HK1153891A

HK1153891A - A communication method and system in multiple femtocell networks

Info

Publication number: HK1153891A
Application number: HK11107902.9A
Authority: HK
Inventors: 吉汉‧卡若古; 纳拜瑞简‧塞亚爵; 尼古拉斯‧伊利亚蒂斯
Original assignee: 美国博通公司
Priority date: 2009-07-24
Filing date: 2011-07-29
Publication date: 2012-04-05

Description

Communication method and system in multi-femtocell network

Technical Field

The present invention relates to communications, and more particularly, to a method and system for enterprise level management in a multi-femtocell (multi-femtocell) network.

Background

The femtocell may be located, for example, in a customer premises or in a small business environment. Femtocells are used to offload macro wireless network traffic, improve local coverage in a cost-effective manner, and/or implement home space services to increase revenue. Similar to a macro cell base station, a femtocell is capable of connecting a "standard" phone to a cellular carrier network through a physical broadband connection, such as a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) connection and/or a cable connection. Various risks are encountered as communication traffic between the customer premises femtocell device and the carrier network is transported across the public network.

Communication between the femtocell and one or more cellular carrier networks may be conducted in private or public areas. The capacity of the femtocell is suitable for typical home usage patterns, such as supporting two or four simultaneous voice calls and/or data communication traffic.

An important feature of a femtocell is its ability to control access. In an open access scheme, any terminal and/or user is allowed to communicate with the femtocell. Accordingly, the use of femtocells is similar to that of macrocellular systems. In a closed access scheme, femtocells only serve a limited number of terminals and/or users registered with a given cellular base station. In this regard, cellular base stations may be considered to be used for private purposes.

A regulatory issue related to femtocells is that they transmit at low power within a controlled environment using licensed frequencies. It is likely that femtocells do not need to be licensed from local authorities as do macrocell base stations. Another management problem associated with femtocells relates to the relationship between the femtocell operators and the broadband service operators. One possible solution includes the broadband operator not being aware of the existence of the femtocell operator. In contrast, the broadband operator and the femtocell operator, for example, have an agreement with each other or may be the same operator. For femtocell applications based on broadband technologies such as WCDMA, interference between femtocells is a problem because the original operator may use the same frequency in both femtocells and macrocells, or because femtocells are in dense urban areas and close to each other.

The application and integration of femtocells is based on a variety of design modes, such as the IP-based lu-b interface, the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) based scheme using the lu/a interface, the use of unlicensed bands in a technology called Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA), and/or the use of IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) Voice Call Continuity (VCC).

In the lu-b mode based femtocell application scheme, the femtocells may all be integrated in the wireless carrier network, with the same treatment as any other remote node in the network. The lu-b protocol has multiple responsibilities such as shared channel management, shared resource management, and management of the radio link and its configuration, including cellular configuration management, detection processing and control, Time Division Duplex (TDD) synchronization, and/or error reporting. In the lu-B configuration, the mobile device can access the network and its services via the node B link, and the femtocell can be treated as a legacy base station.

In a SIP-based femtocell application, a SIP client (embedded within a femtocell) can communicate with a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) supporting SIP functionality using SIP. The MSC may perform the operational conversion between, for example, the IPSIP network and the legacy mobile network.

In UMA-based femtocell implementations, a Generic Access Network (GAN) may provide an alternative path to access GSM and GPRS core network services over a broadband connection. To support this scheme, a UMA Network Controller (UNC) and a protocol for securing the transport of signaling and IP user traffic may be used. The UNC can interface with the core network using existing, e.g., 3GPP, interfaces to support core network integration for femtocell based services by providing a standards-based scalable IP interface for mobile core networks.

In IMS VCC based femtocell application scenarios, VCC may provide network design, extending IMS networks to include cellular coverage and address handover procedures. IMS VCC may also be designed to provide seamless call connections between a cellular network and any network that supports VoIP, for example. VCC may also provide interoperability between GSM, UMTS, and CDMA cellular networks and any network that supports IP radio access. The IMS VCC may also support the use of a single phone number or SIP Identifier (ID) and integrate a variety of functional advantages, for example, support of multiple markets and market segments, provide enhanced IMS multimedia services, including more personalized services and controls, seamless handover between circuit-switched and IMS networks, and/or services accessing arbitrary IP devices.

An access point is a device that is placed in, for example, a customer premises or a small business environment, and provides WLAN, WiFi, LTE, and/or WiMax services. For example, an access point may connect to an enterprise network to allow access to an intranet. An access point can connect end devices, such as computers or handheld wireless devices, to an intranet or Internet Service Provider (ISP) via a physical broadband connection, such as a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) connection and/or a cable connection. The access point may communicate over the air based on one or more communication standards including 802.11 and/or 802.16.

Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with some aspects of the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.

Disclosure of Invention

A method and/or system for enterprise level management in a multi-femtocell network, substantially as shown in and/or described in connection with at least one of the figures, as set forth more completely in the claims.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a communication method including:

in a communication system comprising a hybrid network controller and one or more femtocells, one or more access points and one or more terminal devices:

receiving, by the one or more terminal devices, communication traffic (traffic) management information for handing over communication sessions between the one or more femtocells and/or one or more access points; and

the one or more terminal devices effect a handover of the communication session based on the received communication traffic management information.

Preferably, the received communication traffic management information includes one or more of: a session establishment (set-up) instruction, a handover instruction, transmit power, neighbor list information, communication traffic load balancing, signal quality thresholds, bandwidth requirements, frequency allocation, transmit time, code allocation, and/or antenna pattern allocation.

Preferably, the method comprises wirelessly receiving the communication traffic management information from the hybrid network controller using one or more wireless connections.

Preferably, the method comprises: controlling, by the one or more terminal devices, a handover between an external communication device of the communication system and the one or more femtocells, the one or more access points and/or the one or more terminal devices.

Preferably, the method comprises: monitoring and/or analyzing, by the one or more terminal devices, a status or operating condition of the one or more femtocells, the one or more access points, and/or the one or more terminal devices.

Preferably, the state or operating condition comprises one or more of received signal strength, interference level, signal to noise ratio, signal path delay, power consumption, bandwidth usage and/or radio resource availability.

Preferably, the method comprises allocating or assigning, by the one or more terminal devices, the one or more femtocells and/or the one or more access points to handle the handover.

Preferably, the method comprises allocating or assigning, by the one or more terminal devices, one or more time intervals for switching based on the received communication traffic management information.

Preferably, the method comprises allocating or assigning, by the one or more terminal devices, one or more codes for switching based on the received communication traffic management information.

Preferably, the method comprises allocating or assigning, by the one or more terminal devices, one or more antenna modes for switching based on the received communication traffic management information.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a communication system including:

in a communication system comprising one or more femtocells, one or more access points and one or more terminal devices, one or more processors and/or circuitry employed in the one or more terminal devices to:

receive communication traffic (traffic) management information from the hybrid network controller for handing over communication sessions between the one or more femtocells and/or one or more access points; and

effecting a handoff of the communication session based on the received communication traffic management information.

Preferably, the one or more processors and/or circuits are operable to wirelessly receive the communication traffic management information from the hybrid network controller using one or more wireless connections.

Preferably, the one or more processors and/or circuits are operable to control handover between an external communication device of the communication system and the one or more femtocells, the one or more access points and/or the one or more terminal devices.

Preferably, the one or more processors and/or circuits are operable to monitor and/or analyze a state or operational condition of the one or more femtocells, the one or more access points and/or the one or more terminal devices.

Preferably, the one or more processors and/or circuitry are operable to allocate or assign the one or more femtocells, the one or more access points and/or the one or more terminal devices to handle the handover.

Preferably, the one or more processors and/or circuits are operable to allocate or assign one or more time intervals for switching based on the received communication traffic management information.

Preferably, the one or more processors and/or circuits are operable to allocate or assign one or more codes for switching based on the received communication traffic management information.

Preferably, the one or more processors and/or circuits are operable to allocate or assign one or more antenna modes for switching based on the received communication traffic management information.

Various advantages, aspects and novel features of the invention, as well as details of an illustrated embodiment thereof, will be more fully described in the following description and drawings.

Drawings

Fig. 1A is a schematic diagram of an exemplary hybrid network including a hybrid network controller, a femtocell, an access point, and/or a user equipment in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

fig. 1B is a diagram of an exemplary terminal device capable of receiving communication traffic management information from a hybrid network controller to control handover management between one or more femtocells, access points and terminal devices in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 1C is a schematic diagram of an exemplary hybrid network controller in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

figure 1D is a schematic diagram of an exemplary femtocell in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 1E is a schematic diagram of an exemplary access point in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 1F is a diagram of an exemplary user device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 2 is a flow chart of handover control steps performed by a terminal device in a hybrid sub-network including femtocells and/or access points according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to methods and systems for enterprise-level management of multi-femtocell networks. The communication system includes a hybrid network controller, one or more femtocells, one or more access points, and/or one or more terminal devices. The femtocell and/or access point may include 2G, 3G, and/or 4G technologies. For example, the access points may include WLAN access points, LTE access points, and/or WiMax access points. One or more end devices can receive communication traffic management information from the hybrid network controller for call and/or communication session handoffs between femtocells, access points, and/or end devices. The received communication traffic management information may include: a session establishment (set-up) instruction, a handover instruction, transmit power, neighbor list information, communication traffic load balancing, signal quality thresholds, bandwidth requirements, frequency allocation, transmit time, code allocation, and/or antenna pattern allocation. The end device may control handover between the communication device and the femtocell, the access point and/or the end device outside the communication system. The terminal device may monitor and/or analyze received signal strength, interference level, signal-to-noise ratio, signal path delay, power consumption, traffic load, bandwidth usage, and/or radio resource availability. The terminal device may allocate time intervals, codes, antenna patterns, and serving femtocells and/or APs for the establishment and/or handover of a communication session. The communication traffic management information may be received via one or more wireless connections.

Fig. 1A is a schematic diagram of an exemplary hybrid network including a hybrid network controller, a femtocell, an access point, and/or a terminal device in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. As shown in fig. 1A, the network system 100 includes a wired and/or wireless communication backbone 102 that includes a cellular network 104a, a public switched telephone network 104b, an IP network 104c, a broadband mobile network 104d, WIMAX and/or LTE base stations 122, a telephone 124a, a laptop computer 124b, an application server 124c, a Radio Network Controller (RNC)124d, a cellular macrocell 120, and a hybrid subsystem 118. Hybrid subsystem 118 includes a hybrid network controller 110, a plurality of femtocells 112a and 112b (collectively femtocells 112), a plurality of Access Points (APs) 114a, 114b, and 114c (collectively APs 114), and a plurality of terminal devices or User Equipment (UE)116a, … …, 116g (collectively UE 116). In addition, the hybrid subnetwork 118 also includes the wired and/or wireless connections 108 and the ethernet, WiMax, and/or LTE broadband links 106.

Hybrid sub-network 118 can include, for example, a hybrid network controller 110, User Equipment (UE)116a, … …, 116g, femtocells 112a and 112b, and/or access points 114a and 114b installed within an enterprise system, a commercial property, a residential property, and/or a multi-tenant property. Enterprise systems may be used in, for example, office buildings, schools, hospitals, or government office buildings. A commercial property may include, for example, a mall, a hotel, and/or an office. Residential properties may include, for example, single family homes, home offices, and/or city residences. The multi-tenant property may include residential tenants and/or commercial tenants, such as apartments, apartment sales buildings, hotels, and/or tall buildings. In various embodiments of the present invention, the hybrid sub-network 118 may be controlled by the hybrid network controller 110. Further, all or a portion of the hybrid subnetwork 118 can be managed by a service provider that authorizes the cellular frequencies used by the hybrid network controller 110 and/or the femtocells 112.

Hybrid network controller 110 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to control and/or manage communications between UE116, femtocell 112 and/or AP 114. In this regard, the hybrid network controller 110 may control resources within the subnetwork 118. For example, hybrid network controller 110 may assign femtocell 112 and/or access point 114 to handle calls and/or sessions for UE 116. In addition, hybrid network controller 110 may manage handovers between femtocells 112 and access points 114. In this regard, UE116 can establish a call and/or communication session with one or more femtocells 112 and/or APs 114 and can add or handover to another femtocell while maintaining the same call and/or communication sessionA socket 112 and/or an AP 114. UE116 may allocate radio resources and/or communication handover control parameters to femtocell 112, AP114, and/or UE116 based on communication traffic management information received from hybrid network controller 110. Exemplary handover control parameters include neighbor information, bandwidth usage, and/or signal quality thresholds. The neighbor information indicates the frequency, time interval, and/or PN code offset of candidate neighboring femtocells 112 and/or APs 114 that may be used for handoff. The handoff may be initiated based on, for example, bandwidth requirements and/or traffic load conditions. In addition, a signal quality threshold may also trigger a handover in case the signal quality exceeds the threshold. Signal quality thresholds include, for example, signal strength, bit error rate, E_b/N₀And/or signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).

UE116, femtocell 112, and/or AP114 may provide status and/or information regarding the operating conditions to hybrid network controller 110. Hybrid network controller 110 may utilize this information to determine communication traffic management information, such as a handoff, for operation of UE116, femtocell 112, and/or AP 114. For example, hybrid network controller 110 may determine when UE116 should handoff to another femtocell and/or AP, and/or may determine which femtocell 112 and/or AP114 may handle the handoff. Exemplary information includes return path delay, received signal strength information, traffic distribution data, load balancing data, UE battery power, detected interference (SNR, SINR, CINR), bit error rate, available bandwidth, frequency, coding and/or time interval utilization, antenna configuration, software configuration, and/or maximum transmit power. In various embodiments of the invention, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) timing and/or positioning coordinates of one or more of femtocells 112, APs 114 and/or UEs 116 may be sent to hybrid network controller 110. The timing information enables the network controller to adjust handover between the femtocells 112, APs 114 and/or UEs 116 and/or schedule transmission and/or reception of data.

Hybrid network controller 110 can be communicatively coupled to femtocell 112 and/or AP114 via wired and/or wireless connection 108. In this regard, the connection 108 may support an Ethernet, WLAN, and/or cellular connection. Additionally, the hybrid network controller 110 may be communicatively connected to the wired and/or wireless backbone 102 via an ethernet, WiMax, and/or LTE broadband link 106. For example, the hybrid network controller 110 may communicate with one or more networks 104 over an ethernet, WiMax, and/or LTE broadband link 106.

Each of the femtocells 112 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be adapted to wirelessly communicate with UEs 116 using one or more cellular standards including IS-95, CDMA, GSM, TDMA, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS/WCDMA, TD-SCDMA, HSDPA, and extensions and/or variations thereof. Data includes any analog and/or data information including, but not limited to, voice, internet data, and/or multimedia content. Multimedia content may include audio and/or visual content including video, still images, moving images, and/or text content. Each of the femtocells 112 may communicate with various devices, such as UE 116. Exemplary cellular standards supported by femtocell 112 may be specified by the international mobile telecommunications-2000 (IMT-2000) standard and/or developed by the third generation partnership project (3GPP), third generation partnership project 2(3GPP2), and/or fourth generation specifications.

Each of the femtocells 112 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may enable communication with the hybrid network controller 110 using an IP protocol over the wired or wireless connection 108. In various embodiments of the invention, the femtocell 112 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to receive and/or process control information from the hybrid network controller 110. In this regard, the control information may include various parameter settings, resource allocations, and/or configuration information that enable handoff between two or more femtocells 112 and/or APs 114. In addition, the femtocell 112 can provide information for managing the handover to the hybrid network controller 110.

The AP114 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to provide WLAN, WiFi, LTE and/or WiMax connectivity to one or more UEs 116 based on, for example, one or more 802.11 and/or 802.16 standards. In this regard, AP114 may provide internet connectivity, multimedia downloads, and/or IP telephony sessions to UE 116. The APs 114 are managed by the hybrid network controller 110 through wired and/or wireless connections 108. Multiple APs 114 may be used to support simultaneous sessions and/or handovers for a single UE 116. Additionally, one or more APs 114 may be used to support simultaneous sessions and/or handoffs of a single UE116 with one or more femtocells 112. In various embodiments of the invention, AP114 may be used to support handover and/or simultaneous sessions of a single UE116 with an AP in another sub-network (not shown). In various embodiments of the invention, AP114 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to receive and/or process control information from hybrid network controller 110. In this regard, the control information may include various parameter settings, resource allocations, and/or configuration information that enable handoff between two or more APs 114 and/or femtocells 112. In addition, AP114 may provide hybrid network controller 110 with information for managing the handover.

Each of the User Equipments (UEs) 116 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to communicate using one or more wireless standards. For example, UE116 may communicate with AP114 based on the 802.11 standard and/or a variant version thereof. Additionally, UE116 can communicate with femtocell 112 based on one or more wireless standards, such as IS-95, CDMA, EVDO, GSM, TDMA, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS/WCDMA, TD-SCDMA, HSDPA, WIMAX, and/or LTE. The UE116 may communicate based on bluetooth, Zigbee, and/or other suitable wireless technologies. Each of UEs 116 may transmit and/or receive data to and/or from femtocells 112 and/or APs 114 and other cellular base stations and/or APs in hybrid subnetwork 118. Exemplary UEs 116 include notebook computers, mobile phones, media players, HD television systems, video and/or still cameras, game consoles, and/or positioning-enabled devices. UE 115 may be capable of receiving, processing, and/or presenting multimedia content, and may also be capable of running a web browser or other application that provides internet services to a user of UE 116.

The UE116 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to process control and/or communication traffic management information from the hybrid network controller 110. In this regard, the control and/or communication traffic management information includes various parameter settings, resource allocation, and/or configuration information that enables establishment and/or handoff of sessions between femtocells 112 and/or APs 114. In addition, the UE116 may provide information to the hybrid network controller 110 for managing the handover. In various embodiments of the invention, UE116 is a multi-mode device that may communicate with multiple femtocells 112 and/or APs 114 simultaneously. For example, UE116 b can communicate with femtocell 112a and AP114 a simultaneously. Alternatively, UE116 devices may be able to communicate with multiple femtocells 112 and/or with multiple APs 114 simultaneously. Further, UE116 device can perform a handoff, e.g., a handoff can occur between multiple femtocells 112, between femtocells 112 and APs 114, and/or between multiple APs 114.

The wired and/or wireless communication backbone 102 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to provide access to multiple networks, such as a cellular network 104a, a public switched telephone network Public (PSTN)104b, an IP network 104c and/or a broadband mobile network 104 d. The cellular network 104a includes, for example, 2G and/or 3G networks. The broadband mobile network 104d includes a 4G network, such as a WiMax and/or LTE network. The wired and/or wireless communication backbone 102 or network 104 can include various terminals and/or user devices. For example, telephone 124a is communicatively coupled to PSTN 104 b. Additionally, a laptop computer 124b and/or an application server 124c are communicatively coupled to the IP network 104 c. In this regard, the telephone 124a, the laptop 124b, and/or the application server 124c may access the devices in the sub-network 118 via the wired and/or wireless communication backbone 102. For example, the UE116 c may receive a telephone call from a remote landline telephone 124a located within the PSTN network 104 b.

Additionally, the wired and/or wireless communication backbone 102 can be communicatively connected to other sub-networks and/or private intranets (not shown). In this manner, the wired and/or wireless communication backbone 102 enables the UE116 to communicate with remote resources, such as with other user equipment, application servers in the internet, and other network devices that may be communicatively connected to, for example, the network 104. The wired and/or wireless communication backbone 102 can be communicatively coupled to the hybrid network controller 110 via an ethernet, wimax, and/or LTE broadband link 106. Although an ethernet, wimax, and/or LTE broadband link 106 is shown in fig. 1, the invention is not so limited. For example, the broadband connection 116 may include other types of connections, such as ATM or frame relay.

In operation, the hybrid network controller 110, the femtocell 112, the AP114, and/or the UE116 may support various types of handovers, such as soft handovers, hard handovers, handovers between different technologies, and/or handovers with entities outside the subnetwork 118. Hybrid network controller 110 and/or UE116 may determine which femtocells 112 and/or APs 114 may handle handover of UE116, e.g., based on signal quality, bandwidth constraints, and/or resource availability. Additionally, the hybrid network controller 110 and/or the UE116 may assign femtocells and/or APs for calls and/or communication sessions.

During a soft handoff, multiple femtocells 112 and/or APs 114 may simultaneously handle the same (same) call and/or data session with UE 116. For example, during a soft handoff, two or more femtocells 112 and/or APs 114 transmit and/or receive bitstreams containing the same content to and/or from UEs 116. On the receiving end of two or more femtocells 112 and/or APs 114, bitstreams containing the same content may be forwarded to the hybrid network controller 110. UE116 may dynamically select the best quality bits from the two bit streams and forward the best quality bits to the target entity. In UE116, the received signals comprising the bit streams, which comprise the same content, may be combined, e.g., over the air or in a rake receiver, prior to demodulation. The received signal may also be demodulated and the UE116 may select the best quality bits from the multiple bit streams.

The hybrid network controller 110 may manage hard handoffs of the UE 116. In this regard, UE116 can establish a call and/or session with other devices through a first femtocell 112 and/or AP114 and then maintain the call and/or session during handoff to a different femtocell 112 and/or AP 114. In various embodiments of the invention, the hybrid network controller 110 may manage handovers between one or more femtocells 112 and one or more APs 114, wherein the UE116 may be handed over from one technology to another during a call and/or session. For example, UE116 may conduct a data session through femtocell 112 using 3GPP wireless technology. The hybrid network controller 110 may send a message to the UE116 through the femtocell 112 indicating that it may switch to the AP 114. AP114 supports 802.11 wireless technologies. In this regard, the UE116 switches from using the 3GPP interface to using the 802.11 interface during the call in order to switch from the femtocell to the AP.

Hybrid network controller 110 may limit handovers of femtocells 112 and/or APs in subnetwork 118 and may also limit handovers of other femtocells, APs, and/or base stations located within range of UE 116. For example, cellular macrocell base station 120 can provide a signal that indicates that it is sufficient to handle a call and/or communication session with UE116 in subnetwork 118, but hybrid network controller 110 does not allow UE116 to handoff to the cellular macrocell base station if femtocell 112 and/or AP can handle the call. In the event that femtocell 112 and/or AP114 are unable to handle the call, for example, when UE116 is engaged in a call and is leaving the service area of sub-network 118, the hybrid network controller will enable it to handover to an external entity. In this regard, hybrid network controller 110 may manage handovers between one or more femtocells 112 and/or APs 114 and entities outside of subnetwork 118. For example, in the event that UE116 a is on a call and is away from the location of sub-network 118, hybrid network controller 110 may communicate with RNC124d over ethernet, WiMax and/or LTE broadband link 106, wired and/or wireless communication backbone 102 and/or cellular network 104a to effect a handoff for UE116 a. The handover occurs between the femtocell 112a and the cellular macrocell base station 120. The hybrid network controller 110 may also receive control information from the service provider network to support handover management.

In various embodiments of the present invention, the UE116 has established a call and/or communication session with other UE devices and/or network resources in the wired and/or wireless communication backbone 102. For example, UE116 c is making an IP telephone call with laptop 124b through, for example, femtocell 112 a. UE116 c moves away from the service area of femtocell 112 a. Hybrid network controller 110 may use the status and/or operating condition information received from one or more of femto cell 112, AP114, and/or UE116 to determine which of femto cell 112 and/or AP114 is of sufficient quality to receive a handoff from femto cell 112a of UE116 a to service an existing call and/or session. This determination may be made based on one or more of signal quality detection and/or radio resource availability. The UE116 may receive communication traffic management information from the hybrid network controller 110. UE116 may select one or more of femtocells 112 and/or APs 114 to handle the handoff and allocate resources and/or communication control parameters for the selected femtocells 112 and/or APs 114. In this manner, UE116 may manage calls and/or communication sessions between one or more femtocells 112 and/or APs 114 and UE 116. The UE116 may also exchange information with the service provider (e.g., via the RNC124d) and may manage the handover operation based on control information received from the service provider.

Fig. 1B is a diagram of an exemplary terminal device capable of receiving communication traffic management information from a hybrid network controller to control handover management between one or more femtocells, access points and terminal devices in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 1B illustrates a wired and/or wireless communication backbone 102, an ethernet, a wimax and/or LTE broadband link 106, a wired and/or wireless connection 108, a hybrid network controller 110, femtocells 112a and 112B, Access Points (APs) 114a and 114B, User Equipment (UE)116a, … …, 116e, and a hybrid sub-network 118.

The wired and/or wireless communication backbone 102, the ethernet, the wimax and/or LTE broadband link 106, the wired and/or wireless connection 108, the hybrid network controller 110, the femtocells 112a and 112b, the Access Points (APs) 114a and 114b, the User Equipment (UE)116a, … …, 116e, and the hybrid sub-network 118 are the same as described in connection with fig. 1A.

Ethernet, wimax, and/or LTE broadband link 106 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code that may be operable to carry communications traffic to and from femtocells 112 and APs 114 and wired and/or wireless communication backbone 102. For example, the ethernet, wimax, and/or LTE broadband links 106 may transmit IP packets to one or more of the networks 104 described in connection with fig. 1A. Additionally, the ethernet, wimax, and/or LTE broadband link 106 may provide access to the internet and/or one or more private networks. The ethernet, wimax, and/or LTE broadband link 106 includes one or more optical fiber, wired, and/or wireless links. In various embodiments of the invention, the ethernet, wimax, and/or LTE broadband link 106 may include a MiMax and/or LTE base station 122, and the hybrid network controller 110 may communicate with the network 104 through the MiMax and/or LTE base station 122 and the broadband mobile network 104 d. In various embodiments of the invention, the Ethernet, MiMax, and/or LTE broadband links 106 may include broadband connections, such as Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), Ethernet, Passive Optical Network (PON), T1/E1 lines, cable television architectures, satellite television architectures, and/or satellite broadband Internet connections.

In operation, the UE116 has established a call and/or communication session with other UE devices and/or network resources within the wired and/or wireless communication backbone 102. For example, UE116 c is making an IP telephone call with laptop 124b via femtocell 112 a. UE116 c is moving away from the service area of femtocell 112 a. Hybrid network controller 110 may use status and/or operating condition information received from one or more of femtocells 112, APs 114, and/or UEs 116 to determine which of the femtocells and/or APs is of sufficient quality to receive a handoff of UE116 a to service an existing call and/or session. This determination may be made based on, for example, one or more of signal quality detection and/or radio resource availability. The UE116 may receive communication traffic management information from the hybrid network controller 110. UE116 may select one or more of femtocells 112 and/or APs 114 to handle the handoff and allocate resources and/or communication control parameters for the selected femtocells 112 and/or APs 114. For example, UE116 c may select AP114 a and transmit control information to femtocell 112 and/or AP114 a to perform the handoff. In this manner, UE116 may manage calls and/or communication sessions between one or more femtocells 112 and/or APs 114 and UE 116. The UE116 may also exchange information with the service provider (e.g., via the RNC124d), and may manage the handover operation based on control information received from the service provider.

The hybrid network controller 110 may manage collisions and/or balance UE116 communication traffic for the sub-network 118. The hybrid network controller 110 can be responsive to dynamic conditions in the wireless environment and/or responsive to communication traffic conditions of the UE 116. Thus, improvements may be provided to the capacity and/or performance of the sub-network 118. Hybrid network controller 110 may exchange control information with various femtocells 112, APs 114, and/or UEs 116 over wired and/or wireless connections 108.

Fig. 1C is a schematic diagram of an exemplary hybrid network controller, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1C shows hybrid network controller 110 comprising wired broadband Tx/Rx 184, wireless broadband Tx/Rx186, Ethernet Tx/Rx188, WIMAX and/or LTE Tx/Rx 198, GNSS receiver 168, GNSS antenna 136, processor 192, memory 194, and DSP 196.

The ethernet Tx/Rx188 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to transmit and/or receive data over the ethernet, WiMax and/or LTE broadband link 106 to and/or from the wired and/or wireless communication backbone 102. For example, the Ethernet Tx/Rx188 may transmit and/or receive data over T1/E1 lines, PONs, DSLs, cable television architectures, satellite broadband Internet connections, and/or satellite television architectures. In various embodiments of the present invention, the Ethernet Tx/Rx188 may perform operations and/or functions including amplification, frequency down conversion, filtering, demodulation, and analog-to-digital conversion of the received signal. Additionally, the Ethernet Tx/Rx188 may perform operations and/or functions including amplification, frequency up-conversion, filtering, modulation, and digital-to-analog conversion of the signal to be transmitted.

The WIMAX and/or LTE Tx/Rx 198 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to transmit and/or receive data via the antenna 130 to and/or from the WIMAX and/or LTE base stations 122 and/or the broadband mobile network 104d within the wired and/or wireless communication backbone 102. In this regard, WiMax and/or LTE base stations 122 may be used for the ethernet, WiMax and/or LTE broadband links 106. The WIMAX and/or LTE Tx/Rx 198 may perform operations and/or functions including amplifying, frequency down-converting, filtering, demodulating, and analog-to-digital converting received signals. Additionally, WIMAX and/or LTE Tx/Rx 198 may perform operations and/or functions including amplifying, frequency up converting, filtering, modulating, and digital to analog converting signals to be transmitted. WIMAX and/or LTE Tx/Rx 198 may communicate with WiMax and/or LTE AP114 c.

Wired broadband Tx/Rx 184 and/or wireless broadband Tx/Rx186 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to transmit and/or receive data between femtocell 112 and AP114 via wired and/or wireless connection 108 in accordance with one or more broadband communication standards. For example, hybrid network controller 110 may communicate with femtocell 112 and/or AP114 via wired broadband Tx/Rx 184 and an ethernet cable in accordance with the 802.3 communication standard. Alternatively, Tx/Rx186 may communicate via, for example, antenna 130 in accordance with the 802.11 communication standard. The wired and/or wireless broadband Tx/Rx 184 and 186 may perform operations and/or functions including amplifying, frequency down-converting, filtering, demodulating, and analog-to-digital converting the received signal. Additionally, the wired wideband Tx/Rx 184 and/or the wireless wideband Tx/Rx186 may perform operations and/or functions including amplifying, frequency up-converting, filtering, modulating, and digital-to-analog converting a signal to be transmitted.

Antenna 130 is adapted to transmit and/or receive signals, including signals to and/or from wireless communication backbone 102 and/or femtocell 112 and/or AP 114. Although a single antenna is shown in fig. 1C, the present invention is not limited thereto. In this regard, Tx/Rx 184, Tx/Rx186, Tx/Rx188, and/or Tx/Rx 198 may transmit and receive using a common antenna, may transmit and receive using different antennas, and/or may transmit and/or receive using multiple antennas. GNSS receiver 168 and GNSS antenna 136 may be similar to and/or identical to GNSS receiver 168 and GNSS antenna 136 of FIG. 1D.

The processor 192 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be enabled to process data and/or control the operation of the hybrid network controller 110. In this regard, the processor 192 enables the provision of control signals to the other various modules in the hybrid network controller 110. The processor 192 may also control the forwarding of data between various portions of the hybrid network controller 110. Accordingly, processor 192 may execute applications and/or code. In various embodiments of the invention, applications, programs, and/or code may be capable of, for example, analyzing, transcoding, and/or otherwise processing data.

In various embodiments of the present invention, the applications, programs and/or code may be capable of, for example, configuring and/or controlling the operation of wired and/or wireless broadband Tx/Rx 184 and/or 186, Ethernet Tx/Rx188, MIMAX and/or LTETx/Rx 198, GNSS receiver 168, DSP 196 and/or memory 194. For example, transmit power levels and/or scheduling switching operations may be configured.

Processor 192 may manage data communications and/or QoS for communicating data over ethernet, WiMax and/or LTE broadband link 106, ethernet Tx/Rx188 and/or WiMax and/or LTE Tx/Rx 198. In various embodiments of the invention, processor 192 may send control signals to femtocell 112, AP114, and/or UE 116. In this regard, processor 192 may control communication between femtocell 112, AP114, and UE 116. For example, processor 192 may determine and transmit control parameters such as antenna weighting patterns, filter coefficients, power levels, modulation schemes, code error correction schemes, and/or data rates.

Processor 192 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to communicate traffic management information to UE116 to manage handovers between one or more femtocells 112 and/or APs 114. In this regard, processor 192 may receive status and/or operating condition information from femtocell 112, AP114, and/or UE116 and determine handover candidates based on the received information. Hybrid network controller 110 may transmit configuration parameters and/or instructions to femtocell 112, AP114, and/or UE116 to effect the handoff. In various embodiments of the invention, processor 192 may exchange control information with a service provider in order to coordinate handovers within subnetwork 118 and/or handovers between femtocells 112 and/or APs within subnetwork 118 and entities outside subnetwork 118 (e.g., cellular macrocell base station 120 shown in fig. 1A).

The memory 194 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to store or program information including, for example, parameters and/or code that may be utilized to effectuate the operations of the hybrid network controller 110. Exemplary parameters include configuration parameters, and exemplary code includes operational code such as software and/or firmware, but the information is not limited to such. The parameters may also include adaptive filtering and/or blocking coefficients. Further, memory 194 may buffer or store received data and/or data to be transmitted. In various embodiments of the invention, memory 194 may include neighbor list information and/or status and/or operating condition information for femtocell 112, AP114, and/or UE 116. For example, memory 194 may include one or more look-up tables (LUTs) that may be used to determine handoff candidates from one or more femtocells 112 and/or APs 114.

The DSP 196 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code that may enable computationally intensive processing of data. Exemplary operations that may be processed by the DSP 196 include encoding, decoding, modulating, demodulating, encrypting, decrypting, scrambling, descrambling, and/or other data processing. The DSP 196 may adjust the modulation scheme, code error correction scheme, and/or data rate of the transmitted signal. One or more of the DSP 196, processor 192, and/or memory 194 in the hybrid network controller 110 may implement a femtocell stack (stack) that supports communication with the femtocell 112 and/or other femtocell communication functions.

In operation, hybrid network controller 110 may communicate with one or more of femtocells 112, APs 114, and/or UEs 116 through wired broadband Tx/Rx 184 and/or wireless broadband Tx/Rx186 and wired and/or wireless link 108. In this regard, hybrid network controller 110 may receive information from femtocells 112, APs 114, and/or UEs 116 that may be magnetically aware of various operating conditions. Exemplary operating states may include device capabilities, return path delay, received signal strength, detected collisions, configuration parameters, antenna beamforming patterns, bit error rates, available bandwidth, timing, and/or positioning information. In various embodiments of the invention, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) timing and/or positioning coordinates may be provided. Additional device capabilities such as antenna type, available communication standards, hardware configuration, software configuration, maximum transmit power and/or battery level, etc. Information received by processor 192 from femto cell 112, AP114, and/or UE116 may be used to determine which of one or more APs and/or femto cells may be candidates for handover. The hybrid network controller 110 may transmit control and/or configuration parameters for enabling handover to the selected one or more handover candidates and/or the UE 116. For example, transmit power, frequency, time interval, PN code offset, and/or location information may be communicated. The hybrid network controller 110 may transmit information to and/or receive information from the service provider so that the service provider can also manage various aspects of the handoff.

In an exemplary use scenario, the hybrid network controller 110 establishes a new call and/or communication session. The femtocell 112 and the hybrid network controller 110 provide information indicating that a call and/or communication session needs to be established for the UE 116. In addition, the hybrid network controller 110 sends communication traffic management information, such as one or more of timing and/or RF detection, load balancing information, communication traffic usage information, current configuration, and/or received signal strength, to the UE 116. UE116 instructs femtocell 112 and/or AP114 to establish the call and/or communication session based on the received communication traffic management information. The UE116 may manage calls and/or communication sessions. Femtocell 112 and/or AP114 may request a handoff and/or provide communication traffic management information to hybrid network controller 110 indicating a need for a handoff. For example, hybrid network controller 110 may receive one or more detection values, including a bit error rate and/or a received signal strength, from serving femtocells 112 and/or APs 114. The received sensed value may exceed a threshold value stored in memory 194, thereby triggering a handoff. Hybrid network controller 110 may analyze resource availability, current status, and/or operating condition information from multiple femtocells 112 and/or APs 114 to determine which one or more femtocells 112 and/or APs 114 are suitable to receive the handoff. Hybrid network controller 110 may assign resources and/or communication configuration parameters to the selected one or more femtocells 112 and/or APs 114 for the handover and instruct UEs 116, femtocells 112 and/or APs 114 to perform the handover.

Figure 1D is a diagram of an exemplary femtocell in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The femtocell 112 shown in fig. 1D includes an antenna 152, a cellular transmitter and/or receiver (Tx/Rx)154, a wired and/or wireless broadband transmitter and/or receiver (Tx/Rx)156, a processor 158, a memory 160, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP)162, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver 168, and a GNSS antenna 136. The femtocell 112 is similar or identical to the femtocell 112 described in conjunction with fig. 1A and/or fig. 1B.

The GNSS receiver 168 and the GNSS antenna 136 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry and/or code that may be operable to receive signals from one or more GNSS satellites, such as GPS satellites. The received signals may include timing, ephemeris, long-term orbit information, and/or almanac information that enables the GNSS receiver 168 to determine its position and/or time.

The antenna 152 is adapted to transmit and receive cellular signals and/or broadband signals. Although a single antenna is shown in fig. 1D, the present invention is not limited thereto. In this regard, the cellular Tx/Rx154 and/or the wired and/or wireless broadband Tx/Rx156 may transmit and receive using a common antenna, and/or may transmit and/or receive using multiple antennas. In various embodiments of the present invention, the antenna 152 comprises suitable logic and/or code that may enable beamforming. For example, the antennas 152 may be smart antennas and/or may include a multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) antenna system.

The cellular Tx/Rx154 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, and/or code that may be operable to transmit and/or receive voice and/or data using one or more cellular standards. The cellular Tx/Rx154 may amplify, downconvert, filter, demodulate, and analog-to-digital convert the received signal. The cellular Tx/Rx154 may perform operations and/or functions including amplification, frequency up-conversion, filtering, modulation, and digital-to-analog conversion of a signal to be transmitted. The cellular Tx/Rx154 may support communication on multiple communication channels, for example using Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) and/or Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA). Additionally, exemplary cellular standards supported by femtocell 112 may be specified by the international mobile telecommunications-2000 (IMT-2000) standard and/or developed by the third generation partnership project (3GPP), third generation partnership project 2(3GPP 2). Furthermore, the cellular Tx/Rx154 supports a fourth generation standard such as LTE. In various embodiments of the present invention, the cellular Tx/Rx154 may be capable of detecting received signal strength and may adjust the power level and/or modulation scheme or level of the transmitted signal.

The wired and/or wireless broadband Tx/Rx156 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may enable transmission of voice and/or data in accordance with one or more broadband communication standards. The wideband Tx/Rx156 may perform operations and/or functions including amplifying, frequency down-converting, filtering, demodulating, and analog-to-digital converting the received signal. In addition, the wideband Tx/Rx156 may amplify, upconvert, filter, modulate, and digital-to-analog convert the signal to be transmitted. In various embodiments of the present invention, the wideband Tx/Rx156 may transmit voice and/or data to the hybrid network controller 110 via the antenna 152 and/or receive voice and/or data from the hybrid network controller 110 over the wired connection 108a and/or over the wireless connection 108 c.

The processor 158 comprises suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be enabled to process data and/or control the operation of the femtocell 112. In this regard, the processor 158 can enable the provision of control signals to various other modules in the femtocell 112, such as the DSP162, the memory 160, and/or the Tx/Rx 154. The processor 158 can also control the forwarding of data between various portions of the femtocell 112. Accordingly, the processor 158 may execute applications and/or code. In various embodiments of the invention, applications, programs, and/or code may be capable of, for example, analyzing, transcoding, and/or otherwise processing data.

In various embodiments of the invention, the applications, programs and/or code may be capable of, for example, configuring and/or controlling the operation of the antenna 152, the cellular transmitter and/or receiver 154, the broadband transmitter and/or receiver 156, the GNSS receiver 168, the DSP162 and/or the memory 160. The processor 158 may receive control information from the hybrid network controller 110. In this regard, the processor 158 can provide one or more signals to the cellular Tx/Rx154, the memory 160, and/or the DSP162 to control communication between the femtocell 112 and the UE 116. In addition, the processor 158 may control exemplary parameters including: neighbor list information, signal quality thresholds, frequencies, transmission times, PN codes, antenna radiation patterns, power levels, modulation schemes, code error correction schemes, and/or data rates at which cellular signals are transmitted.

Memory 160 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to store or program information including, for example, parameters and/or code for performing operations of femtocell 112. Further, the parameters enable handing off calls and/or communication sessions between femtocells 112 and/or APs 114. Portions of the programming information and/or parameters may be received from the hybrid network controller 110. The parameters include configuration data and code containing operating code such as software and/or firmware, but the information is not so limited. More, the parameters may include, for example, neighbor list information, signal quality thresholds, adaptive filtering and/or blocking coefficients, frequency, transmit time, PN codes, and/or antenna radiation patterns. Memory 160 may buffer or store received data and/or data to be transmitted. In various embodiments of the invention, memory 160 can include one or more look-up tables for determining cellular devices within the coverage area of femtocell 112.

The DSP162 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may enable computationally intensive processing of data. Exemplary operations that the DSP162 may process include encoding, decoding, modulating, demodulating, encrypting, decrypting, scrambling, descrambling, and/or other data processing. For example, in the case where femtocell 112 is in communication with a femtocell, DSP162, processor 158, and/or memory 160, physical layer functions such as encoding and/or decoding, and OSI layer two and/or three layer functions may be performed. Alternatively, femtocell 112 may be in communication with the access point based on an IP protocol. The DSP162 may also adjust the modulation scheme, the code error correction scheme, and/or the data rate at which the cellular signal is transmitted. Further, one or more of the processor 158, memory 160, and DSP162 may implement a femtocell stack (stack) that supports communication with the femtocell 112 and/or other femtocell communication functions.

In operation, the femtocell 112 can determine signal characteristics such as direction of arrival, interference level, and signal strength of signals received via a cellular communication channel. Similarly, the DSP162 and/or the processor 156 may determine the bit error rate of data received via the cellular communication channel and the available bandwidth of the channel. The detected values may be communicated by the wideband Tx/Rx156 to the hybrid network controller 110 over the wired connection 108a and/or the wireless connection 108c, or to the UE116 over the wireless connection 108 c. Accordingly, the femtocell 112 may receive feedback from the UE116 at the other end of the cellular communication channel, which will also be conveyed to the hybrid network controller 110 via the wideband Tx/Rx 156.

The handover management message may be received from the hybrid network controller 110 via the wideband Tx/Rx 156. The processor 158 uses the received management message to configure, for example, the cellular Tx/Rx154, the antenna 152, and/or the DSP162 to handle call and/or communication session handover for the UE 116. In this regard, handover parameters for the communication channel between femtocell 112 and UE116 may be configured, including neighbor list information, signal quality thresholds, frequencies, time intervals, PN codes, and/or radiation patterns. Further, a handover management message from the hybrid network controller 110 may be transmitted to the UE116 via the femtocell 112.

Fig. 1E is a diagram of an exemplary access point in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The AP114 shown in fig. 1E includes an antenna 146, a WiFi transmitter and/or receiver (Tx/Rx)126, a wired and/or wireless broadband transmitter and/or receiver (Tx/Rx)128, a processor 138, a memory 140, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP)142, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver 168, and a GNSS antenna 136. AP114 is similar to or the same as AP114 described in conjunction with fig. 1A and/or fig. 1B.

The antenna 146 is adapted to transmit and/or receive signals to and/or from the UE116 and/or to and/or from the hybrid network controller 110. Although a single antenna is shown in fig. 1E, the invention is not so limited. In this regard, the WiFi Tx/Rx 126 and/or the wired and/or wireless broadband Tx/Rx 128 may transmit and receive using a common antenna, may transmit and receive using different antennas, and/or may transmit and/or receive using multiple antennas. The antenna 146 may comprise suitable logic and/or code that may enable beamforming. For example, the antennas 146 may be smart antennas and/or include a MIMO system.

The wired and/or wireless broadband Tx/Rx 128 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to transmit data for one or more UEs 116 to the hybrid network controller 110 in accordance with one or more broadband standards. In this regard, the wired and/or wireless broadband Tx/Rx 128 may exchange data with multiple UEs 116 and/or with the hybrid network controller 110. The wired and/or wireless broadband Tx/Rx 128 may perform operations and/or functions including amplifying, frequency down-converting, filtering, demodulating, and analog-to-digital converting a received signal. The wired and/or wireless broadband Tx/Rx 128 may amplify, upconvert, filter, modulate, and digital-to-analog convert a signal to be transmitted. In various embodiments of the present invention, wired and/or wireless broadband Tx/Rx 128 may transmit and/or data via antenna 146 through wired connection 108b and/or through wireless connection 108 d. In various embodiments of the invention, AP114 may communicate with UE116 and with hybrid network controller 110 using the same Tx/Rx 128.

Processor 138 comprises suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be enabled to process data and/or control the operation of AP 114. In this regard, processor 138 may provide control signals to various other modules in AP 114. Processor 138 may also control the forwarding of data between various portions of AP 114. Accordingly, the processor 158 may execute applications and/or code. The application, program, and/or code enables, for example, analysis, transcoding, and/or other processing of the data. Additionally, the applications, programs, and/or code may be capable of, for example, configuring and/or controlling the operation of the WiFi Tx/Rx 126, the antenna 146, the wired or wireless broadband Tx/Rx 128, the GNSS receiver 168, the DSP 142, and/or the memory 140. The processor 138 may receive control information from the hybrid network controller 110. In this regard, processor 138 may provide one or more signals to WiFi Tx/Rx 126, antenna 146, wired or wireless broadband Tx/Rx 128, DSP 142, and/or memory 140 to control communications between AP114 and UE 116. In addition, the processor 138 may control exemplary handover parameters including the following: neighbor list information, signal quality thresholds, frequencies, transmission times, PN codes, antenna radiation patterns, power levels, modulation schemes, code error correction schemes, and/or data rates at which WiFi signals are transmitted.

Memory 140 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to store or program information including, for example, parameters and/or code for performing operations of AP 114. Further, the parameters enable handing off calls and/or data sessions between AP114 and/or femtocell 112. Portions of the programming information and/or parameters may be received from the hybrid network controller 110. These parameters include configuration data and code containing operating code such as software and/or firmware, but the information is not so limited. More, the handover parameters may include, for example, neighbor list information, signal quality thresholds, adaptive filtering, and/or blocking coefficients. Additionally, memory 160 may buffer or store received data and/or data to be transmitted. In various embodiments of the invention, memory 140 may include one or more look-up tables for determining WiFi access within the coverage area of AP 114.

The DSP 142 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code that may enable computationally intensive processing of data. In various embodiments of the invention, the DSP 142 may perform encoding, decoding, modulation, demodulation, encryption, decryption, scrambling, descrambling, and/or other data processing. DSP 142 may also adjust the modulation scheme, code error correction scheme, and/or data rate at which the WiFi signal is transmitted.

In operation, AP114 is engaged in a call with UE 116. The WiFi Tx/Rx 126 may determine signal characteristics such as the interference level and signal strength of the desired signal received via the WiFi communication channel. Similarly, the DSP 142 and/or the processor 138 may determine a bit error rate of data received via the WiFi communication channel and an available bandwidth of the channel. The detected values may be communicated by the wideband Tx/Rx 128 to the hybrid network controller 110 via the wired connection 108b and/or the wireless connection 108 d. Accordingly, AP114 may receive feedback from UE116 via WiFi link 120a, which will also be communicated to hybrid network controller 110 via wired and/or wireless broadband Tx/Rx 128.

The hybrid network controller 110, AP114, and/or UE116 in operation on the call may determine whether the UE116 needs to handover to another foreign AP114 or femtocell 112. The broadband Tx/Rx 128 may receive a handover management message from the hybrid network controller 110 and/or the UE 116. The processor 138 uses the received handover management message to configure the WiFi Tx/Rx 126, antenna 146, and/or DSP 142 for the handover. Further, handover management messages from the hybrid network controller 110 may be transmitted to the UE116 via the WiFi Tx/Rx 126.

Fig. 1F is a schematic diagram of an exemplary user equipment in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The UE116 includes a cellular Tx/Rx 174, a WiFi Tx/Rx176, an antenna 172, a global navigation satellite system (GSNSS) receiver 168, a GNSS antenna 136, a processor 178, a memory 180, and a DSP 182. The UE116 is similar to or the same as one or more of the UEs 116a, … …, 116g described in connection with fig. 1A and 1B. GNSS receiver 168 and GNSS antenna 136 may be similar or identical to GNSS receiver 168 and GNSS antenna 136 described in conjunction with FIG. 1D.

The antenna 172 is adapted to transmit and/or receive cellular and/or broadband signals. Although a single antenna is shown in fig. 1F, the present invention is not limited thereto. In this regard, the cellular Tx/Rx154 and/or the wired and/or wireless broadband Tx/Rx156 may transmit and receive using a common antenna, may transmit and receive using different antennas, and/or may transmit and/or receive using multiple antennas. In various embodiments of the present invention, the antennas 172 may perform beamforming and/or include, for example, MIMO or virtual MIMO systems.

The UE116 may be a multi-mode wireless device and may include multiple transmitters and/or receivers (Tx/Rx). The cellular Tx/Rx 174 is similar or identical to the cellular Tx/Rx154 described in connection with fig. 1D. Cellular Tx/Rx 174 enables communication between UE116 and one or more femtocells 112. The cellular Tx/Rx 174 is capable of communicating based on wireless voice and/or data communication standards, such as 3GPP, 3GPP2, LTE, and/or WIMAX. Although the UE116 shown in fig. 1E includes two Tx/Rx units for cellular and WiFi, the UE116 is not limited thereto in the present invention. For example, the UE116 may be a multi-mode device including multiple Tx/Rx units, which may be based on multiple wireless voice and/or data communication standards such as 3PGPP, 3GPP2, LTE, MIMAX, 802.11, bluetooth, and Zigbee.

The WiFi Tx/Rx176 is similar or identical to the WiFi Tx/Rx described in connection with FIG. 1E. WiFi Tx/Rx176 enables communication between UE116 and one or more APs 114.

The processor 178 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may enable processing data and/or controlling operation of the UE 116. In this regard, the processor 178 may provide control signals to various other modules in the UE 116. The processor 178 may also control the forwarding of data between various portions of the UE 116. Further, the processor 178 may execute applications and/or code. Applications, programs and/or code are capable of handling data, calls and/or session establishment and/or handoffs. Further, the applications, programs, and/or code may, for example, configure and/or control the operation of the cellular Tx/Rx 174, the antenna 172, the GNSS receiver 168, the WiFi Tx/Rx156, the DSP182, and/or the memory 180.

In an example embodiment of the invention, the processor 178 may control detection of services by the UE116 including received signal strength, interference level, and/or signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), SINR, CINR, signal path delay, bandwidth usage, and/or radio resource availability. Service detection may be used by UE116, femtocell 112, AP114, and/or hybrid network controller 110 to make decisions regarding handover. The processor 178 may receive communication traffic management information from the hybrid network controller 110. In this regard, the processor 178 may provide one or more signals to the cellular Tx/Rx 174, the WiFi Tx/Rx176, the memory 180, and/or the DSP182 to control the handoff between the femtocell 112 or the AP 114. In addition, the processor 178 may control the switching configuration parameters including: handover neighbor list information, signal quality thresholds, frequencies, transmission times, PN codes, antenna radiation patterns, transmission power levels, modulation schemes, code error correction schemes, and/or data rates at which cellular and/or WiFi signals are transmitted. Processor 178 may analyze current status, operating conditions, available resources, and/or control information from hybrid network controller 110, femtocell 112, and/or AP114 to make handover decisions. In various embodiments of the invention, processor 178 may limit the handoff to femtocells 112 and/or APs 114 in sub-network 118 even in cases where UE116 may receive good signals from neighboring entities outside of sub-network 118 (e.g., cellular macrocell base station 120).

The memory 180 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to store or program information including, for example, parameters and/or code that may be utilized to effectuate operations and/or handover of the UE 116. For example, memory 180 may include neighbor list information and/or signal quality thresholds for supporting handovers. Portions of the programming information and/or parameters may be received from the hybrid network controller 110. These parameters include configuration data and code containing operating code such as software and/or firmware, but the information is not so limited. More, these parameters may include adaptive filtering and/or blocking coefficients, frequency, transmit time, PN code. Additionally, memory 180 may buffer or store received data and/or data to be transmitted. Memory 180 can include one or more look-up tables for determining which femtocells 112 and/or APs 114 are within range of UE116 as handover candidates.

The DSP182 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code that may enable computationally intensive processing of data. In various embodiments of the invention, the DSP182 may perform encoding, decoding, modulation, demodulation, encryption, decryption, scrambling, descrambling, and/or other data processing. The DSP182 may also adjust the modulation scheme, the code error correction scheme, and/or the data rate at which the cellular and/or WiFi signals are transmitted.

In operation, UE116 may transmit signals to one or more femtocells 112 and/or APs 114 and/or receive signals from one or more femtocells 112 and/or APs 114 using one or more wireless communication standards. The cellular Tx/Rx 174 and/or the WiFi Tx/Rx176 may determine characteristics of the received signal including, for example, interference level and/or signal strength. Similarly, the DSP182 and/or the processor 156 may determine a bit error rate for data received via one or more communication channels and/or may determine an available bandwidth for the channel. Information, e.g., detected values and/or status, from cellular Tx/Rx 174, WiFi Tx/Rx176, GNSS receiver 168, memory 160, processor 179, and/or DSP182 may be communicated to hybrid network controller 110, femtocell 112, and/or AP 114. The hybrid network controller 110, femtocell 112, AP114, and/or UE116 use this information to make handover-related decisions. For example, the decision may include which type of handover to perform, which femtocell and/or AP to handover to, when to handover, initial transmit power, and/or frequency, time interval, and/or PN code to transmit and/or receive.

Fig. 2 is a flow chart of handover control steps performed by a terminal device in a hybrid sub-network including femtocells and/or access points, according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 2, exemplary steps begin at step 200. In step 202, terminal device 116 receives communication traffic management information from hybrid network controller 110 to establish and control a handoff between one or more femtocells 112 and/or one or more access points 114 in sub-network 118. Terminal device 116 can establish a call and/or communication session between terminal device 116 and another terminal device, a femtocell and/or an access point within sub-network 118. The other terminal devices and/or network devices may be devices outside the sub-network, e.g. may be devices within a wired and/or wireless communication backbone.

At step 204, end device 116 monitors and/or analyzes feedback from femtocells 112, access points 114, and/or end devices 116 in sub-network 118, including, for example, call quality indications, status, and/or operating condition information. In step 206, terminal device 116 determines when the established call needs to be handed off between femtocells 112 and/or access points 114. At step 208, terminal device 116 determines the appropriate femtocell 112 and/or access point 114 to receive the handover based on the feedback information and/or the availability of resources. The available resources may be assigned and/or configured to the handover. In step 210, terminal device 116 sends control information for performing the handoff to the femtocell 112 and/or access point 114 that is handling the established call, the UE116 and/or femtocell 112 and/or access point 114 in the subnet 118 that has been determined to receive the handoff. The exemplary step ends at step 212.

In various embodiments of the present invention, the communication system 118 includes the hybrid network controller 110, one or more femtocells 112, one or more access points 114, and/or one or more terminal devices 116. End device 116 receives communication traffic management information from hybrid network controller 110 to effect handoff of communication sessions between one or more femtocells 112 and/or one or more access points 114. In addition, the terminal device 116 can communicate the determined handover information to the femtocell 112, the access point 114, and/or the terminal device 116 to effect the handover. The received communication traffic management information includes, for example, one or more of: a session establishment (set-up) instruction, a handover instruction, transmit power, neighbor list information, communication traffic load balancing, signal quality thresholds, bandwidth requirements, frequency allocation, transmit time, code allocation, and/or antenna pattern allocation.

In various embodiments of the invention, end device 116 may control handoff between a communication device external to communication system 118, such as a laptop 124b, and one or more femtocells 112 and/or access points 114. Terminal device 116 can monitor and/or analyze the status and/or operating conditions of one or more femtocells 112, access points 114, and/or terminal devices 116. In this regard, the status and/or operating conditions may include, for example, received signal strength, interference level, signal-to-noise ratio, signal path delay, power consumption, bandwidth usage, and/or wireless resource availability. Terminal device 116 can allocate or assign the one or more femtocells 112 and/or access points 114 to receive the handoff. In addition, terminal device 116 can allocate or assign one or more time intervals, codes, and/or antenna patterns for switching based on received communication traffic management information. The terminal device 116 may wirelessly receive communication traffic management information from the hybrid network controller 110 using one or more wireless connections, e.g., via the wireless connection 108.

Various embodiments of the present invention provide a machine and/or computer readable storage and/or medium having stored thereon a machine code and/or a computer program having at least one code section executable by a machine and/or a computer for controlling the machine and/or computer to perform the method and system for enterprise-level management in a multi-femtocell network described herein.

Accordingly, the present invention may be realized in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. The present invention can be realized in a centralized fashion in at least one computer system, or in a distributed fashion where different elements are spread across several interconnected computer systems. Any kind of computer system or other apparatus adapted for carrying out the methods described herein is suited. A typical combination of hardware and software could be a general purpose computer system with a computer program that, when being loaded and executed, controls the computer system such that it carries out the methods described herein. The method is implemented in a computer system using a processor and a memory unit.

The present invention can also be implemented by a computer program product, which comprises all the features enabling the implementation of the methods of the invention and which, when loaded in a computer system, is able to carry out these methods. The computer program in the present document refers to: any expression, in any programming language, code or notation, of a set of instructions intended to cause a system having an information processing capability to perform a particular function either directly or after either or both of the following a) conversion to another language, code or notation; b) reproduced in different formats to implement specific functions.

While the invention has been described with reference to several embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from its scope. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Cross-reference to related applications:

the present invention refers to and incorporates the following U.S. patent applications:

U.S. patent application No.: 12/470,764, filing date: 5 month and 22 days 2009;

U.S. patent application No.: 12/470,772, filing date: 5 month and 22 days 2009;

U.S. patent application No.: 12/470,826, filing date: 5 month and 22 days 2009;

U.S. patent application No.: 12/470,997, filing date: 5 month and 22 days 2009;

U.S. patent application No.: 12/470,983, filing date: 2009, 5 months and 22 days.

Claims

1. A method of communication, comprising:

2. The communication method of claim 1, wherein the received communication traffic management information comprises one or more of: a session establishment (set-up) instruction, a handover instruction, transmit power, neighbor list information, communication traffic load balancing, signal quality thresholds, bandwidth requirements, frequency allocation, transmit time, code allocation, and/or antenna pattern allocation.

3. The communication method according to claim 1, wherein the method comprises wirelessly receiving the communication traffic management information from the hybrid network controller using one or more wireless connections.

4. The communication method according to claim 1, characterized in that the method comprises: controlling, by the one or more terminal devices, a handover between an external communication device of the communication system and the one or more femtocells, the one or more access points and/or the one or more terminal devices.

5. The communication method according to claim 1, characterized in that the method comprises: monitoring and/or analyzing, by the one or more terminal devices, a status or operating condition of the one or more femtocells, the one or more access points, and/or the one or more terminal devices.

6. A communication system, comprising:

7. The communication system of claim 6, wherein the received communication traffic management information comprises one or more of: a session establishment (set-up) instruction, a handover instruction, transmit power, neighbor list information, communication traffic load balancing, signal quality thresholds, bandwidth requirements, frequency allocation, transmit time, code allocation, and/or antenna pattern allocation.

8. The communication system according to claim 6, wherein said one or more processors and/or circuits are operable to wirelessly receive said communication traffic management information from said hybrid network controller using one or more wireless connections.

9. The communication system according to claim 6, wherein said one or more processors and/or circuits are operable to control handover between an external communication device of said communication system and said one or more femtocells, said one or more access points and/or said one or more terminal devices.

10. The communication system according to claim 6, wherein said one or more processors and/or circuits are operable to monitor and/or analyze a state or operational condition of said one or more femtocells, said one or more access points and/or said one or more terminal devices.