US20150063213A1 - Wireless communication methods and apparatus using beacon signals - Google Patents

Abstract

Methods and apparatus supporting peer to peer communications are discussed. A base station, serving as an access node for wireless terminals also communicates information supporting peer to peer communications. A base station transmits a beacon signal conveying information about a peer to peer frequency band and also receives user data from a plurality of wireless terminals, using the base station as a current point of network attachment. In some embodiments, the beacon signal is transmitted into the same frequency band being used for access node based communications and identifies a different frequency band which is to be used as a peer to peer frequency band. Alternatively, or in addition, in support of peer to peer communications, a beacon signal transmission apparatus, a free standing device which doesn't transmit user data, transmits a sequence of beacon signal bursts, each beacon signal burst including at least one high power beacon symbol.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS
• The present application is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/652,245 filed on Jan. 10, 2007 titled “Wireless Communication Methods and Apparatus Using Beacon Signals” now U.S. Pat. No. ______ incorporated by reference in its entirety herein that claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/758,011 filed on Jan. 11, 2006, titled “METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR USING BEACON SIGNALS FOR IDENTIFICATION, SYNCHRONIZATION OR ACQUISITION IN AN AD HOC WIRELESS NETWORK”, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/758,010 filed on Jan. 11, 2006, titled “METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING IDENTIFICATION, SYNCHRONIZATION OR ACQUISITION USING BEACON SIGNALS”, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/758,012 filed on Jan. 11, 2006, titled “METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR USING BEACON SIGNALS IN A COGNITIVE RADIO NETWORK”, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/863,304 filed on Oct. 27, 2006, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/845,052 filed on Sep. 15, 2006, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/845,051 filed on Sep. 15, 2006, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference and all of which are assigned to the assignee hereof.
FIELD
• The present invention is directed to methods and apparatus for signaling in wireless communication and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus for using signals for identification, synchronization and/or acquisition.
BACKGROUND
• In a wireless network, e.g., an ad hoc network, in which a network infrastructure does not exist, a terminal has to combat certain challenges in order to set up a communication link with another peer terminal. One challenge is to make the terminals in the vicinity to be synchronized to a common timing and/or frequency reference. A common timing and/or frequency reference is crucial for the terminals to establish communication links. For example, in an ad hoc network, when a terminal just powers up or moves into a new area, the terminal may have to first find out whether another terminal is present in the vicinity before any communication between the two terminals can start. The general solution is to let the terminal transmit and/or receive signals according to certain protocol. However, if the terminals do not have a common timing notation, it is possible that when a first terminal is transmitting a signal and a second terminal is not in the receiving mode, the transmitted signal does not help the second terminal to detect the presence of the first terminal.
• In view of the above discussion, it should be appreciated that there is a need for new and improved ways for identification, acquisition, and/or synchronization, especially in a wireless system in which the network infrastructure may not be available.
SUMMARY
• Various embodiments are directed to base station methods and apparatus for supporting peer to peer communications. In one exemplary embodiment a base station, which is serving as a network access point for wireless terminals, also transmits a beacon signal conveying information about a peer to peer frequency band. In some such embodiments, the beacon signal conveying information about a peer to peer frequency band is transmitted into the same band being used by the base station for its access node based communications. An exemplary method of operating a base station, comprises: transmitting a beacon signal, said beacon signal including at least one beacon signal burst, said beacon signal conveying information about a peer to peer frequency band, and receiving data from a plurality of wireless terminals using said base station as an access node for communication through said access node. An exemplary base station includes: a beacon signal generation module for generating a beacon signal, said beacon signal including at least one beacon signal burst, said beacon signal burst conveying information about a peer to peer frequency band; a transmitter for transmitting the generated beacon signal, and a receiver for receiving signals including user data signals from a plurality of wireless terminals using said base station as an access node for communication through said access node.
• Some embodiments are directed to a beacon signal transmission device supporting peer to peer communications and methods of operating a beacon signal transmission device supporting peer to peer communications. One exemplary beacon signal transmission apparatus includes: a beacon signal transmitter for transmitting a sequence of beacon signal bursts each beacon signal burst including at least one beacon symbol, said beacon transmission signal apparatus being a free standing device not including any transmitter used to transmit data to an individual user device. One exemplary method of transmitting beacon signals comprises: operating a beacon signal transmitter to transmit a sequence of beacon signal bursts each beacon signal burst including at least one beacon symbol, wherein said beacon transmission signal apparatus is a free standing device; and wherein said beacon signal transmission apparatus does not include any transmitter used to transmit data to an individual user device.
• While various embodiments have been discussed in the summary above, it should be appreciated that not necessarily all embodiments include the same features and some of the features described above are not necessary but can be desirable in some embodiments. Numerous additional features, embodiments and benefits are discussed in the detailed description which follows.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary communications system supporting both access node based communications and peer to peer communications implemented in accordance with various embodiments.
• FIG. 2 illustrates two exemplary spectrum bands available to be used in a geographic area.
• FIG. 3 illustrates a ladder diagram of an exemplary method of obtaining and utilizing spectrum information implemented in accordance with various embodiments.
• FIG. 4 illustrates an example of utilizing timing synchronization information implemented in accordance with various embodiments.
• FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary diagram of receiving paging and being in a peer-to-peer or TDD session implemented in accordance with various embodiments.
• FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart of an exemplary method of operating a wireless terminal to determine data rates corresponding to potential links with alternative nodes, e.g., a base station and a peer wireless terminal, and selecting a node to communicate with in accordance with various embodiments.
• FIG. 7 illustrates a ladder diagram of an exemplary method of using beacon and/or broadcast channels to temporarily convert infrastructure spectrum band for non-infrastructure based service implemented in accordance with various embodiments.
• FIG. 8 illustrates two exemplary ad hoc networks in two geographic areas, implemented in accordance with various embodiments.
• FIG. 9 illustrates exemplary spectrum bands available to be used in two different geographic areas.
• FIG. 10 illustrates exemplary system beacon signals transmitted in the ad hoc networks in two different geographic areas.
• FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary wireless terminal implemented in accordance with various embodiments.
• FIG. 12 comprising the combination ofFIG. 12A andFIG. 12B is a drawing of a flowchart of an exemplary method of operating a wireless terminal to communicate with another communications device in accordance with various embodiments.
• FIG. 13 is a drawing of an exemplary wireless terminal, e.g., mobile node, implemented in accordance with various embodiments.
• FIG. 14 is a drawing of a flowchart of an exemplary method of operating a wireless terminal which supports both peer to peer communications and communications with a base station in accordance with various embodiments.
• FIG. 15 is a drawing of an exemplary wireless terminal, e.g., mobile node, implemented in accordance with various embodiments.
• FIG. 16 is a drawing of a flowchart of an exemplary method of operating a base station in accordance with various embodiments.
• FIG. 17 is a drawing of an exemplary base station in accordance with various embodiments.
• FIG. 18 is a drawing of an exemplary beacon signal transmission apparatus in accordance with various embodiments.
• FIG. 19 is a drawing of a flowchart of an exemplary method of operating a beacon signal transmitter device in accordance with various embodiments.
• FIG. 20 comprising the combination ofFIG. 20A andFIG. 20B is a drawing of a flowchart of an exemplary method of operating a base station in accordance with various embodiments.
• FIG. 21 is a drawing of an exemplary base station in accordance with various embodiments.
• FIG. 22 is a drawing of a flowchart of an exemplary method of operating a wireless device, e.g., a mobile node, in accordance with various embodiments.
• FIG. 23 is a drawing of an exemplary wireless terminal, e.g., mobile node in accordance with various embodiments.
• FIG. 24 is a drawing of a flowchart of an exemplary method of operating a mobile communications device in a system including a base station in accordance with various embodiments.
• FIG. 25 is a drawing of an exemplary wireless terminal, e.g., mobile node, in accordance with various embodiments.
• FIG. 26 is a drawing of a flowchart of an exemplary method of operating a wireless device, e.g., a mobile node, in accordance with various embodiments.
• FIG. 27 is a drawing of an exemplary wireless terminal, e.g., mobile node, implemented in accordance with various embodiments.
• FIG. 28 comprising the combination ofFIG. 28A andFIG. 28B is a drawing of a flowchart of an exemplary communications method in accordance with various embodiments.
• FIG. 29 is a drawing of an exemplary wireless terminal, e.g., mobile node, in accordance with various embodiments.
• FIG. 30 is a drawing of an exemplary communications system in accordance with various embodiments.
• FIG. 31 is a drawing of an exemplary wireless communications system which supports both peer to peer communications and cellular communications in accordance with various embodiments.
• FIG. 32 is a drawing illustrating exemplary beacon burst time position hopping in accordance with various embodiments.
• FIG. 33 is a drawing illustrating exemplary beacon burst time position hopping and beacon symbol tone hopping in accordance with various embodiments.
• FIG. 34 is a drawing illustrating exemplary coordinated timing in a peer to peer communications band in accordance with various embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
• FIG. 1 illustrates anexemplary communications system100 supporting both access node based communications and peer to peer communications implemented in accordance with various embodiments. Aninfrastructure base station108 is coupled with a big network, e.g., the Internet, through anetwork node110 via awired link111. Thebase station108 provides services to the wireless terminals, such as afirst wireless terminal102 and asecond wireless terminal104, in thegeographic area106 via a wireless spectrum band. The wireless spectrum band is called the infrastructure band.
• In addition to the infrastructure band, a different spectrum band, referred to as non-infrastructure band may also be, and sometimes is, available to be used by the wireless terminals in the same geographic area. Thus wireless terminals (102,104) can participate in an ad hoc peer to peer communication session using non-infrastructure band.FIG. 2 includes drawing200 which illustrates the notion of theinfrastructure band202 and thenon-infrastructure band204. The two bands are in some embodiments non-overlapping. In a typical embodiment, the infrastructure band includes a pair of FDD (frequency division duplex) spectrum bands or an unpaired TDD (time division duplex) spectrum band. The non-infrastructure band includes an unpaired spectrum and can be used for ad hoc peer-to-peer communication. In some embodiments, the non-infrastructure band is also used for TDD. In some embodiments, the same infrastructure base station, which provides the service in the infrastructure band, may also provide service in the non-infrastructure band.
• In an exemplary embodiment, the infrastructure base station transmits a beacon signal in the infrastructure band. The beacon signal is a special signal that occupies a small fraction of the total minimum transmission units in the available spectrum. In some embodiments, a beacon signal includes a sequence of one or more beacon signal bursts, each beacon signal burst including at least one beacon symbol. In some embodiments, the beacon symbols corresponding to a beacon signal occupy a small fraction, e.g., in some embodiments no more than 0.1%, of the total minimum transmission units in the available spectrum air link resource. A minimum transmission unit is the minimum unit of air link resource to use for communication. In some exemplary frequency division multiplexing systems, e.g., some OFDM systems, a minimum transmission unit is a single tone over a symbol transmission period, sometimes referred to as a tone-symbol. In addition, the average transmission power of the beacon symbols of the beacon signal is much higher, e.g., at least 10 dBs or at least 16 dB higher, than the average transmission power of data and control signals per minimum transmission unit when the terminal transmitter is in an ordinary data session.
• In addition, the infrastructure base station, in some embodiments, uses a broadcast channel, including the beacon signal, to send the system information including the frequency (e.g., carrier) location of the non-infrastructure spectrum band and/or the type of service provided in the band, e.g., TDD (time division duplex) or ad hoc networking.
• FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary ladder diagram300 of an exemplary method of obtaining and utilizing spectrum information implemented by a wireless terminal in accordance with various embodiments. Drawing300 includestime axis301,infrastructure base station302 andwireless terminal304.
• Thewireless terminal304 knows the frequency location of the infrastructure spectrum band. Thewireless terminal304 first tunes to the infrastructure spectrum band (306) and searches for the beacon signal (308) to find the availability of the infrastructure base station. Theinfrastructure base station302 transmits beacon signal310 which is received and detected (312) bywireless terminal304. Once thewireless terminal304 detects the beacon signal (310), thewireless terminal304 synchronizes (314) itself with theinfrastructure base station302. Theinfrastructure base station302 transmits broadcast signals316, in addition to beacon signals310. In some embodiments,wireless terminal304 further receives the broadcast signals316 and recovers system information from a broadcast channel to obtain the frequency location information of the non-infrastructure spectrum band (318). Thewireless terminal304, in various embodiments, derives timing and/or frequency information from at least one of the broadcast channels and/or the beacon signal (320). Thewireless terminal304 then tunes to the frequency location of the non-infrastructure band to obtain the TDD and/or ad hoc service (322). Thewireless terminal304 uses the timing and/or frequency information derived instep320 when the terminal304 obtains the service in the non-infrastructure band (324).
• Unlike the infrastructure band, the non-infrastructure band may not, and sometimes does not, have a natural source from which each of the wireless terminals can derive synchronization information. When each of the wireless terminals use the timing and/or frequency information derived from a common source, i.e., the infrastructure base station in the infrastructure spectrum band, the wireless terminals now have a common timing and/or frequency reference. Advantageously this enables synchronization of the terminals in the non-infrastructure band. To elaborate, drawing400 ofFIG. 4 illustrates an example of utilizing timing synchronization information obtained from infrastructure signaling in an associated non-infrastructure band.
• Thehorizontal axis401 represents time. The infrastructure base station transmits thebeacon signal402 in the infrastructure band. Thebeacon signal402 includes a sequence of beacon signal bursts,404,406,408, and so on. Suppose that two wireless terminals derive the timing information from thebeacon signal402, and then tune to the non-infrastructure band, which is used for peer-to-peer ad hoc network.
• Either of the two wireless terminals has to be aware of the presence of the other before they can set up a peer-to-peer communication session. In one embodiment, either wireless terminal transmits or receives a user beacon signal burst in the non-infrastructure band in a time interval, which is a function of the timing of the beacon signal bursts sent by the infrastructure base station.
• For example, inFIG. 4, the time interval starts from a time instance that has known time offset410 from the beginning412 of a beacon signal burst sent by the infrastructure base station. Either wireless terminal in some embodiments randomly chooses whether to transmit or receive. In the exemplary scenario shown inFIG. 4, the first wireless terminal chooses to transmit, as indicated by exemplary user beacon signal burst414 transmitted into the non-infrastructure spectrum band, while the second wireless terminal chooses to receive. The second wireless terminal controls its receiver on time interval for beacon monitoring in the non-infrastructure spectrum band such as to includeinterval416 corresponding to the first wireless terminal's beacon transmission, and the second wireless terminal detects the user beacon signal sent by the first wireless terminal. The second wireless terminal may, and sometimes does, then start to establish a communication link with the first wireless terminal. However, if both wireless terminals choose to transmit or to receive, then they may not find each other in this time interval. The wireless terminals can probabilistically find each other in subsequent time intervals.
• Note that in the absence of the common timing reference, the wireless terminals may have to be in the listening mode in a much longer time interval in order to detect a user beacon signal burst. The common timing reference thus helps the wireless terminals to find each other much more rapidly and in a more power efficient manner.
• In another embodiment, the base station additionally transmits the beacon signal in the second spectrum band, so that if the wireless terminal directly tunes to the second spectrum band, the wireless terminal can derive the desired common timing and/or frequency reference from the beacon signal.
• FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary state diagram500 of receiving paging and being in a peer-to-peer or TDD session implemented in accordance with various embodiments. Operation starts instep501, where the wireless terminal is powered on and initialized and then proceeds to step502.
• A wireless terminal and the network paging agent, e.g., a server on the network side, have an agreement on when a page for the wireless terminal, if any, will be sent to the wireless terminal via the infrastructure base station. The wireless terminal sets a timer to monitor potential incoming pages (502). In a typical paging system, the wireless terminal may go to a power saving mode until the timer expires. In accordance with a novel feature of various exemplary embodiments, the wireless terminal tunes to the non-infrastructure spectrum band and obtains service (504), e.g., TDD or peer-to-peer communication service. When the timer expires, the wireless terminal tunes to the infrastructure spectrum band and monitors a paging channel (506). If the terminal is not paged, the wireless terminal may set the timer again for the next page monitoring time (502). Otherwise, the wireless terminal is being paged, needs to process the received page, and processes the received page (508).
• In some embodiments, there is a common time interval during which each of the wireless terminals or a large subset of the wireless terminals using the non-infrastructure spectrum band suspend the sessions in the non-infrastructure spectrum band and check pages in the infrastructure spectrum band. Advantageously, this synchronized suspension of non-infrastructure sessions helps reduce the wastage of resource in the non-infrastructure band.
• FIG. 6 illustrates aflowchart600 of an exemplary method of operating a wireless terminal to determine data rates corresponding to potential links with alternative nodes, e.g., a base station and a peer wireless terminal, and selecting a node to communicate with in accordance with various embodiments.
• A base station transmits a beacon signal. In some embodiments, in the non-infrastructure band, the infrastructure base station transmits a beacon signal, and a wireless terminal also transmits a user beacon signal. Thus, in such an embodiment, a wireless terminal can have its receiver tuned to the non-infrastructure band and receive base station beacon signals and wireless terminal user beacon signals. Different beacon signals, in some embodiments, differentiate from each other by using different beacon tone hopping sequences and/or different timing of beacon bursts. A transmitter, e.g., the base station or the wireless terminal, in some embodiments is also used to transmit data/control channels. In accordance with various embodiments, the transmission power of the beacon signal and/or that of the data/control channels are such that from the received beacon signal or signals, a receiver can predict the signal quality of the data/control channels, and/or compare the signal quality from multiple transmitters.
• In some embodiments, the transmission power of the base station beacon signal is the same for each base station. In some embodiments, the transmission power of the user beacon signal is the same for each of the wireless terminals transmitting user beacon signals. In some embodiments, the transmission power of base station and user beacons are the same. In some embodiments, the data/control channels are sent at a transmission power, which is a function of the transmission power of the beacon signal. For example, the per minimum transmission unit transmission power of the data channel, at a given coding and modulation rate, is a fixed dB amount, e.g., 10 dBs or 16 dBs, below the transmission power of the beacon signal.
• With regard toFIG. 6, operation of the exemplary method starts instep601, where the wireless terminal is powered on and initialized and proceeds to step602 for each link being considered. Instep602 the wireless terminal receives a beacon signal from a transmitter, e.g., an infrastructure base station transmitter or a wireless terminal transmitter, and then, instep604 the wireless terminal measures the received power. Operation proceeds fromstep604 to step606. Instep606, the wireless terminal then predicts the received power of user data signals, e.g., a data/control traffic channel, assuming that the wireless terminal is receiving the channel from the transmitter, using the known power relationship between the traffic channel and the beacon signal. Instep608, the wireless terminal further measures the background noise and interference. Then, instep610, the wireless terminal predicts the signal quality, e.g., signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of a data session if the wireless terminal is to set up a session with the device, e.g., base station or wireless terminal, corresponding to the transmitter, and sees whether the signal quality and thus the data rate of the data session are sufficient. In some cases, the wireless terminal may, and sometimes does, receive beacon signals from multiple transmitters. Instep611, the wireless terminal compares the signal quality from those transmitters considered and selects a proper one with which to communicate, thus selecting the base station or wireless terminal corresponding to the selected transmitter.
• FIG. 7 illustrates a ladder diagram700 of an exemplary method of using beacon and/or broadcast channels to temporarily convert infrastructure spectrum band for non-infrastructure based service implemented in accordance with various embodiments. Unlike some of the other embodiments presented, this exemplary embodiment has an infrastructure band but does not need a fixed non-infrastructure band.
• Thevertical axis702 represents time. Theinfrastructure base station704 checks (708) whether there is any wireless terminal using the normal service provided by the infrastructure base station, such as normal FDD or TDD service. The normal service is referred to as infrastructure based service. If the answer is no, then the infrastructure base station can convert (710) the infrastructure spectrum band to become a non-infrastructure band, which can be used by non-infrastructure based service, such as peer-to-peer communication service. To do so, the base station sends at least one of a beacon signal (712) and a non-beacon broadcast signal (714) to indicate that the infrastructure band has been converted to non-infrastructure band. Upon the reception of that signal, the wireless terminals, e.g.,wireless terminal706, in the area can start to use non-infrastructure service in the band (716).
• At a later time, theinfrastructure base station704 may decide (718) to return the spectrum band to the infrastructure based service. The infrastructure base station in some embodiments does so because of at least one of the following reasons: 1) the infrastructure base station senses that some wireless terminals may need the infrastructure based service; 2) some timer has expired, in which case the timer is used to control the time duration of the infrastructure spectrum band being used as a non-infrastructure band. To do so, thebase station704 sends at least one of a beacon signal (720) and a non-beacon broadcast signal (722) to indicate that the infrastructure band has returned to the infrastructure based service. Upon the reception of that signal, the wireless terminals in the area, e.g.,wireless terminal706, can cease to use non-infrastructure service in the band (724). For example, if a wireless terminal has an on-going peer-to-peer communication session, the wireless terminal shall stop or suspend the session.
• FIG. 8 illustrates in drawing800 two exemplary ad hoc networks (801,851) in two geographic areas (806,856), respectively, implemented in accordance with various embodiments.
• The ad hocnetwork801 ingeographic area A806 includes a number of terminals, such as afirst wireless terminal802 and asecond wireless terminal804, and aspecial transmitter808, which transmits a system beacon signal in accordance with the exemplary embodiment. The wireless terminals, in some embodiments, use the system beacon signal as a system reference signal. The special transmitter in some embodiments is coupled to a big network, e.g., the Internet, through anetwork node810, e.g., via a wired link. Thespecial transmitter808, in some embodiments, is also used to have peer-to-peer sessions with a wireless terminal. Alternatively, in some embodiments the transmitter may be, and sometimes is a standalone unit.
• The ad hocnetwork851 ingeographic area B856 includes a number of terminals, such as athird wireless terminal852 and afourth wireless terminal854, and aspecial transmitter858, which transmits a system beacon signal in accordance with the exemplary embodiment. The special transmitter in some embodiments is coupled to a big network, e.g., the Internet, through anetwork node860, e.g., via a wired link.
• In this exemplary embodiment, the spectrum availability is a function of the environment. Here, infrastructure spectrum bands may not exist. For example, drawing900 ofFIG. 9 shows exemplary spectrum bands available ingeographic area A806 and ingeographic area B856. Those spectrum bands are non-infrastructure.
• Thehorizontal axis905 represents frequency. Theupper portion901 of theFIG. 9 shows that there are two spectrum bands,902 and904, available for use in thead hoc network801 ingeographic area A806. Thelower portion903 ofFIG. 9 shows that there are two spectrum bands,906 and908, available for use in thead hoc network851 ingeographic area B856. In the exemplary scenario shown inFIG. 9, thespectrum bands904 and908 are identical. In other words, part of the spectrum bands available in area A and area B (904 and908) are the same, while the rest (902 and906) are different.
• One reason that a different set of spectrum bands are available in a different area is that a spectrum band may have been allocated to other services in some geographic area but can be made available in another area. When a wireless terminal moves into area A or area B, the wireless terminal needs to first figure out which spectrum bands are available for use, so that the wireless terminal does not cause interference or disruption to existing services.
• To help the wireless terminal to figure out the spectrum availability in a given area, in accordance with a feature of some embodiments, a special transmitter transmits a system beacon signal in each of the spectrum bands that are available for use in the vicinity of the geographical area in which the special transmitter is located. The beacon signal is a special signal that occupies a small fraction of the total minimum transmission units in the available spectrum. In some embodiments, the beacon symbols of the beacon signal occupy no more than 0.1% of the total minimum transmission units in the available spectrum air link resource. A minimum transmission unit is the minimum unit of resource to use for communication. In some exemplary frequency division multiplexing systems, e.g., some OFDM systems, a minimum transmission unit is a single tone over a symbol transmission period, sometimes referred to as an OFDM tone-symbol. In addition, the transmission power of the beacon symbols per minimum transmission unit is much higher, e.g., in some embodiments at least 10 dB higher, than the average transmission power of data and control signals per minimum transmission unit when the transmitter is in an ordinary data session. In some such embodiments, the transmission power of the beacon signal's beacon symbols per minimum transmission unit is at least 16 dBs higher than the average transmission power of data and control signals per minimum transmission unit when the transmitter is in an ordinary data session.
• Drawing1000 ofFIG. 10 illustrates exemplary system beacon signals transmitted in exemplary ad hoc networks (801,851) in two different geographic areas (806,856), respectively. Theupper portion1002 illustrates the system beacon signal transmitted by thespecial transmitter808 inarea A806 and thelower portion1004 illustrates the system beacon signal transmitted by thespecial transmitter858 inarea B856.
• In either the upper or the lower portion (1002,1004), thehorizontal axis1006 represents frequency and thevertical axis1008 represents time.
• Recall fromFIG. 9 thatspectrum bands902 and904 are available inarea A806. Theupper portion1002 ofFIG. 10 shows that thespecial transmitter808 transmits the system beacon signal burst1010 including beacon symbol(s)1012 attime t11014 inspectrum band902, and transmits the system beacon signal burst1016 including beacon symbol(s)1018 attime t21020 inspectrum band904. Thetransmitter808 then repeats the above procedure and transmits the system beacon signal burst1022 including beacon symbol(s)1024 attime t31026 inspectrum band902 and transmits the system beacon signal burst1028 including beacon symbol(s)1030 attime t41032 inspectrum band904, and so on. In some embodiments, the beacon signal bursts1010 and1022 are identical, e.g., the beacon symbols occupy the same positions in a beacon burst. In some embodiments, the beacon signal bursts1010,1022 vary, e.g., the positions of the beacon symbols(s) change in accordance with a predetermined hopping sequence being implemented bybeacon transmitter808. In some the beacon signal bursts1016 and1028 are identical. In some embodiments the beacon signal bursts1016 and1028 vary, e.g., in accordance with a predetermined hopping sequence being implemented bybeacon transmitter808. In some embodiments, the beacon signal bursts1010 and1016 are similar, e.g., the beacon symbols occupy the same relative positions in the beacon burst.
• Recall fromFIG. 9 thatspectrum bands906 and908 are available inarea B856. Thelower portion1004 ofFIG. 10 shows that thespecial transmitter858 transmits the system beacon signal burst1034 including beacon symbol(s)1036 attime t51038 inspectrum band906 and transmits the system beacon signal burst1040 including beacon symbol(s)1042 attime t61044 inspectrum band908. Thetransmitter858 then repeats the above procedure and transmits the system beacon signal burst1046 including beacon symbol(s)1048 attime t71050 inspectrum band906 and transmits the system beacon signal burst1052 including beacon symbol(s)1054 attime t81056 inspectrum band908, and so on.
• In an exemplary embodiment, at a given time, a special transmitter transmits at most one beacon signal burst in a spectrum band. The special transmitter hops across each of the available spectrum bands, successively from one spectrum band to another, and transmits the beacon signal burst in each band at a given time. For example, in the embodiment shown inFIG. 10,times t11014,t21020,t31026,t41032 do not overlap with each other. However, it is also possible that in other embodiments the transmitter may, and sometimes does, simultaneously transmit multiple beacon signals, each in a different spectrum band.
• In the example of drawing1000 ofFIG. 10, with respect to thetransmitter808 in area A, t4>t3>t2>t1, and with respect to thetransmitter858 in area B, t8>t7>t6>t5. However, the drawing does not intend to show that a timing relationship between t5 and t4 exists such that t5 is necessarily greater than t4. For example, the range of time including (t1, t2, t3, t4) and the range of time including (t5, t6, t7, t8) may, and sometimes does, at least partially overlap. In some embodiments, the two transmitters (808,858) operate independently from one another and are not intentionally timing synchronized. In some embodiments, the two transmitters (808,858) have timing structures which are coordinated, e.g., synchronized with respect to one another.
• FIG. 11 provides a detailed illustration of anexemplary wireless terminal1100 implemented in accordance with the present invention. Theexemplary terminal1100, depicted inFIG. 11, is a detailed representation of an apparatus that may be used as any one ofterminals102 and104 depicted inFIG. 1. In theFIG. 11 embodiment, thewireless terminal1100 includes aprocessor1104, a wirelesscommunication interface module1130, a user input/output interface1140 andmemory1110 coupled together bybus1106. Accordingly, viabus1106 the various components of thewireless terminal1100 can exchange information, signals and data. Thecomponents1104,1106,1110,1130,1140 of thewireless terminal1100 are located inside ahousing1102.
• Thewireless communication interface1130 provides a mechanism by which the internal components of thewireless terminal1100 can send and receive signals to/from external devices and another terminal. Thewireless communication interface1130 includes, e.g., areceiver module1132 and atransmitter module1134, which are connected with aduplexer1138 with anantenna1136 used for coupling thewireless terminal1100 to other terminals, e.g., via wireless communications channels.
• Theexemplary wireless terminal1100 also includes auser input device1142, e.g., keypad, and auser output device1144, e.g., display, which are coupled tobus1106 via the user input/output interface1140. Thus, user input/output devices1142,1144 can exchange information, signals and data with other components of the terminal1100 via user input/output interface1140 andbus1106. The user input/output interface1140 and associateddevices1142,1144 provide a mechanism by which a user can operate thewireless terminal1100 to accomplish various tasks. In particular, theuser input device1142 anduser output device1144 provide the functionality that allows a user to control thewireless terminal1100 and applications, e.g., modules, programs, routines and/or functions, that execute in thememory1110 of thewireless terminal1100.
• Theprocessor1104 under control of various modules, e.g., routines, included inmemory1110 controls operation of thewireless terminal1100 to perform various signaling and processing. The modules included inmemory1110 are executed on startup or as called by other modules. Modules may exchange data, information, and signals when executed. Modules may also share data and information when executed. In theFIG. 11 embodiment, thememory1110 ofwireless terminal1100 includes a signaling/control module1112 and signaling/control data1114.
• The signaling/control module1112 controls processing relating to receiving and sending signals, e.g., messages, for management of state information storage, retrieval, and processing. Signaling/control data1114 includes state information, e.g., parameters, status and/or other information relating to operation of the wireless terminal. In particular, the signaling/control data1114 includes various configuration information1116, e.g., the page monitoring interval, the frequency location of infrastructure spectrum band and non-infrastructure spectrum band, the timing and/or frequency reference information of the beacon signal received from the infrastructure base station, and the power relationship between the beacon signal and the data/control traffic channel. Themodule1112 may, and sometimes does, access and/or modify the data1114, e.g., update the configuration information1116. Themodule1112 also includes amodule1113 for receiving system info and timing info on non-infrastructure band from infrastructure base station;module1115 for using system and timing info in non-infrastructure band;module1117 for suspending session in non-infrastructure band and monitoring pages in infrastructure band; andmodule1119 for predicting signal quality of a data session from received beacon signal power from a transmitter.
• FIG. 12 comprising the combination ofFIG. 12A andFIG. 12B is aflowchart1200 of an exemplary method of operating a wireless terminal to communicate with another communications device in accordance with various embodiments. Operation starts instep1202, where the wireless terminal is powered on and initialized and proceeds to step1204. Instep1204, the wireless terminal receives a first signal from a first communications band, said first signal being from a first communications device which broadcasts on a recurring basis, said first communications device and said another communications device being different communications devices. Operation proceeds fromstep1204 to step1206.
• Instep1206, the wireless terminal determines, based on the first signal, a first time interval to be used for transmitting a second signal to said another communications device. Then, instep1208, the wireless terminal determines based on the first signal a second time interval to be used for receiving signals from devices other than the first communications device. Operation proceeds fromstep1208 to step1210.
• Instep1210, the wireless terminal derives frequency information from the received first signal.Step1210 includes sub-step1211 in which the wireless terminal determines a second communications band based on the received first signal. Operation proceeds fromstep1210 to step1212 in which the wireless terminal derives a parameter form the received first signal. Operation proceeds fromstep1212 to step1214 in which the wireless terminal receives another signal from the first communications device, and then instep1216 the wireless terminal derives a second parameter from another signal received from said first communications device. Operation proceeds fromstep1216 to step1218.
• Instep1218, the wireless terminal determines at least one transmit frequency to be used for transmitting said second signal from the derived frequency information. Operations proceed fromstep1218 via connectingnode A1220 to step1222 ofFIG. 12B.
• Instep1222, the wireless terminal generates a second signal as a function of one of device identifier corresponding to said wireless terminal and a user identifier corresponding to a user of said wireless terminal. Then, instep1224, the wireless communications device transmits said second signal to said another communications device during said first time interval.Step1224 includes sub-step1225 in which the wireless terminal transmits said second signal into said second communications band, which is different from said first communications band. Operation proceeds fromstep1224 to step1226.
• Instep1226, the wireless terminal determines at least one additional transit time as a function of said parameter derived from said first signal.Step1226 includes sub-step1227, in which the wireless terminal uses a time hopping function which uses said parameter and/or said second parameter as input parameters. Operation proceeds fromstep1226 to step1228.
• Instep1228, the wireless terminal establishes a peer to peer communications session with said another device using timing synchronization information derived from said first signal. Then, instep1230, the wireless terminal exchanges user data as part of said peer to peer communications session, said user data including at least one of voice data, other audio data, image data, text data and file data, said peer to peer communications session being conducted directly between said wireless terminal and said another device over a direct airlink.
• In some embodiments the first and second communications bands are non-overlapping. In various embodiments, the first and second communications bands are partially overlapping. In some embodiments, the second signal includes a beacon signal burst, e.g., an OFDM beacon signal burst including at least one beacon symbol. In some embodiments, the second signal is a pseudo noise sequence signal transmitted over the frequency spectrum of the second frequency band. In some embodiments both the first and second signals are OFDM signals. In some embodiments, both the first and second signals are CDMA signals. In some embodiments, both the first and second signals are GSM signals. In some embodiments the first signal is a GSM signal and the second signal is an OFDM signal. In some embodiments, the first signal is a CDMA signal and the second signal is an OFDM signal. In various embodiments, the first signal is a satellite broadcast signal, e.g., a GPS signal, a timing reference signal, a reference signal obtained from a geostationary satellite, a signal from a satellite TV and/or radio broadcast, etc., and the second signal is a terrestrial broadcast signal. The terrestrial broadcast signal is, e.g., from a fixed position base station, from a fixed position special transmitter, e.g., a beacon transmitter, or from a movable transmitter temporarily stationed at a fixed site to provide a reference such as a beacon signal, to be available for use by mobile nodes in the vicinity for a peer to peer network. In some embodiments, the first signal is received from a terrestrial cellular network and the wireless terminal is a mobile handset.
• One exemplary embodiment will now be described corresponding to flowchart1200 ofFIG. 12. The wireless terminal is a first mobile node, and the another communications device is a second mobile node which participates in a peer to peer communications session with the first mobile node. The first communications device is a device such as a base station, special beacon transmitter, satellite, etc., which provides reference information to be used by the wireless terminal and another communications device. The first signal is an OFDM beacon signal burst including at least one beacon symbol, e.g., a high energy tone, transmitted into the first frequency band. The another signal is, e.g., a non-beacon broadcast signal transmitted from the first communications device. Reference timing information is derived from the first signal and used in determining a time for the wireless terminal to receive beacon signals from other wireless terminals, e.g., peers, and in determining a time to transmit its own user beacon signal. The second signal is an OFDM user beacon signal burst including at least one beacon symbol, which is generated as a function of an identifier associated with the wireless terminal or wireless terminal user. From the received first signal the wireless terminal derives the second communications band, which is the communications band to be used for peer to peer communications, which includes transmit frequencies of the user beacon to be generated by the wireless terminal. In this embodiment, the first and second communications bands are non-overlapping. Thus the wireless terminal's user beacon and peer to peer user data are communicated into the same band, the second communications band. First and second parameters are input control parameters used in a time hopping sequence associated with user beacon signals generated and transmitted by the wireless terminal. For example, one of first and second parameters may provide an indication or notion of time and the other may provide an identifier associated with the transmitter. The wireless terminal time hops the relative position of the beacon burst within a time window from one beacon burst to the next, in accordance with the hopping sequence using the input control parameters.
• FIG. 13 is a drawing of anexemplary wireless terminal2300, e.g., mobile node, implemented in accordance with various embodiments.Exemplary wireless terminal2300 includes areceiver module2302, atransmission module2304, acoupling module2303, aprocessor2306, user I/O devices2308, apower supply module2310 andmemory2312 coupled together via abus2314 over which the various elements may interchange data and information.Memory2312 includesroutines2316 and data/information2318. Theprocessor2306, e.g., a CPU, executes the routines and uses data/information2318 inmemory2312 to control the operation of thewireless terminal2300 and implement methods.
• Coupling module2303, e.g., a duplex module, couples thereceiver module2302 toantenna2305 and thetransmission module2304 toantenna2305.Power supply module2312, which includes abattery2311, is used to power up the various components of the wireless terminal. Power is distributed from thepower supply module2310 to the various components (2302,2303,2304,2306,2308,2312), via apower bus2309. User I/O devices2308 include, e.g., keypad, keyboard, switches, mouse, microphone, speaker, display, etc. User I/O devices2308 are used for operations including inputting user data, accessing output user data, and controlling at least some functions and operations of the wireless terminal, e.g., initiating a peer to peer communications session.
• Routines2316 include a transmission intervaltiming determination module2320, a receive intervaltiming determination module2322, a transmissionband control module2324, a peer to peer communicationsband determination module2326, a secondsignal generation module2328, an additional transmittime determination module2330, a peer to peercommunications establishment module2332, a peer to peersession management module2334, a frequencyinformation recovery module2336, and a transmissionfrequency determination module2338. Data/information2318 includes a received1st signal2340, a determinedfirst time interval2342, 1stfrequency band information2358, asecond signal2344, a determined2nd time interval2346, 2ndfrequency band information2360,device identification information2362,user identification information2364, time hoppingfunction information2348, a first time hoppingfunction input parameter2350, a second time hoppingfunction input parameter2352, a plurality of transmit times corresponding to beacon burst transmissions (transmit time for beacon burst 12354, . . . , transmit time for beacon burst n2356), conveyedfrequency information2366, and peer to peersession information2368. The peer to peersession information2368 includespeer identification information2370, receiveduser data2372, user data to be transmitted2374, and transmitfrequency information2376.
• Receiver module2302, e.g., a receiver, receives a first signal from a first communication band, said first signal being from a first communications device which broadcasts on a recurring basis. The first communications device is a different communications device than the communications device with whichwireless terminal2300 has a communications session. Information representing the received1st signal2340 is stored inmemory2312, and 1stfrequency band information2358 identifies the frequency band to which the receiver module is tuned when receiving the 1st signal. The 1st signal is, e.g., a broadcast signal used to obtain a timing reference by thewireless terminal2300.Receiver module2302 also receives signals from other communication devices, e.g., a part of communications sessions such as peer to peer communications sessions. Some of the received signals includeuser data2372. In some embodiments,receiver module2302 supports a plurality of signaling technologies, e.g., the first signal which is used as a reference may be and sometimes is a different technology than the technology used for peer to peer communications sessions.
• Transmission module2304, e.g., an OFDM transmitter, is used for transmitting asecond signal2344 to a communications device, e.g., a peer wireless terminal, during a determined1st time interval2342. In some embodiments, thesecond signal2344 includes a beacon signal burst, e.g., an OFDM beacon signal burst including at least one beacon symbol.Transmission module2304 also transmitsuser data2344, as part of a peer to peer communications session using transmitfrequency information2376.
• Transmission intervaltiming determination module2322 determines, based on the received1st signal2340, afirst time interval2342 to be used for transmitting2nd signal2344, e.g., aWT2300 beacon signal burst, to another communications device, e.g., a peer wireless terminal. Receive intervaltiming determination module2322 determines, based on the received1st signal2340, a2nd time interval2346 to be used for receiving signals from devices other than the device which transmitted the 1st signal. In some embodiments, the 2nd time interval is a time interval in whichwireless terminal2300 is to receive and monitor for beacon signals from another communications device, e.g., peer wireless terminal.
• Transmissionband control module2324 controls thewireless terminal2300 to transmit the2nd signal2344, e.g.,WTs2300's beacon signal burst, in a second communications band identified by 2ndfrequency band information2360. In some embodiments, the 2nd frequency band is different from the 1st frequency band. For example, thewireless terminal2300 receives a broadcast signal used for timing synchronization in a 1st band and transmits its user beacon in a 2nd frequency band, which is a different band.
• Peer to peer communicationsband determination module2326 determines, prior to transmitting the2nd signal2344 the 2nd communication band based on the 1st receivedcommunications signal2340. Thus peer to peer communicationsband determination module2326 determines 2ndfrequency band information2360. In some embodiments, the 1st and 2nd frequency bands are non-overlapping frequency bands. In some embodiments, the 1st and 2nd frequency bands are partially overlapping frequency bands.
• Secondsignal generation module2328, generates2nd signal2344, prior to transmitting the second signal as a function of one of adevice identifier2362 corresponding to the wireless terminal and auser identifier2364 corresponding to a user ofwireless terminal2300. In some embodiments, secondsignal generation module2328 generates signaling including beacon signal bursts, e.g., OFDM beacon signal bursts including at least one beacon symbol. In some embodiments, the second signal is a pseudo noise sequence transmitted over the second frequency band.
• Additional transmittime determination module2330 determines at least one additional transmit time as a function of a parameter derived from the 1st signal, e.g., time hoppingfunction input parameter 12350. The additional transmittime determination module2330 uses a time hopping function which usesparameter2350 as an input. Time hoppingfunction information2348 includes, e.g., information defining the time hopping sequence. In some embodiments, the time hopping function uses asecond input parameter2352 derived from another signal received from the communications device which transmitted the 1st broadcast signal. For example, the another signal may be, and sometimes is, a non-beacon broadcast signal communicating the 2nd input parameter. The another signal may be, and sometimes is, another beacon signal burst.
• Peer to peercommunications establishment module2332 is used to establish a peer to peer communications session with another device, e.g., a peer node, using timing synchronization information derived from the received1st signal2340.
• Peer to peersession management module2334 controls the exchange of used data including at least one of voice data, text data, and image data, said peer to peer communications session being conducted directly between the wireless terminal and another device, e.g., peer wireless terminal, over a direct air link.
• Frequencyinformation recovery module2336 recovers conveyedfrequency information2366 from the received1st signal2340, prior to transmitting thesecond signal2344, deriving frequency information from the received1st signal2340. For example, the 1st signal conveyed information identifying the 2nd frequency band, the 2nd frequency band to be used bywireless terminal2300 for transmitting its user beacon signal and for peer to peer user data communications.
• Transmissionfrequency determination module2338 determines at least one transmit frequency to be used for transmitting the second signal from derived frequency information. Information including in2376 is an output ofmodule2338. Transmitinformation2376 includes, e.g., frequency band information and/or individual tone identification information. In some embodiments, transmit frequency information identifies OFDM tones used to convey beacon symbols of beacon signal bursts to be transmitted bywireless terminal2300. In some such embodiments, beacon symbol tones are tone hopped from one burst to another in a sequence of bursts in accordance with a tone hopping sequence.
• In some embodiments, both the first and second signals are OFDM signals. In some embodiments, the first signal is a GSM signal and the second signal is an OFDM signal. In some embodiments, the first signal is a CDMA signal and the second signal is an OFDM signal. In some embodiments, the first signal is a satellite broadcast signal and the second signal is a terrestrial broadcast signal. In some embodiments, the first signal is received from a terrestrial cellular network and the wireless terminal is a mobile handset.
• FIG. 14 is a drawing of aflowchart1300 of an exemplary method of operating a wireless terminal which supports both peer to peer communications and communications with a base station in accordance with various embodiments. Operation starts instep1302, where the wireless terminal is powered on and initialized and proceeds to step1304. Instep1304, the wireless terminal receives a first signal from a first communications band, the first signal being from a base station. Operation proceeds fromstep1304 to step1306. Instep1306, the wireless terminal determines the frequency of a second communications band from the first signal, and instep1308, the wireless terminal determines an interval of time during which the wireless terminal is to monitor for a second signal in the second communications band, the determination of the time interval being based on information communicated by the first signal, e.g., a time reference communicated. Operation proceeds fromstep1308 to step1310.
• Instep1310, the wireless terminal determines from said first signal link the quality of a first link between said base station and said wireless terminal, and instep1312, the wireless terminal predicts a first data throughput to the base station based on the first determined link quality.Step1312 includes sub-step1314, in which the wireless terminal uses maximum transmission power information in the first link quality determination. The maximum transmission power information includes, e.g., at least one of a government restriction on maximum transmission power and device output capability. Operation proceeds fromstep1312 to step1316.
• Instep1316, the wireless terminal monitors during said determined time interval to receive said second signal, and then instep1318, the wireless terminal receives said second signal from the second communications band, said second communications band being different from the first communications band, said second signal being from a peer wireless terminal. In some embodiments, the first and second signal each include at least one beacon signal burst.
• Operation proceeds fromstep1318 to step1320. Instep1320, the wireless terminal predicts a second data throughput to the peer wireless terminal based on the second determined link quality.Step1320 includes sub-step1322 in which the wireless terminal uses maximum transmission power information in the second link quality determination. The maximum transmission power information includes, e.g., at least one of a government restriction on maximum transmission power and device output capability. Operation proceeds fromstep1320 to step1324, in which the wireless terminal selects between said first and second links for a communications session based on the determined quality of the first and second links.Step1324 includes alternative sub-steps1326,1328, and1330.
• In alternative sub-step1326, the wireless terminal selects the one of the first and second links having a higher data throughput. In alternative sub-step1328, the wireless terminal performs the selection as a function of energy required to maintain said first and second links, said selecting including selecting the one of the first and second links satisfying a link quality requirement and also requiring the least amount of energy to maintain. In alternative sub-step1330, the wireless terminal performs selection as a function of a least cost routing determination that takes into consideration an economic cost associated with using individual ones of said first and second links.
• FIG. 15 is a drawing of anexemplary wireless terminal2400, e.g., mobile node, implemented in accordance with various embodiments.Exemplary wireless terminal2400 supports both peer to peer communications and communications via a base station.Exemplary wireless terminal2400 includes areceiver module2402, atransmitter module2404, aprocessor2406, user I/O devices2408, amemory2410 coupled together via abus2412 over which the various elements may exchange data and information.Memory2410 includesroutines2414 and data/information2416. Theprocessor2406, e.g., a CPU, executes theroutines2414 and uses the data/information2416 inmemory2410 to control the operation of thewireless terminal2400 and implement methods.
• Receiver module2402, e.g., an OFDM receiver, is coupled to receiveantenna2403 via which thewireless terminal2400 receives signals from base stations and other wireless terminals.Transmitter module2404, e.g., an OFDM transmitter, is coupled to transmitantenna2405 via which thewireless terminal2400 transmits signals to base stations and to other wireless terminals. In some embodiments, the same antenna is used for both the receiver and transmitter modules (2402,2404).
• User I/O devices2408 include, e.g., keypad, keyboard, switches, mouse, microphone, speaker, display, etc. User I/O devices2408 are used for operations including inputting user data, accessing output user data, and controlling at least some functions and operations of the wireless terminal, e.g., initiating a communications session.
• Routines2414 include a communications routine2418 and wirelessterminal control routines2420. The communications routine2418 implements the various communications protocols used by thewireless terminal2400. The wirelessterminal control routines2420 include a base station link quality determination module2422, a peer to peer link quality determination module2424, alink selection module2426, a beaconburst processing module2428, a userdata recovery module2430, a first data throughput determination module2432, a second data throughput determination module2434, a power requirement estimation module2436, a routingcost determination module2438, a frequencyband determination module2440, a monitorinterval determination module2442, and a peer to peersignal monitoring module2444.
• Data/information2416 includes a received1st signal2446, 1stfrequency band information2448, base station identification information corresponding to the base station which transmitted the1st signal2450, recovered1st link information2452, predicted 1stlink data throughput2454, estimated amount of energy required to maintain 1st link2456, routing cost determination associated with1st link2458, determined1st link quality2460, received2nd signal2462, 2ndfrequency band information2464, peer wireless terminal identification information corresponding to the peer wireless terminal which transmitted the2nd signal2465, recovered2nd link information2466, predicated 2ndlink data throughput2468, estimated amount of energy required to maintain2nd link2470, routing cost determination associated with2nd link2472, determined2nd link quality2474, selectedlink information2476, recovered user data2478, stored maximumtransmission power information2480, stored linkquality requirement information2486, and determined interval of time to monitor forsecond signals2488. Stored maximumtransmission power information2480 includesgovernment restriction information2482 and deviceoutput capability information2484.
• Receiver module2402 receives a 1st signal from a 1st communication band, the first signal being from a base station. Received1st signal2446 includes information representing the 1st signal which was received in the band identified by 1stfrequency band information2448 and was transmitted by the base station identified ininformation2450.Receiver module2402 also receives a second signal from a second communications band which is different from the first communications band, said second signal being from a peer wireless terminal. Received2nd signal2462 includes information representing the 2nd signal which was received in the band identified by 2ndfrequency band information2464 and was transmitted by the peer wireless terminal identified ininformation2465. In some embodiments, the first and second signals each include at least one beacon signal burst, e.g., an OFDM beacon signal burst including at least one beacon symbol.
• Base station link quality determination module2422 determines, from the first signal, link quality of a first link between a base station which transmitted the first signal and thewireless terminal2400, and determined1st link quality2460 is an output of module2422. Peer to peer link quality determination module2424 determines, from the second signal, link quality of a second link between a peer wireless terminal which transmitted the second signal and thewireless terminal2400, and determined2nd link quality2474 is an output of module2424.
• Link selection module2426 selects between 1st and 2nd links, for a communications session, based on the determined quality of the first and second links. Determined1st link quality2460 and determined2nd link quality2474 are inputs to linkselection module2426 and selectedlink information2476 is an output oflink selection module2426 which identifies the selected link.
• Beacon burstprocessing module2428 recovers link information from beacon signal bursts (recovered1st link information2452 corresponding to 1st signal, recovered2nd link information2466 corresponding to 2nd signal). Userdata recovery module2430 recovers user data2478 from non-beacon signals used to communicate user data as part of a communications session. At some times the recovered user data2478 is from a peer to peer communication session, while at other times the recovered user data is from a communications session in which the user data is relayed through a base station serving as an access node.
• First data throughput determination module2432 predicts afirst data throughput2454 to the base station based on the firstdetermined link quality2460. Second data throughput determination module2434 predicts asecond data throughput2468 to the peer wireless terminal based on the seconddetermined link quality2474.Link selection module2426 includes a throughput based selection module for selecting the one of the first and second links having the higher data throughput. First data throughput determination module2432 uses the stored maximumtransmission power information2480 in predicting thefirst data throughput2454. Second data throughput determination module2434 uses the stored maximumtransmission power information2480 in predicting thesecond data throughput2468.
• Power requirement estimation module2436 estimates the amount of energy required to maintain the 1st and 2nd links (estimated amount of energy required to maintain 1st link2456, estimated amount of energy required to maintain 2nd link2470).Link selection module2426 also performs selection between first and second links for a communications session as a function of energy required to maintain first and second links, said selecting including selecting the one of the 1st and 2nd links satisfying alink quality requirement2486 and also requiring the least amount of energy to maintain.
• Routingcost determination module2438 performs a routing cost determination that takes into consideration economic costs associated with using individual ones of the first and second links. Routing cost determination associated with1st link2458 and routing cost determination associated with2nd link2472 are outputs ofmodule2438.Link selection module2426 also performs selection between first and second links as a function of least cost routing determination, e.g., using info (2458,2472) that takes into consideration economic costs associated with individual ones of the first and second links.
• Frequencyband determination module2440 determines, prior to receiving the second signal, the frequency band of the second signal from the first signal. Thus a base station identifies the frequency band to be used for peer to peer communications in its vicinity. Monitorinterval determination module2442 determines an interval of time during which saidwireless terminal2400 is to monitor forsecond signals2488, e.g., a time interval forwireless terminal2400 to search for user beacon signals from peer nodes. Peer to peersignal monitoring module2444 monitors for a signal from a peer wireless terminal during the interval identified to receive second signals, e.g., peer to peersignal monitoring module2444 monitors for user beacon signal bursts from peer nodes.
• In some embodiments, theselection module2426 changes selection criteria and/or re-weights selection criteria as a function of base station identification information, peer identification information, priority information, type of information anticipated to be communicated,wireless terminal2400 current conditions, and/or latency requirements. For example,selection module2426, in some embodiments, heavily weights the selection as a function of energy requirements, when a low battery power condition is detected inwireless terminal2400. As another example,selection module2426 heavily weights the selection based on predicted data throughput when a large amount of time critical data is anticipated to be communicated.
• FIG. 16 is a drawing of aflowchart1400 of an exemplary method of operating a base station in accordance with various embodiments. Operation starts instep1402, where the base station is powered on and initialized and proceeds to step1404. Instep1404, the base station transmits a beacon signal, said beacon signal including at least one beacon signal burst, said beacon signal conveying information about a peer to peer frequency band, e.g., a peer to peer frequency band which is available for use in the vicinity of the base station.Step1404 includes sub-step1406. In sub-step1406, the base station transmits the beacon signal into a first communications band, said beacon signal conveyed information indicating a second frequency band which is used as said peer to peer frequency band, said second frequency band being different from said first frequency band. Operation proceeds fromstep1404 to step1408.
• Instep1408, the base station transmits a second beacon signal into the first communications band, said second beacon signal providing timing synchronization information to a plurality of wireless terminals using the base station as an access node. Operation proceeds fromstep1408 to step1410.
• Instep1410, the base station receives data from at least some of said plurality of wireless terminals using said base station as an access node for communication through said access node, and instep1412, the base station transmits user data to at least some of said plurality of wireless terminals using said base station as an access node using the first frequency band. Operation proceeds fromstep1412 to step1404.
• In some embodiments, the first frequency band is used in a time division multiplexed manner, and said step of receiving data (1410) receives data in the first communications band during a first time period and said step of transmitting user data into the first frequency band (1412) is performed during a second time period which is different from said first time period. In some other embodiments, the base station uses the first frequency band for transmitting signals including said beacon signal, said second beacon signal and said user data signals, while a third communications band is used for receiving user data signals from wireless terminals using the base station as an access point. In some such embodiments, the first, second and third communications bands are different and non-overlapping. In some such embodiments, the base station transmits and receives user data concurrently.
• In some embodiments, the average base station transmitted power into the second communications band over a 1 minute time period is less than 1/1000 the average base station transmitted power into the first frequency band over the same 1 minute interval. In some such embodiments, the base station does not transmit any power into the second frequency band.
• In another embodiment, which is a variation of embodiments described with respect toflowchart1400, the base station transmits its access node beacon signal and user data into the first frequency band, and transmits a beacon signal for peer to peer communications into the second frequency band, the second frequency band being used for peer to peer communications, but the base station does not transmit any user data into the second frequency band. In some such embodiments, the average base station transmitted power into the second communications band over a 1 minute time period is less than 1/1000 the average base station transmitted power into the first frequency band over the same 1 minute interval.
• In still another embodiment, which is a variation with respect toflowchart1400, the base station transmits both its access node beacon signal and its peer to peer node beacon signal in a first frequency band used for beacon signals. In addition, the base station transmits user data intended for wireless terminals using the base station as an access node into a second frequency band; and the base station refrains from transmitting user data into a third frequency band which is utilized for peer to peer communications, wherein said first, second and third communications bands are non-overlapping.
• FIG. 17 is a drawing of anexemplary base station2500 in accordance with various embodiments.Exemplary base station2500 includes areceiver module2502, with associatedantenna2501, atransmission module2504, with associatedtransmitter antenna2503, aprocessor2506, and I/O interface2508, andmemory2510 coupled together via abus2512 over which the various elements interchange data and information. Memory includesroutines2514 and data/information2516. Theprocessor2506, e.g., a CPU, executes theroutines2514 and uses the data/information2516 inmemory2510 to control the operation of thebase station2500 and implement methods, e.g., the method ofFIG. 16.
• Routines2514 include a beaconsignal generation module2518, a frequencyband control module2520, a user data transmission control module2522, a transmissionpower control module2524, and an access node beaconsignal generation module2526. Data/information2516 includes stored peer to peer beacon signalcharacteristic information2528, stored access node beacon signalcharacteristic information2534, peer to peer beacon signaltransmission band information2556, access node beacon signaltransmission band information2558, peer to peercommunications band information2560, base station accessnode band information2562, timinginformation2564,transmission power information2566, and wireless terminal data/information2540 corresponding to wireless terminals using thebase station2500 as an access node.
• Stored peer to peer beacon signalcharacteristic information2528 includes one or more sets of beacon burst information (beacon burst 1information2530, . . . , beacon burst N information2532). Stored access node beacon signalcharacteristic information2534 includes one or more sets of beacon burst information (beacon burst 1information2536, . . . , beacon burst N information2538).
• WTs data/information2540 corresponding to WTs using the base station as an access node includes a plurality of sets of information (WT 1 data/information2542, . . . , WT n data/information2544).WT 1 data/information2542 includes receiveduser data2546, user data to be transmitted2548, a base station assignedwireless terminal identifier2550,state information2552, andcommunications session information2554.
• Receiver module2502, e.g., an OFDM receiver, receives uplink signals from wireless terminals using thebase station2500 as an access node. The received signals include user data signals, e.g., traffic channel signals, from a plurality of wireless terminals usingbase station2500 as an access node for communication through the access node.Received user data2546 corresponding toWT 1 represents user data obtained from received signals from one exemplary wireless terminal usingbase station2500 as an access node.
• Transmitter module2504, e.g., an OFDM transmitter, transmits signals to wireless terminals in its vicinity. The transmitted signals include a generated beacon signal intended to support peer to peer communications in its vicinity. The generated beacon signal includes at least one beacon signal burst and conveys information about a peer to peer frequency band. The transmitted signals also include a generated second beacon signal intended to support access node operations, the generated second beacon signal providing timing synchronization information to a plurality of wireless terminals using the base station as an access node. In some embodiments, the generated beacon signal conveying peer to peer frequency band information and the generated second beacon signal communicating access node timing synchronization information are transmitted into the same frequency band. Thetransmitter2504 also transmits control data and user data to wireless terminals using the base station as an attachment point. User data to be transmitted2548, corresponding towireless terminal 1, is an example of user data that is transmitted by thebase station2500, e.g., in downlink traffic channel segments, to a wireless terminal using the base station as an access node. User data includes, e.g., voice, image, text, and/or file data.
• In some embodiments, receiving data includes receiving data from wireless terminals using the base station as an access node in a first frequency band during a first period of time and transmitting user data into the first frequency band is performed during a second period of time which is different from the first period of time, said frequency band being used in a time division multiplexedmanner Timing information2564, in some embodiments, identifies first and second periods of time. In various embodiments, the base station does not transmit or receive user data into a second frequency band designated to be used for peer to peer communications.
• I/O interface2508 couples thebase station2500 to other network nodes, e.g., other base station, AAA node, home agent nodes, etc. and/or the Internet. I/O interface2508, by couplingbase station2500 to a backhaul network allows a wireless terminal usingbase station2500 as its point of network attachment to participate in a communications session with another wireless terminal using a different base station as its point of network attachment.
• Beaconsignal generation module2518 generates a beacon signal, said beacon signal including at least one beacon signal burst, said beacon signal burst conveying information about a peer to peer frequency band, e.g., identifying the peer to peer frequency band. Stored peer to peer beacon signalcharacteristic information2528 is used by beaconsignal generation module2518 in generating the beacon signal. In some embodiments, the generated beacon signal bymodule2518 conveys peer to peercommunications band information2560.
• Frequencyband control module2520 controls transmission of the beacon signal generated bymodule2518 into a first communications band, the beacon signal conveying information indicating a second frequency band which is used as the peer to peer frequency band, said second frequency band being different from the first frequency band. In some such embodiments, the first frequency band is the frequency band identified by peer to peer beacon signaltransmission band information2556 and the second frequency band is the frequency band identified by peer to peercommunication band information2560.
• User data transmission control module2522 controls transmission of user data to multiple ones of the plurality of wireless terminals using the base station as an access point using a transmission band identified by the base station access node information. In some embodiments, the band used for transmission of user data to a wireless terminal using the base station as a point of network attachment is the same as the first band which is the band into which the generated beacon signal for peer to peer communications is transmitted.
• Transmissionpower control module2524 controls transmission power into the second frequency band, which is the frequency band used for peer to peer communications, to keep the base station average transmitted power into the second frequency band over a 1 minute time period less than 1/1000 the average transmitted power transmitted into the first frequency band, e.g., the frequency band used for the beacon signal and access node related downlink signaling including user data. In some embodiments, thebase station2500 does not transmit into the second frequency band, which is used for peer to peer communications.
• Access node beaconsignal generation module2526 uses the data/information2516 including the access node beacon signalcharacteristic information2534 to generate a second beacon signal, the second beacon signal providing timing synchronization information to the plurality of wireless terminals using thebase station2500 as an access node.
• In some embodiments, (i) the band into which the beacon signal identifying the peer to peer band is transmitted, (ii) the band into which the beacon signal used for wireless terminal timing synchronization with regard to access node operations is transmitted, and (iii) the band used for downlink access node signaling to wireless terminals is the same band. In some such embodiments, the band used for peer to peer communications is a different, non-overlapping band. Thusinformation2556,2558, and2562, in some embodiments, identify the same band, whileinformation2560 identifies a different band.
• FIG. 18 is a drawing of an exemplary beaconsignal transmission apparatus1500 in accordance with various embodiments. Exemplary beaconsignal transmission apparatus1500 is a free standing device and does not include any transmitter used to transmit user data to an individual user device. Exemplary beaconsignal transmission apparatus1500 includes areceiver module1502, abeacon signal transmitter1504, aprocessor1506, a solarpower supply module1508, apower supply module1510, amemory1512 coupled together via abus1514 over which the various elements may interchange data and information. The various elements (1502,1504,1506,1408,1510,1512) are coupled to a power supply bybus1507.Memory1512 includesroutines1516 and data/information1518. Theprocessor1506, e.g., a CPU, executes theroutines1516 and uses the data/information1518 inmemory1512 to control theapparatus1500 and implement methods.
• Routines1516 include a beacon signaltransmission control module1520, a beaconsignal generation module1522, areceiver control module1524 and a received broadcast signalinformation recovery module1526. Data/information1518 includes stored beacon signalcharacteristic information1528, stored beaconsignal control information1530, receivedbroadcast signal information1532, and beacontransmitter identification information1534. Stored beacon signalcharacteristic information1528 includes one or more sets of beacon burst information (beacon burst 1information1536, . . . , beacon burst N information1538),beacon symbol information1540, andpower information1542. Beacon burst 1information1536 includes information identifying beacon transmission units carrying abeacon symbol1544 and beacon burstduration information1546. Stored beaconsignal control information1530 includes beacon burst/frequency band/timing relationship information1548 and beacon burst/sector/timing relationship information1550. Receivedbroadcast signal information1532 includestiming information1552.
• Receiver module1502 is coupled to receiveantenna1501 via which theapparatus1500 receives signals, e.g., a signal used for timing synchronization purposes. In some embodiments, the receiver is one of a GPS, GSM and CDMA receiver. In some embodiments, the receiver is an OFDM receiver. In some embodiments, thereceiver module1502 includes the capability to receive a plurality of different types of signals, and, e.g., depending upon the area of deployment a different type of signal is received and utilized as a reference source. In some such embodiments, thereceiver control module1524 follows a predetermined ordered sequence when determining reference signal search protocol.
• Receiver1502, under the control ofreceiver control module1524, receives a broadcast signal and received broadcast signalinformation recovery module1526 recovers receivedbroadcast signal information1532 from the received broadcast signal includingtiming information1552, e.g., a timing reference.
• Beacon signal transmitter1504, e.g., an OFDM transmitter, is coupled to transmit antennas (sector 1antenna1503, . . . , sector N antenna1505) via which theapparatus1500 transmits beacon signal bursts which are used to support a peer-peer communications network.Beacon signal transmitter1504 transmits a sequence of beacon signal bursts, each beacon signal burst including at least one beacon symbol. Beacon signaltransmission control module1520 uses the data/information1518 inmemory1512 including stored beaconsignal control information1530 andtiming information1552 to control the transmission of beacon burst signals, e.g., controlling beacon signal burst transmission timing as a function of the received broadcast signal which was detected and processed. Beacon signaltransmission control module1520 uses the data/information1518 includingtiming information1552 and beacon burst/frequency band/timing relationship information1548 to control thebeacon transmitter1504 to transmit beacon signal bursts into different frequency bands at different times. Beacon signaltransmission control module1520 uses the data/information1518 includingtiming information1552 and beacon burst/sector/timing relationship information1548 to control thebeacon transmitter1504 to transmit beacon signal bursts into sectors at different times. In some such embodiments, the beacon signaltransmission control module1520 controls thebeacon signal transmitter1504 to transmit into at most one sector at a time.
• Solarpower supply module1508 includessolar cell1509 for converting solar energy to electrical energy such thatapparatus1500 can be, and sometimes is solar powered.Power supply module1510 includes battery1511 for storing energy such that apparatus can be, and sometimes is powered by battery1511. Some embodiments include a battery power supply1511, but do not include a solarpower supply module1508, e.g., with the batteries being replaced and/or recharged periodically. In some embodiments,apparatus1500 is expected to operate for the duration of the battery life and then be discarded or refitted with a replacement battery. In some embodiments, the beacons signaltransmission apparatus1500 is independently powered, e.g., operating from a portable gasoline, diesel, kerosene, propane, natural gas, and/or hydrogen based, generator and/or fuel cell. Embodiments using solar, battery and/or other independent energy sources are advantageous in remote sites, where a local power grid may be unavailable and/or in areas where a power grid is unreliable. In various embodiments, beacon signal transmission power is coupled to a power grid for receiving power.
• Beaconsignal generation module1522 uses the data/information including stored beacons signalcharacteristic information1528 and/or beacontransmitter identification information1534 to generate a sequence of beacon signal bursts, each beacon signal bust including at least one beacon symbol, the beacon signal burst intended to be used to support peer to peer communications. Information identifying beacon transmission units carrying abeacon symbol1544 include, e.g., information identifying a subset of OFDM tone-symbols designated to carry a high power beacon symbol in a set of OFDM tone-symbols of beacon burst 1. Beacon burstsymbol information1540 includes information defining a beacon symbol, e.g., a modulation symbol value, whilepower information1542 includes transmission power level information associated with the beacon signal. In some embodiments, each of the beacon symbols is controlled to be transmitted at the same transmission power level. In some embodiments, each of the beacon symbols corresponding to a given sector and a given frequency band are controlled to be transmitted at the same transmission power level, with at least some beacon symbols corresponding to different sectors and/or frequency bands are transmitted at different power levels.
• FIG. 19 is a drawing of aflowchart2600 of an exemplary method of operating a beacon signal transmitter device in accordance with various embodiments. The beacon signal transmitter device is, e.g., a free standing device, and the beacon signal transmitter device does not include any transmitter used to transmit user data to an individual user device, e.g., wireless terminal. In various embodiments, the beacon signal transmitter device includes an OFDM beacon signal transmitter for transmitting OFDM beacon signal bursts, each beacon signal burst including at least one relatively high power OFDM beacon symbol, e.g., with respect to the transmission power levels of data symbols transmitted by wireless terminals communicating in a peer to peer communications session in the local region being serviced by the beacon signal transmitter device.
• Operation starts instep2602, where the beacon signal transmitter device is powered on and initialized. Operation proceeds fromstart step2602 and proceeds to step2604. Instep2604, the beacon signal transmitter device scans for different types of broadcast signals that can be used as timing reference signals. In some embodiments, the scanning is performed based on a predetermined sequence based on at least some geographic location information. Then, instep2606, the beacon signal transmitter device receives a broadcast signal, and instep2608 determines a signal burst transmission timing as a function of the received broadcast signal. In some embodiments, the receiver is a receiver which includes at least one of a GPS receiver, a GSM receiver, and a CDMA receiver. Operation proceeds fromstep2608 to step2610.
• Instep2610, the beacon signal transmitter device is operated to transmit a sequence of beacon signal bursts, each beacon signal burst including at least one beacon symbol.Step2610 includes sub-steps2612,2614,2616,2618,2620, and2622. In sub-step2612, the beacon signal transmitter device's transmitter is powered from one of: a battery power source, a solar power source, and a power source which is independent of a commercial power grid.
• In sub-step2614, the beacon signal transmitter device compares current timing information to predetermined schedule information. Operation proceeds from 1st-step2614 to sub-step2616, in which the beacon signal transmitter device determines if it is time to transmit a beacon signal burst or bursts. If it is determined in sub-step2616, that it is not time to transmit a beacon signal burst, then operation proceeds back to step2614 for additional comparison of timing information. However, if it is determined in sub-step2616, that the beacon signal transmitter device is scheduled to transmit a beacon signal burst(s), then operation proceeds to sub-step2618, where the device determines the frequency band or bands into which the beacon signal burst(s) are to be transmitted. Operation proceeds from sub-step2618 to sub-step2620, in which the device determines the sector or sectors into which the beacon signal burst or bursts are to be transmitted. Then, in sub-step2622, the beacon signal transmitter device transmits the scheduled beacon signal burst or bursts into the determined frequency band or bands into the determined sector or sectors. Operation proceeds from sub-step2622 back to sub-step2614 for additional time comparisons.
• In various embodiments, the beacon signal transmitter device uses stored control information to determine a plurality of frequency bands into which the beacon signal bursts are to be transmitted and the time at which the transmission of the beacon signal bursts are to occur. In some embodiments, the beacon signal transmitter device controls its transmitter to transmit beacon signal burst into different frequency bands at different times. In some embodiments, the beacon signal transmitter device controls its transmitter to use a multi-sector antenna and to transmit beacon signal bursts into different sectors at different times. In one such embodiment, the beacon signal transmitter device controls its transmitter to transmit into at most one sector at a time. In some embodiments, the beacon signal transmitter device controls its transmitter to transmit into at most one frequency band at a time.
• In various embodiments, the beacon signal transmitter controls its transmitter to transmit into multiple frequency bands in each of multiple sectors of a cell. In some embodiments, the beacon signal transmitter is controlled to transmit into at most one frequency band of one sector at a given time at which beacon signal bursts are transmitted.
• In some embodiments, described with respect toflowchart2600, the beacon signal transmitter device obtains an external reference from a received broadcast signal. In some embodiments, the beacon signal transmitter does not include a receiver and does not receive a reference signal. For example, the beacon signal transmitter device transmits its beacon signal bursts in accordance with stored schedule information corresponding to a recurring schedule, and the beacon signal transmitter device's timing is free running and not coordinated with any other beacon signal transmitter device.
• FIG. 20 is a drawing of aflowchart1600 of an exemplary method of operating a base station in accordance with various embodiments. The exemplary base station switches between infrastructure spectrum use and peer to spectrum use. Thus at different times spectrum, e.g., a frequency band, in the vicinity of the base station is used for different purposes. Operation starts instep1602, where the base station is powered on and initialized and proceeds to step1604 and connecting nodes A1606,B1608,C1610 andD1612.
• Instep1604, the base station sets its mode to a second mode, e.g., an access mode operation mode with respect to a first frequency band. In this particular exemplary embodiment, the access mode with respect to the first frequency band is the start-up default mode. In other embodiments, the peer to peer mode of operation is the start-up default mode, and the base station starts up in a mode in which the first frequency band is designated to be used for peer to peer communications. Operation proceeds fromstep1604 tosteps1614 andstep1616.
• Instep1614, the base station transmits a second broadcast signal during a second period of time conveying information that a first frequency band is be used as a non-peer to peer frequency band during a second period of time. Instep1616, during the second period of time, the base station operates as a network access point to relay information received over an airlink from a first communications device via a communications network to a second communications device. Operation proceeds fromstep1614 andstep1616 to step1618.
• Returning to connectingnode A1606, operation proceeds via connectingnode A1606 to step1628, where the base station monitors communications activity level during the second mode of operation. Operation proceeds fromstep1628 to step1630, in which the base station checks whether the activity is below a predetermined threshold. If the level of activity is below a predetermined threshold, then operation proceeds to step1632, where theactivity level information1636 is updated to indicate a low level of activity, e.g., corresponding to a level in which the mode is to be switched in response to the determined low level. If the activity level is not below the threshold, then operation proceeds fromstep1630 to step1634 in which the base station updates theactivity level information1636 to indicate that the threshold is above the mode switch threshold, e.g., the base station should remain in the second mode based on the current level of activity. In some embodiments, the predetermined threshold corresponds to one wireless terminal currently using the base station as a network attachment point. In some embodiments, the predetermined threshold corresponds to one wireless terminal currently using the base station as a network attachment point and communicating at least some user data via the base station from and/or to that wireless terminal. Operation proceeds fromstep1632 orstep1634 to step1628 for additional monitoring.
• Returning to connectingnode B1608, operation proceeds via connectingnode B1608 to step1638, where the base station monitors for signals from wireless terminals, while in a first mode of operation, indicating that a wireless terminal is seeking to use the base station as an access point. Then, instep1640, the base station checks if a signal was detected instep1638. If a signal was detected operation proceeds fromstep1640 to step1642, where the base station updates the desiredactivity level information1644. Operation proceeds fromstep1642 to step1638 for additional monitoring. If a signal was not detected instep1640, operation proceeds fromstep1640 to step1638 for additional monitoring.
• Returning to connectingnode C1610, the operation proceeds via connectingnode C1610 to step1646, where the base station monitors for an override condition to occur.Step1646 includes sub-step1648 and sub-step1650. In sub-step1648, the base station monitors for receipt of a control signal indicating preemption of the first frequency band, e.g., by a government organization. In sub-step1650, the base station monitors for receipt of a control signal indicating of preemption of the first frequency band, e.g., by a high priority user. Operation proceeds fromstep1646 to step1652.
• Instep1652, the base station determines if a condition used to override the second mode of operation has occurred. If a condition has occurred, then operation proceeds fromstep1652 to step1654, where the base station updates themode override information1656; otherwise operation proceeds fromstep1652 to step1646 for additional monitoring. Operation proceeds fromstep1654 to step1646 for additional monitoring.
• Returning to connectingnode D1612, operation proceeds via connectingnode D1612 to step1658, where the base station monitors for a mode change signal from a wireless terminal indicating that the wireless terminal has the authority to alter the current mode of base station operation. In some embodiments, the information indicating that the wireless terminal has the authority to alter the current mode of base station operation is one of a wireless terminal identifier, priority level indicated and a wireless terminal user identifier. Operation proceeds fromstep1658 to step1660, in which the base station determines whether such a mode change signal has occurred. If an authorized mode change signal has been detected, operation proceeds fromstep1660 to step1662, where the base station updates the authorizedmode change information1664; otherwise operation proceeds fromstep1660 to step1658 for additional monitoring. Operation proceeds fromstep1662 back to step1658 for additional monitoring.
• Returning to step1618, instep1618, the base station makes a mode change determination as a function of theactivity level information1636, authorizedmode change information1664, and/ormode override information1656. If the determination instep1618, is that the mode should change, then operation proceeds to step1620, where the base station switches from a second mode of operation to a first mode of operation in which the base station ceases to operate as an access node; otherwise operation proceeds fromstep1618 to the input ofsteps1614 and1616 and operation continues in the second mode.
• Fromstep1620, operation proceeds to step1622, where the base station transmits a first broadcast signal during a first period of time, the first broadcast signal conveying information indicating that the first frequency band is to be used as a peer to peer frequency band. Operation proceeds fromstep1622 to step1624, where the base station determines whether the mode should be changed. The base station uses the desiredactivity level information1642 and/or authorizedmode change information1664 in deciding whether to implement a mode change. If the decision ofstep1624 is that the mode should be changed, then operation proceeds to step1626, where the base station switches from the first mode of operation to the second mode of operation in which the base station operates as an access node; otherwise operation proceeds fromstep1624 to the input ofstep1622, and the base station continues to operate in the first mode, e.g., a mode supporting use of the first frequency band as a peer to peer band. Operation proceeds fromstep1626 to the inputs ofsteps1614 andstep1616, where the base station operates in the second mode as an access node.
• FIG. 21 is a drawing of anexemplary base station2700 in accordance with various embodiments.Exemplary base station2700 includes the capability to control reallocation of frequency spectrum between infrastructure use, e.g., with the communications being directed through thebase station2700 functioning as an access node, and peer to peer spectrum use in which direct communications links between peer wireless terminals are used.
• Exemplary base station2700 includes areceiver module2702, atransmission module2704, aprocessor2706, an I/O interface2708, andmemory2710 coupled together via abus2712 over which the various elements may interchange data and information.Memory2710 includesroutines2714 and data/information2716. Theprocessor2706, e.g., a CPU, executes theroutines2714 and uses the data/information2716 inmemory2710 to control the operation of the base station and implement methods, e.g., the method ofFIG. 20.
• Receiver module2702, e.g., an OFDM receiver, is coupled to receiveantenna2701 via which thebase station2700 receives signals from wireless terminal, e.g., when the base station is functioning as an access node.Transmission module2704, e.g., an OFDM transmitter, is coupled to transmitantenna2703, via which thebase station2700 transmits signals to wireless terminals. The transmitted signals include broadcast signals such as beacon signals used to identify whether a frequency spectrum is to be used in an access mode of operation or in a peer to peer communications session mode of operation. When thebase station2700 is using spectrum in an access mode of operation, thetransmitter2704 also transmits downlink signals, e.g., pilot channel signals, control channel signals and user data signals, e.g., traffic channel signals to wireless terminals using thebase station2700 as a point of network attachment.
• Transmission module2704 transmits a 1st broadcast signal during a 1st period of time, the first broadcast signal conveying information indicating that a first frequency band is to be used as a peer to peer frequency band, and transmits a second broadcast signal during a second period of time, the second broadcast signal conveying information indicating that the first frequency band is to be used as a non-peer to frequency band during the second period of time. In some embodiments, the 1st and 2nd broadcast signals are beacon signals, e.g., OFDM beacon signals. 1st broadcast signal is generated bybase station2700 based upon 1stbroadcast signal information2730, e.g., information identifying beacon symbols in beacon signal bursts and timing beacon burst timing information representing the 1st broadcast signal, conveys peer to peer frequency band information. 2nd broadcast signal is generated bybase station2700 based upon 2ndbroadcast signal information2732, e.g., information identifying beacon symbols in beacon signal bursts and timing beacon burst timing information representing the 2nd broadcast signal, and conveys non-peer to peerfrequency band information2744. Thus a wireless terminal can monitor for the presence of 1st and 2nd broadcast signals frombase station2700 and depending upon which one is detected, determine how the first frequency band is currently being used.
• I/O interface2708 couples thebase station2700 to other network nodes, e.g., other base station, AAA node, home agent nodes, etc. and/or the Internet. I/O interface2708, by couplingbase station2700 to a backhaul network allows a wireless terminal usingbase station2700 as its point of network attachment to participate in a communications session with another wireless terminal using a different base station as its point of network attachment.
• Routines2714 include atransmitter control module2718, arouting module2720, amode control module2722, amonitoring module2724, asecurity module2726, and an activitylevel monitoring module2728. Themode control module2722 includes anoverride module2723. Data/information2716 includes 1stbroadcast signal information2730, 2ndbroadcast signal information2732,transmission timing information2734, mode ofoperation information2736, detected accessrequest signal information2738,security information2740, peer to peerfrequency band information2742, non-peer to peerfrequency band information2744,network topology information2746, currentnetwork routing information2748, determined current level ofcommunications activity information2750 and activity level basedswitching criteria2756. The determined current level ofcommunications activity information2750 includes a determinedbandwidth utilization level2752 and a determined number of activewireless terminal users2754. Activity level basedswitching criteria2756 includes a bandwidthutilization switching threshold2758 and a number of activeterminals switching threshold2760.
• Transmitter control module2718 controls thetransmission module2704 to transmit said first and second broadcast signals during said first and second periods of time, respectively, said first and second periods of time being non-overlapping.Routing module2720, which is used during the second period of time, routes user data received over an airlink from a first communications device to a second communications device via a communications network coupled to said base station.Routing module2720 usesnetwork topology information2746 and currentnetwork routing information2748, e.g., information identifying congestion locations, failed nodes, alternative routing costs, delay consideration information, etc., to determined user data routing.
• Mode control module switches between first and second modes of operation. The current mode of operation into which the base station has been switched is indicated by mode ofoperation information2736. The first mode of operation corresponds to a mode during the first periods of time in which the first frequency band is being utilized as a peer to peer frequency band, while the second mode of operation is a mode of operation in which the first frequency band is being utilized for non peer to peer communications with thebase station2700 serving as an access node. When themode control module2722 switches from the second mode of operation to the first mode of operation themode control module2722 stops thebase station2700 from acting as an access node, e.g., with regard to the first frequency band in the region into which the 1st broadcast signal transmission is directed.
• Monitoring module2724 monitors for and detects signals from wireless terminals that are seeking to use thebase station2700 as an access node. For example, thebase station2700 may be currently in the first mode of operation in which the first band is being used for peer to peer communications; however, a wireless terminal may desire that the base station reallocate the spectrum to access node operation, and send an access request signal to the base station which is detected and recovered bymonitoring module2724. The recovered information is, e.g., detected access request signal information. In some embodiments, the detected access request signal information includes information indicating that the wireless terminal making the request has the authority to command the requested change. For example, the information indicating that the wireless terminal has the authority to alter the current mode of base station operation is, in some embodiments communicated by one of a wireless terminal identifier, a priority level indicated, and a wireless terminal user identifier.Security information2740 includes information utilized in making authorization evaluations, e.g., lists of authorized users, wireless terminal, and/or priority level interpretation information. Thebase station2700 considers the request in making a decision as to whether or not to switch modes. For example, the base station switches from the first mode of operation to the second mode of operation in response to a signal received from a wireless terminal indicating that the wireless terminal is seeking to use the base station as an access node.
• Security module2726, usingsecurity information2740, determines that a signal requesting a mode change is from a wireless terminal or user having the authority to command the requested mode change.
• Activitylevel monitoring module2728 determines the level ofcommunications activity2750 while the base station is in the second mode of operation functioning as an access node. Themode control module2722 is responsive to a low activity level, which it uses to initiate a switch from the second mode of operation to the first mode of operation. In some embodiments, at some times, a low level of activity is indicated by determinedbandwidth utilization level2752 being below a predetermined threshold, the bandwidthutilization switching threshold2758. In some embodiments, at some times, a low level of activity is indicated by determined number ofactive wireless terminals2754 being below a predetermined threshold, the number of activeterminals switching threshold2760. In various embodiments, the determined number ofactive wireless terminals2754 indicates the number of wireless terminals currently using the base station as an access point. In some embodiments, the number of active terminals switching threshold is set to 1.
• Override module2723 detects when a current mode override condition occurs. The current mode override condition is, e.g., the receipt of a control signal indicating preemption of the first frequency band. The preemption can be, and sometimes is, by a government organization. Alternatively, the preemption can be, and sometimes is, by a high priority user. The control signal can be communicated over an airlink and received via receivemodule2702 or communicated over the backhaul network and received via I/O interface2708.
• FIG. 22 is a drawing of aflowchart1700 of an exemplary method of operating a wireless device, e.g., a mobile node, in accordance with various embodiments. Operation starts instep1702, where the wireless device is powered on and initialized and proceeds to step1704, where the wireless device establishes a communications link with a base station. Then, instep1706, the wireless device monitors for broadcast signals from the base station while maintaining the link. Operation proceeds fromstep1706 to step1708.
• Instep1708, the wireless device checks whether a predetermined change in at least one of said broadcast signals indicative of a change in communications mode of operation from a cellular mode to a peer to peer mode has been detected. In some embodiments, the change in at least one of said broadcast signals is a change in a beacon signal, e.g., a change in an OFDM beacon signal being transmitted by the base station. In some such embodiments, the change includes a change in information communicated by the beacon signal. In various embodiments, the information communicated by the beacon signal indicates a peer to peer mode of frequency spectrum use after said change. If instep1708 the wireless device detected a change in a broadcast signal indicative of a change in communications mode of operation from a cellular mode to a peer to peer mode, then operation proceeds fromstep1708 to step1710; otherwise operation proceeds fromstep1708 to step1706 for additional monitoring.
• Instep1710, the wireless device, in response to detecting the change, ceases to maintain the link.Step1710 includes sub-step1710 in which the wireless device terminates control signaling used to maintain said link. Operation proceeds fromstep1710 to step1714, in which the wireless device starts to maintain transmission silence. Then, instep1716, the wireless device ceases communication with the base station in the frequency spectrum previously used by the communications link. Operation proceeds fromstep1716 to step1720. Instep1720, the wireless device switches from a cellular mode of operation to a peer to peer mode of operation. Operation proceeds fromstep1720 to step1722.
• Instep1722, the wireless device checks for a peer to peer session initiation event. For example, a session initiation event is, e.g., a signal from a peer requesting session establishment, or a decision by the wireless device to attempt to establish a peer session with another wireless terminal detected or known to be in the region. In response to a session initiation event, operation proceedsform step1722 to step1726, where the wireless device establishes a peer to peer communications session with another wireless terminal. If a peer to peer session initiation event was not detected, then operation proceeds fromstep1722 to step1724, where the wireless device continues to maintain transmission silence. In some other embodiments, while in the peer to peer mode, the wireless device transmits some broadcast signals, e.g., some user beacon signals, irrespective of whether or not the wireless terminal is in a communications session.
• Operation proceedsform step1724 orstep1726 to step1728, where the wireless device continues to monitor for signals from the base station, e.g., broadcast signals such as beacon signals conveying spectrum usage information. Operation proceeds fromstep1728 to step1730. Instep1730, the wireless device determines whether a broadcast signal indicating a cellular mode of operation was detected. If such a signal was detected, operation proceeds fromstep1730 to step1732; otherwise, operation proceeds fromstep1730 to step1728 for additional monitoring.
• Instep1732, the wireless device terminates the peer to peer communications session with said another terminal, if such a session was established. Then, instep1734, the wireless device re-establishes a link with the base station, e.g., with the wireless device having remained in the coverage area corresponding to the base station between the time the link ceased to be maintained and the time the link was re-established.
• FIG. 23 is a drawing of anexemplary wireless terminal2800, e.g., mobile node in accordance with various embodiments.Exemplary wireless terminal2800 can, and sometimes does, switch between a cellular operation mode and a peer to peer operational mode in response to received broadcast signals, e.g., beacon signals.Wireless terminal2800 includes areceiver module2802, atransmitter module2804, aprocessor2806, user I/O devices2808, andmemory2810 coupled together via abus2412 over which the various elements may interchange data and information.Memory2810 includesroutines2814 and data/information2816. Theprocessor2806, e.g., a CPU, executes theroutines2814 and uses the data/information2816 inmemory2810 to control the operation of thewireless terminal2800 and implement methods, e.g., a method in accordance withFIG. 22.
• Routines2814 include a communications routine2818 and wirelessterminal control routines2820. The communications routine2818 implements the various communications protocols used by thewireless terminal2800. Wirelessterminal control routines2820 include alink establishment module2822, a broadcastsignal monitoring module2824, amode determination module2826, amode control module2828, acontrol signaling module2830, alink re-establishment module2832, and a peer to peercommunications establishment module2834.Mode control module2828 includesswitching module2829.
• Data/information2816 includes detectedbroadcast signal information2836, detected change inbroadcast signal information2840, determined mode of operation communicated by broadcast signaling2842,spectrum usage information2848, wireless terminal current mode ofoperation information2844, and generated control signals2846. Data/information2816 also includes broadcast signals'identification information2850 and broadcast signals'information recovery information2852. The broadcast signals'identification information2850 includes beacon symbol energylevel detection information2854, and beaconsymbol pattern information2856. Broadcast signals'information recovery information2852 includes beacon signal tomode mapping information2858 and beacon signal to spectrumusage mapping information2860.
• Receiver module2802, e.g., an OFDM receiver, is coupled to receiveantenna2803 via which the wireless terminal receives signals.Receiver module2802 receives broadcast signals from base stations. The broadcast signals include, e.g., beacon signaling used to communicate a current mode of spectrum usage. When the base station is functioning as an access node, thewireless terminal receiver2802 can, and sometimes does, receive control signals and user data signals from the base station in the spectrum. When the spectrum is being utilized for peer to peer communications, thewireless terminal receiver2802 can, and sometimes does, receive signals directly from a peer wireless terminal, e.g., user beacon signals, peer to peer session establishment signals, and user data signals as part of a peer to peer communication session.
• Transmitter module2804, e.g., an OFDM transmitter, is coupled to transmitantenna2805 via which thewireless terminal2800 transmits signals. In some embodiments, the same antenna is used by the transmitter and receiver. Transmitted signals include, e.g., access node based session establishment signals, peer to peer node session establishment signals, control signal to an access node as part of maintaining a link with the access node, user data signals to an access node, and user data signals to a peer node as part of a peer to peer communication session.
• User I/O devices2808 include, e.g., keypad, keyboard, switches, mouse, microphone, speaker, display, etc. User I/O devices2808 are used for operations including inputting user data, accessing output user data, and controlling at least some functions and operations of the wireless terminal, e.g., initiating a communications session.
• Link establishment module2822 establishes a communications link with a base station. Broadcastsignal monitoring module2824 monitors to detect broadcast signals from base stations.Mode determination module2826 determines a communications mode of operation from at least one broadcast signal from a base station detected by the monitoring ofmodule2824. In various embodiments, the broadcast signal from the base station used by themode determination module2826 for its determination is a beacon signal. In some embodiments, the mode determination is based on a change in a beacon signal, e.g., as indicated in detected change inbroadcast signal information2840. In some such embodiments, the change indicates a change in information communicated by the beacon signal. For example, the information communicated by the beacon signal indicates a peer to peer frequency spectrum use after the change, while the beacon signal information before the change indicates a cellular mode usage of the spectrum. As another example, the information communicated by the beacon signal indicates a cellular mode spectrum use after the change, while the beacon signal information before the change indicates a peer to peer mode usage of the spectrum.
• Mode control module2828 controls thewireless terminal2800 to operate in the mode determined by themode determination module2826. Themode control module2828 can, and sometimes does, drop an established link with a base station when themode determination module2826 indicates a change in a communication mode of operation from a cellular mode to a peer to peer mode of operation.Switching module2829 switches thewireless terminal2800 from a cellular mode of operation to a peer to peer mode of operation in response to detecting a predetermined change in at least one of the broadcast signals. Wireless terminal current mode ofoperation2844 indicates the current mode of wireless terminal operation, e.g., cellular mode or peer to peer mode, into which the wireless terminal has been switched.
• Control signaling module2830 generatescontrol signals2846 to maintain an established link with a base station. Generatedcontrol signals2846 include, e.g., power control signals, timing control signals, control channel report signals such as SNR reports, etc. When themode control module2828 drops an established link with a base station, themode control module2828 controls thecontrol signaling module2830 to stop generating control signals used to maintain the link.
• Link re-establishment module2832 re-establishes a link with a base station in response to detecting a broadcast signal indicating a cellular mode of operation. Peer to peercommunications establishment module2834 is used to establish a peer to peer communications session with another wireless terminal, e.g., during at least a portion of the time between which said link is ceased to be maintained with the base station and the link is re-established with the base station.
• Detectedbroadcast signal information2836, e.g., detected beacon signal information is an output of broadcastsignal monitoring module2824. Broadcastsignal monitoring module2824 uses the data/information2816 including the broadcast signals'identification information2850 to detect beacon signals. Beacon symbol energylevel detection information2854 includes energy level criteria used for identifying beacon symbols from among a plurality of received signals. For example, a beacon signal includes a beacon signal burst including at least a beacon symbol and the beacon symbol is transmitted at a relatively high energy level with respect to other signals transmitted by the base station, facilitating easy detection by a wireless terminal. Beaconsymbol pattern information2856 includes information identifying sets of beacon symbols within a set of beacon symbol transmission units. For example, a particular pattern of beacon symbols may, and sometimes does represent a particular beacon signal.
• Mode determination module2826 uses the data/information2816 including the broadcast signals'information recovery information2852 to determine a mode of operation being communicated by thebroadcast signal2842, e.g., one of a cellular mode and a peer to peer mode, andspectrum usage information2848, e.g. one of a cellular mode spectrum allocation and a peer to peer mode spectrum allocation. In some embodiments the cellular mode spectrum usage information further identifies one of a time division duplex use of spectrum and a frequency division duplex use of spectrum. For example, the base station when functioning as an access node may operate in a TDD manner in which the spectrum is alternately used for downlink and uplink, or the base station may operate using two distinct bands for uplink and downlink which allow simultaneous uplink and downlink signaling.
• FIG. 24 is a drawing of aflowchart1800 of an exemplary method of operating a mobile communications device in a system including a base station in accordance with various embodiments. Operation starts instep1802, where the mobile communications device is powered on and initialized and proceeds to step1804. Instep1804, the mobile communications device determines a base station mode of operation, the base station mode of operation being one of an access mode of operation in which the base station operates as a network access node and a peer to peer mode of operation in which devices within a base station coverage area are allowed to communicate directly with one another. Operation proceeds fromstep1804 to step1806.
• Instep1806, the mobile communications device, sends a signal to a base station to signal a wireless terminal desired change in the mode of base station operation. Then, instep1808, the mobile communications device monitors for a broadcast signal from the base station indicating a change in base station mode of operation to the indicated mode desired by the mobile communications device. Operation proceeds fromstep1808 to step1810. Instep1810, the mobile communications device checks if the monitored for signal has been detected. If the monitored for signal was detected, then operation proceeds fromstep1810 to step1812; otherwise, operation proceeds fromstep1810 to step1808 for additional monitoring. In some embodiments, a timeout is associated with the duration of the monitoring, and if the mobile communications device does not receive the monitored for signal within the allocated time, the mobile communications device needs to resend the desired change signal.
• Instep1812, the mobile communications device changes the mode of the mobile communications device operation to the mode to which the base station has changed. Operation proceeds fromstep1812 to step1814. Instep1814, the mobile communications device signals the base station to switch from the indicated mode of operation to the base station's previous mode of operation.
• In some embodiments, the signal ofstep1804 indicates a desire for a change from a network access mode of operation to a peer to peer mode of operation. In some embodiments, the signal ofstep1804 includes information indicating a level of authority said mobile communications device has to control the base station operation. In some such embodiments, the information indicating the level of authority is one of a device identifier, user identifier, and priority level indicator.
• In various embodiments, the mobile communications device is a device used by a government agent with authority to override use of the spectrum used by the base station.
• In some embodiments, the mobile communications device is a cellular network device, and the desired change ofstep1806 is a change from a peer to peer mode to a network mode of operation. In some such embodiments, the cellular network device does not support peer to peer operation.
• In various embodiments, the mobile communications device is a peer to peer device and the desired change is a change from a network access mode to a peer to peer mode of operation. In some such embodiments, the peer to peer device does not support a cellular network mode of operation. In some embodiments, the peer to peer device which does not support a cellular network mode of operation is a device used by a government agent with authority to override the use of the spectrum by the base station.
• FIG. 25 is a drawing of anexemplary wireless terminal2900, e.g., mobile node, in accordance with various embodiments.Exemplary wireless terminal2900 includes the capability to influence a base station's mode of operation, e.g., requesting and/or commanding switching between a cellular mode and a peer to peer mode.
• Exemplary wireless terminal2900 includes areceiver module2902, atransmitter module2904, aprocessor2906, user I/O devices2908, andmemory2910 coupled together via abus2912 over which the various elements may exchange data and information.Memory2910 includesroutines2914 and data/information2916. Theprocessor2906, e.g., a CPU, executes theroutines2914 and uses the data/information2916 inmemory2910 to control the operation of the wireless terminal and implement methods, e.g., a method in accordance withFIG. 24.
• Routines2914 include communications routine2918 and wirelessterminal control routines2920. The wirelessterminal control routines2920 include a base station mode ofoperation determination module2922, asignal generation module2924, a broadcastsignal detection module2928 and a communicationsmode control module2930. Thesignal generation module2924 includes a base stationmode restoration module2926.
• Data/information2916 includes a determined base station mode ofoperation2932, a generatedchange signal2934, and stored information indicating the level of authority the wireless terminal has to control thebase station operations2936.Information2936 includes a wirelessterminal device identifier2938, a wirelessterminal user identifier2940, and apriority level indicator2942. Data/information2916 also includes detectedbroadcast signal information2944 and current mode of wirelessterminal operation information2946.
• Thereceiver module2902, e.g., an OFDM receiver, is coupled to receiveantenna2903, via which thewireless terminal2900 receives signals. Received signals include received broadcast signals, e.g., beacon signals, from a base station from which a base station mode of operation can be determined.
• Transmitter module2904, e.g., an OFDM transmitter, is coupled to transmitantenna2905, via which thewireless terminal2900 transmits signals. Transmitted signals include generatedchange signal2934 conveying awireless terminal2900 desire for a base station to change its mode of operation.Transmitter module2904 sends the generatedchange signal2934 to the base station to communicate the wireless terminal's desired change in the base station's mode of operation. The generatedchange signal2934 can be, and sometimes is, a request for the base station to change modes. The generatedsignal2934 can be, and sometimes is, a command to the base station to change its mode of operation.
• User I/O devices2908 include, e.g., keypad, keyboard, switches, mouse, microphone, speaker, display, etc. User I/O devices2908 are used for operations including inputting user data, accessing output user data, and controlling at least some functions and operations of the wireless terminal, e.g., initiating a communications session. In some embodiments, the user I/O devices2908 include a special purpose key, switch or button, for use to command a mode switch of the base station. For example, thewireless communications device2900 is used by a government agent with authority to override use of the spectrum by the base station and includes a special purpose button on the wireless terminal, which when depressed, initiates the generation and transmission of a mode change control signal directed to the base station.
• Communications routine2918 implements the various communications protocols used by thewireless terminal2900. Base station mode ofoperation determination module2922 determines a base station's mode of operation, the base station mode of operation being one of an access node mode of operation in which the base station operates as a network access node and a peer to peer mode of operation in which devices within a base station coverage area are allowed to communicate directly with one another. Determined base station mode ofoperation2932 is an output ofdetermination module2922.
• Signal generation module2924 generates asignal change signal2934 indicating a wireless terminal desired change in the base station's mode of operation. At times, the generatedchange signal2934 indicates a desire for a change from a network access mode of operation to a peer to peer mode of operation. At times, the generatedchange signal2934 indicates a desire for a change from a peer to peer mode of operation to network access mode of operation.
• In some embodiments, the change signal conveys a level of authority associated with the change signal. The level of authority, in some embodiments, is based on one or more of wireless terminal identifier, user identifier, and a priority level indicator. In some embodiments,wireless terminal2900 has a fixed level of authority associated with the device. In some embodiments,wireless terminal2900 has a variable level of authority, e.g., which changes a function of user identification information and/or priority level access code information. In some such embodiments, the user I/O devices2908 include a biometric input device for receiving biometric information corresponding to the user, the input biometric information being used to obtain/authenticate authorization information.
• Base stationmode restoration module2926 generates arestoration signal2935 to be communicated to a base station, the restoration signal to signal the base station to switch from the indicated mode of operation communicated by the previous change signal to the base station, the indicated mode being the mode in which the base station is currently operating, to the previous mode of base station operation.
• Broadcastsignal detection module2928 detects a broadcast signal which indicates that the base station has changed the base station mode of operation to an indicated mode of operation desired by the wireless terminal. Detectedbroadcast signal information2944 is an output ofdetection module2928. In various embodiments, the detected broadcast signals are beacon signals, e.g., OFDM beacon signal.
• Communicationsmode control module2930 changes the operational mode of the mobile communications device, as indicated by current mode of wireless terminal operation, to match the mode of base station operation to which the base station has transitioned as indicated by a detected broadcast signal. In various embodiments, thewireless terminal2900 supports communications sessions in both cellular, e.g., access node based mode and peer to peer mode. In some embodiments, the wireless terminal does not support communications sessions in one of the cellular and peer to peer modes of operation. In some such embodiments, the wireless terminal enters a standby state while the spectrum is allocated for the mode in which the wireless terminal can not participate in a communication session, e.g., conserving power.
• In some embodiments, thewireless terminal2900 is a device used by a government agent with the authority to override use of the spectrum used by a base station. In some embodiments, thewireless terminal2900 is a cellular network device, and the wireless terminal indicates a desired change from a peer to peer to a network access mode of operation. In some such embodiment, the cellular network device does not support peer to peer communications. In some embodiments, thewireless terminal2900 is a peer to peer device, and the wireless terminal indicates a desired change from a network access mode of operation to a peer to peer mode of operation. In some such embodiments, the cellular network device does not support a cellular network mode of operation. In some embodiments, the wireless terminal is a mobile communications device used by a government agent with authority to override use of the spectrum by the base station.
• In one embodiment, which is a variation based onwireless terminal2900, the wireless terminal is a mobile communications device used by a government agent with the authority to override the use of spectrum by the base station, and the device communicates mode change command signals, but does not support either access node based or peer to peer based communications sessions.
• FIG. 26 is a drawing of aflowchart1900 of an exemplary method of operating a wireless device, e.g., a mobile node, in accordance with various embodiments. Operation starts instep1902, where the wireless device is powered on and initialized. Operation proceeds fromstart step1902 to step1904, where the wireless device receives a first broadcast signal from a base station. Then, instep1906, the wireless device determines from the received first broadcast signal that a frequency band corresponding to the base station is being used for peer to peer communications. Operation proceeds fromstep1906 to step1908.
• Instep1908, the wireless device receives a second broadcast signal from the base station, and then instep1910, the wireless device determines from the received second broadcast signal that the second frequency band has been changed to be used as a cellular network band. In response to determining that the frequency band is to be used as a cellular frequency band, operation proceeds fromstep1910 to one ofalternate steps1912,1914, and1916. Inalternative step1912, the wireless device reduces transmission power. In some embodiments, reducing transmission power includes a reduction in transmission power by at least 10 dBs. In some embodiments, reducing transmission power includes ceasing to transmit. Inalternative step1914, the wireless device terminates an ongoing peer to peer communications session. Inalternative step1916, the wireless device puts an ongoing peer to peer communications session into a hold state. Operation proceeds from any ofsteps1912,1914,1916 to step1918. If the wireless terminal does not have an ongoing peer to peer communications session, when making the determination ofstep1910, operation proceeds fromstep1910 to step1918 without traversingalternative steps1912,1914, or1916.
• Instep1918, the wireless device receives a third broadcast signal from the base station, and then instep1920, the wireless device determines from the third broadcast signal that said frequency band has been changed to be used for peer to peer communications. Operation proceeds fromstep1920 to step1922, where the wireless device switches a peer to peer communications session, which was in hold state, if one happens to exist in hold state, to an active state in response to said third broadcast signal.
• In some embodiments at least some of the received first, second and third broadcast signals include beacon signal bursts. In some embodiments, each of the first, second, and third signals are OFDM beacon signals.
• FIG. 27 is a drawing of an exemplary wireless terminal, e.g., mobile node, implemented in accordance with various embodiments.Exemplary wireless terminal3000 supports peer to peer communications sessions. In some embodiments,exemplary wireless terminal3000 supports peer to peer communications but does not support a cellular mode of operation.Exemplary wireless terminal3000 includes areceiver module3002, atransmission module3004, acoupling module3003, aprocessor3006, user I/O devices3008, apower supply module3010 andmemory3012 coupled together via abus3014 over which the various elements may interchange data and information.Memory3012 includesroutines3016 and data/information3018. Theprocessor3006, e.g., a CPU, executes the routines and uses data/information3018 inmemory3012 to control the operation of thewireless terminal3000 and implement methods, e.g., a method in accordance withFIG. 26.
• Coupling module3003, e.g., a duplex module, couples thereceiver module3002 toantenna3005 and thetransmission module3004 toantenna3005, e.g., coordinating time division duplex operations ofwireless terminal3000.Power supply module3012, which includes abattery3011, is used to power up the various components of thewireless terminal3000. Power is distributed from thepower supply module3010 to the various components (3002,3003,3004,3006,3008,3012), via apower bus3009. User I/O devices3008 include, e.g., keypad, keyboard, switches, mouse, microphone, speaker, display, etc. User I/O devices3008 are used for operation including inputting user data, accessing output user data, and controlling at least some functions and operations of the wireless terminal, e.g., initiating a peer to peer communications session.
• Routines3016 include amode determination module3020, amode control module3022, a peer to peer communicationssession termination module3024, asession hold module3026, and a peer to peer communicationssession reestablishment module3028. Data/information3018 includes receivedbroadcast signals3030, a determined mode ofcommunications operation3032, wireless terminal controlledmode information3034, a current level oftransmission power information3035,power reduction information3036, 1st maximum transmissionpower level information3038, 2nd maximum transmissionpower level information3040, and peer to peercommunications session information3042. The peer to peercommunications session information3042 includesstatus information3044,peer node information3046,user data information3048, andstate information3050.
• Receiver module3002, e.g., an OFDM receiver, receives signals including broadcast signals.Receiver module3002 also receives, at times, user data signals from a peer wireless terminal in a peer to peer communications session withwireless terminal3000.Received broadcast signals3030, e.g., beacon signals, are used to determine a mode of communication band operation.
• Transmitter module3004, e.g., an OFDM transmitter, transmits user data as part of a peer to peer communications session. In some embodiments,transmission module3004 also transmits user beacon signals, e.g. OFDM user beacon signals.
• Mode determination module3020 determines based on received broadcast signals3030 a mode of communications band operation, determined mode ofcommunications band operation3032. The determined mode of communications band operation indicating a mode of operation in which the frequency band is to be used at a point in time, the determined mode of communication band operation being one of a plurality of frequency band modes including at least a cellular communications mode and a first peer to peer communications mode.
• Mode control module3022 controlswireless terminal3000 device operation as a function of at least one of a mode determination and a change in a determined mode of communications band operation, saidmode control module3022 controlling the transmitter to reduce power in response to determining that the frequency band is to be used as a cellular frequency band. In some embodiments, the controlling the transmitter to reduce power includes reducing transmission power by at least 10 dBs. In some embodiments reducing transmission power includes ceasing to transmit.
• Thus, in some embodiments, whenwireless terminal3000 is in a peer to peer communications session and the spectrum is reallocated to support access node based operations, the wireless terminal is permitted to continue the peer to peer communications session at a reduced power level. While, in other embodiments, whenwireless terminal3000 is in a peer to peer communications session and the spectrum is reallocated for access node based operation, the wireless terminal terminates or suspends the peer to peer communications session until the spectrum is reallocated for peer to peer usage. In some embodiments,wireless terminal3000 decides whether to continue with, terminate, or place on hold a peer to peer session interrupted by a spectrum reallocation, in response to other factors, e.g., device identification information, user identity information, priority information, latency requirements, etc.
• Peer to peer communicationssession termination module3024 terminates at least some peer to peer communications sessions in response to a determination that a frequency band is being used as a cellular frequency band.Session hold module3026 puts an ongoing peer to peer communications session into a hold state in response to a determination that the frequency band is being used as a cellular frequency band. Peer to peer communicationssession reestablishment module3028 transitions a peer to peer communications session from a hold state to an active state in response to a determination that the frequency band is to be used for peer to peer communications.
• Current level oftransmission power information3035 is a monitored level used bymode control module3022, when determining a transmission power level reduction in accordance withpower reduction information3036, e.g., a gain factor of at least 10 dBs, and 1st maximum transmissionpower level information3038 and 2nd maximum leveltransmission power information3040. The power level reduction is in response to a detection that spectrum usage is changing from peer to peer to cellular based, and thewireless terminal3000 continuing with the peer to peer communications session at a reduced power level. In some embodiments, themode control module3022 supports 1st and 2nd modes of peer to peer operation from the perspective of the wireless terminal, the second peer to peer mode of operation being a reduced power level mode of operation in which thewireless communications device3000 uses a lower maximum transmission power level for the transmission of user data than is used in the 1st mode of peer to peer operation. In some embodiments, the 1st mode of wireless terminal peer to peer operation applies when the spectrum is allocated for peer to peer usage, and the second mode of wireless terminal peer to peer operation applies when the spectrum is allocated primarily for cellular access node base operations.
• Status information3044 indicates whether the peer to peer communications session is in an active state or a hold state.Status information3044 also indicates whether the peer to peer communications session is in a first mode of wireless terminal peer to peer operation, e.g., normal power mode, or a second mode of wireless terminal peer to peer operation, reduced power mode.Peer node information3046 includes peer node identification information, addressing information, and priority level information.User data information3048, e.g., voice, image, text, file information, includes user data to be transmitted and received as part of the peer to peer communications session.State information3050 includes session maintenance information, and stored information used to reestablish a session placed into a hold state.
• FIG. 28 comprising the combination ofFIG. 28A andFIG. 28B is a drawing of aflowchart2000 of an exemplary communications method in accordance with various embodiments. Operation of the exemplary communications method starts instep2002 and proceeds to step2004,step2024 via connectingnode A2006, andstep2030 via connectingnode B2008.
• Instep2004, a first wireless terminal capable of supporting peer to peer operations and cellular network operations is operated.Step2004 includes sub-steps2010,2011,2012,2014,2016,2018, and2020. In sub-step2010, the first wireless terminal monitors for paging signals from a base station during a first set of time intervals which are paging time intervals. In various embodiments, during the first set of time intervals the first wireless terminal does not transmit peer to peer signals. In some embodiments, during the first set of time intervals the first wireless terminal also does not receive peer to peer signals.
• In sub-step2012, the first wireless terminal, during a second set of time intervals, which do not overlap said first set of time intervals, is operated to participate in a peer to peer communications session. In some embodiments, the first and second time intervals are interleaved.Sub-step2012 includes sub-step2022, in which the first wireless terminal, during at least a portion of said second set of time intervals is operated to transmit a first wireless terminal identifier used for peer to peer communications. In some such embodiments, the first wireless terminal identifier is communicated via a user beacon signal, e.g., an OFDM user beacon signal including a beacon signal burst including at least one beacon symbol.
• In some embodiments, the same frequency band is used for paging and for peer to peer communications, and the first wireless terminal need not perform sub-step2011. In some embodiments, different frequency bands are used for paging and for peer to peer communications. In some such embodiments, sub-step2011 is performed in which the first wireless terminal switches the frequency band of a receiver in said wireless terminal when switching between monitoring for pages during a first time interval and operating in a peer to peer mode during a second time interval.
• Returning to sub-step2010, for a detected page signal directed to the first wireless terminal, operation proceeds from sub-step2010 to sub-step2014. In sub-step2014, the first wireless terminal decides whether to establish a link with the base station in response to the page directed to the first wireless terminal or to continue with an ongoing peer to peer communication session. In some embodiments, the decision of thestep2014 is a function of at least one of: a priority level associated with the ongoing peer to peer communications session, a priority level associated with the peer wireless terminal in the ongoing peer to peer communications session, a priority level associated with the user of the peer wireless terminal in the ongoing peer to peer communication session, the type of data being communicated in the peer to peer communications session, latency considerations of the data being communicated in the peer to peer session, an estimate of the amount of data remaining to be communicated in the peer to peer communications session, and priority information communicated in the page signal. In some such embodiments, the decision ofstep2014 is a function of at least two of: a priority level associated with the ongoing peer to peer communications session, a priority level associated with the peer wireless terminal in the ongoing peer to peer communications session, a priority level associated with the user of the peer wireless terminal in the ongoing peer to peer communication session, the type of data being communicated in the peer to peer communications session, latency considerations of the data being communicated in the peer to peer session, an estimate of the amount of data remaining to be communicated in the peer to peer communications session, and priority information communicated in the page signal.
• If the decision of sub-step2014 is to establish a link with the base station which transmitted the page, then operation proceeds to sub-step2016, where the first wireless terminal terminates the peer to peer communications session and in sub-step2018 establishes a link with the base station. However, if the first wireless terminal decides in sub-step2014 to continue with the ongoing peer to peer communication session, operation proceeds from sub-step2014 to sub-step2020 where the first wireless terminal continues with the peer to peer communications session. In some such embodiments, the first wireless terminal, when deciding to perform sub-step2020, the first wireless terminal ignores the page, e.g., with no response back to the base station. In other embodiments, the first wireless terminal, when deciding to perform sub-step2020, sends a page response signal to the base station indicating the first wireless terminal has received the page but has decided not to establish a link with the base station.
• Returning to step2024, instep2024, a second wireless terminal, capable of supporting peer to peer mode operations and cellular network operations, is operated.Step2024 includes sub-steps2026 and2028. In sub-step2026, the second wireless terminal monitors for paging signals from a base station during a third set of time intervals which are paging time intervals. In some such embodiments, the first and third paging time intervals overlap. In sub-step2028, the second wireless terminal, during said second set of time intervals, which does not overlap with said first or third set of time intervals participates in a peer to peer communications session.
• Returning to step2030, instep2030, a third wireless terminal is operated in a peer to peer communications session during which at least some first time periods occur, wherein the third wireless terminal does not perform paging operations between the start and end of its peer to peer communications session and remains silent during the first time intervals occurring between the start and end of its peer to peer communications session.
• FIG. 29 is a drawing of anexemplary wireless terminal3100, e.g., mobile node, in accordance with various embodiments.Exemplary wireless terminal3100 monitors for, detects, and processes paging signals in a wireless communications system including dual mode capability including access node based cellular communications and peer to peer communications, andexemplary wireless terminal3100 supports operation in both modes of operation.
• Exemplary wireless terminal3100 includes areceiver module3102, atransmitter module3104, a processor3106, user I/O devices3108, andmemory3110 coupled together via abus3112 over which the various elements may exchange data and information. User I/O devices3108 include, e.g., keypad, keyboard, switches, mouse, microphone, speaker, display, etc. User I/O devices3108 are used for operation including inputting user data, accessing output user data, and controlling at least some functions and operations of the wireless terminal, e.g., initiating a peer to peer communications session or initiating an access node based communications session.
• Receiver module3102, e.g., an OFDM receiver, coupled to receiveantenna3103 via which the wireless terminal receives signals from a base station including paging signals and signals in which the base station is functioning as a point of network attachment forwireless terminal3100, e.g., downlink control signals and downlink user data signals.Receiver module3102 also receives signals from a peer node in a peer to peer communications session withwireless terminal3100.
• Transmitter module3104, e.g., an OFDM transmitter, is coupled to transmitantenna3105, via which thewireless terminal3100 transmits signals. Transmitted signals include generatedidentification signals3142, e.g., an OFDM user beacon signal including beacon signal burst, each beacon signal burst including at least one OFDM beacon symbol. Transmitted signals also include access node based session establishment signals, peer to peer session establishment signals, control and user data uplink signals directed to a base station serving as the wireless terminal's point of network attachment, signals directed to a peer node as part of a peer to peer communications session, and uplink page response signals directed to the base station which transmitted the page directed towireless terminal3100.
• Memory3110 includesroutines3114 and data/information3116. The processor3106, e.g., a CPU, executes theroutines3114 and uses the data/information3116 inmemory3110 to control the operation of the wireless terminal and implement methods.Routines3114 include a communications routine3118 and wirelessterminal control routines3120. The communications routine3118 implements the various communications protocols used by thewireless terminal3100. The wirelessterminal control routines3120 include a timeinterval determination module3122, a cellularnetwork communications module3124, a pagesignal monitoring module3126, a peer to peercommunications module3128, a wireless terminal identificationsignal generation module3130, adecision module3132, and a peer to peer communicationssession termination module3134. The peer to peercommunications module3128 includes a peer to peercommunications control module3129.
• Data/information3116 includes a determined first set oftime intervals3136, which are paging time intervals, a determined second set oftime intervals3138, a detectedpage signal3140, a generated wireless terminal identification signal, e.g., a generated user beacon associated withwireless terminal3100,paging band information3144, peer to peerband information3146 and receiverband setting information3148.
• Timeinterval determination module3122 determines first and second sets of time intervals (3136,3138), respectively), the first and second sets of time intervals being non-overlapping sets, the first set of time intervals being paging time intervals. Cellularnetwork communications module3124 supports cellular network communications operations, e.g., operations in which the wireless terminal uses the base station as a network attachment point to communicate with another wireless terminal via the cellular communications network. Pagesignal monitoring module3126 monitors for paging signals from a base station during the first set oftime intervals3136.Information3140 represents a detected page signal directed towireless terminal3100.
• Peer to peercommunications module3128 supports peer to peer communications signaling operations during the second set oftime intervals3138 but not during the first set oftime intervals3136. Peer to peertransmission control module3129 restrains the wireless terminal from transmitting peer to peer signals during the first time intervals. In some embodiments, the wireless terminal is also controlled to suspend detection operations of peer to peer signals during the first time intervals. In various embodiments, members of the first set of time intervals are interleaved with members of the second set of time intervals.
• Wireless terminal identificationsignal generation module3130 generates awireless terminal identifier3142 used for peer to peer communications, e.g., an OFDM beacon signal burst or sequence of bursts, each beacon signal burst including at least one beacon symbol.Decision module3132 decides between establishing a communication link with a base station in response to a page which was received or continuing with an on-going peer to peer communications session. Peer to peer communicationssession termination module3134 terminates a peer to peer communications session in response to a received page directed to thewireless terminal3100.
• Pagingband information3144 includes information identifying the frequency band used for paging, while peer to peerband information3146 identifies the frequency band used for peer to peer communications. In some embodiments the same frequency band is used for paging and peer to peer communications. In some embodiments, different frequency bands are used for paging and peer to peer communications. In some such embodiments,receiver module3102 includes a tunable receiver responsive to a mode control signal for switching between the different frequency bands used for paging and peer to peer communications. Receiverband setting information3148 includes information indicating the current setting of thereceiver module3102 and control signaling used to change the setting of thereceiver module3102.
• FIG. 30 is a drawing of anexemplary communications system2100 in accordance with various embodiments.Exemplary communications system2100 includes a plurality of base stations (base station 12102,base station 22104,base station 32106) and a plurality of non-access beacon signal transmitter nodes (non-access beaconsignal transmitter node 12108, non-access beaconsignal transmitter node 22112, non-access beaconsignal transmitter node 32110). The base stations (2102,2104,2106) are coupled to network nodes (2114,2118,2118) via network links (2120,2128,2126), respectively. In addition,system2100 includesnetwork node 2116 which is coupled to (network node 2114,network node 2118, non-accessbeacon signal transmitter2108, and other network nodes and/or the Internet) via network links (2122,2124,2130,2131), respectively. Network links (2120,2122,2124,2126,2128,2130,2131) are, e.g., fiber optic links and/or wired links.
• Some of the base stations (BS 12102,BS 22104) support both peer to peer communications in the base station region and also operate as access nodes.Base station 32106 functions as an access node and does not support peer to peer communications in its coverage region. Each base station (BS 1102,BS 22104,BS 32106) has a corresponding region (2103,2105,2107) which represents a cellular coverage area when in the network access mode. Regions (2103,2105) also represent base station beacon transmission regions when supporting peer to peer communications.
• The base stations (2102,2104,2106) and the non-access beacon signal transmitter nodes (2108,2110,2112) transmit beacon signals including beacon signal bursts, e.g., OFDM beacon signal bursts each beacon signal burst including at least one beacon symbol.
• Exemplary system2100 also includes a plurality of wireless terminals, e.g., mobile nodes, (MN 12150,MN 22152,MN 32154, MN 42156, MN 52158, MN 62160, MN 72162, MN 82164), which may move throughout the system.MN 12150 is usingBS 12102 as an access node and is coupled toBS 12102 vialink2166.MN 22152 is usingBS 12102 as an access node and is coupled toBS 12102 vialink2168.MN 12150 andMN 22152 are using access node beacon signals transmitted fromBS 12102 for synchronization.MN 32154 is in a peer to peer communications session with MN 42156 using peer to peerlink2170.MN 32154 and MN 42156 are using peer to peer beacon signals fromBS 12102 for synchronization purposes.
• MN 52158 is usingBS 32106 as an access node and is coupled toBS 32106 vialink2172. MN 62160 is usingBS 32106 as an access node and is coupled toBS 32106 vialink2174. MN 52158 and MN 62160 are using access node beacon signals transmitted fromBS 32174 for synchronization.
• MN 72162 is in a peer to peer communications session with MN 82164 using peer to peerlink2176. MN 72162 and MN 82164 are using peer to peer beacon signals from non-access beaconsignal transmitter node 32110 for synchronization purposes.
• Base station 12102 includes a peer to peer beaconsignal generation module2132, an access node beaconsignal generation module2134, atransmitter module2136, areceiver module2138 and aswitching module2140. Peer to peer beaconsignal generation module2132 generates beacon signals used to support peer to peer communications, while access node beaconsignal generation module2134 generates beacon signals used to support cellular network communications.Transmitter module2136, e.g., an OFDM transmitter, transmits generated peer to peer beacon signals and generated access node beacon signals.Transmitter module2136 also transmits control and user data signals to wireless terminals when functioning as an access node.Receiver module2138, e.g., an OFDM receiver, receives signals such as access request signals, control signals and user data from wireless terminals, e.g., mobile nodes using the base station as a point of network attachment.Switching module2140 supports switching between peer to peer and cellular modes of operation using the same frequency band for peer to peer and cellular modes of operation at different times.Base station 12102 transmits different beacon signals during peer to peer and cellular modes of operation.
• Non-access beaconsignal transmitter node 22112 and non-access beaconsignal transmitter node 32110 are standalone devices. Non-access beaconsignal transmitter node 22112 includes atransmitter2142, abattery2144 and areceiver2146.Battery2144 powers non-access beaconsignal transmitter node 22112.Transmitter2142 transmits beacon signals which are utilized by mobile nodes in itstransmitter coverage region2113 for synchronization purposes in supporting peer to peer communications sessions. Thebeacon signal transmitter2142 does not relay any user data.Receiver2146 receives a broadcast signal used for timing synchronization purposes. Thereceiver2146 for receiving a broadcast signal used for timing synchronization purposes is one of a GSM receiver, a satellite receiver, and a cellular network receiver. Satellite receivers include, e.g., a GPS receiver, broadcast TV and/or radio signal satellite receiver, proprietary satellite receiver or government controlled satellite receiver. Cellular network receivers include, e.g., CDMA, OFDM, GSM, etc., receivers. In some embodiments, a non-access beacon signal transmitter node includes a plurality of different types of receivers for receiving different types of broadcast signals, e.g., with different signals being available in some areas but not in others.
• In various embodiments, at least some of the base stations, which transmit beacon signals are not synchronized with respect to one another. In various embodiments, at least some of the non-access beacon signal transmitter nodes, which transmit beacon signals, are not synchronized with respect to one another. For example, non-access beaconsignal transmitter node 32110, in some embodiments, does not include a receiver, and its transmitted beacon signals into itstransmitter region2111 are free running with respect to the other non-access beacon signal transmitters insystem2100 and the base stations insystem2100.
• Non-access beaconsignal transmitter module 32110 includes asolar cell2148, and thesolar cell2148 is a solar power source conversion device for powering non-access beaconsignal transmitter node 32110 during at least some of the time.
• Non-beacon access beaconsignal transmitter node 12108 is coupled to the network vialink2130 thus facilitating timing synchronization information to be communicated to thenode2108, allowing for its beacon signal transmission into itstransmitter region2109 to be synchronized with respect to an overall system timing reference. No user data is communicated overlink2130.
• FIG. 31 is a drawing of an exemplarywireless communications system2200 which supports both peer to peer communications and cellular communications in accordance with various embodiments.Exemplary communications system2200 includes a plurality of wireless terminals, e.g., mobile nodes, and a plurality of base stations. At least some of the plurality of base stations are both network access node and peer to peer capable such asexemplary base station2212. Exemplary communications system2220 also includes some base stations which function as access nodes but do not support peer to peer communications such asexemplary base station2280 and some non-access beacon signal transmitter nodes for supporting peer to peer communications such as exemplary non-access beaconsignal transmitter node2282.
• System2200 includeswireless terminal 1A2202 andwireless terminal 1B2204, which both support peer to peer and cellular communications;wireless terminal 2A2206 andwireless terminal 2B2210, which both support peer to peer communications but not cellular network communications; andwireless terminal 32208 which supports cellular network communications but not peer to peer communications.
• Wireless terminal 1A2202 includes a beaconsignal processing module2216, a peer to peercommunications module2218, a cellularnetwork communications module2230, amode control module2232,current mode information2234 and subscriberplan identification information2236. Beaconsignal processing module2216 processes beacon signals received from base stations and/or non-access beacon signal transmitter nodes. The beacon signals are uses for supporting cellular and peer to peer communications, e.g., providing synchronization, identification, mode and/or priority information. Peer to peercommunications module2218 performs operations supporting peer to peer communications. Cellularnetwork communications module2230 performs operations supporting cellular communications in which thewireless terminal 1A2202 is communicating via a wireless communications link with a base station functioning as an access node and providing a point of network attachment.Mode control module2232 switches between peer to peer and cellular modes of operation, aswireless terminal 1A2202 supports at most one of peer to peer mode and cellular mode operation at a given time.Current mode information2234 indicates which of the peer to peer mode and cellularmodewireless terminal 1A2202 is currently operating in.
• Wireless terminal 1B2204 includes a beaconsignal processing module2238, a peer to peercommunications module2240, a cellularnetwork communications module2242, acommunications control module2244, and subscriberplan identification information2246. Beaconsignal processing module2238 processes beacon signals received from base stations and/or non-access beacon signal transmitter nodes. Peer to peercommunications module2240 performs operations supporting peer to peer communications. Cellularnetwork communications module2242 performs operations supporting cellular communications in which thewireless terminal 1B2204 is communicating via a wireless communications link with a base station functioning as an access node and providing a point of network attachment.Communications control module2244 switches between peer to peer and cellular modes of operation, aswireless terminal 1A2202 controls the wireless terminal to maintain peer to peer and cellular network communications sessions at the same time.
• Wireless terminal 2A2206 includes a beaconsignal processing module2248, a peer to peercommunications module2250, and subscriberplan identification information2252. Beaconsignal processing module2248 processes beacon signals received from base stations and/or non-access beacon signal transmitter nodes. Peer to peercommunications module2250 performs operations supporting peer to peer communications.Wireless terminal 2B2210 includes a beaconsignal processing module2260, a peer to peercommunications module2262, and subscriberplan identification information2264. Beaconsignal processing module2260 processes beacon signals received from base stations and/or non-access beacon signal transmitter nodes. Peer to peercommunications module2262 performs operations supporting peer to peer communications.
• Wireless terminal 32208 includes a beaconsignal processing module2254, a cellularnetwork communications module2256, and subscriberplan identification information2258. Beaconsignal processing module2254 processes beacon signals received from base stations and/or non-access beacon signal transmitter nodes. Cellularnetwork communications module2256 performs operations supporting cellular network communications.
• Base station2212 includes abeacon transmission module2213. Beaconsignal transmission module2213 transmits beacon signals used for communications synchronization, identification, mode, and/or priority information. In some embodiments, at least some of the beacon signals are OFDM beacon signals including beacons signal bursts, each beacon signal burst including at least one beacon symbol.Base station2212 is coupled to other network nodes, e.g., other base station, routers, AAA nodes, home agent nodes, etc, and/or the Internet vialink2214.Base station2280 is coupled to other network nodes and/or the Internet vianetwork link2281.Network links2214,2281 are, e.g., fiber optic links and/or wired links.
• Dotted line2268 betweenwireless terminal 1A2202 andbase station2212 indicates thatWT 1A2202 can operate in a cellular communication mode and have a wireless communication link with a base station.Dotted line2266 betweenwireless terminal 1A2202 andWT 2A22062212 indicates thatWT 1A2202 andWT 2A2206 can operate in a peer to peer communications mode and have a wireless communication link with another wireless terminal. Thelines2266 and2268 have been indicated as dotted lines to indicate thatWT 1A2202 switches between the two modes.
• Solid line2274 betweenwireless terminal 1B2204 andbase station2212 indicates thatWT 1B2204 can operate in a cellular communication mode and have a wireless communication link with a base station.Solid line2272 betweenwireless terminal 1B2204 andWT 2B22062210 indicates thatWT 1B2204 andWT 2B2210 can operate in a peer to peer communications mode and have a wireless communication link with another wireless terminal. Thelines2272 and2274 have been indicated as solid lines to indicate thatWT 1B can maintain peer to peer and cellular network communications sessions at the same time.
• Line2270 betweenwireless terminal 32208 andbase station2212 indicates thatWT 32208 can operate in a cellular communication mode and have a wireless communication link with a base station.
• The various wireless terminals (2202,2204,2206,2208,2210) include subscriber plan identification information (2236,2246,2252,2258,2264), respectively. In some embodiments, a set of wireless terminals correspond to a communications service subscriber who subscribes to a family plan which supports multiple communications devices some of which have different capabilities. For example, in one embodiment, the set of wireless terminals corresponding to the communications service subscriber who subscribes to a family plan includesWT 1A2202,WT 1B2204,WT 2A2206, andWT 32208.
• In some embodiments, the peer to peer communications modules (2218,2240,2250,2262) are OFDM communications modules. In some embodiments the cellular network communications modules (2230,2242,2256) are OFDM communications modules. In some embodiments, the peer to peer communications modules (2218,2240,2250,2262) are OFDM communications modules, and the cellular network communications modules (2230,2242,2256) are CDMA communications modules. In some embodiments, the peer to peer communications modules (2218,2240,2250,2262) are OFDM communications modules, and the cellular network communications modules (2230,2242,2256) are GSM communications modules.
• FIG. 32 is a drawing3200 illustrating exemplary beacon burst time position hopping in accordance with various embodiments.Horizontal axis3202 represents time whilevertical axis3204 represents frequency, e.g., OFDM tones in a frequency band, e.g., a non-infrastructure frequency band being used for peer to peer communications. A wireless terminal receives anexternal broadcast signal3206 which the wireless terminal uses a timing reference signal and upon which it bases its timing structure. The external reference signal repeats as indicated bysignal3206′. In some embodiments, the timing reference point is derived from information conveyed by the received broadcast signal. In this example, the peer to peer timing structure being used by the wireless terminal includes a sequence of slots used for beacon signaling, each time slot is associated with a beacon signaling resource (slot 1beacon signaling resource3208,slot 2beacon signaling resource3210,slot 3beacon signaling resource3212. The slots repeat as indicated byslot 1beacon signaling resource3208′. Each slot beacon signaling resource represents a block of air link resources, e.g., OFDM tone-symbols.
• The start of each beacon signaling resources slot (3208,3210,3212) is referenced with respect a predetermined timing offset (T13214,T23216, T33218). In some embodiments, the time duration of each beacon signaling slot is the same. In some embodiments T2−T1=T3−T2.
• Within each beacon signaling slot resource (3208,3210,3212), the wireless terminal transmits a beacon signal burst (3220,3222,3224) including at least one beacon symbol (3226,3228,3230), the beacon symbol being a relatively high power symbol with respect to data symbols transmitted by the wireless terminal. In this example, the time position of the beacon signal burst with the beacon resource slot is hopped from one slot to the next in accordance with a hopping function used by the wireless terminal. The hopping function varies the time of the beacon signal burst from the start of the slot as indicated by different time offset values (T43234,T53236, T63238) corresponding to (slot 1,slot 2, slot 3), respectively. The hopping function determines the time offset as a function of a wireless terminal identifier, a user identifier, and/or a priority level value. In some embodiments, other inputs can be used by the hopping function, e.g., a received broadcast value associated with the spectrum, a received key, a value associated with a designated area, a value associated with a sector, etc.
• In this example, the same tone is used by the wireless terminal for the beacon symbol (3226,3228,3230,3226′) of the beacon signal bursts (3220,3220,3224,3220′), respectively, in slots resources (3208,3210,3212,3208′), respectively. Different wireless may, and sometimes do use a different tone for the beacon symbol.
• FIG. 33 is a drawing3300 illustrating exemplary beacon burst time position hopping and beacon symbol tone hopping in accordance with various embodiments.Horizontal axis3302 represents time whilevertical axis3304 represents frequency, e.g., OFDM tones in a frequency band, e.g., a non-infrastructure frequency band being used for peer to peer communications. A wireless terminal receives anexternal broadcast signal3306 which the wireless terminal uses a timing reference signal and upon which it bases its timing structure. The external reference signal repeats as indicated bysignal3306′. In some embodiments, the timing reference point is derived from information conveyed by the received broadcast signal. In this example, the peer to peer timing structure being used by the wireless terminal includes a sequence of slots used for beacon signaling, each time slot is associated with a beacon signaling resource (slot 1beacon signaling resource3308,slot 2beacon signaling resource3310,slot 3 beacon signaling resource3312). The slots repeat as indicated byslot 1beacon signaling resource3308′. Each slot beacon signaling resource represents a block of air link resources, e.g., OFDM tone-symbols.
• The start of each beacon signaling resources slot (3308,3310,3312) is referenced with respect a predetermined timing offset (T13314,T23316, T33318) from the externaltiming reference signal3306. In some embodiments, the time duration of each beacon signaling slot is the same. In some embodiments T2−T1=T3−T2.
• Within each beacon signaling slot resource (3308,3310,3312), the wireless terminal transmits a beacon signal burst (3320,3322,3324) including at least one beacon symbol (3326,3328,3330), the beacon symbol being a relatively high power symbol with respect to data symbols transmitted by the wireless terminal. In this example, the time position of the beacon signal burst with the beacon resource slot is hopped from one slot to the next in accordance with a time hopping function used by the wireless terminal. The hopping function varies the time of the beacon signal burst from the start of the slot as indicated by different time offset values (T43334,T53336, T63338) corresponding to (slot 1,slot 2, slot 3), respectively. The hopping function determines the time offset as a function of a wireless terminal identifier, a user identifier, and/or a priority level value. In some embodiments, other inputs can be used by the hopping function, e.g., a received broadcast value associated with the spectrum, a received key, a value associated with a designated area, a value associated with a sector, etc.
• In this example, the tone of the beacon signal used by the wireless terminal for the beacon symbol (3326,3328,3330) of the beacon signal bursts (3320,3322,3324), respectively, in slots resources (3308,3310,3312), respectively, is also hopped from one slot to another in accordance with a tone hopping function. Inputs to the tone hopping function include one or more of a wireless terminal identifier, a user identifier, a priority level value, a received broadcast value associated with the spectrum, a received key, a value associated with a designated area, and a value associated with a sector.
• In this example, the next iteration of beacon signalingresource slot 13308′ has thebeacon symbol3326′ of beacon burst3320′ placed in the same OFDM tone-symbol position of theresource3308′ as thebeacon symbol3326 of beacon burst3320 inresource3308. In some embodiments, two separate hopping functions are used, one for beacon burst time hopping and the other for tone hopping. In some embodiments, the beacon burst time position hopping function and the tone hopping function have the same sequence length. In some embodiments, the beacon burst time position hopping function and the tone hopping function have different sequence lengths. For example, the two sequence lengths may be co-prime with each other. Alternatively, the ratio of one sequence length to the other sequence length may be an integer. In other embodiments, one hopping function is used for both beacon burst time hopping and tone hopping. Specifically, suppose that each beacon signalingresource slot3308,3310,3312 includes M symbol times and every symbol time includes N tones. Then, in each slot, the hopping function outputs a number, which uniquely identifies one specific tone at one specific symbol time. For example, the number can be 0, 1, . . . , M*N−1, where M and N are positive integers. In some embodiments, N is at least 100 and M is at least 20, although in other embodiments, the values may be smaller.
• FIG. 34 is a drawing3400 illustrating exemplary coordinated timing in a peer to peer communications band in accordance with various embodiments. Drawing3400 includes exemplary 1st and 2nd wireless terminal (3402,3404), e.g., peer mobile nodes.Upper drawing portion3401 is used to illustrate operations ofwireless terminal 13402, whilelower drawing portion3403 is used to illustrate operations ofwireless terminal 23404.Horizontal axes3406 represents time, whilevertical axes3408 represents frequency, e.g., OFDM tones in the peer to peer frequency band.
• Both wireless terminals (3402,3404) receive and useexternal broadcast signal3410 to obtain timing reference. Based on thetiming reference signal3410, both wireless terminals (3402,3404) recognize beacon signalingresource slots3412 and3414.Wireless terminal 13402 transmits a beacon signal burst3416 includingbeacon symbol3418 duringtime interval3440, and beacon signal burst3420 includingbeacon symbol3422 during time interval3442.Wireless terminal 23404 is monitoring for beacon symbols from other wireless terminals duringtime intervals3444,3446,3448, and3450. Sincetime interval3440 is withtime interval3446wireless terminal 2 is able to detect thebeacon symbol3418 fromwireless terminal 13402. Since time interval3442 is withintime interval3450wireless terminal 2 is able to detect thebeacon symbol3422 fromwireless terminal 13402.
• Wireless terminal 23404 transmits a beacon signal burst3424 includingbeacon symbol3426 during time interval3452, and beacon signal burst3428 includingbeacon symbol3430 duringtime interval3454.Wireless terminal 13402 is monitoring for beacon symbols from other wireless terminals duringtime intervals3432,3434,3436, and3438. Since time interval3452 is withintime interval3432wireless terminal 1 is able to detect thebeacon symbol3426 fromwireless terminal 23404. Sincetime interval3454 is withintime interval3436wireless terminal 1 is able to detect thebeacon symbol3430 fromwireless terminal 23404.
• In this example, both wireless terminals are able to detect beacon signals from each other. The coordinated timing structure based on a reference allows efficient operation and reduced power consumption, since modules within a wireless terminal can be powered down when transmission and/or monitoring is not required, e.g., during silence modes of operation.
• Time hopping of the beacon burst, e.g., as a function of a wireless terminal identifier, facilitates resolution of a problem where bothwireless terminal 1 andwireless terminal 2 should happen to transmit a beacon signal burst during one beacon signaling resource slot. In some embodiments, the beacon burst time hopping is structured so that at least some beacon signal bursts transmitted by two peer wireless terminals will be non-overlapping. In some embodiments, a wireless terminal, occasionally, refrains from transmitting its beacon burst during a beacon signaling resource and monitors for the full duration of the beacon signaling resource.
• Additional embodiments, features and variations will now be discussed.
• An infrastructure network usually includes a base station, which provides service to terminals in a given geographical area. In an exemplary embodiment, a base station of an infrastructure network uses a first (infrastructure) spectrum band to provide service in a geographical area. Meanwhile, a second (non-infrastructure) spectrum band, which is different from the infrastructure spectrum band, is also available for the terminals in the area, e.g., to be used for an ad hoc network.
• In accordance with various embodiments, in order to facilitate the timing and/or frequency synchronization in the ad hoc network using the non-infrastructure spectrum band, the infrastructure base station transmits a beacon signal.
• In an exemplary embodiment, the base station transmits the beacon signal in the infrastructure spectrum band. The desired common timing and/or frequency reference to be used in the non-infrastructure spectrum band can be determined from the beacon signal. In addition, the base station may, and sometimes does, send system information about the frequency location of the non-infrastructure spectrum band and the type of service provided in the non-infrastructure spectrum band, e.g., TDD (time division duplex) or ad hoc networking. The system information is sent using the beacon signal and/or other broadcast control signals.
• A wireless terminal first tunes to the infrastructure spectrum band to detect the beacon signal and derives the timing and/or frequency reference to be used in the non-infrastructure spectrum band. The wireless terminal further receives the system information from the beacon and/or other broadcast control signals, and determines the frequency location of the non-infrastructure spectrum band, e.g., carrier frequency. The wireless terminal tunes to the non-infrastructure spectrum band and uses the acquired timing and/or frequency synchronization to start a communication link in the non-infrastructure spectrum band.
• In another embodiment, the base station transmits the beacon signal in the non-infrastructure spectrum band, so that if the wireless terminal directly tunes to the non-infrastructure spectrum band, the wireless terminal can derive the desired common timing and/or frequency reference from the beacon signal. In that embodiment, the base station may, and sometimes does, additionally transmit beacon and/or other broadcast control signals in the infrastructure spectrum band as well as send system information about the frequency location of the non-infrastructure spectrum band and the type of service provided in the non-infrastructure spectrum band.
• In yet another embodiment, in which the infrastructure spectrum band may not exist, a special transmitter is set in a geographic area to transmit a system beacon signal in each of the non-infrastructure spectrum bands that are available for use in the vicinity of the geographical area in which the special transmitter sits. In one embodiment, at a given time, the special transmitter transmits at most one beacon signal burst in a spectrum band. The special transmitter hops across each of the available spectrum bands and transmits the beacon signal burst successively from one spectrum band to another. A wireless terminal is to scan a candidate spectrum band to see whether a system beacon signal can be detected in the candidate spectrum band. If a system beacon signal is detected, then the candidate spectrum band is available for use. Otherwise, the wireless terminal, in some embodiments, is not allowed to use the candidate spectrum band, in which case the wireless terminal may have to scan another candidate spectrum band to find an available spectrum band to use.
• After the wireless terminal obtains the timing and/or frequency reference from the beacon signal, the wireless terminal then tunes to the non-infrastructure spectrum band. The wireless terminal, in some embodiments, starts to transmit its own user beacon signal in the non-infrastructure spectrum band. Similar to the beacon signal sent by the infrastructure base station, the user beacon signal also includes a sequence of beacon signal bursts in a spectrum band. However, the user beacon signal, in some embodiments, is different from the beacon signal sent by the infrastructure base station in at least one of the following ways: the periodicity of the beacon signal bursts, the tone used in a beacon signal burst, and the hopping pattern of the tones used in successive beacon signal bursts. The wireless terminal may, and sometimes does, further listen to the non-infrastructure spectrum band to detect the presence of a user beacon signal sent by another wireless terminal. In some embodiments, the wireless terminal determines transmission and/or detection of user beacon signals as a function of the timing and/or frequency reference from the beacon signal sent by the infrastructure base station. When wireless terminals derive their timing and/or frequency reference from the same source, e.g., the same infrastructure base station beacon signal, it is easy for them to detect each other's presence and to establish communication links.
• In accordance with a feature of some exemplary embodiments, while a wireless terminal is in a peer-to-peer communication session in the non-infrastructure spectrum band, the wireless terminal may, and sometimes does, periodically suspend the session for a short time period and tune to the infrastructure spectrum band, e.g., to check whether there is a page for the terminal. The time periods in which the wireless terminal checks pages are, in some embodiments, pre-determined, so that both the wireless terminal and the base station can be synchronized on when a page should be delivered. In some embodiments, a set of wireless terminals in the peer-to-peer communication sessions have a common time period in which each of those wireless terminals suspend the sessions in the non-infrastructure spectrum band and check pages in the infrastructure spectrum band. Advantageously, this synchronization helps reduce the wastage of session time in the peer-to-peer sessions.
• In accordance with various embodiments, the infrastructure base station also provides service in the non-infrastructure spectrum band, e.g., to provide peer-to-peer communication service and/or to provide TDD service. The base station in some embodiments transmits the beacon signal in such a way that after the wireless terminal receives the beacon signal the wireless terminal can predict the signal quality of a data session if the wireless terminal is to establish a communication link with the base station. In one embodiment, the transmission power of the beacon signal is the same for each of such base stations. In another embodiment, the data session, e.g., at a given coding and modulation rate, is sent at a transmission power, which is a function of the transmission power of the beacon signal. For example, the per minimum transmission unit transmission power of the data session is a fixed dB amount, e.g., 10 dBs or 16 dBs, below the transmission power of the beacon symbols of the beacon signal.
• While described primarily in the context of an OFDM system, the methods and apparatus of various embodiments are applicable to a wide range of communications systems including many non-OFDM, and/or many non-cellular systems.
• In various embodiments nodes described herein are implemented using one or more modules to perform the steps corresponding to one or more methods, for example, generating a beacon signal, transmitting a beacon signal, receiving beacon signals, monitoring for beacon signals, recovering information from received beacon signals, determining a timing adjustment, implementing a timing adjustment, changing a mode of operation, initiating a communication session, etc. In some embodiments various features are implemented using modules. Such modules may be implemented using software, hardware or a combination of software and hardware. Many of the above described methods or method steps can be implemented using machine executable instructions, such as software, included in a machine readable medium such as a memory device, e.g., RAM, floppy disk, etc. to control a machine, e.g., general purpose computer with or without additional hardware, to implement all or portions of the above described methods, e.g., in one or more nodes. Accordingly, among other things, various embodiments are directed to a machine-readable medium including machine executable instructions for causing a machine, e.g., processor and associated hardware, to perform one or more of the steps of the above-described method(s).
• Numerous additional variations on the methods and apparatus described above will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the above descriptions. Such variations are to be considered within scope. The methods and apparatus of various embodiments may be, and in various embodiments are, used with CDMA, orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), and/or various other types of communications techniques which may be used to provide wireless communications links between access nodes and mobile nodes. In some embodiments the access nodes are implemented as base stations which establish communications links with mobile nodes using OFDM and/or CDMA. In various embodiments the mobile nodes are implemented as notebook computers, personal data assistants (PDAs), or other portable devices including receiver/transmitter circuits and logic and/or routines, for implementing the methods of various embodiments.

Claims (30)

We claim:

1. A beacon signal transmission apparatus, comprising:

a beacon signal transmitter for transmitting a sequence of beacon signal bursts each beacon signal burst including at least one beacon symbol, said beacon transmission signal apparatus being a free standing device not including any transmitter used to transmit data to an individual user device.

2. The beacon signal transmission apparatus ofclaim 1, further comprising: a beacon signal transmission control module for controlling transmission of beacon signal bursts.

3. The apparatus ofclaim 2, wherein said control module includes stored control information used to control said beacon signal transmitter to transmit beacon signal bursts into different frequency bands at different times.

4. The apparatus ofclaim 2, further comprising: a multi-sector antenna; and wherein the control module controls the transmitter to transmit beacon signal bursts into different sectors at different times.

5. The apparatus ofclaim 4, wherein the beacon signal transmitter is controlled to transmit into at most one sector at a time.

6. The apparatus ofclaim 4, wherein the apparatus is battery powered.

7. The apparatus ofclaim 4, wherein the apparatus is solar powered.

8. The apparatus ofclaim 4, wherein the apparatus is independently powered.

9. The apparatus ofclaim 2, further comprising: a receiver for receiving a broadcast signal; and wherein said control module controls beacons signal burst transmission timing as a function of the received broadcast signal.

10. The apparatus ofclaim 9, wherein said receiver is one of a GPS, GSM and CDMA receiver.

11. A method of transmitting beacon signals, comprising:

operating a beacon signal transmission apparatus comprising a beacon signal transmitter, to transmit a sequence of beacon signal bursts, each beacon signal burst including at least one beacon symbol, wherein said beacon transmission signal apparatus is a free standing device; and wherein said beacon signal transmission apparatus does not include any transmitter used to transmit data to an individual user device.

12. The method ofclaim 11, further comprising: controlling transmission of beacon signal bursts to occur according to a predetermined transmission schedule.

13. The method ofclaim 12, wherein controlling transmission of beacon signal bursts includes using stored control information to determine a plurality of frequency bands into which beacon signal bursts are to be transmitted and the time at which said transmissions are to occur.

14. The method ofclaim 13, wherein controlling transmission includes controlling the transmitter to transmit beacon signal bursts into different frequency bands at different times.

15. The method ofclaim 12, wherein controlling the transmitter to transmit beacon signal bursts includes controlling the transmitter to use a multi-sector antenna to transmit into different sectors at different times.

16. The method ofclaim 15, wherein controlling the beacon signal transmitter includes controlling the transmitter to transmit into at most one sector at a time.

17. The method ofclaim 16, wherein controlling the beacon signal transmitter includes controlling the transmitter to transmit into at most one frequency band at a time.

18. The method ofclaim 12, wherein controlling the beacon signal transmitter includes controlling the transmitter to control transmission into multiple frequency bands in each of multiple sectors of a cell.

19. The method ofclaim 18 wherein controlling the beacon signal transmitter to transmit into multiple frequency bands includes controlling the transmitter to transmit into at most one frequency band of one sector at any given time at which a beacon signal burst is transmitted.

20. The method ofclaim 15, further comprising: powering said beacon signal transmitter solely from a battery power source during at least a portion of a time period during which beacon signal bursts are transmitted.

21. The method ofclaim 15, further comprising: providing at least some power used to transmit beacon signal burst from a solar power source.

22. The method ofclaim 15, further comprising: powering said transmitter from a power source which is independent of a commercial power grid.

23. The method ofclaim 12, further comprising: receiving a broadcast signal; and determining signal burst transmission timing as a function of the received broadcast signal.

24. The method ofclaim 23, wherein said receiver is one of a GPS, GSM and CDMA receiver.

25. The method ofclaim 23, further comprising: scanning for different types of broadcast signals which can be used as timing reference signals.

26. The method ofclaim 25, wherein said scanning is performed based on a predetermined sequence based on at least some geographic location information.

27. A beacon signal transmission apparatus, comprising:

beacon signal transmitter means for transmitting a sequence of beacon signal bursts, each beacon signal burst including at least one beacon symbol, said beacon transmission signal apparatus being a free standing device not including any transmitter used to transmit data to an individual user device.

28. The beacon signal transmission apparatus ofclaim 27, further comprising: beacon signal transmission control means for controlling transmission of beacon signal bursts.

29. The apparatus ofclaim 28, wherein said control means includes stored control information used to control said beacon signal transmitter means to transmit beacon signal bursts into different frequency bands at different times.

30. The apparatus ofclaim 28, further comprising: multi-sector antenna means; and wherein the control means controls the transmitter means to transmit beacon signal bursts into different sectors at different times.

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