Neutral cell host solution providing communication to user equipments associated with different wireless providers
AssigneeCisco Technology, Inc.
InventorsVivek Jha, Rajesh Pazhyannur, Maulik Vaidya
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for providing host-neutral small cells include communicating with a first User Equipment (UE) at a small cell. The first UE communicates with the small cell via a first Evolved Node B (eNodeB) base station associated with a first Evolved Packet Core (EPC). The small cell further communicates with a second UE. The second UE communicates with the small cell via a second eNodeB base station associated with a second EPC. Although a different wireless carrier may be associated with each of the first and second UEs, they may both communicate with the host-neutral small cell.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- communicating, at a small cell, between a first User Equipment (UE) and a first packet core, wherein the small cell communicates with the first UE over an unlicensed wireless protocol, and wherein the first UE and the first packet core are each associated with a first wireless provider;
- communicating, at the small cell, between a second UE and a second packet core, wherein the small cell communicates with the second UE over the unlicensed wireless protocol, and wherein the second UE and the second packet core are each associated with a second wireless provider;
- and
- coordinating, by a secondary Radio Resource Control (RRC) of the small cell, mobility of the first UE between the small cell and a second small cell, wherein the second small cell is to communicate between the first UE and the first packet core associated with the first wireless provider over the unlicensed wireless protocol and provide communication between at least one UE and the second packet core associated with the second wireless provider over the unlicensed wireless protocol;
- wherein the first wireless provider associated with the first UE and first packet core is different from the second wireless provider associated with the second UE and the second packet core, and wherein the small cell is registered with the first and second packet cores at the same time.
A network device comprising a small cell, the small cell comprising:
- a memory;
- and
- a processor coupled to the memory;
- the processor to:
- communicate, at the small cell, between a first User Equipment (UE) and a first packet core, wherein the small cell communicates with the first UE over an unlicensed wireless protocol, and wherein the first UE and the first packet core are each associated with a first wireless provider;
- communicate, at the small cell, between a second UE and a second packet core, wherein the small cell communicates with the second UE over the unlicensed wireless protocol, and wherein the second UE and the second packet core are each associated with a second wireless provider;
- wherein the first wireless provider associated with the first UE and first packet core is different from the second wireless provider associated with the second UE and the second packet core, and wherein the small cell is registered with the first and second packet cores at the same time, and wherein a secondary Radio Resource Control (RRC) of the small cell coordinates mobility of the first UE between the small cell and a second small cell, wherein the second small cell is to communicate between the first UE and the first packet core associated with the first wireless provider over the unlicensed wireless protocol and provide communication between at least one UE and the second packet core associated with the second wireless provider over the unlicensed wireless protocol.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.