Capacity sharing between wireless systems

A method operable with a wireless telecommunications system, the method comprising:

• detecting capacity on a first of a plurality of wireless base stations via a Mobile Central Office (MCO), wherein each wireless base station is operable to handle a session of a wireless device and to handoff the session to another of the wireless base stations when the wireless device moves into a range of the other wireless base station;
• requesting capacity for the first wireless base station from a remotely located master scheduling system via the MCO;
• acquiring at least a portion of the requested capacity from a wireless base station of another MCO based on the request to the master scheduling system;
• directing the first wireless base station via the MCO to handle another session of another wireless device via the acquired capacity;
• and
• releasing the acquired capacity to the master scheduling system when the first wireless base station has completed use of the acquired capacity,
• wherein the first wireless base station comprises:
• a WiFi receiver operable to detect one or more WiFi networks proximate thereto;
• and
• a WiFi transmitter operable to communicate frequency spectrum usage of the first wireless base station to the one or more WiFi networks proximate thereto.

A master scheduling system, comprising:

• an interface communicatively coupled to a plurality of Mobile Central Offices (MCOs), wherein each MCO is communicatively coupled to a plurality of wireless base stations, wherein each MCO is operable to detect capacity on the wireless base stations to which it is communicatively coupled, and wherein each wireless base station is operable to handle a session from a wireless device;
• and
• a processor communicatively coupled to the interface and operable to process a request for capacity from a first of the MCOs, to request capacity from a second of the MCOs, to process a grant from the second MCO for at least a portion of the requested capacity, and to direct the first MCO to acquire said at least a portion of the requested capacity,
• wherein a first of the wireless base stations of the first MCO comprises:
• a WiFi receiver operable to detect one or more WiFi networks proximate thereto;
• and
• a WiFi transmitter operable to communicate frequency spectrum usage of the first wireless base station to the one or more WiFi networks proximate thereto.

A wireless telecommunications system, comprising:

• a plurality of wireless base stations, wherein each wireless base station is operable to handle a session of a wireless device and to handoff the session to another of the wireless base stations when the wireless device moves into a range of the other wireless base station;
• and
• a Mobile Central Office (MCO) communicatively coupled to each of the wireless base stations and operable to detect capacity on a first of the wireless base stations, to request capacity for the first wireless base station from a remotely located master scheduling system, to acquire at least a portion of the requested capacity from a wireless base station of another MCO based on the request to the master scheduling system, to handle another session of another wireless device via the acquired capacity, and to release the acquired capacity to the master scheduling system when the first wireless base station has completed use of the acquired capacity,
• wherein the first wireless base station is a WiFi access point comprising:
• a Long Term Evolution (LTE) receiver to detect LTE frequency spectrum usage proximate thereto;
• and
• an LTE transmitter to broadcast frequency spectrum usage of the WiFi access point to an LTE wireless system.

A method operable with a wireless telecommunications system, the method comprising:

• detecting capacity on a first of a plurality of wireless base stations via a Mobile Central Office (MCO), wherein each wireless base station is operable to handle a session of a wireless device and to handoff the session to another of the wireless base stations when the wireless device moves into a range of the other wireless base station;
• requesting capacity for the first wireless base station from a remotely located master scheduling system via the MCO;
• acquiring at least a portion of the requested capacity from a wireless base station of another MCO based on the request to the master scheduling system;
• directing the first wireless base station via the MCO to handle another session of another wireless device via the acquired capacity;
• and
• releasing the acquired capacity to the master scheduling system when the first wireless base station has completed use of the acquired capacity,
• wherein the first wireless base station is a WiFi access point comprising:
• a Long Term Evolution (LTE) receiver to detect LTE frequency spectrum usage proximate thereto;
• and
• an LTE transmitter to broadcast frequency spectrum usage of the WiFi access point to an LTE wireless system.

A master scheduling system, comprising:

• an interface communicatively coupled to a plurality of Mobile Central Offices (MCOs), wherein each MCO is communicatively coupled to a plurality of wireless base stations, wherein each MCO is operable to detect capacity on the wireless base stations to which it is communicatively coupled, and wherein each wireless base station is operable to handle a session from a wireless device;
• and
• a processor communicatively coupled to the interface and operable to process a request for capacity from a first of the MCOs, to request capacity from a second of the MCOs, to process a grant from the second MCO for at least a portion of the requested capacity, and to direct the first MCO to acquire said at least a portion of the requested capacity,
• wherein a first of the wireless base stations of the first MCO is a WiFi access point comprising:
• a Long Term Evolution (LTE) receiver to detect LTE frequency spectrum usage proximate thereto;
• and
• an LTE transmitter to broadcast frequency spectrum usage of the WiFi access point to an LTE wireless system.