Sprint Spectrum L.p.

Spreint Spectrum L.p.

Dae-Sik Oh

Mark Yarkosky

Kristin Ann Hayne

Leo Ray Anderson

Robert C Pippert

Shiva Narayanabhatla

Thomas M Steele

Deuk-Ho Ryu

Timothy Wayne Sill

Michael C DeLaet

Saad Z Asif

John Cheong-Wai Ngan

Frederick L Fortuna

Leo Anderson

John Cheong Wai Ngan

Vicki L Walton

Bryan Barbee

Samuel M Woleben

Tim W Sill

Jack R Johnson

David L Morris

Brian H White

Tom Steele

Susan Sherwood

Disclosed herein is a method for emitting pilot beacons. The method includes a base station system emitting a pilot beacon on a first air interface protocol. The base station system wirelessly receives a registration message for a mobile station that detected the pilot beacon on the first air interface protocol. The registration message includes a registration request seeking registration of the mobile station under the first air interface protocol with the base station system. In response to the received registration message, the base station system makes a determination that the mobile station is capable of operating on a second air interface protocol different from the first air interface protocol. In response to the determination, the base station system emits at least one pilot beacon on the second air interface protocol.

Method and system for emitting pilot beacons

Assigning CDMA channel codes in a multiple beam zone sector such that they may be reused within the same sector. In an exemplary embodiment, the method includes configuring directional antennas in a cell sector to provide multiple beam zones in a cell sector and assigning channel codes for use within the beam zones such that each channel code is assigned for use in only one beam zone of any set of three consecutive beam zones in the cell sector. The reassignment is preferable conditioned upon the mobility status of the user. This effectively reduces the inter-user interference by ensuring at least two intervening beam zones are located between zones that are using the same channel codes, and that the second user is not mobile. The channel codes may be Walsh codes or quasi-orthogonal functions (QOFs).

Method and system of reusing walsh codes to increase forward channel capacity

Disclosed herein is a method and apparatus for providing a pilot-beacon on behalf of one or more base stations, such as one or more femtocells. A pilot-beacon transmitter, separate from the base stations, determines the locations of coverage areas of the base stations and then dynamically configures a pilot-beacon radiation pattern to encompass (approximately) the determined coverage areas. That way, a mobile station may detect the pilot beacon and initiate scanning of coverage provided by the base stations. Optimally, the method can be used to provide a pilot beacon for femtocells, thereby avoiding the need for the femtocells to include pilot beacon transmission functions and thus possibly decreasing the cost of the femtocells. The pilot-beacon transmitter or another entity may also be configured to receive and forward GPS signals to the base stations, possibly offsetting GPS timing based on measured delays for communication with the base stations.

Method and apparatus for providing a pilot beacon on behalf of one or more base stations

Presently disclosed is a method for reducing interference in a wireless distributed antenna systems. In an embodiment, interference is reduced by selectively placing a first wireless remote unit in a reduced signal interference mode. A controller sends a signal, such as a reverse link power-down signal, to the first remote unit after detecting less than a threshold incoming signal strength at the first remote unit. In an alternative embodiment, the controller requests that a given remote unit switch to the reduced signal interference mode when the controller is receiving signals from a mobile station through at least two different remote units.

Interference cancellation system and method for wireless antenna configuration

Methods and systems are provided for determining relative priorities of wireless communication devices with respect to controlling controllable devices. A femtocell receiving a registration request and a device identifier from a first wireless communication device may responsively (i) provide the first wireless communication device with wireless service and (ii) use the device identifier to determine at least one respective relative priority of the first wireless communication device compared to a second wireless communication device with respect to controlling at least one controllable device. The femtocell may then transmit at least one message to at least one of (i) the first wireless communication device, (ii) the second wireless communication device, and (iii) at least one controllable device in accordance with the determination, the at least one message reflecting the determined at least one relative priority. In this way, conflicts between multiple controlling devices may be avoided.

Use of femtocell to control wireless communication device priorities

To provide high-data-rate wireless communication in both directions between a pair of nodes, the present invention provides for operating at least two asymmetric wireless connections in parallel but in reverse directions between the nodes. One of the asymmetric wireless connections will provide a high-data-rate forward link in one direction between the nodes, while the other asymmetric wireless connection will concurrently provide a high-data-rate forward link in the other direction between the nodes. The lower-data-rate reverse links provided by the asymmetric wireless connections can then be used to carry overhead control data or can be used to supplement the primary high-data-rate communication provided by the forward links. Preferably, 1xEV-DO will be used for both asymmetric wireless data links, but other asymmetric air interface protocols could be used instead.

Use of dual asymmetric wireless links to provide bi-directional high data  rate wireless communication

To facilitate vertical handoff, a radio network will identify air interface protocols currently available for use by a wireless device and will then select one of the available air interface protocols based at least in part on the type of communication in which the device is currently engaged. The radio network may further take into consideration the current level of congestion under each available air interface protocol and may select an air interface protocol that has sufficient bandwidth available to support the type of communication in which the device is currently engaged. If the device is not currently operating under the selected air interface protocol, the radio network may then orchestrate a vertical handoff to the selected protocol.

Communication type and congestion based switching of air interface protocols

A mechanism for providing a wireless backhaul connection between a remote base transceiver station (BTS) and core radio access network (RAN) equipment such as a base station controller (BSC) for instance. The remote BTS will be provided with wireless server logic, such as a cell site modem (CSM), the RAN equipment will be provided with wireless client logic, such as a mobile station modem (MSM), and the wireless server logic of the remote BTS will be arranged to serve the wireless client logic of the RAN equipment with a packet-data connection for use to carry backhaul communications between the remote BTS and the RAN equipment. Advantageously, limited air interface resources of the core RAN equipment can thus be preserved for directly serving wireless client devices, as limited air interface resources of the wireless client logic at the remote BTS are instead (or in addition) allocated for the backhaul communication.

Method and system for wireless backhaul communication between a radio access network and a remote base station

Methods and systems are provided for dynamic allocation of carrier frequencies in wireless wide area networks (WWANs). A first base station among a plurality of base stations in a WWAN determines that a level of load in a wireless coverage area exceeds a load threshold, and responsively (i) obtains a first keycode from a keycode library, wherein the first keycode then becomes unavailable to the other base stations of the plurality of base stations, (ii) identifies a carrier frequency, and (iii) uses the first keycode to activate the identified carrier frequency in the wireless coverage area.

Dynamic allocation of carrier frequencies in wireless wide area networks

A method and system for bridging third parties into calls. When a subscriber places a call to a designated number, such as 9-1-1 for instance, the network will automatically connect the call to a conference bridge and to the called party. Further, the network will automatically generate and send to a designated third party contact person an alert message that will invite the contact person to call into the conference bridge, so that the contact person can listen to the call. Advantageously, the invention may thus enable a close friend or relative to more quickly learn about an emergency being reported by the subscriber.

Method and system for bridging third parties into calls

Methods and systems for selecting data rates are described in a wireless network. The distance between a client and a base station serving the client device is determined. Based on that distance, a minimum threshold data rate is selected such that a larger distance corresponds to a higher minimum threshold data rate and a smaller distance corresponds to a smaller minimum threshold data rate. An actual data rate, not less than the minimum threshold data rate, is then selected, and signals are transmitted between the client device and the base station at the actual data rate. The actual data rate may be increased if there exists unused available bandwidth in the network. Events such as a change in distance or a timer expiring may result in a recalculation of the minimum threshold data rate.

Vocoder selection based on location of client device

Assigning CDMA channel codes in a multiple beam zone sector such that they may be reused within the same sector. In an exemplary embodiment, the method includes configuring directional antennas in a cell sector to provide multiple beam zones in a cell sector and assigning channel codes for use within the beam zones such that each channel code is assigned for use in only one beam zone of any set of three consecutive beam zones in the cell sector. This effectively reduces the inter-user interference by ensuring at least two intervening beam zones are located between zones that are using the same channel codes. The channel codes may be Walsh codes or quasi-orthogonal functions (QOFs).

Method and system of reusing walsh code to increase forward channel capacity

A system and method are provided for using differentiated telephone numbers to determine whether to perform a vocoder bypass. In an exemplary embodiment, a mobile station may call a terminating node. An intermediate entity may search an identifier of the terminating node for a predetermined aspect. If the predetermined aspect is found, the terminating node may be a mobile station, and the intermediate entity may perform a vocoder bypass. If the predetermined aspect is not found, the terminating node may be a non-mobile station, and the intermediate entity may perform vocoding.

Method and system for vocoder bypass using differentiated telephone numbers

A wireless telecommunications network that uses a first frequency spectrum for wireless communications in a plurality of generally contiguous wireless coverage areas also has available a second frequency spectrum for wireless communications in a high-traffic wireless coverage area. Mobile stations in the high-traffic wireless coverage area are classified as either static or dynamic based on determinations of their speeds. The wireless telecommunications network uses the first frequency spectrum for wireless communications with dynamic mobile stations in the high-traffic wireless coverage area and uses the second frequency spectrum for wireless communications with static mobile station in the high-traffic wireless coverage area. The wireless telecommunications network may instruct the mobile stations in the high-traffic coverage area to use the appropriate frequency spectrum.

Growing community of inventors

Overland Park, KS, United States of America

Dae-Sik Oh