SDN-based channel estimation for multiplexing between LOS mmWaves NLOS sub-6 GHz and FSO

1. A system for providing small cell backhaul communication, comprising:

a small cell backhaul network including a plurality of small cell network nodes;

at least one mmWave transceiver at each of the plurality of small cell network nodes for establishing line-of-site (LOS) communication links with other small cell network nodes within the small cell backhaul network;

at least one Non-Line of Sight (NLOS) sub-6 GHz transceiver at each of the plurality of small cell network nodes for establishing the communications links with other small cell network nodes within the small cell backhaul network;

at least one Free Space Optics (FSO) transceiver at each of the plurality of small cell network nodes for establishing the communications links with other small cell network nodes within the small cell backhaul network;

a software defined network (SDN) controller for controlling communication link configuration by the at least one mmWave transceiver, the at least one Non-Line of Sight (NLOS) sub-6 GHz transceiver and the at least one Free Space Optics (FSO) transceiver between the plurality of small cell network nodes of the small cell backhaul network, wherein the SDN controller further implements SDN based channel estimation to multiplex between providing the communications link between the at least one mmWave transceiver, the at least one NLOS sub-6 GHz transceiver and the at least one FSO transceiver based upon communications link conditions; and

wherein the link configurations are established by the SDN controller using mmWave communications.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the SDN controller calculates for each of the communications links within the small cell backhaul network a primary link and at least one backup link.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the SDN controller uses an SDN control plane to calculate the primary link and the at least one backup link.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the SDN controller stores forwarding rules based upon the calculated primary link and at least one backup link in an OpenFlow Fast Failover Group.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of small cell network nodes of the small cell backhaul network use rapid link monitoring to detect if a primary communications link from a small cell network node has failed, if a failed primary communications link is detected the small cell network node switches to a backup link stored in an OpenFlow Fast Failover Group.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of small cell network nodes of the small cell backhaul network uses Bidirectional Forwarding Detection to determine if a communications link has failed.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein each of the plurality of small cell network nodes of the small cell backhaul network periodically transmits a Bidirectional Forwarding Detection message to each neighboring small cell network node to detect communications link status.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein each of the plurality of small cell network nodes of the small cell backhaul network periodically transmits a MAC layer protocol message to each neighboring small cell network node to detect communications link status.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of small cell network nodes of the small cell backhaul network uses crankback forwarding to establish a path to a destination when each of a primary link and a backup link for a small cell network node is not working.

10. A method for providing small cell backhaul communication, comprising:

establishing line-of-site (LOS) communication links from at least one of a plurality of small cell network nodes within a small cell backhaul network with other small cell network nodes within the small cell backhaul network using at least one mmWave transceiver;

establishing the communication links with other small cell network nodes within the small cell backhaul network using at least one Non-Line of Sight (NLOS) sub-6 GHz transceiver at each of the plurality of small cell network nodes;

establishing the communication links with other small cell network nodes within the small cell backhaul network using at least one Free Space Optics (FSO) transceiver at each of the plurality of small cell network nodes;

controlling communication link configuration by the at least one mmWave transceiver, the at least one Non-Line of Sight (NLOS) sub-6 GHz transceiver and the at least one Free Space Optics (FSO) transceiver between the plurality of small cell network nodes of the small cell backhaul network; and

multiplexing between providing the communication link between the at least one mmWave transceiver, the at least one NLOS sub-6 GHz transceiver and the at least one FSO transceiver based upon communication link conditions.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising calculating for each of the communications links within the small cell backhaul network a primary link and at least one backup link with an SDN controller.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of calculating further comprises calculating the primary link and the at least one backup link using the SDN control plane of an SDN controller.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising storing, by an SDN controller, forwarding rules based upon the calculated primary link and at least one backup link in an OpenFlow Fast Failover Group.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

detecting if a primary communications link from a small cell network node has failed for each of the plurality of small cell network nodes of the small cell backhaul network using rapid link monitoring; and

switching at the small cell network node to a backup link stored in an OpenFlow Fast Failover Group if a failed primary communications link is detected.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising determining at each of the plurality of small cell network nodes of the small cell backhaul network if a communications link has failed using Bidirectional Forwarding Detection.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising periodically transmitting from each of the plurality of small cell network nodes of the small cell backhaul network a Bidirectional Forwarding Detection message to each neighboring small cell network node to detect communications link status.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising periodically transmitting from each of the plurality of small cell network nodes of the small cell backhaul network a MAC layer protocol message to each neighboring small cell network node to detect communications link status.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprises establishing a path to a destination when each of a primary link and a backup link for a small cell node is not working using crankback forwarding at the plurality of small cells of the small cell backhaul network.

19. A system for providing small cell backhaul communication, comprising:

a small cell backhaul network including a plurality of small cell network nodes;

at least one mmWave transceiver at each of the plurality of small cell network nodes for establishing communication links with other small cell network nodes within the small cell backhaul network;

a software defined network (SDN) controller for controlling communication link configuration by the at least one mmWave transceiver between the plurality of small cell network nodes of the small cell backhaul network, calculating for each of the communications links within the small cell backhaul network a primary link and at least one backup link and storing forwarding rules based upon the calculated primary link and at least one backup link in an OpenFlow Fast Failover Group; and

wherein the link configurations are established by the SDN controller using mmWave communications.

20. The system of claim 19 further comprising:

at least one Non-Line of Sight (NLOS) sub-6 GHz transceiver at each of the plurality of small cell network nodes for establishing the communications links with other small cell network nodes within the small cell backhaul network;

at least one Free Space Optics (FSO) transceiver at each of the plurality of small cell network nodes for establishing the communications links with other small cell network nodes within the small cell backhaul network; and

wherein the SDN controller further implements SDN based channel estimation to multiplex between providing the communications links between the at least one mmWave transceiver, the at least one NLOS sub-6 GHz transceiver and the at least one FSO transceiver based upon communication link conditions.

21. The system of claim 19 , wherein the SDN controller uses an SDN control plane to calculate the primary link and the at least one backup link.

22. The system of claim 19 , wherein each of the plurality of small cells of the small cell backhaul network use rapid link monitoring to detect if a primary communications link from a small cell backhaul node has failed, if a failed primary communications link is detected the small cell backhaul node switches to a backup link stored in an OpenFlow Fast Failover Group.

23. The system of claim 19 , wherein each of the plurality of small cell network nodes of the small cell backhaul network uses Bidirectional Forwarding Detection to determine if a communications link has failed.

24. The system of claim 23 , wherein each of the plurality of small cell network nodes of the small cell backhaul network periodically transmits a Bidirectional Forwarding Detection message to each neighboring small cell network node to detect communications link status.

25. The system of claim 23 , wherein each of the plurality of small cell network nodes of the small cell backhaul network periodically transmits a MAC layer protocol message to each neighboring small cell node to detect communications link status.

26. The system of claim 23 , wherein the plurality of small cell network nodes of the small cell backhaul network uses crankback forwarding to establish a path to a destination when each of primary link and backup link for a small cell network node is not working.

27. The system of claim 19 , wherein the SDN controller associates at each small cell network node of the plurality of small cell backhaul nodes a dedicated OpenFlow port for each neighboring small cell network node.

28. The system of claim 19 , wherein the SDN controller associates a first OpenFlow port with the primary communications link and at least one second OpenFlow port with the at least one backup link.