Systems and methods of supporting multiple wireless communication technologies
View Patent ↗Systems and methods for supporting multiple wireless communications technologies are provided. When a first and second base station operate according to different wireless communication technologies on the same carrier frequency in different cells or on different carrier frequencies in the same cell the frame structure of each base station is controlled in such a way that idle periods of transmissions from one base station are aligned with idle periods of the other base station. When the first and second base stations are located in the same cell and operate on the same carrier frequency the frames of the first and second base stations are time-interlaced.
1. A method for operating a wireless communication system, the method comprising the acts of:
deploying a first base station that operates according to a first time division duplexing (TDD) wireless communication technology;
deploying a second base station that operates according to a second TDD wireless communication technology, wherein the first and second base stations operate in a same cell on a same carrier frequency;
selecting a first time period for a frame of the first base station that includes a downlink subframe and an uplink subframe;
selecting a second time period for a frame of the second base station that includes a plurality of downlink subframes and a plurality of uplink subframes;
notifying mobile stations supported by the first base station of the first time period, wherein the act of notifying mobile stations supported by the first base station of the first time period comprises the act of sending a notification in an extended subheader;
notifying mobile stations supported by the second base station of the second time period; and
controlling communications of the first and second base stations in such a way that the first and second time periods are time-interlaced,
wherein mobile stations communicating with the first and second base stations operate in a sleep mode in such a way that an availability interval for mobile stations supported by the first base station is an unavailability interval for mobile stations supported by the second base station,
wherein the first time period is an unavailability interval for the mobile stations supported by the second base station and the second time period is an unavailability interval for the mobile stations supported by the first base station.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second base stations are a single base station.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second wireless communication technology employ orthogonal frequency division modulation.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first base station operates according to WiMAX wireless communication technology and the second base station operates according to 3G Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless communication technology.
5. A method for operating a wireless communication system, the method comprising the acts of:
deploying a first base station that operates according to a first time division duplexing (TDD) wireless communication technology;
deploying a second base station that operates according to a second TDD wireless communication technology, wherein the first and second base stations operate in a same cell on a same carrier frequency;
selecting a first time period for a frame of the first base station that includes a downlink subframe and an uplink subframe;
selecting a second time period for a frame of the second base station that includes a plurality of downlink subframes and a plurality of uplink subframes;
notifying mobile stations supported by the first base station of the first time period, wherein the act of notifying mobile stations supported by the first base station of the first time period comprises the act of sending a notification in a ranging response message;
notifying mobile stations supported by the second base station of the second time period; and
controlling communications of the first and second base stations in such a way that the first and second time periods are time-interlaced,
wherein mobile stations communicating with the first and second base stations operate in a sleep mode in such a way that an availability interval for mobile stations supported by the first base station is an unavailability interval for mobile stations supported by the second base station,
wherein the first time period is an unavailability interval for the mobile stations supported by the second base station and the second time period is an unavailability interval for the mobile stations supported by the first base station.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first and second base stations are a single base station.
7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first and second wireless communication technology employ orthogonal frequency division modulation.
8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first base station operates according to WiMAX wireless communication technology and the second base station operates according to 3G Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless communication technology.
9. A method for operating a wireless communication system, the method comprising the acts of:
deploying a first base station that operates according to a first time division duplexing (TDD) wireless communication technology;
deploying a second base station that operates according to a second TDD wireless communication technology, wherein the first and second base stations operate in a same cell on a same carrier frequency;
selecting a first time period for a frame of the first base station that includes a downlink subframe and an uplink subframe;
selecting a second time period for a frame of the second base station that includes a plurality of downlink subframes and a plurality of uplink subframes;
notifying mobile stations supported by the first base station of the first time period, wherein the act of notifying mobile stations supported by the first base station of the first time period comprises the act of sending a notification in a mobile sleep response message;
notifying mobile stations supported by the second base station of the second time period; and
controlling communications of the first and second base stations in such a way that the first and second time periods are time-interlaced,
wherein mobile stations communicating with the first and second base stations operate in a sleep mode in such a way that an availability interval for mobile stations supported by the first base station is an unavailability interval for mobile stations supported by the second base station,
wherein the first time period is an unavailability interval for the mobile stations supported by the second base station and the second time period is an unavailability interval for the mobile stations supported by the first base station.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first and second base stations are a single base station.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first and second wireless communication technology employ orthogonal frequency division modulation.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first base station operates according to WiMAX wireless communication technology and the second base station operates according to 3G Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless communication technology.