Method and apparatus for synchronization of base stations in a broadband wireless access system

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

acquiring information about interfering base stations in a vicinity of a base station of interest (BSOI); and

choosing one of said interfering base stations as a master base station for said BSOI, wherein a master base station is a base station to which another base station is to synchronize;

wherein choosing one of said interfering base stations as a master base station includes:

when said interfering base stations are from multiple sync groups, selecting a sync group from said multiple sync groups to be a master sync group, wherein a sync group is a group of base stations that are currently synchronized with one another;

when said interfering base stations are all from a common sync group, identifying said common sync group as said master sync group; and

when said master sync group includes at least one master base station that is also one of said interfering base stations and that has a received signal strength within said BSOI that is adequate to perform accurate synchronization, assigning one of said at least one master base station as a master base station of said BSOI.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

delivering an ID of said assigned master base station and a corresponding ranging rule to said BSOI.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein choosing one of said interfering base stations as a master base station further includes:

when said master sync group does not include a master base station that is also one of said interfering base stations and that has a received signal strength within said BSOI that is adequate to perform accurate synchronization, selecting a base station from said master sync group that is one of said interfering base stations as the master base station of said BSOI; and

creating a new ranging rule for said selected master base station.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

delivering an ID of said selected master base station and said new ranging rule to said BSOI and said selected master base station.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

when said interfering base stations are from multiple sync groups and one of said multiple sync groups has been selected as said master sync group, giving said BSOI master status over sync groups in said multiple sync groups other than said master sync group.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

identifying synchronization chains for said sync groups in said multiple sync groups other than said master sync group, wherein each synchronization chain originates at said BSOI; and

creating a new ranging rule for each master/slave level within each synchronization chain.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

acquiring information includes receiving said information from said BSOI, wherein said information is accompanied by a request to assign a master base station to said BSOI.

8. A base station controller (BSC) comprising:

a receiver to receive a list of interfering base stations associated with a base station of interest (BSOI);

a controller to select a master base station for said BSOI from said list of interfering base stations, wherein a master base station is a base station to which another base station is to synchronize; and

a sync group database to store data related to base station sync groups in an associated wireless network, each sync group including one or more base stations in said wireless network that are currently synchronized to one another, wherein said controller is in communication with said sync group database;

wherein said controller is to: (a) when said base stations in said list of interfering base stations are from multiple sync groups, select a master sync group from said multiple sync groups; (b) when said base stations in said list of interfering base stations are from a common sync group, identify said common sync group as said master sync group; and (c) select a base station from said list of interfering base stations, that is within said master sync group, for use as a master base station for said BSOI.

9. The BSC of claim 8 , wherein:

operation to select a base station from said list includes operation to:

when said master sync group includes at least one master base station that is also one of said interfering base stations and that has a received signal strength in said BSOI that is adequate to perform accurate synchronization, assign one of said at least one master base stations as a master base station of said BSOI.

10. The BSC of claim 9 , wherein:

operation to select a base station from said list includes operation to:

when said master sync group does not include a master base station that is also one of said interfering base stations and that has a receive signal strength within said BSOI that is adequate to perform accurate synchronization, select a base station from said master sync group that is one of said interfering base stations as the master base station of said BSOI.

11. The BSC of claim 10 , wherein:

operation to select a base station from said list includes operation to:

when said master sync group does not include a master base station that is also one of said interfering base stations, create a new ranging rule for said selected master base station.

12. The BSC of claim 8 , wherein said controller is configured to:

when said base stations in said list of interfering base stations are from multiple sync groups and one of said sync groups has been selected as a master sync group:

give said BSOI master base station status over sync groups in said multiple sync groups other than said master sync group;

identify synchronization chains for said sync groups in said multiple sync groups other than said master sync group, wherein each synchronization chain originates at said BSOI; and

create a new ranging rule for each master/slave level within each synchronization chain.

13. The BSC of claim 8 , further comprising:

a transmitter to transmit a master base station ID and a corresponding ranging rule to said BSOI.

14. An article comprising a machine readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computing platform, operate to:

acquire information about interfering base stations in a vicinity of a base station of interest (BSOI); and

choose one of said interfering base stations as a master base station for said BSOI, wherein a master base station is a base station to which another base station is to synchronize;

wherein operation to choose one of said interfering base stations as a master base station includes operation to:

when said interfering base stations are from multiple sync groups, select a sync group from said multiple sync groups to be a master sync group, wherein a sync group is a group of base stations that are currently synchronized with one another;

when said interfering base stations are all from a common sync group, identify said common sync group as said master sync group; and

when said master sync group includes at least one master base station that is also one of said interfering base stations and that has a received signal strength within said BSOI that is adequate to perform accurate synchronization, assign one of said at least one master base stations as a master base station of said BSOI.

15. The article of claim 14 , wherein:

operation to choose one of said interfering base stations as a master base station further includes operation to:

when said master sync group does not include a master base station that is also one of said interfering base stations and that has a received signal strength within said BSOI that is adequate to perform accurate synchronization, select a base station from said master sync group that is one of said interfering base stations as the master base station of said BSOI; and

create a new ranging rule for said selected master base station.

16. The article of claim 14 , wherein:

operation to choose one of said interfering base stations as a master base station further includes operation to:

when said master sync group does not include a master base station that is also one of said interfering base stations and that has a received signal strength within said BSOI that is adequate to perform accurate synchronization, select a base station from said master sync group that is one of said interfering base stations as the master base station of said BSOI; and

create a new ranging rule for said selected master base station.

17. The article of claim 16 , wherein said instructions further operate to:

deliver an ID of said selected master base station and said new ranging rule to said BSOI and said selected master base station.

18. The article of claim 14 , wherein said instructions further operate to:

when said interfering base stations are from multiple sync groups and one of said multiple sync groups has been selected as said master sync group, give said BSOI master status over sync groups in said multiple sync groups other than said master sync group.

19. The article of claim 18 , wherein said instructions further operate to:

identify synchronization chains for said sync groups in said multiple sync groups other than said master sync group, wherein each synchronization chain originates at said BSOI; and

create a new ranging rule for each master/slave level within each synchronization chain.