Base station synchronization

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9247513-B2
Application number	US-201313850637-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 26, 2013
Priority date	Apr 7, 2000
Publication date	Jan 26, 2016
Grant date	Jan 26, 2016

Abstract

A method and apparatus of time synchronizing a plurality of base stations in a wireless communication system includes receiving an indication of a timing associated with a synch burst, where the synch burst is from a mastercell having a better time synchronization quality than other cells and measured by at least one cell other than the mastercell. A request is sent to a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) for a measurement of a base station time of arrival (BSTOA) value of the at least one cell other than the mastercell. The BSTOA value from the WTRU is received and a timing adjustment is sent to the at least one cell other than the mastercell.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wireless communication system including a radio network controller (RNC) and a base station, comprising:
the RNC comprising:
circuitry configured to receive an indication of a timing associated with a synch burst, wherein the synch burst is from a mastercell having a better time synchronization quality than other cells and measured by at least one cell other than the mastercell;
circuitry configured to send a request to a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) for a measurement of a base station time of arrival (BSTOA) value of the at least one cell other than the mastercell;
circuitry configured to receive the BSTOA value from the WTRU; and
circuitry configured to send a timing adjustment to the at least one cell other than the mastercell; and

the base station comprising;
circuitry configured to send a synch burst from at least one mastercell, wherein the mastercell has a better time synchronization quality than other cells on a condition that the base station is in the mastercell;
circuitry configured to measure for at least one cell other than the mastercell, a synch burst from at least the mastercell and indicate a timing associated with the synch burst to the RNC on a condition that the base station is in the cell other than the mastercell;
circuitry configured to send a request for the BSTOA value to a cell other than the mastercell on a condition that the base station is in the mastercell;
circuitry configured to transmit the BSTOA value on a condition that the base station is in the cell other than the mastercell; and
circuitry configured to receive from the RNC, a timing adjustment to the at least one cell other than the mastercell on a condition that the base station is in the cell other than the mastercell.

2. The wireless communication system of claim 1 wherein the RNC further comprises circuitry configured to update a covariant matrix database.

3. The wireless communication system of claim 2 wherein the RNC further comprises circuitry configured to update state estimates in the covariance matrix and update the database with received BSTOA values.

4. A method of time synchronizing a plurality of base stations in a wireless communication system implemented in a radio network controller (RNC), comprising:
the RNC receiving an indication of a timing associated with a synch burst, wherein the synch burst is from a mastercell;
the RNC sending a request to a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) for a measurement of a base station time of arrival (BSTOA) value of the at least one cell other than the mastercell;
the RNC receiving the BSTOA value from the WTRU;
and the RNC sending a timing adjustment to the at least one cell other than the mastercell.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising the RNC updating a covariant matrix database.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein, the mastercell has a better time synchronization quality than other cells.

7. A radio network controller (RNC), comprising:
circuitry configured to receive an indication of a timing associated with a synch burst, wherein the synch burst is from a mastercell;
circuitry configured to send a request to a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) for a measurement of a base station time of arrival (BSTOA) value of the at least one cell other than the mastercell;
circuitry configured to receive the BSTOA value from the WTRU; and
circuitry configured to send a timing adjustment to the at least one cell other than the mastercell.

8. The RNC of claim 7 , further comprising circuitry configured to update a covariant matrix database.

9. The RNC of claim 7 wherein, the master cell has a better time synchronization quality than other cells.

Assignees

• Interdigital Tech Corp

Inventors

• Dick Stephen G
• Zeira Eldad

Classifications

• H04B7/2687

  Inter base stations synchronisation · CPC title

• H04B7/2668

  Arrangements for Wireless Code-Division Multiple Access [CDMA] System Synchronisation, (for code acquisition H04B1/7075, for code tracking H04B1/7085) · CPC title

• H04B7/2696

  Over the air autonomous synchronisation, e.g. by monitoring network activity (H04B7/2693 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04J3/0641

  Change of the master or reference, e.g. take-over or failure of the master · CPC title

• H04W56/0065

  using measurement of signal travel time · CPC title