ACQUIRING TIME SYNCHRONIZATION AND LOCATION INFORMATION WITH A FEMTOCELL

• US 20090298515A1
• Filed: 05/11/2009
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IPCOMM LLC, LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation), Via Telecom Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: IPCOMM LLC, Via Telecom Inc. (VIA Technologies)
• Inventors: WEI, PAUL CHUN-HSIUNG, CZAJA, STANISLAW
• Granted Patent: US 8,937,936 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.5
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 7/041 using special codes as synchronising signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

A method for acquiring time synchronization and location information with a Femtocell includes an access point base station conveying an activation request to a service provider through a wired connection, where the service provider provides wireless communication in a macro area, and where the access point base station provides wireless communication in a local area. The method also includes the access point base station performing a first plurality of procedures to acquire a time synchronization and a second plurality of procedures to acquire a location of the access point base station.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

conveying an activation request from an access point base station to a service provider through a wired connection, wherein the service provider provides wireless communication in a macro area, wherein the access point base station provides wireless communication in a local area;

performing a first plurality of procedures to acquire a time synchronization;

performing a second plurality of procedures to acquire a location of the access point base station; and

conveying the acquired location to the service provider.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the access point base station is a femtocell, and wherein the access point base station performs some of the first and second pluralities of procedures in parallel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the first plurality of procedures is included in the second plurality of procedures.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the second plurality of procedures includes:

acquiring an initial location; and

in response to the initial location, acquiring a specific location using some of the second plurality of procedures.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information from the service provider, wherein the received information is determined based on at least the acquired location.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the received information includes a base station identifier.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the received information includes one or more power parameters.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the received information includes an assigned pseudorandom number (PN) offset or an assigned scrambling code.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the second plurality of procedures employs a global positioning system (GPS), a highly detectable pilot (HDP), or a position determination entity (PDE) request.

10. A femtocell, comprising:

at least one wireless port for providing bi-directional communication with one or more access terminals, wherein the at least one wireless port is usable in providing wireless communication in a local area;

a first port for providing bi-directional communication with a service provider over an IP network;

a processor coupled to the at least one wireless port and the first port;

a memory medium coupled to the processor, wherein the memory medium comprises program instructions executable to;

convey an activation request to a service provider through a wired connection;

perform a first plurality of procedures to acquire a time synchronization;

perform a second plurality of procedures to acquire a location of the access point base station; and

convey the acquired location to the service provider.

11. The femtocell of claim 10, wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform the first and second pluralities of procedures in parallel.

12. The femtocell of claim 10, wherein one of the first plurality of procedures is included in the second plurality of procedures.

13. The femtocell of claim 10, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

acquire an initial locations; and

in response to the initial location, acquire a specific location using some of the second plurality of procedures.

14. The femtocell of claim 10, wherein the program instructions are further executable to receive information from the service provider, wherein the received information is determined based on at least the acquired location.

15. The femtocell of claim 14, wherein the received information includes an assigned pseudorandom number (PN) offset or an assigned scrambling code

16. The femtocell of claim 10, wherein one or more of the second plurality of procedures employs a global positioning system (GPS), a highly detectable pilot (HDP), or a position determination entity (PDE) request.

17. A method comprising:

receiving an activation request from an access point base station to a service provider through a wired connection, wherein the service provider provides wireless communication in a macro area, the access point base station provides wireless communication in a local area; and

receiving a location of the access point base station, wherein the access point base station performs a first plurality of procedures to acquire a time synchronization and a second plurality of procedures to acquire the received location.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the service provider assigning a pseudorandom number (PN) offset or a scrambling code to the access point base station based on at least the received location.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising the service provider assigning a base station identifier to the access point base station based on at least the received location.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising the service provider conveying a list of neighboring macro base stations to the access point base station.