Method and apparatus for facilitating a beacon-assisted handover to a home node-b for users on an active call

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are disclosed for facilitating a beacon-assisted handover from a macro network to a femto cell during an active call. A femto cell management system assigns a unique identifier to a femto cell, which the femto cell utilizes to broadcast a beacon at a frequency different than the operating frequency of the femto cell. A wireless terminal receives a control message from the macro network directing the wireless terminal to scan particular frequencies. The wireless terminal subsequently provides a report to the macro network identifying attributes ascertained from the scan, which includes attributes associated with the beacon. The macro network then performs a handover from the macro network to the femto cell as a function of the attributes.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method that facilitates a beacon-assisted handover from a femto cell comprising:
 receiving an initialization message, wherein the initialization message includes a unique identifier associated with the femto cell;   operating the femto cell at a first frequency, wherein the femto cell is operated as a function of the unique identifier; and   broadcasting at least one beacon signal, wherein the at least one beacon signal is broadcast at a second frequency different than the first frequency, and wherein the at least one beacon signal is broadcast according to the unique identifier.   
     
     
         2 . A method that facilitates managing a beacon-assisted handover comprising:
 employing a processor to execute computer executable instructions stored on a computer readable storage medium to implement a series of acts including:
 receiving a communication from a femto cell; 
 assigning a unique identifier to the femto cell as a function of the communication, wherein the unique identifier identifies an initialization parameter associated with broadcasting a beacon signal from the femto cell; and 
 transmitting the unique identifier to the femto cell. 
   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the communication identifies a scrambling code selected by the femto cell, and wherein the unique identifier is assigned based on the scrambling code. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the unique identifier identifies at least one of a scrambling code associated with the beacon signal or a timing offset associated with the beacon signal. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the unique identifier further identifies at least one of a scrambling code associated with an operating frequency of the femto cell or a timing offset associated with the operating frequency of the femto cell. 
     
     
         6 . An apparatus that facilitates managing a beacon-assisted handover, the apparatus comprising:
 a processor configured to execute computer executable components stored in memory, the components including:
 a receiving component configured to receive a communication from a femto cell; 
 an assignment component configured to assign a unique identifier to the femto cell as a function of the communication, wherein the unique identifier identifies an initialization parameter associated with broadcasting a beacon signal from the femto cell; and 
 a transmitting component configured to transmit the unique identifier to the femto cell. 
   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the communication identifies a scrambling code selected by the femto cell, and wherein the assignment component is configured to assign the unique identifier based on the scrambling code. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the assignment component is configured to ascertain at least one of a scrambling code associated with the beacon signal or a timing offset associated with the beacon signal, and wherein the unique identifier identifies at least one of the scrambling code or the timing offset. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the assignment component is configured to ascertain at least one of a scrambling code associated with an operating frequency of the femto cell or a timing offset associated with the operating frequency of the femto cell, and wherein the unique identifier further identifies at least one of the scrambling code or the timing offset. 
     
     
         10 . A computer program product that facilitates managing a beacon-assisted handover, comprising:
 a computer-readable storage medium comprising code for causing at least one computer to:
 receive a communication from a femto cell; 
 assign a unique identifier to the femto cell as a function of the communication, wherein the unique identifier identifies an initialization parameter associated with broadcasting a beacon signal from the femto cell; and 
 transmit the unique identifier to the femto cell. 
   
     
     
         11 . An apparatus that facilitates managing a beacon-assisted handover comprising:
 means for receiving a communication from a femto cell;   means for assigning a unique identifier to the femto cell as a function of the communication, wherein the unique identifier identifies an initialization parameter associated with broadcasting a beacon signal from the femto cell; and   means for transmitting the unique identifier to the femto cell.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the communication identifies a scrambling code selected by the femto cell, and wherein the means for assigning the unique identifier is based on the scrambling code. 
     
     
         13 . A method that facilitates managing a beacon-assisted handover, comprising:
 receiving a communication from a femto cell;   assigning a unique identifier to the femto cell as a function of the communication, wherein the unique identifier identifies an initialization parameter associated with broadcasting a beacon signal from the femto cell; and   transmitting the unique identifier to the femto cell.   
     
     
         14 . A method that facilitates a beacon-assisted handover from a macro network comprising:
 employing a processor to execute computer executable instructions stored on a computer readable storage medium to implement a series of acts including:
 generating a control message, wherein the control message directs a wireless terminal to scan a frequency associated with a beacon transmitted by a femto cell, and wherein the frequency is different than an operating frequency of the femto cell; 
 transmitting the control message to the wireless terminal; 
 receiving a report from the wireless terminal, wherein the report includes at least one beacon attribute; 
 ascertaining a detection of the femto cell based on the at least one beacon attribute; and 
 ascertaining an identification of the femto cell based on the at least one beacon attribute, wherein a handover to the femto cell is facilitated by the identification. 
   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the report includes a frame number associated with the beacon, wherein the at least one beacon attribute is the frame number. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the report includes a scrambling code associated with the beacon, wherein the at least one beacon attribute is the scrambling code. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising directing the wireless terminal to perform the scan on the operating frequency of the femto cell, wherein the report further includes a femto cell attribute, and wherein at least one of the detection or the identification is based on the femto cell attribute. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the report includes a scrambling code associated with the operating frequency, and wherein the femto cell attribute is the scrambling code. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising transmitting the report to a femto cell gateway. 
     
     
         20 . An apparatus that facilitates a beacon-assisted handover from a macro network, the apparatus comprising:
 a processor configured to execute computer executable components stored in memory, the components including:
 a message generation component configured to generate a control message, wherein the control message directs a wireless terminal to scan a frequency associated with a beacon transmitted by a femto cell, and wherein the frequency is different than an operating frequency of the femto cell; 
 a transmitting component configured to transmit the control message to the wireless terminal; 
 a receiving component configured to receive a report from the wireless terminal, wherein the report includes at least one beacon attribute; 
 a detection component configured to ascertain a detection of the femto cell based on the at least one beacon attribute; and 
 an identification component configured to determine an identification of the femto cell based on the at least one beacon attribute, wherein a handover to the femto cell is facilitated by the identification. 
   
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the report includes a frame number associated with the beacon, wherein the at least one beacon attribute is the frame number. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the report includes a scrambling code associated with the beacon, wherein the at least one beacon attribute is the scrambling code. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the message generation component is configured to generate a subsequent message directing the wireless terminal to perform the scan on the operating frequency of the femto cell, the report further including a femto cell attribute, wherein at least one of the detection or the identification is based on the femto cell attribute. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the report includes a scrambling code associated with the operating frequency, and wherein the femto cell attribute is the scrambling code. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the transmitting component is further configured to transmit the report to a femto cell gateway. 
     
     
         26 . A computer program product that facilitates a beacon-assisted handover from a macro network, comprising:
 a computer-readable storage medium comprising code for causing at least one computer to:
 generate a control message, wherein the control message directs a wireless terminal to scan a frequency associated with a beacon transmitted by a femto cell, and wherein the frequency is different than an operating frequency of the femto cell; 
 transmit the control message to the wireless terminal; 
 receive a report from the wireless terminal, wherein the report includes at least one beacon attribute; 
 ascertain a detection of the femto cell based on the at least one beacon attribute; and 
   
       determine an identification of the femto cell based on the at least one beacon attribute, wherein a handover to the femto cell is facilitated by the identification. 
     
     
         27 . An apparatus that facilitates a beacon-assisted handover from a macro network comprising:
 means for generating a control message, wherein the control message directs a wireless terminal to scan a frequency associated with a beacon transmitted by a femto cell, and wherein the frequency is different than an operating frequency of the femto cell;   means for transmitting the control message to the wireless terminal;   means for receiving a report from the wireless terminal, wherein the report includes at least one beacon attribute;   means for ascertaining a detection of the femto cell based on the at least one beacon attribute; and   means for determining an identification of the femto cell based on the at least one beacon attribute, wherein a handover to the femto cell is facilitated by the identification.   
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 27 , further comprising means for directing the wireless terminal to perform the scan on the operating frequency of the femto cell, wherein the report further includes a femto cell attribute, and wherein at least one of the detection or the identification is based on the femto cell attribute. 
     
     
         29 . A method that facilitates a beacon-assisted handover from a macro network comprising:
 generating a control message, wherein the control message directs a wireless terminal to scan a frequency associated with a beacon transmitted by a femto cell, and wherein the frequency is different than an operating frequency of the femto cell;   transmitting the control message to the wireless terminal;   receiving a report from the wireless terminal, wherein the report includes at least one beacon attribute;   ascertaining a detection of the femto cell based on the at least one beacon attribute; and   ascertaining an identification of the femto cell based on the at least one beacon attribute, wherein a handover to the femto cell is facilitated by the identification.