Telecommunications – Radiotelephone system – Zoned or cellular telephone system
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-26
2003-01-14
Legree, Tracy (Department: 2681)
Telecommunications
Radiotelephone system
Zoned or cellular telephone system
C455S011100, C455S012100, C455S427000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06507739
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates generally to cellular communications networks and, more specifically, to controlling operations of a cellular communications network having airborne transceivers.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Terrestrial cellular communications networks have provided convenient wireless communications services for years. These services include, for example, cellular telephone services, paging, Internet access, and data transfer services, among others.
FIG. 1
illustrates a simplified block diagram of a terrestrial cellular communications network
100
, in accordance with the prior art. Network
100
includes one or more base station antennas
102
coupled to base transceiver stations (BTS)
103
. Each BTS
103
communicates, via antennas
102
and subscriber links
104
, with cellular communication units carried by mobile users
106
. Essentially, the BTS modulates and demodulates the information exchanged on the subscriber links
104
, and it converts signals to and from the format used over the subscriber links. Subscriber links
104
may support a time division multiple access (TDMA, e.g. IS-136, GSM), code division multiple access (CDMA, e.g. IS
95
), or other type of digital or analog communication protocol.
BTS
103
also are coupled to a mobile switching office (MSO)
110
. This can be a direct connection (e.g., using fiber optic or telephone (e.g., T
1
) links
105
), or the connection
108
can be chained through other BTS.
When data originates from or is destined for a public switched telephone network (PSTN, not shown), this data is routed through a mobile switching office (MSO)
110
. Essentially, the MSO
110
includes a switch that interfaces the cellular network and the PSTN.
Network
110
is optimized via various performance parameters. For example, these performance parameters include power control parameters, handoff parameters (e.g., thresholds, averaging parameters, and hysteresis), access parameters (e.g., the minimum received signal level required before a communication unit is granted access to the system), handoff candidate information for neighboring cells, and the designation of which channels are control channels and which are traffic channels.
In a well-designed network, these performance parameters are selected to achieve near optimal network performance. Usually, these performance parameters are determined only when major changes in the network configuration occur, such as during network installation or when additional cell sites are added (e.g., to improve network coverage or capacity). In a terrestrial network, thus, the network optimization process is relatively static. This is considered acceptable, because the network infrastructure and communications quality are considered to be relatively stable. The infrastructure is geographically fixed in a terrestrial cellular network, and the communications quality is not substantially affected by or the system design considers variables such as weather (e.g., thunderstorms, high winds).
In order to increase capacity in a terrestrial cellular network, additional BTS must be added to the network. Adding such additional equipment may take weeks or months, and in some cases it is impossible to incorporate new equipment into an existing infrastructure. Therefore, prior art terrestrial networks cannot rapidly respond to a level of user demand that exceeds the network's then-current capacity. . . .
What is needed is a cellular communications network that is able to more rapidly respond to changing capacity demands by quickly modifying network infrastructure or configuration. Further needed is a method for rapidly determining performance parameters for a modified network infrastructure or configuration and quickly implementing the parameters' use so that optimal network performance can be continuously maintained.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2598064 (1952-05-01), Lindenblad
patent: 2626348 (1953-01-01), Nobles
patent: 2627021 (1953-01-01), Hansell et al.
patent: 2748266 (1956-05-01), Boyd et al.
patent: 3866227 (1975-02-01), Ruvin
patent: 5063387 (1991-11-01), Mower
patent: 5067172 (1991-11-01), Schloemer
patent: 5123112 (1992-06-01), Choate
patent: 5187805 (1993-02-01), Bertiger et al.
patent: 5455964 (1995-10-01), Roos et al.
patent: 5479482 (1995-12-01), Grimes
patent: 5530909 (1996-06-01), Simon et al.
patent: 5548292 (1996-08-01), Hirschfield et al.
patent: 5557656 (1996-09-01), Ray et al.
patent: 5559865 (1996-09-01), Gilhousen
patent: 5574968 (1996-11-01), Olds et al.
patent: 5619211 (1997-04-01), Horkin et al.
patent: 5625867 (1997-04-01), Rouffet et al.
patent: 5657032 (1997-08-01), Liechty et al.
patent: 5678184 (1997-10-01), Cutler, Jr. et al.
patent: 5774790 (1998-06-01), Dupuy
patent: 5790939 (1998-08-01), Malcolm et al.
patent: 5832380 (1998-11-01), Ray et al.
patent: 5890079 (1999-03-01), Levine
patent: 5937349 (1999-08-01), Andresen
patent: 5974349 (1999-10-01), Levine
patent: 6006084 (1999-12-01), Miller et al.
patent: 6018659 (2000-01-01), Ayyagari et al.
patent: 6061561 (2000-05-01), Alanara et al.
patent: 6061562 (2000-05-01), Martin et al.
patent: 6072428 (2000-06-01), Schipper et al.
patent: 6073004 (2000-06-01), Balachandran
patent: 6127946 (2000-10-01), Tzidon et al.
patent: 6285878 (2001-09-01), Lai
patent: 6324398 (2001-11-01), Lanzerotti et al.
patent: 0 421 704 (1991-04-01), None
patent: 0 618 704 (1994-10-01), None
patent: 0 789 498 (1997-08-01), None
patent: 0 803 742 (1997-10-01), None
patent: 0 837 567 (1997-10-01), None
patent: 0 901 240 (1999-03-01), None
patent: 0 939 569 (1999-09-01), None
patent: 2757331 (1996-12-01), None
patent: 2318948 (1998-05-01), None
patent: 2 320 992 (1998-07-01), None
patent: 3104426 (1991-05-01), None
patent: WO 96 02094 (1995-01-01), None
patent: WO 95 04407 (1995-02-01), None
patent: WO 96 16489 (1996-05-01), None
patent: WO 97 07609 (1997-02-01), None
patent: WO 97 19525 (1997-05-01), None
patent: WO 97 23104 (1997-06-01), None
patent: WO 98 44639 (1998-10-01), None
patent: WO 98 51568 (1998-11-01), None
patent: WO 99 13598 (1999-03-01), None
patent: WO 99 23769 (1999-05-01), None
patent: WO 99 45609 (1999-09-01), None
patent: WO 99 46877 (1999-09-01), None
patent: WO 00 14902 (2000-03-01), None
“51.84 Mbps Airborne Wireless Experiments: A Prelude to the Emerging HALO™ Communication Technology”, 1999, Jon Aasterud et al.
“Establishing Wireless Communications Services via High-Altitude Aeronautical Platforms: A Concept Whose Time Has Come?” Djuknic et al., IEEE Communications Magazine, Sep. 1, 1997, pp. 128-135.
“On the Use of HALE Platforms as GSM Base Stations”, IEEE Personal Communications, Apr. 2001, vol. 8 No. 2, pp. 37-43.
“Relay Aircraft Enable Cell ‘Network in the Sky’”, William B. Scott, Aviation Week andS Space Technology, Jun. 29, 1998, pp. 22-23.
“Revised Technical And Operational Parameters For Typical-IMT-2000 Terrestrial Systems Using High Altitude Platform Stations And CDMA Radio Transmission Technologies”, Radiocommunication Study Groups, Mar. 4, 1999.
“Skystation Stratospheric Telecommunication New Payload Description”, Mini, Missoni, Pauro, Proceeding of 17 of the AIAA ICSSC, 1997, pp. 235-242.
“Wireless Communication Systems using Stratospheric Platforms”, Hase, Technical Report of IEICE, 2000.
“Airborne Relay Communication System” -System Demostration -public handout at public demostration, May 1, 1998, 36 pages.
“Concept Overview”, Angel Technologies Corporation Web Page Printout,(www.angelcorp.com), Mar. 1998, 7 pages.
“Hail HALE, the Answers May All Be Here”, Thomas W. Will, Ph.D., Joseph N. Pelton, Ph.D., Unmanned Systems Magazine, Winter 1995, pp. 31-34.
“High-Capacity Aerial Vehicles Aid Wireless Communications”, Signal Magazine, Apr. 1997, 6 pages.
“Geosynchronous Satellites at 14 Miles Altitude?”, Joseph N. Pelton, Ph.D., New Telecom Quarterly, Second Quarter 1995 (2Q95), pp. 11-16.
Emmons, Jr. Thomas Peter
Gross Jonathan H.
Tessler Michael A.
Ingrassia Fisher & Lorenz P.C.
Legree Tracy
Motorola Inc.
LandOfFree
Apparatus and methods for controlling a cellular... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Apparatus and methods for controlling a cellular..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Apparatus and methods for controlling a cellular... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3063915