Method and apparatus for transitioning between cell sites

• US 9,680,220 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2014
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SkyCross Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Achilles Technology Management Co Ii, Inc.
• Inventors: Rabe, Duane, Caimi, Frank M., Montgomery, Mark T., Kishler, Mark W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crutchfield, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US14/338,099
• Publication Number:
  US 20150117415A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 23/02 Arrangements for measuring frequency, e.g. pulse repetition rate; Arrangements for measuring period of current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 25/00 Arrangements for measuring phase angle between a voltage and a current or between voltages or currents
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/0807 characterised by the application
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/10 Radiation diagrams of antennas
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2291 used in bluetooth or WI-FI devices of Wireless Local Area Networks [WLAN] H01Q1/241 takes precedence; WLAN in general H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/50 Structural association of antennas with earthing switches, lead-in devices or lightning protectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/521 reducing the coupling between adjacent antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/10 Resonant slot antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/103 with variable reactance for tuning the antenna tuning resonant circuits H03J
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/00 Antenna arrays or systems arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system H01Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0006 Particular feeding systems
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/12 Parallel arrangements of substantially straight elongated conductive units travelling-wave antennas comprising transmission line loaded with transverse elements H01Q11/02; Yagi antennas H01Q19/30
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/29 Combinations of different interacting antenna units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q25/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/24 varying the orientation by switching energy from one active radiating element to another, e.g. for beam switching
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/34 by electrical means active lenses or reflecting arrays H01Q3/46
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/00 : Arrangements for simultaneous operation of antennas on two or more different wavebands, e.g. dual-band or multi-band arrangements combinations of separate active antenna units operating in different wavebands and connected to a common feeder system H01Q21/30
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/22 : RF wavebands combined with non-RF wavebands, e.g. infrared or optical
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/371 : Branching current paths
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/40 : Imbricated or interleaved structures; Combined or electromagnetically coupled arrangements, e.g. comprising two or more non-connected fed radiating elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/48 : Combinations of two or more dipole type antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/04 : Resonant antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0442 : with particular tuning means
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/145 : by varying the electrical length
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/16 : with feed intermediate between the extremities of the antenna, e.g. centre-fed dipole H01Q9/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/28 : Conical, cylindrical, cage, strip, gauze, or like elements having an extended radiating surface; Elements comprising two conical surfaces having collinear axes and adjacent apices and fed by two-conductor transmission lines waveguide horns or mouths H01Q13/00; slot antennas H01Q13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/30 : with feed to end of elongated active element, e.g. unipole H01Q9/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/40 : Element having extended radiating surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/42 : with folded element, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of the operating wavelength
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/15 : Tuning of resonator by means of digitally controlled inductor bank
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 5/0245 : Discontinuous tuning using an electrical variable impedance element, e.g. a voltage variable reactive diode, in which no corresponding analogue value either exists or is preset, i.e. the tuning information is only available in a digital form microprocessor tuning H03J1/0008
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 5/242 : used exclusively for band selection
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 5/244 : using electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0053 : with common antenna for more than one band
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 : Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/401 : for selecting or indicating operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/024 : Co-operative use of antennas of several sites, e.g. in co-ordinated multipoint or co-operative multiple-input multiple-output [MIMO] systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0404 : the mobile station comprising multiple antennas, e.g. to provide uplink diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 : MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0417 : Feedback systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0608 : Antenna selection according to transmission parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0628 : Diversity capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0632 : Channel quality parameters, e.g. channel quality indicator [CQI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0691 : using subgroups of transmit antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 : Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 : Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/12 : using signalling between network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00692 : using simultaneous multiple data streams, e.g. cooperative multipoint [CoMP], carrier aggregation [CA] or multiple input multiple output [MIMO] allocation of physical resources in CoMP or in CA H04L5/0035
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/085 : involving beams of access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/322 : by location data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 : using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/12 : based on transmission quality or channel quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 : locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 : Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/52 : based on load
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 : using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices

Abstract

A system that incorporates the subject disclosure may include, for example, a circuit for initiating a first multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) communication session with a primary base station, and initiating a second MIMO communication session with a first secondary base station of a plurality of secondary base stations without terminating the first MIMO communication session with the primary base station. The primary base station can include a primary antenna system having a first communication range, while each of the plurality of secondary base stations can include a secondary antenna system having a second communication range that is a subset of the first communication range of the primary antenna system. The plurality of secondary base stations can correspond to a plurality of small cell sites distributed within the first communication range of the primary base station. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

initiating, by a communication device comprising a processor, a first multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) communication session with a primary cell;

receiving, by the communication device, information descriptive of a plurality of secondary cells to enable the communication device to communicate with one or more of the plurality of secondary cells,

wherein the primary cell comprises a primary antenna system having a first communication range,

wherein each of the plurality of secondary cells comprises a secondary antenna system having a second communication range that is a subset of the first communication range of the primary antenna system, and

wherein the plurality of secondary cells are physically distributed to provide communication coverage as cell sites within the first communication range of the primary cell;

initiating, by the communication device, a second MIMO communication session with a first secondary cell of the plurality of secondary cells while the first MIMO communication session with the primary cell is in use;

initiating, by the communication device, a transition to a second secondary cell of the plurality of secondary cells while the first MIMO communication session with the primary cell is in use responsive to detecting a communication condition with the first secondary cell; and

wherein the initiating the transition to the second secondary cell is performed without receiving a directive from the primary cell to initiate the transition to the second secondary cell;

wherein the initiating the transition to the second secondary cell is responsive to instructions received from the second secondary cell.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first MIMO communication session and the second MIMO communication session are simultaneously in use.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication device comprises a plurality of antennas having a reduced radio frequency (RF) signal correlation between antenna ports coupled thereto.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the plurality of antennas are configured to combine common mode currents and differential mode currents resulting in the reduced RF signal correlation between the antenna ports.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the primary cell comprises a macro cell, and wherein the secondary cell comprises a small cell.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the macro cell is utilized for real-time communications, and wherein the small cell is utilized for non-real-time communications.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving instructions from the primary cell directing the communication device to utilize the first secondary cell for non-real-time communications via the second MIMO communication session.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating the transition to the second secondary cell comprises initiating a third MIMO session with the second secondary cell.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the third MIMO session is initiated while the second MIMO session is in use, and wherein the second MIMO session is terminated when an active data communication session in the second MIMO session transitions to the third MIMO session without causing an interruption to the data communication session.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the second MIMO session is terminated causing an active data communication session in the second MIMO session to be interrupted, and wherein the active communication session is reestablished in the third MIMO session.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the second MIMO communication session is initiated with the first secondary cell responsive to receiving instructions from the primary cell.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication device utilizes a plurality of antennas each having a first band and a second band of operation, wherein the first MIMO communication session utilizes the first band, and wherein the second MIMO communication session utilizes the second band.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first MIMO communication session with the primary cell provides the communication device access to a control channel of the primary cell.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication condition comprises a degradation in communications with the first secondary cell.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication condition comprises an out-of-communication range condition with the first secondary cell.