless device on the assigned uplink frequency channel in the licensed frequency band using time division duplexing (TDD).

2. The apparatus of claim 1, the at least one processor and the at least one memory being further configured to send a beacon in a super-frame of a predetermined time duration, the beacon being used by wireless devices to detect the piconet.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, the at least one processor and the at least one memory being furtherer configured to assign time slots to the wireless device and to exchange data with the wireless device in the assigned time slots.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, the at least one processor and the at least one memory being further is configured to grant a request to download data, the request being sent previously by the wireless device to the wireless communication network or the piconet and stored until resources are available in the piconet.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, the at least one processor and the at least one memory being further configured to register the wireless device with the wireless communication network and to receive paging messages for the registered wireless device from the wireless communication network.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, the at least one processor and the at least one memory being further configured to send the received paging message in a beacon.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, the at least one processor and the at least one memory being further is configured to forward data received from the wireless device to the wireless communication network, and to forward data received from the wireless communication network for the wireless device to the wireless device.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, the at least one processor and the at least one memory being further configured to receive an access request from the wireless device and to grant or deny access to the wireless device based on a list of wireless devices allowed access to the piconet.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, the at least one processor and the at least one memory being further configured to direct the wireless device to switch to another frequency channel to mitigate interference.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, the at least one processor and the at least one memory being further configured to direct another wireless device not in the piconet to switch to another frequency channel to mitigate interference.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, the at least one processor and the at least one memory being further configured to send load information on the piconet to the wireless communication network.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, the at least one processor and the at least one memory being further configured to detect for other second base stations in nearby piconets and to send information on detected second base stations to the wireless communication network.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a transceiver comprising a transmit path for sending data to the wireless device and a receive path for receiving data from the wireless device.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an interface unit configured to exchange data with the wireless communication network via a backhaul modem.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is implemented in an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the ASIC is a mobile station modem (MSM) used in the wireless device.

17. A method comprising:

receiving an assignment of a frequency channel from a wireless communication network, the frequency channel being an assigned uplink frequency channel in a licensed frequency band of the wireless communication network;

receiving a paging message for a wireless device from the wireless communication network via a communication link; and

sending the paging message received from the wireless communication network to the wireless device on the assigned uplink frequency channel in the licensed frequency band using time division duplexing (TDD).

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

registering the wireless device with the wireless communication network; and

the receiving of the paging message from the wireless communication network comprising receiving the paging message for the registered wireless device.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

forwarding data received from the wireless device to the wireless communication network; and

forwarding data received from the wireless communication network for the wireless device to the wireless device.

20. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving an assignment of a frequency channel from a wireless communication network, the frequency channel being an assigned uplink frequency channel in a licensed frequency band of the wireless communication network;

means for receiving a paging message for a wireless device from the wireless communication network via a communication link; and

means for sending the paging message received from the wireless communication network to the wireless device on the assigned uplink frequency channel in the licensed frequency band using time division duplexing (TDD).

21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising:

means for registering the wireless device with the wireless communication network; and

means for receiving the paging message comprising means for receiving the paging message for the registered wireless device.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising:

means for forwarding data received from the wireless device to the wireless communication network; and

means for forwarding data received from the wireless communication network for the wireless device to the wireless device.

23. An non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:

code for receiving an assignment of a frequency channel from a wireless communication network, the frequency channel being an assigned uplink frequency channel in a licensed frequency band of the wireless communication network;

code for receiving a paging message for a wireless device from the wireless communication network via a communication link; and

code for sending the paging message received from the wireless communication network to the wireless device on the assigned uplink frequency channel in the licensed frequency band using time division duplexing (TDD).

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23, further comprising:

code for registering the wireless device with the wireless communication network;

the code for receiving the paging message further comprising code for receiving the paging message for the registered wireless device.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23, further comprising:

code for forwarding data received from the wireless device to the wireless communication network; and

code for forwarding data received from the wireless communication network for the wireless device to the wireless device.