Overlay cell type mobile communication system

• US 5,920,819 A
• Filed: 02/26/1997
• Issued: 07/06/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Mobile Communications Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Asanuma, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): APPIAH, CHARLES NANA
• Application Number:
  US08/806,196
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• Field of Search: 455/444, 455/450, 455/451, 455/454, 455/426, 455/63, 455/62, 455/520, 455/103, 455/104, 455/447, 370/330, 370/321, 370/478, 370/436
• US Class Current: 455/447
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/10 Dynamic resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/32 Hierarchical cell structures

Abstract

When a channel for micro cell is assigned to a mobile station PS1 of a micro cell, one carrier frequency whose reception level is lower than a threshold level is selected from a plurality of up carrier frequencies and down carrier frequencies which a macro cell system holds, an up channel and a down channel for micro cell are set on the selected carrier frequency, the above channels are assigned to the mobile station PS1 of the micro cell to permit radio communication based on the TDD scheme between the mobile station PS1 and a micro cell base station BSb1.

Claims

1. An overlay cell type mobile communication system comprising:

a macro cell system for forming at least one macro cell having a first diameter in a service area and selecting two carrier frequencies from a plurality of carrier frequencies in the macro cell to perform radio communication based on an FDD scheme; and

a micro cell system for forming and laying a plurality of micro cells having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter of the macro cell on the macro cell;

wherein said micro cell system includes;

carrier selecting means for selecting one carrier frequency from said plurality of carrier frequencies which said macro cell system holds;

channel setting means for setting at least one up channel and down channel for micro cell on the selected carrier frequency; and

means for performing bidirectional radio communication by use of the set up channel and down channels; and

wherein said carrier selecting means includes;

means for dividing said plurality of carrier frequencies which said macro cell system holds into a carrier frequency group for up communication and a carrier frequency group for down communication;

first searching means for selecting one of the carrier frequency groups and searching for a carrier frequency which satisfies a preset condition from a plurality of carrier frequencies included in the selected carrier frequency group; and

second searching means for selecting the other of the carrier freguency groups when a carrier frequency which satisfies the preset condition is not detected by said first searching means and searching for a carrier frequency which satisfies the preset condition from a plurality of carrier frequencies included in the selected carrier frequency group.

2. An overlay cell type mobile communication system according to claim 1, wherein said carrier selecting means sequentially selects each of a plurality of carrier frequencies, measures the reception level thereof, and detects a carrier frequency whose reception level is first determined to be lower than a preset level based on the above measurement.

3. An overlay cell type mobile communication system according to claim 1, wherein said carrier selecting means selects each of a plurality of carrier frequencies at random, measures the reception level thereof, and detects a carrier frequency whose reception level is first determined to be lower than a preset level based on the above measurement.

4. An overlay cell type mobile communication system according to claim 1, wherein said carrier selecting means measures the reception levels of all of the plurality of carrier frequencies, and selects a carrier frequency having a reception level lower than a preset level as the carrier frequency for micro cell from all of the carrier frequencies based on the result of measurement.

5. An overlay cell type mobile communication system according to claim 1, wherein said carrier selecting means selects a desired pair from plural pairs of up carrier frequencies and down carrier frequencies which said macro cell system holds, measures the reception levels of the up carrier frequency and down carrier frequency of the selected pair, and selects one of the up carrier frequency and down carrier frequency whose reception level is lower than a preset level and is lower than the other as the carrier frequency for micro cell.

6. An overlay cell type mobile communication system according to claim 1, wherein said carrier selecting means measures the reception level of each of the carrier frequencies for a preset period of time and selects a carrier frequency having the average value of the reception level which is obtained by the measurement and is lower than a preset level.

7. An overlay cell type mobile communication system according to claim 1, wherein said carrier selecting means selects a plurality of carrier frequencies which satisfy a preset condition from said plurality of carrier frequencies which said macro cell system holds, supplies one of the plurality of selected carrier frequencies to said channel setting means, and stores the remaining carrier frequencies which are not selected into a memory.

8. An overlay cell type mobile communication system according to claim 7, wherein said carrier selecting means determines whether or not the remaining carrier frequency is stored in said memory when a channel setting request is performed and supplies one of the stored carrier frequencies to said channel setting means.

9. An overlay cell type mobile communication system according to claim 8, wherein said carrier selecting means determines whether or not the carrier frequency read out from said memory holds a preset condition and supplies the carrier frequency to said channel setting means.

10. An overlay cell type mobile communication system according to claim 1, wherein said carrier selecting means selects a group of down carrier frequencies by use of said first searching means to search for a carrier frequency which satisfies a preset condition and if the selecting means do not search a carrier frequency which satisfies a preset condition selects a group of up carrier frequencies by use of said second searching means to search for a carrier frequency which satisfies a preset condition.

11. An overlay cell type mobile communication system according to claim 1, wherein said carrier selecting means selects a desired pair of up carrier frequency and down carrier frequency from plural pairs of up carrier frequencies and down carrier frequencies which said macro cell system holds, measures the reception levels of the up carrier frequency and down carrier frequency of the selected pair, determines whether or not the measured value of the reception level is lower than a preset level, and selects the down carrier frequency as the carrier frequency for micro cell when both of the measured value of the reception level of the up carrier frequency and the measured value of the reception level of the down carrier frequency are lower than the preset level.

12. A radio telecommunication apparatus for use in a first radio system, wherein the first radio system encompasses a plurality of first areas each having a first base unit which communicates with the radio telecommunication apparatus, the first areas covered by a second area in a second radio system, the radio telecommunication apparatus comprising:

selecting means for selecting one of frequencies used in the second radio system;

setting means for setting a forward and a backward channels in the selected frequency in a time divisional manner; and

communicating means for communicating with the first base unit over the set forward and backward channels; and

wherein said selecting means includes means for dividing said plurality of frequencies which said second radio system holds into a frequency group for forward communication and a frequency group for backward communication;

first searching means for selecting one of the frequency groups and searching for frequency which satisfies a preset condition from a plurality of frequencies included in the selected frequency group; and

second searching means for selecting the other of the frequency groups when a frequency which satisfies the preset condition is not detected by said first searching means and searching for a frequency which satisfies the preset condition from a plurality of frequencies included in the selected frequency group.

13. A radio telecommunication apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said selecting means selects a group of backward frequencies by use of said first searching means to search for a frequency which satisfies a preset condition and if the selecting means do not search a carrier frequency which satisfies a preset condition selects a group of forward frequencies by use of said second searching means to search for a frequency which satisfies a preset condition.

14. A radio telecommunication apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said selecting means selects a desired pair of forward frequency and backward frequency from plural pairs of forward frequencies and backward frequencies which said second radio system holds, measures the reception levels of the forward frequency and backward frequency of the selected pair, determines whether or not the measured value of the reception level is lower than a preset level, and selects the backward frequency as the frequency for first area when both of the measured value of the reception level of the forward frequency and the measured value of the reception level of the backward frequency are lower than the preset level.