Cooperative wireless networks

• US 8,750,264 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2009
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Genghiscomm Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Genghiscomm Holdings, LLC
• Inventors: Shatti, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Mesfin, Yemane
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOUDHRY, SAMINA F
• Application Number:
  US12/545,572
• Publication Number:
  US 20090310586A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,754 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0003 Software-defined radio [SDR] systems, i.e. systems wherein components typically implemented in hardware, e.g. filters or modulators/demodulators, are implented using software, e.g. by involving an AD or DA conversion stage such that at least part of the signal processing is performed in the digital domain digital baseband systems H04L25/00; digital modulation/demodulation H04L27/00; CDMA H04B1/707; TDMA H04B7/2643; image transmission H04N5/00
• 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 7/026 Co-operative diversity, e.g. using fixed or mobile stations as relays
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0452 Multi-user MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0456 Selection of precoding matrices or codebooks, e.g. using matrices antenna weighting
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0697 using spatial multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 13/0003 Code application, i.e. aspects relating to how codes are applied to form multiplexed channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 13/004 Orthogonal
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 13/12 Generation of orthogonal codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/01 Equalisers baseband equalizers at the transmitter end H04L25/03343; in analogue transmission systems H04B3/04, H04B7/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/148 using filters, including PLL-type filters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2601 Multicarrier modulation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2602 Signal structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2614 Peak power aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2636 with FFT or DFT modulators, e.g. standard single-carrier frequency-division multiple access [SC-FDMA] transmitter or DFT spread orthogonal frequency division multiplexing [DFT-SOFDM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2646 using feedback from receiver for adjusting OFDM transmission parameters, e.g. transmission timing or guard interval length
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2647 Arrangements specific to the receiver only equalisation H04L27/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/26526 with inverse FFT [IFFT] or inverse DFT [IDFT] demodulators, e.g. standard single-carrier frequency-division multiple access [SC-FDMA] receiver or DFT spread orthogonal frequency division multiplexing [DFT-SOFDM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/26534 Pulse-shaped multi-carrier, i.e. not using rectangular window
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/24 Multipath
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 : Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 : the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0021 : in which codes are applied as a frequency-domain sequences, e.g. MC-CDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0023 : Time-frequency-space
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0035 : Resource allocation in a cooperative multipoint environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0037 : Inter-user or inter-terminal allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0073 : Allocation arrangements that take into account other cell interferences for intercell interference mitigation or co-ordination in orthogonal multiplex systems H04J11/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/046 : the resource being in the space domain, e.g. beams
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 : Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A wireless local area network (WLAN) communicatively couples together a group of mobile wireless terminals configured to operate in a wireless wide area network (WWAN). A network-management operator processes WWAN-control messages used by the mobile wireless terminals and the WWAN. One or more of the mobile wireless terminals may function as the network-management operator.

Claims

1. A communication method, comprising:

sharing at least one WWAN-access parameter in a group of mobile wireless terminals for enabling the group to access a channel in a wireless wide area network (WWAN);

employing a wireless local area network (WLAN) for configuring the group to communicate cooperatively in the channel;

selecting a plurality of the mobile wireless terminals to perform cooperative subspace processing, wherein each of the plurality of the mobile wireless terminals provides an insufficient number of linearly independent combinations of WWAN signals to enable demultiplexing the WWAN signals, wherein the plurality of the mobile wireless terminals provides a vector comprising a plurality of linearly independent combinations of WWAN signals expressed by y=Hx+υ

, where H is a matrix of coefficients, x is a vector comprising the WWAN signals andυ

denotes noise, wherein the plurality of the mobile wireless terminals is selected to provide H with a sufficient rank to enable demultiplexing the WWAN signals; and

generating subspace array processing weights and combining the linearly independent combinations of WWAN signals for demultiplexing the WWAN signals.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the mobile wireless terminals functions as both a WLAN controller and a WWAN network-management operator.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the mobile wireless terminals functions as a WWAN network-management operator for at least one other wireless terminal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the mobile wireless terminals functions as its own WWAN network-management operator and employs the group for at least one of transmitting and receiving WWAN control information.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting at least one of the mobile wireless terminals to communicate with the WWAN based on its WWAN communication channel quality.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising employing a load-balancing algorithm for assigning processing tasks to the mobile wireless terminals.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising employing at least one of a set of WWAN-control operations, the set comprising:

power control, data-rate control, session control, user authentication, key exchange, paging, control-channel monitoring, traffic-channel request, channel assignment, error detection, acknowledgement, request for retransmission, identification, reconnects, synchronization, flow control, request for service from a particular sector or access point, and hand-off.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising distributing at least one of a set of operations between the mobile wireless terminals, the set comprising:

Application Layer operations, Presentation Layer operations, Session Layer operations, Transport Layer operations, Network Layer operations, Data Link layer operations, and Physical Layer operations.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with a computer program configured to perform the method recited in claim 1.

20. An apparatus configured to perform the method of claim 1.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one WWAN-access parameter comprises at least one of a node address, a multiple-access code, a channel assignment, an authentication code, and a terminal ID.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein employing the WLAN for configuring the group comprises at least one of enabling each mobile wireless terminal in the group to receive WWAN transmissions addressed to one of the mobile wireless terminals, and enabling the group to function as a single multi-antenna terminal when transmitting WWAN signals.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein employing the WLAN for configuring the group comprises directing at least one mobile wireless terminal in the group to simultaneously employ a plurality of WWAN-access parameters.

10. A mobile wireless terminal, comprising:

a wireless wide area network (WWAN) interface for communicatively coupling to a WWAN;

a wireless local area network (WLAN) interface for communicatively coupling to at least one other mobile wireless terminal;

a network function adapter communicatively coupled to the WLAN and configured to receive at least one WWAN-access parameter shared with the at least one other mobile wireless terminal for enabling the mobile wireless terminal and the at least one other mobile wireless terminal to access a common WWAN channel, and communicate cooperatively in the common WWAN channel; and

a MIMO processor configured for providing a plurality of linearly independent combinations of WWAN signals expressed by y=Hx+υ

, where H is a matrix of coefficients, x is a vector comprising the WWAN signals, and υ

denotes noise, the MIMO processor selecting the mobile wireless terminal and the at least one other mobile wireless terminal for building up a dimension of a linear subspace spanned by H to provide a sufficient rank for demultiplexing the WWAN signals, wherein each of the mobile wireless terminal and the at least one other mobile wireless terminal provides an insufficient number of linearly dependent combinations of WWAN signals to enable demultiplexing the WWAN signals, and generating subspace array processing weights and combining the linearly independent combinations of WWAN signals for demultiplexing the WWAN signals.

11. The mobile wireless terminal of claim 10, wherein the network function adapter is configured for transmitting WWAN-access information to the at least one other mobile wireless terminal.

12. The mobile wireless terminal of claim 10, wherein the network function adapter is configured for synchronizing WWAN signals transmitted by a plurality of mobile wireless terminals.

13. The mobile wireless terminal of claim 10, wherein the network function adapter is configured for selecting at least one of a plurality of wireless terminals for servicing a WWAN link.

24. The mobile wireless terminal of claim 10, wherein the WWAN interface is configured for simultaneously employing a plurality of WWAN-access parameters when communicating with the WWAN.

25. The mobile wireless terminal of claim 10, wherein the network function adapter is configured for ensuring an uninterrupted session when at least one mobile wireless terminal coupled to the WLAN transitions from a first WWAN to a second WWAN.

26. The mobile wireless terminal of claim 10, wherein the network function adapter is configured to assign computer-processing tasks to the at least one other mobile wireless terminal.

14. A communication system, comprising:

a wireless local area network (WLAN) for communicatively coupling together a plurality of mobile wireless terminals, each of the mobile wireless terminals communicatively coupled to a wireless wide area network (WWAN);

a WWAN-access controller configured for sharing at least one WWAN-access parameter between the plurality of mobile wireless terminals for enabling the plurality of mobile wireless terminal to access a common WWAN channel and communicate cooperatively in the common WWAN channel; and

a MIMO processor communicatively coupled to the WLAN and configured for providing a plurality of linearly independent combinations of WWAN signals expressed by y=Hx+υ

, where H is a matrix of coefficients, x is a vector comprising WWAN signals, and ν

denotes noise, the MIMO processor selecting a plurality of the mobile wireless terminals to provide H with a sufficient rank for demultiplexing the WWAN signals, wherein each of the plurality of the mobile wireless terminals provides an insufficient number of linearly independent combinations of WWAN signals to enable demultiplexing the WWAN signals, the MIMO processor generating subspace array processing weights and combining the linearly independent combinations of WWAN signals for demultiplexing the WWAN signals.

15. The communication system of claim 14, wherein the WWAN-access controller includes at least one of the mobile wireless terminals, the WWAN-access controller configuring the plurality of mobile wireless terminals to simultaneously employ a common WWAN-access parameter assigned to one of the mobile wireless terminals for communicating with the WWAN.

16. The communication system of claim 14, wherein responsibilities of the WWAN-access controller are transferred between at least two of the plurality of mobile wireless terminals.

17. The communication system of claim 14, wherein the WWAN-access controller is configured to select at least one of the mobile wireless terminals for communicating with the WWAN based on at least one of WWAN channel quality and a load-balancing algorithm.

18. The communication system of claim 14, wherein the MIMO processor comprises a combiner for combining WWAN signals received by the mobile wireless terminals.

19. The communication system of claim 14, wherein the WWAN-access controller is configured to perform at least one of a set of WWAN-control operations, the set comprising:

selecting one or more base stations to serve the mobile wireless terminals;

directing hand offs between at least one of WWAN sectors, WWAN base stations, and different WWAN networks; and

interleaving communications across multiple WWAN channels.

27. The communication system of claim 14, wherein the WWAN-access controller is configured for performing a combination of technical rules and business rules.

28. The communication system of claim 14, wherein the WWAN-access controller is configured for ensuring an uninterrupted session when at least one of the plurality of mobile wireless terminals transitions from a first WWAN to a second WWAN.

29. The communication system of claim 14, further comprising a computer-processing terminal coupled to the WLAN for processing WWAN signals received and/or transmitted by the plurality of mobile wireless terminals.

30. A mobile wireless terminal, comprising:

a WWAN interface configured to be communicatively coupled to a WWAN;

a WLAN interface configured to be communicatively coupled to at least one other mobile wireless terminal via a WLAN;

a network function adapter communicatively coupled to the WLAN and configured to share at least one WWAN-access parameter with the at least one other mobile wireless terminal for enabling the mobile wireless terminal and the at least one other mobile wireless terminal to access a common WWAN channel and communicate cooperatively in the common WWAN channel; and

a MIMO processor configured for providing a plurality of linearly independent combinations of WWAN signals expressed by y=Hx+υ

, where H is a matrix of coefficients, x is a vector comprising the WWAN signals, and υ

denotes noise, the MIMO processor selecting the mobile wireless terminal and the at least one other mobile wireless terminal for building up a dimension of a linear subspace spanned by H to provide a sufficient rank for demultiplexing the WWAN signals, wherein each of the mobile wireless terminal and the at least one other mobile wireless terminal provides an insufficient number of linearly independent combinations of WWAN signals to enable demultiplexing the WWAN signals, the MIMO processor generating subspace array processing weights and combining the linearly independent combinations of WWAN signals for demultiplexing the WWAN signals.

31. The mobile wireless terminal of claim 30, wherein the network-function adapter is configured to select at least one of a plurality of mobile wireless terminals for servicing a WWAN link.

32. The mobile wireless terminal of claim 30, wherein the WWAN interface is configured for simultaneously employing a plurality of WWAN-access parameters.

33. The mobile wireless terminal of claim 30, wherein the network function adapter is configured for ensuring an uninterrupted session when at least one mobile wireless terminal coupled to the WLAN transitions from a first WWAN to a second WWAN.

34. The mobile wireless terminal of claim 30, wherein the network function adapter is configured to assign computer-processing tasks to the at least one other mobile wireless terminal.