Switching and aggregation of small cell wireless traffic

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9713056-B2
Application number	US-201213620834-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2012
Priority date	Sep 15, 2012
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

A small cell controller for switching and aggregating wireless data between a cellular network and a noncellular network is disclosed. The small cell controller may include a cellular interface to communicate data with the cellular network, a noncellular interface to communicate data with the noncellular network, and an analyzer configured to determine whether a portion of the wireless data may be transferred from the cellular network to the noncellular network, and determine a first portion of the noncellular network to be allocated to the portion of the wireless data when the portion of the wireless data may be transferred.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A small cell controller for aggregating wireless data transmitted to and from user equipment (UE) between a cellular network and a noncellular network, the small cell controller comprising:
a cellular interface to communicate data with the cellular network and receive a plurality of values associated with the cellular network, wherein the plurality of values are based on a rate requirement;
a noncellular interface to communicate data with the noncellular network; and
an analyzer configured to:
determine whether a portion of the wireless data may be transferred from the cellular network to the noncellular network based at least on the plurality of values associated with the cellular network;
determine a first portion of the noncellular network to be allocated to the portion of the wireless data when the portion of the wireless data may be transferred;
determine whether to transfer a portion of the wireless data from the cellular network to the noncellular network based at least in part on a joint optimization of downlink traffic on a second portion of the noncellular network, uplink traffic on a second portion of the noncellular network, downlink traffic on a third portion of the noncellular network, uplink traffic on a first portion of the cellular network, downlink traffic on a second portion of the cellular network, and downlink traffic on a portion of the cellular network;
aggregating the portion of the wireless data from the cellular network with data of the noncellular network; and
coordinate activities between the UE and the small cell controller without communicating with a core network of the cellular network.

2. The small cell controller of claim 1 , wherein the analyzer is configured to determine whether to transfer a portion of the wireless data from the cellular network to the noncellular network based at least in part on an analysis of intercell interference.

3. The small cell controller of claim 1 , wherein the joint optimization is based at least on a linear programming approach.

4. The small cell controller of claim 1 , wherein the joint optimization is based at least on a mixed integer programming approach.

5. The small cell controller of claim 1 , wherein the cellular interface is configured to provide a signal to user equipment, wherein the signal is configured to notify the user equipment of data associated with the first portion of the noncellular network.

6. The small cell controller of claim 5 , wherein the data associated with the first portion of the noncellular network comprises data to notify the user equipment to enable a user equipment noncellular interface.

7. The small cell controller of claim 1 , wherein the noncellular interface is configured to determine a number of devices allowed access to the noncellular network.

8. The small cell controller of claim 1 , wherein the coordinating comprises appending bits to an RRCConnectionReconfiguration message that indicate whether to enable the noncellular interface and whether to enable uplink transmission, downlink reception or both.

9. A method of aggregating a wireless data transmitted to and from user equipment (UE) between a cellular network and a noncellular network, the method comprising:
receiving a plurality of values associated with the cellular network, wherein the plurality of values are based on a rate requirement;
determining whether to transfer a portion of the wireless data from the cellular network to the noncellular network based at least on the plurality of values associated with the cellular network;
determining a first portion of the noncellular network to be allocated to the portion of the wireless data when the portion of the wireless data may be transferred;
determining whether to transfer a portion of the wireless data from the cellular network to the noncellular network based at least in part on a joint optimization of downlink traffic on a second portion of the noncellular network, uplink traffic on a second portion of the noncellular network, downlink traffic on a third portion of the noncellular network, uplink traffic on a first portion of the cellular network, and downlink traffic on a second portion of the cellular network, and downlink traffic on a portion of the cellular network;
aggregating the portion of the wireless data from the cellular network with data of the noncellular network; and
coordinating activities between the UE and a small cell controller without communicating with a core network of the cellular network.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the determining to transfer a portion of the wireless data from the cellular network to the noncellular network is based at least in part on an analysis of intercell interference.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the joint modification is based at least on a linear programming approach.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the joint modification is based at least on a mixed integer programming approach.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising providing a signal to user equipment, wherein the signal is configured to notify the user equipment of data associated with the first portion of the noncellular network.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the data associated with the first portion of the noncellular network comprises data to notify the user equipment to enable a user equipment noncellular interface.

15. The method of claim 9 , further comprising determining a number of devices allowed access to the noncellular network.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the coordinating comprises appending bits to an RRCConnectionReconfiguration message that indicate whether to enable the noncellular interface and whether to enable uplink transmission, downlink reception or both.

17. A small cell controller for aggregating wireless data transmitted to and from user equipment (UE) between a cellular network and a noncellular network, the small cell controller comprising:
a cellular interface to communicate data with the cellular network and receive a plurality of values associated with the cellular network, wherein the plurality of values are based on a rate requirement, the cellular interface configured to provide a signal to user equipment, the signal configured to notify the user equipment of data associated with the first portion of the noncellular network, the data associated with the first portion of the noncellular network comprises data to notify the user equipment to enable a user equipment noncellular interface;
a noncellular interface to communicate data with the noncellular network; and
an analyzer configured to:
determine whether a portion of the wireless data may be transferred from the cellular network to the noncellular network based at least on the plurality of values associated with the cellular network;
determine a first portion of the noncellular network to be allocated to the portion of the wireless data when the portion of the wireless data may be transferred;
determine whether to transfer a portion of the wireless data from the cellular network to the noncellular network based at least in part on a joint optimization of downlink traffic on a second portion of the noncellular network, uplink traffic on a second portion of the noncellular network, downlink traffic on a portion of the cellular network, downlink traffic on a third portion of the noncellular network, uplink traffic on a first portion of the cellular network, and downlink traffic on a second portion of the cellular network;
aggregating the portion of the wireless data from the cellular network with d

Assignees

• Elsherif Ahmed Ragab
• Chen Wei-Peng
• Fujitsu Ltd

Inventors

• Elsherif Ahmed Ragab
• Chen Wei-Peng

Classifications

• H04W16/16

  for PBS [Private Base Station] arrangements · CPC title

• H04W92/02

  Inter-networking arrangements · CPC title

• H04W36/22 Primary

  for handling the traffic · CPC title

• H04W36/14

  Reselecting a network or an air interface · CPC title

• H04W36/142

  over the same radio air interface technology · CPC title