Swisscom Ag

Interdigital Ce Patent Holdings, Sas

Raphael Rolny

Thomas Zasowski

Marc Kuhn

Methods and systems are provided for deploying a cellular communication network, including basestation systems. A basestation system may include a plurality of femtocells including at least a first femtocell and a second femtocell, with the first femtocell being operable to support an operation in a coverage area corresponding to the second femtocell. A first transmission within the coverage area from the first femtocell may be coordinated with a second transmission within the coverage area from the second femtocell. The plurality of femtocells may further include a third femtocell, and a first reception by the first femtocell may be coordinated with a second reception by the third femtocell. The transmissions and/or receptions may be coordinated in one or more of time, power, and frequency.

Method for deploying a cellular communication network

Methods and systems are provided for deploying a cellular communication network, including basestation systems. A basestation system may include a plurality of femtocells comprising at least a first femtocell and a second femtocell, with the first femtocell being configured to support an operation in the second femtocell, and a first transmission from the first femtocell being coordinated with a second transmission from the second femtocell. The plurality of femtocells may also include a third femtocell, and a first reception by the first femtocell may be coordinated with a second reception by the third femtocell. The coordination of transmissions and/or receptions may be based on one or more of time, power, and frequency.

Methods and systems are provided for managing communication networks. In a communication network that includes a plurality of cells, one or more antennas in a first cell from the plurality of cells may be configured to support operations in a second cell from the plurality of cells. The configuring may include arranging or causing the arrangement of the one or more antennas of the first cell to be directed towards the second cell, and configuring the one or more antennas of the first cell to use at least one same channel resource as used by antennas of the second cell, for communicating of signals of the second cell. The same channel resource may include a common channel. In some instances, the second cell may be configured to communicate with at least one communication device located within the second cell without use of any antenna of the second cell.

Methods and systems are provided for optimizing communication networks, such as cellular communication networks. A super-cell may be configured a communication network, with the super-cell comprising a central cell and at least a part of one cell adjacent to the central cell, with antennas of the super-cell comprising one or more antennas of the adjacent cell, and where the configuring of the super-cell comprises arranging the one or more antennas of the adjacent cell to be directed towards the central cell. The configuring of the super-cell may comprise configuring antennas of the super-cell such that signals from the antennas use at least one same channel resource. The super-cell may be configured to communicate with at least one communication device located within the super-cell without use of any antenna of the central cell of the super-cell.

Methods and systems are provided for deploying cellular communication networks. In a cellular communication network comprising a plurality of cells, with each cell comprising at least a base station and one or more antennas arranged to cover the cell, one or more non-adjacent cells may be selected use as central cells. In this regard, for each central cell, a super-cell may configured, comprising the central cell and at least a part of one or more cells adjacent to the central cell, with antennas of the super-cell comprising one or more antennas of the one or more adjacent cells. The configuring of the super-cell may comprise arranging the one or more antennas of the one or more adjacent cells to be directed towards the central cell; and configuring antennas of the super-cell such that signals from the antennas use at least one same channel resource.

A method for deploying a cellular communication network may comprise reconfiguring the cellular communication network from an initial state to a reconfigured state, with the cellular communication network comprising in the initial state a plurality of cells, with each cell comprising at least a base station and one or more antennas arranged to cover the cell. The reconfiguring may comprise selecting non-adjacent cells for use as central cell(s), and for each central cell, one or more antennas in base stations of cells that are adjacent the central cell may then be arranged to be directed towards the central cell, thereby defining a super-cell comprising the central cell and at least part of the adjacent cells. Use of the antennas of the super-cell may be coordinated as to communications with mobile devices located within the super-cell, wherein the signals from the antennas of the super-cell may use the same channel resources.

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Zurich, Switzerland

Raphael Rolny