Incorporation of mesh base stations in a wireless system

• US 9,491,657 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2013
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kim, Byoung-Jo J., Shankaranarayanan, Nemmara K., Saha, Amit Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Daniel, Jr., Willie J
• Application Number:
  US13/970,190
• Publication Number:
  US 20130336297A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,177 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/021 in wireless networks with changing topologies, e.g. ad-hoc networks self-organizing networks H04W84/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/143 Downlink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/343 taking into account loading or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/46 in multi hop networks, e.g. wireless relay networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/27 between access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 between access points

Abstract

Incorporating and operating a mesh base station in a wireless network is described. The mesh base station can utilize common wireless resource allocations as a corresponding wireless base station while transmitting to wireless subscriber stations during the same time period. The mesh base station obtains a data packet from the wireless base station over a backhaul link during a scheduled time period and transmits the data packet to the designated wireless subscriber station during another scheduled time period. The wireless base station and the mesh base station can also receive data packets from wireless subscriber stations during a same time period. A wireless network can be configured with two mesh base stations at an approximate boundary of two adjacent sector coverage areas, where a coverage area is supported by a wireless base station and each mesh base station supports wireless subscriber stations within a coverage radius.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

initiating, by a system comprising a processor, a wireless transmission of first data from a wireless base station device of a wireless coverage area to a mesh base station device of the wireless coverage area during a first transmission period; and

initiating, by the system, concurrent wireless transmissions to respective wireless subscriber devices during a second transmission period following the first transmission period, wherein a first wireless transmission of the concurrent wireless transmissions comprises a first transmission of the first data from the mesh base station device to a first wireless subscriber device of the respective wireless subscriber devices, wherein the first transmission utilizes an assigned frequency, wherein a second wireless transmission of the concurrent wireless transmissions comprises a second transmission of second data that is different than the first data from the wireless base station device to a second wireless subscriber device of the respective wireless subscriber devices, and wherein the second transmission utilizes the assigned frequency.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating, by the system, a determination of a traffic load of the wireless base station device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

in response to initiating a transfer of traffic load data representing the traffic load, initiating, by the system, a change of a transmit power of the mesh base station device based on the traffic load data.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating, by the system, a reception of a set of traffic load data for the wireless base station device; and

initiating, by the system based on the set of traffic load data, a modification of a sensitivity value of the mesh base station device relating to a sensitivity of reception of signals by the mesh base station device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the initiating the concurrent wireless transmissions comprises initiating the first wireless transmission using a code sequence, and initiating the second wireless transmission using the code sequence.

6. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

initiating a first wireless transmission of a first data packet from a first wireless base station device within a wireless coverage region to a first mesh base station device within the wireless coverage region during a first designated transmission period; and

in response to the initiating of the first wireless transmission, initiating concurrent wireless transmissions comprising a second wireless transmission and a third wireless transmission, wherein the second wireless transmission comprises a mesh base station transmission of the first data packet from the first mesh base station device to a first wireless subscriber device according to a defined frequency during a second designated transmission period following the first designated transmission period, and wherein the third wireless transmission comprises a wireless base station transmission of a second data packet from the first wireless base station device to a second wireless subscriber device according to the defined frequency during the second designated transmission period.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the first wireless subscriber device is located in a sector coverage area associated with the first wireless base station device.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the processor further facilitates the execution of the executable instructions to perform operations, comprising:

initiating a first transmission of first data between a second mesh base station device and a second wireless base station device during the first designated transmission period.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the second mesh base station device is positioned with respect to the first mesh base station device within a defined distance from a determined boundary between a first sector coverage area associated with the first wireless base station device and a second sector coverage area associated with the second wireless base station device.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor further facilitates the execution of the executable instructions to perform operations, comprising:

initiating a second transmission of the first data between the second mesh base station device and a third wireless subscriber device during the second designated transmission period utilizing a designated wireless resource allocation.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor further facilitates the execution of the executable instructions to perform operations, comprising:

initiating a third transmission of second data between the second wireless base station device and a fourth wireless subscriber device during the second designated transmission period utilizing the designated wireless resource allocation.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the designated wireless resource allocation comprises a time slot allocation.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the designated wireless resource allocation comprises a code sequence allocation.

17. The system of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining traffic load data.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

sending the traffic load data directed to the mesh base station device for facilitating a change of a transmit power of the mesh base station as a function of the traffic load data.

14. A machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a wireless base station device comprising a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

sending, during a backhaul period within a wireless coverage area, a first wireless signal comprising first data directed to a mesh base station device of the wireless coverage area for facilitating a transmission, by the mesh base station device, of a second wireless signal comprising the first data directed to a first wireless subscriber device during a concurrent transmission period following the backhaul period, wherein the transmission of the second wireless signal utilizes a wireless resource allocation, and wherein the backhaul period is associated with communications corresponding to a backhaul link between the wireless base station device and the mesh base station device; and

in response to the sending of the first wireless signal, sending a third wireless signal comprising second data different than the first data being directed to a second wireless subscriber device during the concurrent transmission period utilizing the wireless resource allocation.

15. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining traffic load data.

16. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

sending the traffic load data directed to the mesh base station device for facilitating a change of a transmit power of the mesh base station device as a function of the traffic load data.

19. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the facilitating the transmission comprises facilitating the transmission, by the mesh base station device, of the second wireless signal using a code sequence, and wherein the sending the third wireless signal comprises sending the third wireless signal using the code sequence.

20. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving traffic load data; and

initiating, based on the traffic load data, a modification of a sensitivity of reception of signals by the mesh base station device.