Refining femtocell coverage information with beacon transmitters
AssigneeQUALCOMM Incorporated
InventorsSoumya Das, Samir S. Soliman
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Abstract
Systems, methods, devices, and computer program products are described for refinement of femtocell coverage area information in a wireless communication system, particularly in context of a femto-proxy architecture. Zones may be defined within a femtocell coverage area using beacon sources, and a zone map of zone signatures may be defined for each zone of the femtocell coverage area, according to macro signatures detected in those zones. The zone map can be used, by access terminals, the femto-proxy system, and/or the macro network, to provide functionality, including reduced power level femtocell discovery and association, enhanced network planning, improved femtocell troubleshooting, etc.
Claims41
A method for femtocell discovery, the method comprising:
- detecting a plurality of macro signals at an access terminal, each macro signal associated with a macro cell corresponding to a macro identifier, the macro cells being part of a macro communications network configured to provide communications services to the access terminal;
- calculating a present macro signature using the access terminal according to the detected plurality of macro signals;
- determining whether the present macro signature correlates with one of a plurality of zone signatures stored locally in a zone map, each zone signature representing a macro signature previously associated with one of a plurality of zones of a femtocell coverage area provided by a femtocell;
- and
- activating detection of the femtocell when the present macro signature correlates with one of the plurality of zone signatures.
An access terminal comprising:
- a data store comprising a zone map having a plurality of zone signatures, each representing a macro signature associated with one of a plurality of zones of a femtocell coverage area provided by a femtocell;
- a macro communications subsystem, communicatively coupled with the data store, and configured to:
- detect a plurality of macro signals, each macro signal associated with a macro cell corresponding to a macro identifier, the macro cells being part of a macro communications network;
- calculate a present macro signature according to the detected plurality of macro signals;
- and
- determine whether the present macro signature correlates with one of the plurality of zone signatures;
- and
- a femto communications subsystem, communicatively coupled with the macro communications subsystem, and configured to:
- activate detection of the femtocell when the present macro signature correlates with one of the plurality of zone signatures;
- and
- become available for communications with the femtocell when the femtocell is detected.
A processor for femtocell discovery in an access terminal, the processor comprising:
- a macro communications controller configured to:
- detect a plurality of macro signals, each associated with a macro cell corresponding to a macro identifier, the macro cells being part of a macro communications network;
- calculate a present macro signature according to the detected plurality of macro signals;
- and
- determine whether the present macro signature correlates with one of a plurality of zone signatures stored in a zone map communicatively coupled with the local to the macro communications controller, each zone signature representing a macro signature associated with one of a plurality of zones of a femtocell coverage area provided by a femtocell;
- a femto communications controller, communicatively coupled with the macro communications controller, and configured to:
- activate detection of the femtocell when the present macro signature correlates with one of the plurality of zone signatures;
- and
- become available for communications with the femtocell when the femtocell is detected.
A computer program product residing on a processor-readable medium and comprising processor-readable instructions, which, when executed, cause a processor to perform steps comprising:
- detecting a plurality of macro signals at an access terminal, each macro signal associated with a macro cell corresponding to a macro identifier, the macro cells being part of a macro communications network configured to provide communications services to the access terminal;
- calculating a present macro signature using the access terminal according to the detected plurality of macro signals;
- determining whether the present macro signature correlates with one of a plurality of zone signatures stored locally in a zone map, each zone signature representing a macro signature previously associated with one of a plurality of zones of a femtocell coverage area provided by a femtocell;
- and
- activating detection of the femtocell when the present macro signature correlates with one of the plurality of zone signatures.
A system for femtocell discovery comprising:
- means for detecting a plurality of macro signals at an access terminal, each macro signal associated with a macro cell corresponding to a macro identifier, the macro cells being part of a macro communications network configured to provide communications services to the access terminal;
- means for calculating a present macro signature using the access terminal according to the detected plurality of macro signals;
- means for determining whether the present macro signature correlates with one of a plurality of zone signatures stored locally in a zone map, each zone signature representing a macro signature previously associated with one of a plurality of zones of a femtocell coverage area provided by a femtocell;
- and
- means for activating detection of the femtocell when the present macro signature correlates with one of the plurality of zone signatures.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.