Methods and apparatus for selecting femtocell access modes and operational parameters based on the presence of nearby macrocells

• US 9,924,443 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2013
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Tinnakornsrisuphap, Peerapol, Singh, Damanjit, Yavuz, Mehmet, Tokgoz, Yeliz
• Primary Examiner(s): D'Agosta, Steve
• Application Number:
  US13/773,401
• Publication Number:
  US 20130225195A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,853 Days
• Field of Search: 455453
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/06 based on traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for configuring an access mode of a femtocell. The method includes determining whether a target channel is being used by a macrocell. The method includes, in response to the target channel being used by the macrocell, configuring the access mode to a closed access mode. The method includes in response to the target channel not being used by the macrocell, configuring the access mode to an open or hybrid access mode.

Claims

1. A method of selecting an access mode operable by a small-coverage base station deployed in a wireless communications network, the method comprising:

terminating operations in a target channel in response to receiving a command by a provisioning server associated with the small-coverage base station;

receiving information indicative of an operating channel of a macrocell by the small-coverage base station, wherein the information indicative of the operating channel of the macrocell indicates the operating channel of the macrocell in a proximity of the small-coverage base station;

detecting whether the operating channel is the same or different than the target channel of the small-coverage base station by the small-coverage base station, wherein detecting whether the operating channel is the same or different than the target channel further comprises;

receiving, from a user equipment (UE) registered with the small-coverage base station, identification information of the macrocell, on the target channel, or

determining whether a previous location area code of a UE registered with the small-coverage base station is associated with the macrocell;

configuring the access mode to operate in a closed access mode if the operating channel is the same as the target channel by the small-coverage base station;

configuring the access mode to operate in an open or a hybrid access mode in the target channel if that the operating channel is different than the target channel by the small-coverage base station; and

increasing a transmit power for communications on the target channel by the small-coverage base station if that the operating channel is different than the target channel.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, at a subsequent time operating in the target channel in response to receiving a command by a provisioning server,

wherein the command by the provisioning server is received subsequent to a change of the operating channel of the macrocell from the target channel to a different channel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting whether the operating channel is the same or different than the target channel further comprises determining a location of the small-coverage base station.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the location is based on an internet protocol (IP) address associated with the small-coverage base station.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the location is based on global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the small-coverage base station.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the location is based on an installation address of the small-coverage base station.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting whether the operating channel is the same or different than the target channel further comprises monitoring the target channel for signals associated with the macrocell.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after detecting that the operating channel is the same as the target channel, detecting that the operating channel is different than the target channel; and

in response to detecting that the operating channel is different than the target channel, configuring, by the small-coverage base station, the access mode to operate in the open or the hybrid access mode in the target channel.

9. An apparatus for selecting an access mode of a small-coverage base station deployed in a wireless communications network, comprising:

at least one processor of the small-coverage base station configured to;

terminate operations in a target channel in response to receiving a command by a provisioning server associated with the small-coverage base station;

receive information indicative of an operating channel of a macrocell, wherein the information indicative of the operating channel of the macrocell indicates the operating channel of the macrocell in a proximity of the small-coverage base station;

detect whether the operating channel is the same or different than the target channel of the small-coverage base station, wherein to detect whether the operating channel is the same or different than the target channel, the at least one processor of the small-coverage base station is further configured to;

receiving, from a user equipment (UE) registered with the small-coverage base station, identification information of the macrocell, on the target channel, or

determining whether a previous location area code of a UE registered with the small-coverage base station is associated with the macrocell;

configure the access mode to operate in a closed access mode, if the operating channel is the same as the target channel;

configure the access mode to operate in an open or a hybrid access mode in the target channel, if the operating channel is different than the target channel; and

increase a transmit power for communications on the target channel by the small-coverage base station if the operating channel is different than the target channel in the proximity of the small-coverage base station; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor for storing data.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein, when the at least one processor detects whether the operating channel is the same or different than the target channel, the at least one processor is further configured to determine a location of the small-coverage base station.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the location is based on an internet protocol (IP) address associated with the small-coverage base station.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the location is based on global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the small-coverage base station.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the location is based on an installation address of the small-coverage base station.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein, when the at least one processor detects whether the operating channel is the same or different than the target channel, the at least one processor is further configured to monitor the target channel for signals associated with the macrocell.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the small-coverage base station comprises a femtocell or a picocell.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

after detecting that the operating channel is the same as the target channel, detect that the operating channel is different than the target channel; and

in response to detecting that the operating channel is different than the target channel, configure the access mode to operate in the open or the hybrid access mode in the target channel.

17. An apparatus for selecting an access mode of a small-coverage base station deployed in a wireless communications network, the apparatus comprising:

means for terminating operations in a target channel in response to receiving a command by a provisioning server associated with the small-coverage base station;

means for receiving information indicative of an operating channel of a macrocell by the small-coverage base station, wherein the information indicative of the operating channel of the macrocell indicates the operating channel of the macrocell in a proximity of the small-coverage base station;

means for detecting whether the operating channel is the same or different than the target channel of the small-coverage base station by the small-coverage base station, wherein the means for detecting whether the operating channel is the same or different than the target channel further comprises;

means for receiving, from a user equipment (UE) registered with the small-coverage base station, identification information of the macrocell, on the target channel, or

means for determining whether a previous location area code of a UE registered with the small-coverage base station is associated with the macrocell;

means for configuring the access mode to operate in a closed access mode, if the operating channel is the same as the target channel by the small-coverage base station;

means for configuring the access mode to operate in an open or a hybrid access mode, if the operating channel is different than the target channel by the small-coverage base station; and

means for increasing a transmit power for communications on the target channel if the operating channel is different than the target channel.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the means for detecting further comprises means for determining a location of the small-coverage base station.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the location is based on an internet protocol (IP) address associated with the small-coverage base station.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the location is based on global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the small-coverage base station.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the location is based on an installation address of the small-coverage base station.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the means for detecting further comprise means for monitoring the target channel for signals associated with the macrocell.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code for causing a processor of a small-coverage base station to:

terminate operations in a target channel in response to receiving a command by a provisioning server associated with the small-coverage base station;

receive information indicative of an operating channel of a macrocell by a small coverage base station, wherein the information indicative of the operating channel of the macrocell indicates the operating channel of the macrocell in a proximity of the small-coverage base station;

detect whether the operating channel is the same or different than the target channel of the small-coverage base station, wherein, when the code causes the processor to detect whether the operating channel is the same or different than the target channel, the code further causes the processor to receive, from a user equipment (UE) registered with the small-coverage base station, identification information of the macrocell on the target channel, or to determine whether a previous location area code of a UE registered with the small-coverage base station is associated with the macrocell;

configure the access mode to operate in a closed access mode, if the operating channel is the same as the target channel;

configure, by the small-coverage base station, the access mode to operate in an open or a hybrid access mode in the target channel, if the macrocell does not operate in the target in the proximity of the small-coverage base station by the small-coverage base station; and

increase a transmit power for communications on the target channel by the small-coverage base station if the operating channel is different than the target channel.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the information indicative of the operating channel is received from a user equipment (UE) registered with the small-coverage base station and includes identification information of the macrocell, and wherein, when the code causes the processor to detect whether the operating channel is the same or different than the target channel, the code further causes the processor to:

determine a location of the small-coverage base station based on an installation address of the small-coverage base station;

determine, based on the identification information, that a previous location associated with the UE registered with the small-coverage base station is associated with the macrocell; and

detect that the operating channel is the same or different than the target channel of the small-coverage base station based on the determined location of small-coverage base station and the previous location.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the location is further determined based on an internet protocol (IP) address associated with the small-coverage base station.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the location is further determined based on global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the small-coverage base station.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein, when the code causes the processor to detect whether the operating channel is the same or different than the target channel, the code further causes the processor to monitor the target channel for signals associated with the macrocell.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein, when the code causes the processor to detect whether the operating channel is the same or different than the target channel, the code further causes the processor to determine whether a previous location area code of a UE registered with the small-coverage base station is associated with the macrocell.