TWI517739B - Enterprise level management in a multi-femtocell network - Google Patents

Description

Communication method and system in multi-femto cellular network

This invention relates to communications, and more particularly to a method and system for enterprise level management in a multi-femtocell network.

The femtocell can be placed, for example, in a user's home or in a small business environment. Femtocells are used to offload macro-wireless network traffic, improve local coverage in a cost-effective manner, and/or implement home space services to increase revenue. Similar to a macro cell base station, a femtocell can connect a "standard" telephone to a cellular carrier network over a physical broadband connection, such as a digital subscriber line (DSL) connection and/or a cable connection. Since the communication traffic between the femtocell device and the carrier network of the user's residence is transmitted through the public network, various risks are encountered.

Communication between the femtocell and one or more cellular carrier networks can occur in private or public areas. The capacity of the femtocell is suitable for typical home usage modes, such as supporting two or four simultaneous voice calls and/or data traffic.

An important feature of a femtocell is its ability to control access. In an open access scheme, any terminal and/or user is allowed to communicate with the femtocell. Accordingly, the use of femtocells is similar to macrocell cellular systems. In a closed access scheme, a femtocell only serves a limited number of terminals and/or users registered to a designated cellular base station. At this point, the cellular base station can be seen as being used for private purposes.

The regulatory issue related to femtocells is their use of The frequency can be transmitted at low power in a controlled environment. It is likely that the femtocell does not require the permission of the local authority as the macrocell base station. Another management issue related to femtocells relates to the relationship between femtocell operators and broadband service operators. One possible solution includes the broadband operator not knowing the existence of the femtocell operator. In contrast, a broadband operator and a femtocell operator, for example, have an agreement or they may be the same operator. For femtocell applications based on broadband technologies such as WCDMA, interference between femtocells is a problem because the original operator may use the same frequency in either the femtocell and the macrocell, or because of the femtocell. The base stations are in dense urban areas and are close to each other.

There are several design patterns for the application and integration of femtocells, such as IP-based lu-b interface, Session-Initiated Protocol (SIP) scheme using lu/A interface, called Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) technology. Use unlicensed bands, and/or use IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) Voice Call Continuity (VCC).

In a femtocell application based on the lu-b mode, the femtocells can all be integrated into the wireless carrier network with the same treatment as any other remote node in the network. The lu-b protocol has multiple responsibilities, such as shared channel management, shared resource management, and wireless link and configuration management, including cellular configuration management, detection processing and control, time division multiplexing (TDD) synchronization, and/or error reporting. . In a lu-b configuration, a mobile device can access the network and its services via a Node B link, and the femtocell can be treated as a legacy base station.

In a SIP-based femtocell application, a SIP client (embedded in a femtocell) can communicate with a SIP-enabled Mobile Switching Center (MSC) using SIP. The MSC can perform operational switching between, for example, an IP SIP network and a traditional mobile network.

In a UMA-based femtocell application, a Generic Access Network (GAN) can provide an alternate path to access GSM and GPRS core network services over a broadband connection. To support this solution, you can use the UMA Network Controller (UNC) and use it to protect Protocol for signaling and secure transmission of IP user traffic. UNC can interface with the core network using existing 3GPP interfaces, for example, to support core network integration based on femtocell services by delivering a standards-based, scalable IP interface to the mobile core network.

In an IMS VCC-based femtocell application, VCC can provide a network design that extends the IMS network to include cellular coverage and resolves the handover process. The IMS VCC can also be designed to provide seamless call connections between cellular networks and any network that supports, for example, VoIP. VCC also provides interoperability between GSM, UMTS and CDMA cellular networks and any network that supports IP wireless access. IMS VCC can also support the use of a single phone number or SIP identification word (ID) and combine multiple functional advantages, such as support for multiple market and marketing departments, providing enhanced IMS multimedia services, including more personalized services and controls. Seamless switching between circuit switching and IMS networks, and/or access to services of any IP device.

An access point is a device that is placed, for example, in a user's home or small business environment, providing WLAN, WiFi, LTE, and/or WiMax services. For example, an access point can connect to a corporate network to allow access to an intranet. The access point is capable of connecting a terminal device (such as a computer or palm-sized wireless device) to an intranet or an Internet Service Provider (ISP) via a physical broadband connection, such as a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) connection and/or a cable connection. The access point may communicate over the air based on one or more communication standards including 802.11 and/or 802.16.

Other limitations and disadvantages of the prior art will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the present invention.

The present invention provides an enterprise-level management method and system in a multi-femtocell network, which is clearly described in conjunction with at least one of the drawings and is fully defined in the claims.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a communication method is provided, comprising: a hybrid network controller and one or more femtocells, one or more And a communication system of one or more terminal devices: the one or more terminal devices receive communication management information for the one or more femtocells and/or one or more Switching communication sessions between access points; and the one or more terminal devices implement switching of the communication session based on the received communication traffic management information.

Advantageously, the received communication traffic management information comprises one or more of the following: a session set-up instruction, a handover instruction, a transmit power, a neighbor list information, a traffic load balancing, a signal quality threshold, a bandwidth Demand, frequency allocation, transmission time, code allocation, and/or antenna mode allocation.

Advantageously, the method comprises wirelessly receiving said communication flow management information from said hybrid network controller using one or more wireless connections.

Advantageously, the method comprises: controlling, by said one or more terminal devices, an external communication device and said one or more femtocells, said one or more access points and/or said communication system Switching between the one or more terminal devices.

Advantageously, the method comprises: monitoring and/or analyzing said one or more femtocells, said one or more access points and/or said one or more by said one or more terminal devices The status or operating status of the terminal device.

Advantageously, said state or operational condition comprises one or more of received signal strength, interference level, signal to noise ratio, signal path delay, power consumption, bandwidth usage, and/or radio resource availability.

Advantageously, the method comprises allocating or assigning said one or more femtocells and/or said one or more access points by said one or more terminal devices to process said handover.

Advantageously, the method comprises assigning or assigning one or more time intervals for performing the handover based on the received communication traffic management information by the one or more terminal devices.

Advantageously, the method comprises assigning or assigning, by the one or more terminal devices, one or more codes for performing the handover based on the received communication traffic management information.

Advantageously, the method comprises assigning or assigning one or more antenna patterns for handover based on the received communication traffic management information by the one or more terminal devices.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a communication system is provided, comprising: in a communication system including one or more femtocells, one or more access points, and one or more terminal devices, the one or more terminals One or more processors and/or circuits used in the device for receiving communication traffic management information from the hybrid network controller Switching the communication session between the one or more femtocells and/or one or more access points; and effecting the switching of the communication session based on the received communication traffic management information.

Advantageously, the received communication traffic management information comprises one or more of the following: a session set-up instruction, a handover instruction, a transmit power, a neighbor list information, a traffic load balancing, a signal quality threshold, a bandwidth Demand, frequency allocation, transmission time, code allocation, and/or antenna mode allocation.

Advantageously, said one or more processors and/or circuits are operative to wirelessly receive said communication flow management information from said hybrid network controller using one or more wireless connections.

Advantageously, said one or more processors and/or circuits are operative to control an external communication device and said one or more femtocells, said one or more access points and/or said communication system Or switching between the one or more terminal devices.

Advantageously, said one or more processors and/or circuits are operatively monitored and/or Or analyzing the status or operational status of the one or more femtocells, the one or more access points, and/or the one or more terminal devices.

Advantageously, said state or operational condition comprises one or more of received signal strength, interference level, signal to noise ratio, signal path delay, power consumption, bandwidth usage, and/or radio resource availability.

Advantageously, said one or more processors and/or circuits are operable to assign or assign said one or more femtocells, said one or more access points and/or said one or more terminals The device processes the switch.

Advantageously, said one or more processors and/or circuits are operative to assign or assign one or more time intervals for switching based on the received communication traffic management information.

Advantageously, said one or more processors and/or circuits are operative to assign or assign one or more codes for performing the handover based on the received communication traffic management information.

Advantageously, said one or more processors and/or circuits are operative to assign or assign one or more antenna patterns for switching based on the received communication traffic management information.

The various advantages, aspects, and novel features of the invention, as well as the details of the embodiments illustrated herein, are set forth in the Detailed Description.

100‧‧‧Network System

102‧‧‧Wired and/or wireless communication backbone

104a‧‧‧cellular network

104b‧‧‧Public switched telephone network

104c‧‧‧IP network

104d‧‧‧Broadband mobile network

106‧‧‧ Ethernet, WiMax and/or LTE broadband links

108‧‧‧Wired and/or wireless connection

110‧‧‧Hybrid network controller

112‧‧‧Femtocell

114‧‧‧Access Point (AP)

116‧‧‧ Terminal Equipment or User Equipment (UE)

118‧‧‧ Mixed Subsystem

120‧‧‧ honeycomb macrocell

122‧‧‧WIMAX and / or LTE base stations

124a‧‧‧ telephone

124b‧‧‧ laptop

124c‧‧‧Application Server

124d‧‧‧Wireless Network Controller (RNC)

130‧‧‧Antenna

136‧‧‧GNSS antenna

184‧‧‧Wired Broadband Tx/Rx

186‧‧‧Wireless Broadband Tx/Rx

188‧‧‧Ethernet Tx/Rx

192‧‧‧ processor

194‧‧‧ memory

196‧‧‧DSP

198‧‧‧WIMAX and/or LTE Tx/Rx

152‧‧‧Antenna

154‧‧‧Cellular Transmitter and/or Receiver (Tx/Rx)

156‧‧‧Wired and/or wireless broadband transmitters and/or receivers (Tx/Rx)

158‧‧‧ processor

160‧‧‧ memory

162‧‧‧Digital Signal Processor (DSP)

168‧‧‧Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Receiver

126‧‧‧WiFi transmitter and / or receiver (Tx / Rx)

128‧‧‧Wired and/or wireless broadband transmitters and/or receivers (Tx/Rx)

138‧‧‧ processor

140‧‧‧ memory

142‧‧‧Digital Signal Processor (DSP)

146‧‧‧Antenna

172‧‧‧Antenna

174‧‧‧Cellular Tx/Rx

176‧‧‧WiFi Tx/Rx

178‧‧‧ processor

180‧‧‧ memory

182‧‧‧DSP

1A is a schematic diagram of an exemplary hybrid network including a hybrid network controller, a femtocell, an access point, and/or a user equipment in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1B is an exemplary terminal in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; A schematic diagram of a device capable of receiving communication traffic management information from a hybrid network controller to control handover management between one or more femtocells, access points, and terminal devices; FIG. 1C is an embodiment of the present invention Schematic diagram of an exemplary hybrid network controller; FIG. 1D is a schematic diagram of an exemplary femtocell in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 1E is a schematic diagram of an exemplary access point in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1F is a schematic diagram of an exemplary user equipment in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a diagram of a femtocell and / or a flow chart of the handover control steps performed by the terminal devices in the hybrid subnetwork of the access point.

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods and systems for enterprise level management of multi-femtocell networks. The communication system includes a hybrid network controller, one or more femtocells, one or more access points, and/or one or more terminal devices. The femtocell and/or access point may include 2G, 3G, and/or 4G technologies. For example, an access point can include a WLAN access point, an LTE access point, and/or a WiMax access point. One or more terminal devices may receive communication traffic management information from the hybrid network controller to make call and/or communication session handovers between the femtocells, access points, and/or terminal devices. The received communication traffic management information may include: session setup (set-up) instructions, handover instructions, transmit power, neighbor list information, traffic load balancing, signal quality threshold, bandwidth requirement, frequency allocation, transmission time, code allocation, and / or antenna mode assignment. The terminal device can control switching between the communication device external to the communication system and the femtocell, the access point, and/or the terminal device. The terminal device can monitor and/or analyze the received signal strength, interference level, signal to noise ratio, signal path delay, power consumption, communication traffic load, bandwidth usage, and/or radio resource availability. The terminal device can allocate time intervals, codes, antenna patterns, and femtocells and/or APs that provide services for the establishment and/or handover of communication sessions. Traffic flow management information can be received via one or more wireless connections.

1A is a schematic diagram of an exemplary hybrid network including a hybrid network controller, a femtocell, an access point, and/or a terminal device, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1A, network system 100 includes a wired and/or wireless communication backbone 102 that includes cellular network 104a, public switched telephone network 104b, IP network 104c, broadband mobile network 104d, WIMAX, and/or LTE base stations. 122, telephone 124a, notebook computer 124b, application server 124c, radio network controller (RNC) 124d, cellular macro bee Nest 120 and hybrid subsystem 118. The hybrid subsystem 118 includes a hybrid network controller 110, a plurality of femtocells 112a and 112b (collectively referred to as femtocells 112), a plurality of access points (APs) 114a, 114b, and 114c (collectively referred to as APs 114), and more Terminal devices or User Equipments (UEs) 116a, ..., 116g (collectively referred to as UEs 116). In addition, hybrid subnet 118 also includes wired and/or wireless connections 108 and Ethernet, WiMax, and/or LTE broadband links 106.

The hybrid subnet 118 may include, for example, a hybrid network controller 110 installed in an enterprise system, commercial real estate, residential real estate, and/or multi-tenant real estate, user equipment (UE) 116a, ..., 116g, femtocell 112a, and 112b, and/or access points 114a and 114b. Enterprise systems can be used, for example, in office buildings, schools, hospitals, or government offices. Commercial real estate may include, for example, shopping malls, hotels, and/or offices. Residential real estate may include, for example, single-family homes, home offices, and/or urban dwellings. Multi-tenant properties may include resident tenants and/or commercial tenants, such as apartments, separate homes for sale, apartment buildings, and/or high-rise buildings. In various embodiments of the invention, hybrid subnetwork 118 may be controlled by hybrid network controller 110. Moreover, all or a portion of the hybrid subnetwork 118 can be managed by a service provider that authorizes the cellular frequency used by the hybrid network controller 110 and/or the femtocell 112.

Hybrid network controller 110 includes suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code for controlling and/or managing communications between UE 116, femtocell 112, and/or AP 114. In this regard, hybrid network controller 110 can control resources within subnet 118. For example, hybrid network controller 110 can assign femtocell 112 and/or access point 114 to handle calls and/or sessions of UE 116. Additionally, hybrid network controller 110 can manage handovers between femtocell 112 and access point 114. In this regard, the UE 116 can establish a call and/or communication session with one or more femtocells 112 and/or APs 114 and can add or switch to another while maintaining the same call and/or communication session. One femtocell 112 and/or AP 114. The UE 116 may allocate radio resources and/or communication handover control parameters to the femtocell 112, AP based on communication traffic management information received from the hybrid network controller 110. 114 and/or UE 116. Exemplary handover control parameters include neighbor information, bandwidth usage, and/or signal quality thresholds. Neighbor information indicates the frequency, time interval, and/or PN code offset of candidate neighboring femtocells 112 and/or APs 114 that are available for handover. The handover can be initiated based on, for example, bandwidth requirements and/or communication traffic load conditions. In addition, the signal quality threshold can also trigger a switch when the signal quality exceeds a threshold. Signal quality thresholds include, for example, signal strength, bit error rate, Eb/N0, and/or signal to noise ratio (SNR).

The UE 116, the femtocell 112, and/or the AP 114 may provide the hybrid network controller 110 with status and/or information regarding operational conditions. The hybrid network controller 110 can utilize this information to determine communication traffic management information, such as handover, for operation of the UE 116, the femtocell 112, and/or the AP 114. For example, hybrid network controller 110 may determine when UE 116 should switch to another femtocell and/or AP, and/or may determine which femtocell 112 and/or AP 114 may handle the handover. Exemplary information includes return path delay, received signal strength information, traffic distribution data, load balancing data, UE battery power, detected interference (SNR, SINR, CINR), bit error rate, available bandwidth, frequency, coding, and / or time interval utilization, antenna configuration, software configuration and / or maximum transmit power. In various embodiments of the invention, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) timing and/or positioning coordinates of one or more of femtocell 112, AP 114, and/or UE 116 may be sent to hybrid network controller 110. . This timing information enables the network controller to adjust the handover between the femtocell 112, the AP 114, and/or the UE 116, and/or the transmission and/or reception of scheduling data.

Hybrid network controller 110 can be communicatively coupled to femtocell 112 and/or AP 114 via a wired and/or wireless connection 108. In this regard, connection 108 can support Ethernet, WLAN, and/or cellular connections. Additionally, hybrid network controller 110 can be communicatively coupled to wired and/or wireless backbone 102 via Ethernet, WiMax, and/or LTE broadband link 106. For example, hybrid network controller 110 can communicate with one or more networks 104 via Ethernet, WiMax, and/or LTE broadband links 106.

Each of the femtocells 112 can include suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code for wirelessly communicating with the UE 116 using one or more cellular standards, These cellular standards include IS-95, CDMA, GSM, TDMA, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS/WCDMA, TD-SCDMA, HSDPA, and their extensions and/or variations. The information includes any analogy and/or material information including, but not limited to, voice, internet material and/or multimedia content. The multimedia content may include audio and/or visual content including video, still images, moving images, and/or text content. Each of the femtocells 112 can communicate with various devices, such as the UE 116. Exemplary cellular standards supported by femtocell 112 may be as specified by the International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 (IMT-2000) standard, and/or by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), Third Generation Partnership Project Developed by 2 (3GPP2) and/or fourth generation specifications.

Each of the femtocells 112 may include suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code for communicating with the hybrid network controller 110 using an IP protocol over the wired or wireless connection 108. In various embodiments of the invention, the femtocell 112 includes suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code for receiving and/or processing control information from the hybrid network controller 110. In this regard, the control information can include various parameter settings, resource allocations, and/or configuration information that enables switching between two or more femtocells 112 and/or APs 114. Additionally, the femtocell 112 can provide the hybrid network controller 110 with information for managing the handover.

The AP 114 includes suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code for providing WLAN, WiFi, LTE, and/or WiMax connectivity to one or more UEs 116 based on, for example, one or more 802.11 and/or 802.16 standards. In this regard, the AP 114 can provide an Internet connection, multimedia download, and/or IP telephony session to the UE 116. The AP 114 is managed by the hybrid network controller 110 via a wired and/or wireless connection 108. Multiple APs 114 may be used to support simultaneous sessions and/or handovers of a single UE 116. In addition, one or more APs 114 can be used to support simultaneous sessions and/or handovers of a single UE 116 with one or more femtocells 112. In various embodiments of the invention, the AP 114 may be used to support switching and/or simultaneous sessions of a single UE 116 with an AP in another sub-network (not shown). In various embodiments of the invention, AP 114 may include suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code for Control information from the hybrid network controller 110 is received and/or processed. In this regard, the control information can include various parameter settings, resource allocations, and/or configuration information that enables switching between two or more APs 114 and/or femtocells 112. Additionally, the AP 114 can provide the hybrid network controller 110 with information for managing the handover.

Each of the User Equipments (UEs) 116 may include suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code for communicating using one or more wireless standards. For example, UE 116 can communicate with AP 114 based on the 802.11 standard and/or its variant version. Additionally, UE 116 may be based on one or more wireless standards such as IS-95, CDMA, EVDO, GSM, TDMA, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS/WCDMA, TD-SCDMA, HSDPA, WIMAX, and/or LTE, with femtocell 112 Communicate. UE 116 may communicate based on Bluetooth, Zigbee, and/or other suitable wireless technologies. Each of the UEs 116 may transmit and/or receive data to and/or from the femtocell 112 and/or the AP 114 in the hybrid subnetwork 118 and other cellular base stations and/or APs. Exemplary UEs 116 include notebook computers, mobile phones, media players, HD television systems, video recorders and/or cameras, game consoles, and/or devices that support positioning. The UE 115 is capable of receiving, processing, and/or displaying multimedia content, and is also capable of running a web page browser or other application that provides Internet services to users of the UE 116.

The UE 116 may include suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code for processing control and/or communication traffic management information from the hybrid network controller 110. In this regard, the control and/or communication traffic management information includes various parameter settings, resource allocations, and/or configuration information that enable establishment and/or handover of sessions between the femtocell 112 and/or the AP 114. Additionally, the UE 116 can provide the hybrid network controller 110 with information for managing the handover. In various embodiments of the invention, UE 116 is a multi-mode device that can simultaneously communicate with multiple femtocells 112 and/or APs 114. For example, UE 116b can communicate with both femtocell 112a and AP 114a simultaneously. Alternatively, the UE 116 device can communicate with multiple femtocells 112 and/or simultaneously with multiple APs 114 simultaneously. Moreover, the UE 116 device can perform handovers, such as handovers between multiple femtocells 112, between femtocells 112 and APs 114, and/or Between APs 114.

The wired and/or wireless communication backbone 102 includes appropriate logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code for providing access to multiple networks, such as to cellular network 104a, public switched telephone network public (PSTN) 104b, IP. Network 104c and/or broadband mobile network 104d. Cellular network 104a includes, for example, 2G and/or 3G networks. The broadband mobile network 104d includes a 4G network, such as a WiMax and/or LTE network. The wired and/or wireless communication backbone 102 or network 104 may include various terminals and/or user devices. For example, telephone 124a is communicatively coupled to PSTN 104b. Additionally, laptop 124b and/or application server 124c are communicatively coupled to IP network 104c. In this regard, the telephone 124a, the notebook 124b, and/or the application server 124c can be accessed to devices in the subnetwork 118 via the wired and/or wireless communication backbone 102. For example, UE 116c may receive a telephone call from a remote landline telephone 124a located within PSTN network 104b.

Additionally, the wired and/or wireless communication backbone 102 can be communicatively coupled to other subnetworks and/or private intranets (not shown). In this manner, the wired and/or wireless communication backbone 102 enables the UE 116 to communicate with remote resources, such as with other user devices, application servers in the Internet, and other network devices that can be communicatively coupled to, for example, the network 104. . The wired and/or wireless communication backbone 102 can be communicatively coupled to the hybrid network controller 110 via an Ethernet, MiMax, and/or LTE broadband link 106. Although Ethernet, MiMax, and/or LTE broadband link 106 are shown in FIG. 1, the invention is not limited thereto. For example, broadband connection 116 may include other types of connections, such as ATM or Frame Relay.

In operation, hybrid network controller 110, femtocell 112, AP 114, and/or UE 116 may support various types of handovers, such as soft handover, hard handover, handover between different technologies, and/or with subnetworks 118 Switching between external entities. Hybrid network controller 110 and/or UE 116 may determine which femtocells 112 and/or APs 114 may handle handovers of UE 116, such as based on signal quality, bandwidth constraints, and/or resource availability. Additionally, hybrid network controller 110 and/or UE 116 can be The call and/or communication session assigns a femtocell and/or an AP.

During soft handoff, multiple femtocells 112 and/or APs 114 may simultaneously process the same call and/or data session with UE 116. For example, during a soft handoff, two or more femtocells 112 and/or APs 114 send and/or receive a bitstream containing the same content to and/or from UE 116. At the receiving end of two or more femtocells 112 and/or APs 114, a bitstream containing the same content may be forwarded to the hybrid network controller 110. The UE 116 can dynamically select the best quality bits from the two bitstreams and forward the best quality bits to the target entity. In UE 116, the received signals containing the bit stream (which contain the same content) may be combined prior to demodulation, for example, in air combination or in a rake receiver. The received signal can also be demodulated, and the UE 116 can select the best quality bit from the plurality of bitstreams.

Hybrid network controller 110 can manage the hard handoff of UE 116. In this regard, the UE 116 can establish a call and/or session with other devices via the first femtocell 112 and/or the AP 114, and then maintain the call and/or during handover to the different femtocell 112 and/or AP 114. Conversation. In various embodiments of the invention, hybrid network controller 110 may manage handovers between one or more femtocells 112 and one or more APs 114, wherein during a call and/or session, UE 116 may One technology switches to another. For example, UE 116 may conduct a data session through femtocell 112 using 3GPP wireless technology. The hybrid network controller 110 can send a message to the UE 116 through the femtocell 112 indicating that it can switch to the AP 114. The AP 114 supports 802.11 wireless technology. In this regard, the UE 116 switches from using the 3GPP interface to using the 802.11 interface during the call to switch from the femtocell to the AP.

Hybrid network controller 110 may limit handover of femtocells 112 and/or APs in subnetwork 118, as well as other femtocells, APs, and/or base stations that are within range of UE 116. For example, cellular macrocell base station 120 can provide a signal indicating that it is sufficient to handle calls with UE 116 in subnetwork 118 and/or Or a communication session, however, if the femtocell 112 and/or the AP can handle the call, the hybrid network controller 110 does not allow the UE 116 to switch to the cellular macrocell base station. In the event that the femtocell 112 and/or the AP 114 are unable to process the call, for example, when the UE 116 is in a call and is leaving the service area of the subnet 118, the hybrid network controller will enable it to switch to the external entity. . In this regard, hybrid network controller 110 can manage switching between one or more femtocells 112 and/or APs 114 and entities external to subnet 118. For example, where UE 116a is making a call and exiting from the location of subnetwork 118, hybrid network controller 110 may communicate over Ethernet, WiMax, and/or LTE broadband link 106, wired, and/or wireless. The backbone 102 and/or cellular network 104a communicates with the RNC 124d to effect handover for the UE 116a. This handover occurs between the femtocell 112a and the cellular macrocell base station 120. The hybrid network controller 110 can also receive control information from the service provider network to support handover management.

In various embodiments of the invention, the UE 116 has established a call and/or communication session with network resources in other UE devices and/or wired and/or wireless communication backbones 102. For example, UE 116c is making an IP telephone call with laptop 122b via, for example, femtocell 112a. The UE 116c leaves from the service area of the femtocell 112a. Hybrid network controller 110 may use status and/or operational status information received from one or more femtocells 112, APs 114, and/or UEs 116 to determine which femtocell 112 and/or AP 114 quality. Sufficient to receive a handover from the femtocell 112a of the UE 116a to serve an existing call and/or session. This determination may be based on one or more of signal quality detection and/or wireless resource availability. The UE 116 can receive communication traffic management information from the hybrid network controller 110. The UE 116 may select one or more of the femtocell 112 and/or the AP 114 to process the handover and allocate resource and/or communication control parameters for the selected femtocell 112 and/or AP 114. In this manner, UE 116 can manage calls and/or communication sessions between one or more femtocells 112 and/or APs 114 and UEs 116. The UE 116 may also exchange information with the service provider (eg, via the RNC 124d) and may be based on The control information received from the service provider manages the switching operation.

1B is a schematic diagram of an exemplary terminal device capable of receiving communication traffic management information from a hybrid network controller to control communication between one or more femtocells, access points, and terminal devices, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Switch management. 1B shows a wired and/or wireless communication backbone 102, an Ethernet network, a MiMax and/or LTE broadband link 106, a wired and/or wireless connection 108, a hybrid network controller 110, femtocells 112a and 112b, Access points (APs) 114a and 114b, user equipment (UE) 116a, ..., 116e, and hybrid subnetwork 118.

Wired and/or wireless communication backbone 102, Ethernet, MiMax and/or LTE broadband link 106, wired and/or wireless connection 108, hybrid network controller 110, femtocells 112a and 112b, access point (AP) 114a and 114b, user equipment (UE) 116a, ..., 116e and hybrid subnetwork 118 are the same as described in connection with Fig. 1A.

The Ethernet, MiMax, and/or LTE broadband link 106 includes appropriate logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code for carrying communications between the femtocell 112 and the AP 114 and the wired and/or wireless communication backbone 102. flow. For example, the Ethernet, MiMax, and/or LTE broadband link 106 can transmit IP packets to one or more of the networks 104 described in connection with FIG. 1A. In addition, Ethernet, MiMax, and/or LTE broadband links 106 can provide access to the Internet and/or one or more private networks. The Ethernet, MiMax, and/or LTE broadband link 106 includes one or more fiber optic, wired, and/or wireless links. In various embodiments of the invention, Ethernet, MiMax, and/or LTE broadband link 106 may include MIMAX and/or LTE base station 122, and hybrid network controller 110 may move through MIMAX and/or LTE base station 122 and broadband Network 104d is in communication with network 104. In various embodiments of the invention, the Ethernet, MiMax, and/or LTE broadband link 106 may include broadband connections, such as digital subscriber line (DSL), Ethernet, passive optical network (PON), T1/. E1 line, cable TV architecture, satellite TV architecture and/or satellite broadband internet connection.

In operation, UE 116 has established with other UE devices and/or wired and/or wireless A call and/or communication session of a network resource within communication backbone 102. For example, UE 116c is making an IP telephone call with laptop 124b via femtocell 112a. The UE 116c is leaving from the service area of the femtocell 112a. Hybrid network controller 110 may use status and/or operational status information received from one or more femtocells 112, APs 114, and/or UEs 116 to determine which femtocell and/or AP is of sufficient quality A handover of the UE 116a is received to service an existing call and/or session. This determination may be based on, for example, one or more of signal quality detection and/or wireless resource availability. The UE 116 can receive communication traffic management information from the hybrid network controller 110. The UE 116 may select one or more of the femtocell 112 and/or the AP 114 to process the handover and allocate resource and/or communication control parameters for the selected femtocell 112 and/or AP 114. For example, UE 116c may select AP 114a and communicate control information to femtocell 112 and/or AP 114a to perform the handover. In this manner, UE 116 can manage calls and/or communication sessions between one or more femtocells 112 and/or APs 114 and UEs 116. The UE 116 may also exchange information with the service provider (e.g., via the RNC 124d) and may manage the handover operation based on control information received from the service provider.

Hybrid network controller 110 may manage collisions and/or balance UE 116 traffic for subnetwork 118. The hybrid network controller 110 can respond to dynamic conditions in the wireless environment and/or respond to the communication traffic conditions of the UE 116. Thus, improvements can be provided to the capacity and/or performance of subnetwork 118. Hybrid network controller 110 can exchange control information with respective femtocells 112, APs 114, and/or UEs 116 over wired and/or wireless connections 108.

1C is a schematic diagram of an exemplary hybrid network controller in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The hybrid network controller 110 shown in FIG. 1C includes a cable broadband Tx/Rx 184, a wireless broadband Tx/Rx 186, an Ethernet Tx/Rx 188, a WIMAX and/or an LTE Tx/Rx 198, a GNSS receiver 168, and a GNSS. Antenna 136, processor 192, memory 194, and DSP 196.

Ethernet Tx/Rx 188 includes appropriate logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code. Used to transmit and/or receive data to and/or from a wired and/or wireless communication backbone 102 over an Ethernet, WiMax, and/or LTE broadband link 106. For example, the Ethernet Tx/Rx 188 can transmit and/or receive data over T1/E1 lines, PON, DSL, cable television architecture, satellite broadband Internet connection, and/or satellite television architecture. In various embodiments of the invention, the Ethernet Tx/Rx 188 may perform operations and/or functions including amplifying, downconverting, filtering, demodulating, and analog to digital conversion of the received signals. In addition, the Ethernet Tx/Rx 188 can perform operations and/or functions including amplifying, upconverting, filtering, modulating, and digital-to-analog conversion of signals to be transmitted.

WIMAX and/or LTE Tx/Rx 198 includes appropriate logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code for transmitting and/or receiving WiMax to and/or from wired and/or wireless communication backbone 102 via antenna 130. / or LTE base station 122 and / or broadband mobile network 104d data. In this regard, WiMax and/or LTE base station 122 can be used for Ethernet, WiMax, and/or LTE broadband link 106. WIMAX and/or LTE Tx/Rx 198 may perform operations and/or functions including amplifying, downconverting, filtering, demodulating, and analog to digital conversion of received signals. Additionally, WIMAX and/or LTE Tx/Rx 198 can perform operations and/or functions including amplifying, upconverting, filtering, modulating, and digital-to-analog conversion of signals to be transmitted. WIMAX and/or LTE Tx/Rx 198 can communicate with WiMax and/or LTE AP 114c.

Wired broadband Tx/Rx 184 and/or wireless broadband Tx/Rx 186 includes appropriate logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code for communicating with a femtocell via one or more broadband communication standards over wired and/or wireless connections 108 Transmitting and/or receiving data between 112 and AP 114. For example, hybrid network controller 110 can communicate with femtocell 112 and/or AP 114 over wired broadband Tx/Rx 184 and an Ethernet cable in accordance with the 802.3 communication standard. Alternatively, Tx/Rx 186 can communicate via, for example, antenna 130 in accordance with the 802.11 communication standard. The wired broadband Tx/Rx 184 and/or the wireless broadband Tx/Rx 186 can perform operations and/or functions including amplifying, downconverting, filtering, demodulating, and analog to digital conversion of the received signal. In addition, the cable broadband Tx/Rx 184 and/or the wireless broadband Tx/Rx 186 can perform to include the signal to be transmitted. Operations and/or functions such as large, upconversion, filtering, modulation, and digital to analog conversion.

Antenna 130 is adapted to transmit and/or receive signals, including signals to and/or from wireless communication backbone 102 and/or femtocell 112 and/or AP 114. Although a single antenna is illustrated in FIG. 1C, the invention is not limited thereto. In this regard, Tx/Rx 184, Tx/Rx 186, Tx/Rx 188, and/or Tx/Rx 198 may transmit and receive using a common antenna, may also transmit and receive using different antennas, and/or use multiple antennas. Transmit and / or receive. GNSS receiver 168 and GNSS antenna 136 are similar and/or identical to GNSS receiver 168 and GNSS antenna 136 shown in FIG. 1D.

Processor 192 includes suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code to process data and/or control the operation of hybrid network controller 110. In this regard, processor 192 enables the provision of control signals to other various modules in hybrid network controller 110. Processor 192 can also control data forwarding between various portions of hybrid network controller 110. Accordingly, processor 192 can execute an application and/or code. In various embodiments of the invention, applications, programs, and/or code can, for example, analyze, transcode, and/or otherwise process data.

In various embodiments of the invention, applications, programs, and/or code can, for example, configure and/or control wired and/or wireless broadband Tx/Rx 184 and/or 186, Ethernet Tx/Rx 188, MIMAX, and/or The operation of LTE Tx/Rx 198, GNSS receiver 168, DSP 196, and/or memory 194. For example, a transmit power level and/or a scheduled handover operation can be configured.

The processor 192 can manage data communication and/or QoS for transmitting data over Ethernet, WiMax and/or LTE broadband links 106, Ethernet Tx/Rx 188 and/or WIMAX and/or LTE Tx/Rx 198. In various embodiments of the invention, processor 192 may send control signals to femtocell 112, AP 114, and/or UE 116. In this regard, the processor 192 can control communication between the femtocell 112, the AP 114, and the UE 116. For example, processor 192 can determine and transmit control parameters such as antenna weighting mode, filter coefficients, power levels, modulation schemes, coding error correction schemes, and/or data rates.

Processor 192 includes suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code for communicating communication traffic management information to UE 116 to manage handover between one or more femtocells 112 and/or APs 114. In this regard, processor 192 can receive status and/or operational status information from femtocell 112, AP 114, and/or UE 116 and determine handover candidates based on the received information. Hybrid network controller 110 may transmit configuration parameters and/or instructions to femtocell 112, AP 114, and/or UE 116 to effect the handover. In various embodiments of the invention, processor 192 may exchange control information with a service provider to coordinate handovers within subnetwork 118, and/or femtocells 112 and/or APs and sub-networks within sub-network 118. Handover between entities external to network 118 (e.g., cellular macrocell base station 120 shown in Figure 1A).

Memory 194 includes suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code for storing or programming information, including, for example, parameters and/or code for performing the operations of hybrid network controller 110. Exemplary parameters include configuration parameters, and exemplary code includes operational code such as software and/or firmware, but the information is not limited to these. In addition, the parameter also includes adaptive filtering and/or blocking coefficients. Further, the memory 194 can buffer or store the received material and/or the material to be transmitted. In various embodiments of the invention, memory 194 may include neighbor list information and/or status and/or operational status information of femtocell 112, AP 114, and/or UE 116. For example, memory 194 can include one or more lookup tables (LUTs) that can be used to determine handover candidates from one or more femtocells 112 and/or APs 114.

The DSP 196 includes appropriate logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code for computationally intensive processing of data. Exemplary operations that the DSP 196 can handle include encoding, decoding, modulating, demodulating, encrypting, decrypting, scrambling, descrambling, and/or other data processing. The DSP 196 can adjust the data rate of the modulation scheme, the coding error correction scheme, and/or the transmitted signal. One or more of DSP 196, processor 192, and/or memory 194 in hybrid network controller 110 may implement a femtocell stack that supports communication with femtocell 112 and/or other Picocell communication function.

In operation, the hybrid network controller 110 can pass the cable broadband Tx/Rx 184 And/or wireless broadband Tx/Rx 186 and wired and/or wireless link 108 communicate with one or more of femtocell 112, AP 114, and/or UE 116. In this regard, the hybrid network controller 110 can receive information from the femtocell 112, the AP 114, and/or the UE 116 that has various operational conditions of the magnetic. Exemplary operational states may include device capabilities, return path delays, received signal strength, detected collisions, configuration parameters, antenna beamforming modes, bit error rates, available bandwidth, timing, and/or positioning information. In various embodiments of the invention, Global Satellite Navigation System (GNSS) timing and/or positioning coordinates may be provided. Additional device capabilities such as antenna type, available communication standards, hardware configuration, software configuration, maximum transmit power, and/or battery power. Information received by processor 192 from femtocell 112, AP 114, and/or UE 116 can be used to determine which of one or more APs and/or femtocells can be a handover candidate. Hybrid network controller 110 may transmit control and/or configuration parameters for enabling handover to the selected one or more handover candidates and/or UEs 116. For example, transmit power, frequency, time interval, PN code offset, and/or location information can be transmitted. The hybrid network controller 110 can transmit information to and/or receive information from the service provider so that the service provider can also manage various aspects of the handover.

In an exemplary use scenario, hybrid network controller 110 establishes a new call and/or communication session. The femtocell 112 couples the network controller 110 to provide information indicating that a call and/or communication session needs to be established for the UE 116. In addition, hybrid network controller 110 transmits communication traffic management information, such as one or more timing and/or RF detections, load balancing information, communication traffic usage information, current configuration, and/or received signal strength, to UE 116. The UE 116 instructs the femtocell 112 and/or the AP 114 to establish a call and/or communication session based on the received communication traffic management information. The UE 116 can manage calls and/or communication sessions. The femtocell 112 and/or the AP 114 may request to switch and/or provide communication traffic management information to the hybrid network controller 110 indicating that a handover is required. For example, hybrid network controller 110 may receive one or more detected values, including bit error rate and/or received signal strength, from femtocell 112 and/or AP 114 providing the service. The detected value received may exceed the memory The threshold stored in 194, thereby triggering the switch. Hybrid network controller 110 may analyze resource availability, current status, and/or operational status information from multiple femtocells 112 and/or APs 114 to determine which one or more femtocells 112 and/or APs 114 are suitable The switch is received. Hybrid network controller 110 may assign resources and/or communication configuration parameters to the selected one or more femtocells 112 and/or APs 114 and indicate UE 116, femtocell 112, and/or AP 114. Perform this switch.

1D is a schematic diagram of an exemplary femtocell in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The femtocell 112 shown in FIG. 1D includes an antenna 152, a cellular transmitter and/or receiver (Tx/Rx) 154, a wired and/or wireless broadband transmitter and/or receiver (Tx/Rx) 156, a processor 158. Memory 160, digital signal processor (DSP) 162, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver 168, and GNSS antenna 136. The femtocell 112 is similar or identical to the femtocell 112 described in connection with Figures 1A and/or 1B.

GNSS receiver 168 and GNSS antenna 136 include suitable logic, circuitry, and/or code for receiving signals from one or more GNSS satellites, such as GPS satellites. The received signals include timing, ephemeris, long-term orbital information, and/or almanac information, enabling the GNSS receiver 168 to determine its position and/or time.

Antenna 152 is adapted to transmit and receive cellular signals and/or wideband signals. Although a single antenna is illustrated in FIG. 1D, the invention is not limited thereto. In this regard, cellular Tx/Rx 154 and/or wired and/or wireless wideband Tx/Rx 156 may transmit and receive using a common antenna, and/or may transmit and/or receive using multiple antennas. In various embodiments of the invention, antenna 152 includes suitable logic and/or code to perform beamforming. For example, antenna 152 can be a smart antenna and/or can include multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) antenna systems.

Cellular Tx/Rx 154 includes suitable logic, circuitry, and/or code for transmitting and/or receiving voice and/or data using one or more cellular standards. Cellular Tx/Rx 154 can amplify, downconvert, filter, demodulate and analog to digital the received signal change. The cellular Tx/Rx 154 can perform operations and/or functions including amplifying, upconverting, filtering, modulating, and digital-to-analog conversion of signals to be transmitted. Cellular Tx/Rx 154 can support communication over multiple communication channels, such as using Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) and/or Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA). Additionally, exemplary cellular standards supported by femtocell 112 may be as defined by the International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 (IMT-2000) standard and/or by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), Third Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2) development. In addition, cellular Tx/Rx 154 supports fourth generation standards such as LTE. In various embodiments of the invention, the cellular Tx/Rx 154 is capable of detecting the received signal strength and may adjust the power level and/or the modulation scheme or level of the transmitted signal.

The wired and/or wireless broadband Tx/Rx 156 includes suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code for transmitting voice and/or data in accordance with one or more broadband communication standards. The wideband Tx/Rx 156 can perform operations and/or functions including amplifying, downconverting, filtering, demodulating, and analog to digital conversion of the received signal. In addition, the wideband Tx/Rx 156 can amplify, upconvert, filter, modulate, and digitally convert the signal to be transmitted. In various embodiments of the invention, the broadband Tx/Rx 156 may transmit voice and/or data to the hybrid network controller 110 via the wired connection 108a and/or via the wireless connection 108c via the antenna 152, and/or receive from the hybrid network. The voice and/or data of the road controller 110.

Processor 158 includes suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code to process data and/or control the operation of femtocell 112. In this regard, processor 158 enables control signals to be provided to other various modules in femtocell 112, such as DSP 162, memory 160, and/or Tx/Rx 154. Processor 158 can also control data forwarding between various portions of femtocell 112. Accordingly, processor 158 can execute applications and/or code. In various embodiments of the invention, applications, programs, and/or code can, for example, analyze, transcode, and/or otherwise process data.

In various embodiments of the invention, applications, programs, and/or code can, for example, configure and/or control antenna 152, cellular transmitter and/or receiver 154, wideband transmitter and/or receiver 156, GNSS receiver 168. , DSP 162 and/or memory 160 operating. Processor 158 can receive control information from hybrid network controller 110. In this regard, processor 158 can provide one or more signals to cellular Tx/Rx 154, memory 160, and/or DSP 162 to control communication between femtocell 112 and UE 116. Additionally, processor 158 can control exemplary parameters including the following: neighbor list information, signal quality threshold, frequency, transmission time, PN code, antenna radiation pattern, power level, modulation scheme, coding error correction scheme, and/or transmission. The data rate of the cellular signal.

Memory 160 includes suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code for storing or programming information, including, for example, parameters and/or code for performing operations of femtocell 112. Further, this parameter enables switching of calls and/or communication sessions between the femtocell 112 and/or the AP 114. Part of the programming information and/or parameters may be received from the hybrid network controller 110. This parameter includes configuration data and code containing operation codes such as software and/or firmware, but the information is not limited thereto. Further, the parameters may include, for example, neighbor list information, signal quality thresholds, adaptive filtering and/or blocking coefficients, frequency, transmission time, PN code, and/or antenna radiation pattern. The memory 160 can buffer or store the received data and/or the data to be transmitted. In various embodiments of the invention, memory 160 may include one or more lookup tables for determining cellular devices within the coverage area of femtocell 112.

The DSP 162 includes appropriate logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code for computationally intensive processing of the data. Exemplary operations that the DSP 162 can handle include encoding, decoding, modulating, demodulating, encrypting, decrypting, scrambling, descrambling, and/or other data processing. For example, where the femtocell 112 is in communication with the femtocell, the DSP 162, the processor 158, and/or the memory 160, physical layer functions such as encoding and/or decoding, and OSI Layer 2 and/or III may be performed. The function of the layer. Alternatively, the femtocell 112 can communicate with the access point based on the IP protocol. The DSP 162 can also adjust the modulation scheme, the encoding error correction scheme, and/or the data rate at which the cellular signal is transmitted. Moreover, one or more of processor 158, memory 160, and DSP 162 can implement a femtocell stack that supports communication with femtocell 112 and/or Other femtocell communication features.

In operation, the femtocell 112 can determine signal characteristics such as direction of arrival, interference level, and signal strength of signals received via the cellular communication channel. Similarly, DSP 162 and/or processor 156 can determine the bit error rate of the data received via the cellular communication channel and the available bandwidth of the channel. The detected value may be transmitted by the broadband Tx/Rx 156 to the hybrid network controller 110 over the wired connection 108a and/or the wireless connection 108c, or to the UE 116 over the wireless connection 108c. Accordingly, the femtocell 112 can receive feedback from the UE 116 at the other end of the cellular communication channel, which feedback will also be transmitted to the hybrid network controller 110 over the wideband Tx/Rx 156.

The handover management message can be received from the hybrid network controller 110 via the broadband Tx/Rx 156. Processor 158 configures, for example, cellular Tx/Rx 154, antenna 152, and/or DSP 162 using the received management messages to handle call and/or communication session handoffs of UE 116. In this regard, handover parameters for the communication channel between the femtocell 112 and the UE 116 can be configured, including neighbor list information, signal quality thresholds, frequencies, time intervals, PN codes, and/or radiation patterns. Further, a handover management message from the hybrid network controller 110 can be transmitted to the UE 116 via the femtocell 112.

1E is a schematic diagram of an exemplary access point in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The AP 114 shown in FIG. 1E includes an antenna 146, a WiFi transmitter and/or receiver (Tx/Rx) 126, a wired and/or wireless broadband transmitter and/or receiver (Tx/Rx) 128, a processor 138, Memory 140, digital signal processor (DSP) 142, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver 168, and GNSS antenna 136. The AP 114 is similar or identical to the AP 114 described in connection with Figures 1A and/or 1B.

Antenna 146 is adapted to transmit and/or receive signals to and/or from UE 116, and/or to transmit and/or receive signals to or from hybrid network controller 110. Although a single antenna is illustrated in FIG. 1E, the invention is not limited thereto. In this regard, WiFi Tx/Rx 126 and/or wired and/or wireless broadband Tx/Rx 128 may transmit and receive using a common antenna, may also transmit and receive using different antennas, and/or use multiple antennas to transmit and/or Or Received. Antenna 146 includes suitable logic and/or code for performing beamforming. For example, antenna 146 can be a smart antenna and/or include a MIMO system.

The wired and/or wireless broadband Tx/Rx 128 includes suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code for transmitting data to the hybrid network controller 110 for one or more UEs 116 in accordance with one or more broadband standards. In this regard, the wired and/or wireless broadband Tx/Rx 128 can exchange data with a plurality of UEs 116 and/or exchange data with the hybrid network controller 110. The wired and/or wireless wideband Tx/Rx 128 can perform operations and/or functions including amplifying, downconverting, filtering, demodulating, and analog to digital conversion of the received signal. The wired and/or wireless wideband Tx/Rx 128 can amplify, upconvert, filter, modulate and digitally convert the signal to be transmitted. In various embodiments of the invention, the wired and/or wireless broadband Tx/Rx 128 may transmit and/or data via antenna 146 via wired connection 108b and/or over wireless connection 108d. In various embodiments of the invention, AP 114 may communicate with UE 116 and with hybrid network controller 110 using the same Tx/Rx 128.

Processor 138 includes suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code to process data and/or control the operation of AP 114. In this regard, processor 138 can provide control signals to other various modules in AP 114. Processor 138 can also control data forwarding between various portions of AP 114. Accordingly, processor 158 can execute applications and/or code. The application, program, and/or code enable, for example, analysis, transcoding, and/or other processing of the material. In addition, applications, programs, and/or code can, for example, configure and/or control the operation of WiFi Tx/Rx 126, antenna 146, wired or wireless broadband Tx/Rx 128, GNSS receiver 168, DSP 142, and/or memory 140. Processor 138 can receive control information from hybrid network controller 110. In this regard, the processor 138 can provide one or more signals to the WiFi Tx/Rx 126, the antenna 146, the wired or wireless broadband Tx/Rx 128, the DSP 142, and/or the memory 140 to control the AP 114 and the UE 116. Communication between. Additionally, processor 138 can control exemplary handover parameters including those listed below: neighbor list information, signal quality threshold, frequency, transmission time, PN code, antenna radiation pattern, power level, The modulation scheme, the coding error correction scheme, and/or the data rate at which the WiFi signal is transmitted.

Memory 140 includes suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code for storing or programming information, including, for example, parameters and/or code for performing operations of AP 114. Further, this parameter enables switching of calls and/or data sessions between the AP 114 and/or the femtocell 112. Part of the programming information and/or parameters may be received from the hybrid network controller 110. These parameters include configuration data and code containing operational codes such as software and/or firmware, but the information is not limited thereto. Further, the handover parameters may include, for example, neighbor list information, signal quality thresholds, adaptive filtering, and/or blocking coefficients. Additionally, memory 160 can buffer or store received data and/or data to be transmitted. In various embodiments of the invention, memory 140 may include one or more lookup tables for determining WiFi access within the coverage area of AP 114.

The DSP 142 includes appropriate logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code for computationally intensive processing of the data. In various embodiments of the invention, DSP 142 may encode, decode, modulate, demodulate, encrypt, decrypt, scramble, descramble, and/or otherwise process data. The DSP 142 can also adjust the modulation scheme, the encoding error correction scheme, and/or the data rate at which the WiFi signal is transmitted.

In operation, the AP 114 is making a call with the UE 116. The WiFi Tx/Rx 126 can determine signal characteristics such as the interference level and signal strength of the desired signals received via the WiFi communication channel. Similarly, DSP 142 and/or processor 138 can determine the bit error rate of the data received via the WiFi communication channel and the available bandwidth of the channel. The detected value may be transmitted to the hybrid network controller 110 via the broadband connection Tx/Rx 128 via the wired connection 108b and/or the wireless connection 108d. Accordingly, AP 114 may receive feedback from UE 116 via WiFi link 120a, which will also be communicated to hybrid network controller 110 via wired and/or wireless broadband Tx/Rx 128.

Hybrid network controller 110, AP 114, and/or UE 116, which are in the process of making a call, may determine whether UE 116 needs to switch to another external AP 114 or femtocell 112. The broadband Tx/Rx 128 may receive handover management messages from the hybrid network controller 110 and/or the UE 116. The processor 138 uses the received handover management message for the slice The WiFi Tx/Rx 126, antenna 146, and/or DSP 142 are configured. Further, a handover management message from the hybrid network controller 110 can be transmitted to the UE 116 via the WiFi Tx/Rx 126.

FIG. 1F is a schematic diagram of an exemplary user equipment in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The UE 116 includes a cellular Tx/Rx 174, a WiFi Tx/Rx 176, an antenna 172, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GSNSS) receiver 168, a GNSS antenna 136, a processor 178, a memory 180, and a DSP 182. UE 116 is similar or identical to one or more of UEs 116a, ..., 116g described in connection with Figures 1A and 1B. GNSS receiver 168 and GNSS antenna 136 are similar or identical to GNSS receiver 168 and GNSS antenna 136 described in connection with FIG. 1D.

Antenna 172 is adapted to transmit and/or receive cellular and/or wideband signals. Although a single antenna is illustrated in FIG. 1F, the invention is not limited thereto. In this regard, cellular Tx/Rx 154 and/or wired and/or wireless wideband Tx/Rx 156 may transmit and receive using a common antenna, may also transmit and receive using different antennas, and/or use multiple antennas to transmit and/or Or receive. In various embodiments of the invention, antenna 172 may perform beamforming and/or include, for example, MIMO or virtual MIMO systems.

UE 116 may be a multi-mode wireless device and may include multiple transmitters and/or receivers (Tx/Rx). The cellular Tx/Rx 174 is similar or identical to the cellular Tx/Rx 154 described in connection with FIG. 1D. Cellular Tx/Rx 174 enables communication between UE 116 and one or more femtocells 112. The cellular Tx/Rx 174 is capable of communicating based on wireless voice and/or data communication standards such as 3GPP, 3GPP2, LTE, and/or WIMAX. Although the UE 116 shown in FIG. 1E includes two Tx/Rx units for cellular and WiFi, the UE 116 in the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, UE 116 may be a multi-mode device that includes multiple Tx/Rx units, and may be based on multiple wireless voice and/or data communication standards such as 3PGPP, 3GPP2, LTE, MIMAX, 802.11, Bluetooth, and Zigbee.

The WiFi Tx/Rx 176 is similar or identical to the WiFi Tx/Rx described in connection with FIG. 1E. WiFi Tx/Rx 176 enables communication between UE 116 and one or more APs 114.

Processor 178 includes suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code to enable processing of data and/or control of operation of UE 116. In this regard, processor 178 can provide control signals to other various modules in UE 116. Processor 178 can also control data forwarding between various portions of UE 116. Additionally, processor 178 can execute applications and/or code. Applications, programs, and/or code can handle data, call, and/or session establishment and/or switching. Moreover, applications, programs, and/or code can, for example, configure and/or control the operation of cellular Tx/Rx 174, antenna 172, GNSS receiver 168, WiFi Tx/Rx 156, DSP 182, and/or memory 180.

In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, processor 178 may control service detection by UE 116, including received signal strength, interference level, and/or signal to noise ratio (SNR), SINR, CINR, signal path delay, bandwidth. Usage and / or wireless resource availability. Service detection may be used by UE 116, femtocell 112, AP 114, and/or hybrid network controller 110 to make decisions regarding handover. The processor 178 can receive communication traffic management information from the hybrid network controller 110. In this regard, processor 178 can provide one or more signals to cellular Tx/Rx 174, WiFi Tx/Rx 176, memory 180, and/or DSP 182 to control switching between femtocell 112 or AP 114. Additionally, processor 178 can control switching configuration parameters including: switching neighbor list information, signal quality threshold, frequency, transmission time, PN code, antenna radiation pattern, transmit power level, modulation scheme, coding error correction scheme, and/or The data rate at which cellular and/or WiFi signals are transmitted. The processor 178 can analyze current status, operational status, available resources, and/or control information from the hybrid network controller 110, the femtocell 112, and/or the AP 114 to make a handover decision. In various embodiments of the invention, processor 178 may restrict switching to femtocell 112 and/or AP 114 in subnetwork 118 even though UE 116 may be from an adjacent entity external to subnetwork 118 (e.g., a cellular The macrocell base station 120) receives a good signal.

Memory 180 includes suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code for storing or programming information, including, for example, parameters for performing operations and/or handovers of UE 116. Number and / or code. For example, memory 180 may include neighbor list information and/or signal quality thresholds for supporting handover. Part of the programming information and/or parameters may be received from the hybrid network controller 110. These parameters include configuration data and code containing operational codes such as software and/or firmware, but the information is not limited thereto. Further, these parameters may include adaptive filtering and/or blocking coefficients, frequency, transmission time, PN code. Additionally, memory 180 can buffer or store received data and/or data to be transmitted. Memory 180 may include one or more lookup tables for determining which femtocell 112 and/or AP 114 may be a handover candidate within range of UE 116.

The DSP 182 includes appropriate logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code for computationally intensive processing of the data. In various embodiments of the invention, DSP 182 may encode, decode, modulate, demodulate, encrypt, decrypt, scramble, descramble, and/or otherwise process data. The DSP 182 can also adjust the modulation scheme, the encoding error correction scheme, and/or the data rate at which the cellular and/or WiFi signals are transmitted.

In operation, UE 116 may transmit signals to one or more femtocells 112 and/or APs 114 using one or more wireless communication standards, and/or from one or more femtocells 112 and/or APs 114. receive signal. The cellular Tx/Rx 174 and/or WiFi Tx/Rx 176 may determine characteristics of the received signal including, for example, interference levels and/or signal strength. Similarly, DSP 182 and/or processor 156 can determine the bit error rate of the data received via one or more communication channels, and/or can determine the available bandwidth of the channel. Information such as detected values and/or status from cellular Tx/Rx 174, WiFi Tx/Rx 176, GNSS receiver 168, memory 160, processor 179, and/or DSP 182 may be communicated to hybrid network controller 110, Femtocell 112 and/or AP 114. Hybrid network controller 110, femtocell 112, AP 114, and/or UE 116 use this information to make decisions related to handover. For example, the decision includes which type of handover to perform, which femtocell and/or AP to switch to, when to switch, initial transmit power, and/or frequency and time interval of transmission and/or reception, and/or PN code.

2 is a flow diagram of the handover control steps performed by a terminal device in a hybrid subnetwork including a femtocell and/or an access point, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 As shown, the exemplary steps begin at step 200. At step 202, terminal device 116 receives communication traffic management information from hybrid network controller 110 to establish and control one or more femtocells 112 and/or one or more access points 114 in subnetwork 118. Switching. The terminal device 116 can establish a call and/or communication session between the terminal device 116 within the sub-network 118 and another terminal device, the femtocell, and/or the access point. The other terminal device and/or network device may be a device external to the sub-network, such as a device within a wired and/or wireless communication backbone.

At step 204, the terminal device 116 monitors feedback from the femtocell 112, the access point 114, and/or the terminal device 116 in the subnetwork 118, including, for example, call quality indication, status, and/or operational status information and/or analysis. At step 206, the terminal device 116 determines when an established call needs to be handed over between the femtocell 112 and/or the access point 114. At step 208, the terminal device 116 determines the appropriate femtocell 112 and/or access point 114 to receive the handover based on the availability of the feedback information and/or resources. Available resources can be assigned and/or configured for the switch. At step 210, the terminal device 116 transmits control information for performing the handover to the femtocell 112 and/or the access point 114 that is processing the established call, and the UE in the subnetwork 118 that has been determined to receive the handover. 116 and/or femtocell 112 and/or access point 114. The exemplary steps end at step 212.

In various embodiments of the invention, communication system 118 includes hybrid network controller 110, one or more femtocells 112, one or more access points 114, and/or one or more terminal devices 116. The terminal device 116 receives communication traffic management information from the hybrid network controller 110 to effect a handover of the communication session between the one or more femtocells 112 and/or one or more access points 114. Additionally, the terminal device 116 can communicate the determined handover information to the femtocell 112, the access point 114, and/or the terminal device 116 to effect the handover. The received communication traffic management information includes, for example, one or more of the following: a session set-up instruction, a handover instruction, a transmit power, a neighbor list information, a traffic load balancing, a signal quality threshold, a bandwidth requirement, and a frequency allocation. , transmission time, code assignment and/or antenna mode assignment.

In various embodiments of the invention, terminal device 116 may control switching between communication devices external to communication system 118, such as laptop 124b, and one or more femtocells 112 and/or access points 114. The terminal device 116 can monitor and/or analyze the status and/or operational status of one or more femtocells 112, access points 114, and/or terminal devices 116. In this regard, status and/or operational conditions may include, for example, received signal strength, interference level, signal to noise ratio, signal path delay, power consumption, bandwidth usage, and/or radio resource availability. The terminal device 116 can assign or assign the one or more femtocells 112 and/or the access point 114 to receive the handover. Additionally, terminal device 116 can assign or assign one or more time intervals, codes, and/or antenna patterns for making handovers based on the received communication traffic management information. The terminal device 116 can wirelessly receive communication traffic management information from the hybrid network controller 110 using one or more wireless connections, such as via the wireless connection 108.

Various embodiments of the present invention provide a machine and/or computer readable memory and/or medium in which a machine code and/or a computer program is stored, including at least one code segment executable by a machine and/or a computer, for use with Methods and systems for enterprise level management in a multi-femtocell network as described herein are performed on a control machine and/or computer.

Therefore, the present invention can be realized by hardware, software, or a combination of soft and hard. The invention can be implemented in a centralized fashion in at least one computer system or in a decentralized manner by different portions of the computer system distributed across several interconnects. Any computer system or other device that can implement the method is applicable. A combination of commonly used hardware and software may be a general-purpose computer system with a computer program installed to control the computer system by installing and executing the program to operate as described. In a computer system, the method is implemented using a processor and a storage unit.

The present invention can also be implemented by a computer program product containing all of the features of the method of the present invention which, when installed in a computer system, can be implemented by operation. The computer program in this document refers to any expression of a set of instructions that can be written in any programming language, code, or symbol. The instruction set enables the system to have information processing capabilities to directly implement specific Function, or after performing one or two of the following steps, a) conversion to other languages, codes or symbols; b) reproduction in a different format to achieve a specific function.

The present invention has been described in terms of several specific embodiments, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art In addition, various modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the scope of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, but should include all embodiments falling within the scope of the invention.

Figure 2 is a flow chart with no component description.

Claims (6)

A communication method in a multi-femtocell network, in a communication system including a hybrid network controller, one or more femtocells, one or more access points, and one or more terminal devices, including: Providing, by the one or more terminal devices, status and/or operating status information of the one or more femtocells and/or one or more access points to the hybrid network controller; The one or more terminal devices receive traffic management information from the hybrid network controller to switch communication sessions between the one or more femtocells and/or one or more access points The communication traffic management information is determined by the status and/or operational status information; wherein, by selecting the one or more femtocells and/or one or more access points, the one or The plurality of terminal devices implement switching of the communication session based on the received communication traffic management information; and wherein the status and/or operational status information includes an intensity of the received signal, an interference level, and/or a signal to noise ratio. The communication method according to claim 1, wherein the received communication traffic management information comprises one or more of the following: a session set-up instruction, a handover instruction, a transmit power, a neighbor list information, and a signal. Quality threshold, frequency allocation, code allocation, and/or antenna mode assignment. The communication method of claim 1, wherein the method comprises using the one or more wireless connections to the one or more femtocells and/or one or more access points to access the hybrid network The controller wirelessly receives the communication flow management information. A communication system in a multi-femtocell network, comprising: a hybrid network controller, one or more femtocells, one or more access points, and one or more terminal devices for performing a request The communication method described in Item 1. The communication system according to claim 4, wherein the received communication stream The quantity management information includes one or more of the following: set-up instructions, handover instructions, transmit power, neighbor list information, traffic load balancing, signal quality threshold, bandwidth requirement, frequency allocation, transmission time, coding Assignment and / or antenna mode assignment. The communication system of claim 4, comprising one or more processors and/or circuitry operable to connect the one or more femtocells and/or one or more access points using one or more wireless connections And wirelessly receiving the communication flow management information from the hybrid network controller.