System and method for providing extending femtocell coverage

• US 9,826,457 B1
• Filed: 12/29/2015
• Issued: 11/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philips North America LLC (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Open Invention Network LLC
• Inventors: Osborn, Christopher Martin Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Htun, San
• Application Number:
  US14/982,686
• Time in Patent Office: 693 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/24 Reselection being triggered by specific parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

Femtocell coverage can be extended across a coverage area by providing a cluster of femtocell access points (FAPs). Each FAP is independently registered with a core network and provisioned with a location area code common to each FAP. At hand-in from the macrocell network, an association is made between the mobile station and the hand-in FAP, which becomes an anchor FAP for the duration of the mobile station'"'"'s presence within the cluster. Calls between the mobile station and the core network are routed via a servicing FAP of the cluster and the anchor FAP.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing, via a plurality of access points, radio network access to at least one mobile station;

communicating, via the plurality of access points, with a core network;

wherein at least one of the plurality of access points is configured to;

register the mobile station at an access point with the core network, the access point defining an anchor access point for the respective mobile station;

defining a cluster of the plurality of access points; and

configuring the plurality of cluster access points to;

establish a communication path between the mobile station and the core network via the anchor access point, the communication path comprising a link between the anchor access point and the access point of the cluster that is servicing the mobile station when a communication requirement exists.

2. The method according to claim 1 comprising maintaining the registration of a mobile station with its respective anchor access point during mobility of the mobile station throughout the plurality of coverage areas of the access points of the cluster.

3. The method according to claim 1 comprising configuring the plurality of access points of the cluster for peer to peer communication through a local area IP network, wherein establishing a communication between the mobile station and the core network comprises establishing a communication between a servicing access point and the anchor access point on the local area IP network.

4. The method according to claim 3 comprising providing one or more configuration parameters of the cluster to a first access point and distributing the one or more configuration parameters from the first access point to the access points of the cluster on the local area IP network.

5. The method according to claim 1 comprising configuring each access point of the cluster with a common location area code.

6. The method according to claim 1 comprising:

associating a mobile station that is registered with a first access point with a second access point; and

indicating to the core network that the mobile station is associated with the second access point.

7. The method according to claim 1 comprising:

providing a measurement request to a mobile station within at least one of the coverage areas;

receiving a measurement response from the mobile station at at least one access point; and

configuring at least one handoff parameter for the at least one access point dependent on the measurement response.

8. The method according to claim 1 comprising storing an association between the mobile station and the anchor access point within the network.

9. The method according to claim 1 comprising configuring each access point of the cluster for peer to peer communication with at least one other access point of the cluster.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the communication path is established between the mobile station and the core network via the anchor access point irrespective of an access point of the cluster that is servicing the mobile station.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein radio network access is provided via an air interface to the at least one mobile station.

12. The method according to claim 1 wherein the at least one of the plurality of access points is configured to perform a hand-in of the mobile station from the macrocell network.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the hand-in of the mobile station from the macrocell network comprises the registering of the mobile station at the hand-in access point with the core network.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the hand-in access point defines the anchor access point for the respective mobile station.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein each access point of the cluster is independently registered with the core network.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the anchor point for the at least one mobile station is identified when a communication requirement between the core network and the mobile station exists.

17. A system, comprising:

a plurality of physical access points defining a cluster of physical access points, each access point comprising a common location area code and configured to;

provide radio network access to at least one mobile station;

communicate with a core network;

at least one of the access points of the cluster being configured to perform;

associating the mobile station and an access point of the cluster, the associated access point defining a physical anchor access point for a mobile station of the at least one mobile station;

determine a communication requirement for the mobile station; and

establish a communication path between the mobile station and the core network via the anchor access point, the communication path comprising a link between the anchor access point and a servicing access point of the plurality of cluster access points that is currently servicing the mobile station when the communication requirement exists.

18. The system according to claim 17 wherein at least one of the cluster access points is configured to perform at least one of:

provide an anchor access point for the mobile station;

receive a communication request to the mobile station from the core network;

page the mobile station across the access points of cluster;

identify a servicing access point of the access points of the cluster that is able to service the mobile station;

establish one or more legs between the anchor access point and the servicing access point.

19. The system according to claim 17 wherein at least one of the cluster access points is configured to perform at least one of:

receive a communication request from the mobile station, thereby defining the access point as a servicing access point;

communicate with one or more access points of the cluster to identify the anchor access point for the mobile station;

establish one or more legs between the servicing access point and the anchor access point;

determine a handoff requirement during communication between the mobile station and the core network; and

perform a handoff comprising;

identifying a handoff access point of the cluster;

hand off the communication to the handoff access point;

wherein the handoff access point is configured to;

establish one or more legs between the handoff access point and the anchor access point; and

continue the communication on a communication path comprising the handoff access point and the anchor access point.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when read by a processor, cause the processor to perform:

providing, via a plurality of access points, radio network access to at least one mobile station;

communicating, via the plurality of access points, with a core network;

wherein at least one of the plurality of access points is configured to;

register the mobile station at an access point with the core network, the access point defining an anchor access point for the respective mobile station;

defining a cluster of the plurality of access points; and

configuring the plurality of cluster access points to;

establish a communication path between the mobile station and the core network via the anchor access point, the communication path comprising a link between the anchor access point and the access point of the cluster that is servicing the mobile station when a communication requirement exists.