System and method for selective registration in a multi-beam system

• US 8,942,134 B1
• Filed: 11/20/2013
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Magnolia Broadband Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Magnolia Broadband Incorporated
• Inventors: Kludt, Kenneth, Harel, Haim
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzlo, John
• Application Number:
  US14/085,252
• Time in Patent Office: 433 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370/329, 370/430
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/022 Site diversity; Macro-diversity using two or more spaced independent antennas H04B7/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0434 using multiple eigenmodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• 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 72/046 the resource being in the space domain, e.g. beams
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A system and method for selective registration of a user equipment (UE) to one of a plurality of access points (APs). An indication may be received that each of a plurality of APs have received a signal from a UE. The UE may be registered to the first one of the plurality of APs to satisfy registration requirements associated with the UE. Information may be reported to a controller related to the signal strength of communication received at each AP from the UE. If the signal strength received at the registered AP is less than the signal strength received at one or more of the non-registered APs by more than a threshold amount, the registration of the UE to the registered AP may be rejected.

Claims

1. A method for selective registration of a user equipment (UE) to one of a plurality of access points (APs) in a multi-beam system, the method comprising:

receiving an indication that each of a plurality of APs have received a signal from a single UE, wherein the UE communicates with each AP over an associated beam that includes a primary lobe providing a relatively higher signal strength surrounded by one or more sidelobes providing a relatively lower signal strength;

registering the UE to a first one of the plurality of APs that satisfies registration requirements associated with the UE; and

maintaining the registration of the UE to the registered AP if the UE communicates with the registered AP over a primary lobe providing a greater than threshold relative signal strength relative to the other APs, or

rejecting the registration of the UE to the registered AP if the UE communicates with the registered AP over a sidelobe or over a primary lobe providing a less than threshold relative signal strength relative to the other APs.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising receiving a report from each of the plurality of APs including information related to the signal strength of communication between each AP and the UE and a UE identifier uniquely identifying the UE.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the relative signal strength for each AP is a ratio of the amplitude of signals communicated between the UE and the AP over the amplitude of signals communicated between the UE and another AP.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the relative signal strength for each AP is a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) or a signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR).

5. The method of claim 1 comprising, if the registration is rejected, registering the UE to the AP having the highest relative signal strength.

6. The method of claim 1 comprising, if the registration is rejected, said selective registration method of claim 1 is iteratively repeated until the UE provides a greater than threshold relative signal strength.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the registration is rejected before the signal quality degrades to levels below registration standards.

8. A system for selective registration of a user equipment (UE) to one of a plurality of access points (APs) in a multi-beam system, the system comprising:

a processor adapted to;

receive an indication that each of a plurality of APs have received a signal from a single UE, wherein the UE communicates with each AP over an associated beam that includes a primary lobe providing a relatively higher signal strength surrounded by one or more sidelobes providing a relatively lower signal strength,

register the UE to a first one of the plurality of APs that satisfies registration requirements associated with the UE, and

maintain the registration of the UE to the registered AP if the UE communicates with the registered AP over a primary lobe providing a greater than threshold relative signal strength relative to the other APs, or

reject the registration of the UE to the registered AP if the UE communicates with the registered AP over a sidelobe or over a primary lobe providing a less than threshold relative signal strength relative to the other APs.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is adapted to receive a report from each of the plurality of APs including information related to the signal strength of communication between the AP and the UE and a UE identifier uniquely identifying the UE.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the relative signal strength for each AP is a ratio of the amplitude of signals communicated between the UE and the AP over the amplitude of signals communicated between the UE and another AP.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the relative signal strength for each AP is a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) or a signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR).

12. The system of claim 8, wherein if the registration is rejected, the processor is adapted to register the UE to the AP having the highest relative signal strength.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein if the registration is rejected, the UE is allowed to iteratively repeat said selective registration until the UE provides a greater than threshold relative signal strength.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is adapted to reject the registration before the signal quality degrades to levels below registration standards.