Mobile device paging and small cell connection establishment in heterogeneous networks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016249390-A1
Application number	US-201315026443-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 10, 2013
Priority date	Dec 10, 2013
Publication date	Aug 25, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Technology and techniques to page mobile devices and establish connections between mobile devices and small cell base stations in a heterogeneous network (HetNet.) A macro base station pager may transmit an enhanced paging message, the enhanced paging message to include an indication that the paging message may be answered through a small cell base station. A small cell base station configurator may transmit configuration information to the small cell base station. The small cell base station may transmit a beacon and a mobile device may establish a relay connection with the small cell base station to connect the mobile device to the macro base station through the small cell base station based at least in part upon the beacon. Furthermore, a macro base station backhauler may establish a backhaul connection with the small cell base station to communicate signals with the small cell base station related to the relay connection.

First claim

1 . An apparatus for a macro base station in a heterogeneous network comprising:
circuitry;
a macro base station pager for execution by the circuitry to transmit an enhanced paging message, the enhanced paging message to include an indication that the paging message may be answered through a small cell base station;
a small cell base station configurator for execution by the circuitry to transmit configuration information to the small cell base station, the configuration information to cause the small cell base station to transmit a beacon to establish a relay connection with a mobile device; and
a macro base station backhauler for execution by the circuitry to establish a backhaul connection with the small cell base station to communicate signals with the small cell base station related to the relay connection.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the enhanced paging message is intended for the mobile device, the apparatus further comprising a paging response receiver for execution by the circuitry to receive the mobile device's response to the enhanced paging message from the small cell base station.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a connection identifier for execution by the circuitry to receive an indication from the small cell base station that the mobile device has established a connection with the small cell base station, the macro base station pager to cease transmitting the enhanced paging message based at least in part on the received indication that the mobile device has established a connection with the small cell base station.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , the macro base station backhauler to establish context information between the small cell base station and the macro base station, the context information including one or more indications selected from the group consisting of (i) indications of setup bearers, (ii) indications of mobile stations served by the small cell base station, (iii) indications of a mobile stations served by the small cell base station, (iv) indications of resources of the time, frequency, or power domain to be used by the small cell base station, or (v) indications of minimum or average quality of service provided with the setup bearers.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , the enhanced paging message including at least one of the following:
(a) an indication that the macro base station accepts a longer response time to accommodate a response through the small cell base station; (b) an indication that the small cell base station is to broadcast a beacon and support establishing a connection with the mobile device; (c) an indication of a frequency band in which signals from the mobile device are to be detected; or (d) an indication of a frequency band in which the beacon signal is to be transmitted.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the macro base station is communicatively coupled to the small cell base station using a hardwired link, the small cell base station configurator operative on the hardwired link to transmit the configuration information to the small cell base station using the hardwired link.

7 . An apparatus for a small cell base station in a heterogeneous network comprising:
circuitry; a beacon transmission scheduler for execution by the circuitry to receive scheduling information from a macro base station, the scheduling information to include indications of timing for transmitting a beacon signal; a beacon transmitter for execution by the circuitry to transmit the beacon signal based at least in part on the received scheduling information;
a mobile device connector for execution by the circuitry to receive a request from the mobile device to establish a connection and to establish the connection with the mobile device;
a small cell backhauler for execution by the circuitry to establish a backhaul connection with the macro base station to communicate signals with the macro base station related to the connection with the mobile device; and
a radio relay connector for execution by the circuitry to establish a relay connection with the mobile device based at least in part on the received connection request, the relay connection to connect the mobile device to the macro base station through the small cell base station.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , the scheduling information including indications that the schedule for transmission of the beacon signal is based at least in part on the time of transmission of an enhanced paging message.

9 . The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising a mmWave beam-forming antenna, the mobile device connector operable on the mmWave beam-forming antenna to establish the connection with the mobile device using a mmWave beam forming connection.

10 . The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising a mobile device connection reporter for execution by the circuitry to transmit an indication to the macro base station that a connection establishment request has been received from the mobile device, the indication including an identification corresponding to the mobile device.

11 . The apparatus of claim 7 , the beacon transmitter to transmit the beacon signal on a selected frequency, the selected frequency is specified in the enhanced paging message.

12 . A method implemented by a small cell base station in a heterogeneous network comprising:
receiving scheduling information from a macro base station, the scheduling information including indications of a timing for transmitting of a beacon signal; transmitting the beacon signal based at least in part on the received scheduling information;
receiving a request from the mobile device to establish a connection;
establishing the connection with the mobile device;
establishing a backhaul connection with the macro base station to communicate signals with the macro base station related to the connection with the mobile device; and
establishing a relay connection with the mobile device based at least in part on the received connection request, the relay connection to connect the mobile device to the macro base station through the small cell base station.

13 . The method of claim 12 , the schedule for transmission of the beacon signal based at least in part on the time of transmission of an enhanced paging message.

14 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising transmitting an indication to the macro base station that a connection establishment request has been received from the mobile device, the indication including an identification corresponding to the mobile device.

15 . An apparatus for a mobile device in a heterogeneous network comprising:
circuitry; an enhanced paging message receiver executable by the circuitry to receive an enhanced paging message, the enhanced paging message to include an indication that the enhanced paging message may be answered through a small cell base station; a beacon receiver executable by the circuitry to configure the mobile device to receive a beacon signal; and a small cell base station connector executable by the circuitry to establish a connection with the small cell base station responsive to the reception of the enhanced paging message.

16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , the beacon receiver to configure the mobile device to receive the beacon signal based at least in part on the timing of the enhanced paging message.

17 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the enhanced paging message includes an indication of the timing in which the small cell base station will transmit a beacon signal, the beacon receiver to configured

Assignees

• Martin Hans
• Bienas Maik
• Faerber Michael
• Schmidt Andreas
• Intel Ip Corp

Inventors

• Hans Martin
• Bienas Maik
• Faerber Michael
• Schmidt Andreas

Classifications

• H04W88/02

  Terminal devices · CPC title

• H04W76/02 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W68/02 Primary

  Arrangements for increasing efficiency of notification or paging channel · CPC title

• H04W88/08

  Access point devices · CPC title

• H04W76/10 Primary

  Connection setup · CPC title