Method and apparatus for providing user equipment access to millimeter wave stations through a microwave station

Abstract

A method for providing user equipment access to millimeter wave stations through a microwave station includes receiving an indication of millimeter wave stations operating within a microwave coverage area of a microwave station. In a microwave band, information associated with the millimeter wave stations is broadcasted to user equipment in the microwave coverage area. A request is sent to the millimeter wave stations to transmit configuration signals over a microwave band. An instruction is transmitted over the microwave band to the user equipment to perform proximity measurements of the configuration signals. According to the proximity measurements, a request is sent to a particular millimeter wave station to transmit beamforming signals over a millimeter wave band. An instruction is transmitted over the microwave band to the user equipment to perform beamforming measurements of the beamforming signals. According to the beamforming measurements, the user equipment is switched to millimeter wave operation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for providing user equipment access to a millimeter wave station through a microwave station, the method comprising:
 receiving, by the microwave station from the user equipment, a first measurement report of a reference signal associated with the millimeter wave station, the first measurement report providing a basis to determine a proximity of the user equipment to the millimeter wave station;   transmitting, by the microwave station to the user equipment, a first configuration for receiving a plurality of beamforming signals transmitted by the millimeter wave station;   receiving, by the microwave station from the user equipment, a second measurement report of the plurality of beamforming signals; and   informing the user equipment, by the microwave station, to receive beamformed transmissions from the millimeter wave station, wherein parameters for the beamformed transmissions are selected in accordance to the second measurement report.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 communicating, by the microwave station, to the millimeter wave station resources for transmitting the plurality of beamforming signals.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 communicating, by the microwave station, to the millimeter wave station the second measurement report or an evaluation of the second measurement report.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the reference signal is transmitted over a microwave band from a beacon station coupled to the millimeter wave station. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the first measurement report is received on a first carrier of th microwave band and the reference signal is transmitted on a second carrier of the microwave band. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 sending a request, by the microwave station, to the beacon station to transmit the reference signal over the second carrier of the microwave band; and   transmitting, by the microwave station, over the first carrier of the microwave band a request to the user equipment to perform proximity measurements of the reference signal.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving at the microwave station an indication of millimeter wave stations operating within a microwave coverage area of the microwave station; and   broadcasting, by the microwave station, to the user equipment in a first carrier of a microwave band information associated with the millimeter wave stations in the microwave coverage area.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining from the first measurement report whether the user equipment is in proximity of the millimeter wave station;   sending, by the microwave station, a request to the millimeter wave station to transmit the plurality of beamforming signals over a millimeter wave band in response to the user equipment being in proximity of the millimeter wave station; and   transmitting, by the microwave station, over a first carrier of the microwave band a request to the user equipment to perform beamforming measurements of the beamforming signals for the second measurement report.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 triggering proximity determination and beamforming operations in response to any one of traffic conditions exceeding a particular threshold, user equipment request, and network entity request.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the microwave station, a first stage beamforming measurement report from the user equipment;   transmitting, by the microwave station, a configuration for a second stage beamforming transmission in accordance to the first stage beamforming measurement report; and   receiving, by the microwave station, a second stage beamforming measurement report from the user equipment.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the microwave station, a failure indication for user equipment access to the millimeter wave band; and   continuing microwave band operation between the use equipment and the microwave station in response to millimeter wave band access failure.   
     
     
         12 . An apparatus at a microwave station for providing user equipment access to millimeter wave stations, comprising:
 a memory configured to store data and instruction code;   a processor, upon executing the instruction code, configured to:
 receive, by the microwave station from the user equipment, a first measurement report of a reference signal associated with the millimeter wave station, the first measurement report providing a basis to determine a proximity of the user equipment to the millimeter wave station; 
 transmit, by the microwave station to the user equipment, a first configuration for receiving a plurality of beamforming signals transmitted by the millimeter wave station; 
 receive, by the microwave station from the user equipment, a second measurement report of the plurality of beamforming signals; and 
 inform the user equipment, by the microwave station, to receive beamformed transmissions from the millimeter wave station, wherein parameters for the beamformed transmissions are selected in accordance to the second measurement report. 
   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 communicate to the millimeter wave station resources for transmitting the plurality of beamforming signals.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 communicate to the millimeter wave station the second measurement report or an evaluation of the second measurement report.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the reference signal is transmitted from a beacon station coupled to the millimeter wave station. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the first measurement report is received on a first carrier of a microwave band and the reference signal is transmitted on a second carrier of the microwave band. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 send a request to the beacon station to transmit the reference signal over the second carrier of the microwave band; and   transmit over the first carrier of the microwave band a request to the user equipment to perform proximity measurements of the reference signal.   
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 receive at the microwave station an indication of millimeter wave stations operating within a microwave coverage area of the microwave station; and   broadcast to the user equipment in a first carrier of a microwave band information associated with the millimeter wave stations in the microwave coverage area.   
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 determine from the first measurement report whether the user equipment is in proximity of the millimeter wave station;   send a request to the millimeter wave station to transmit the plurality of beamforming signals over a millimeter wave band in response to the user equipment being in proximity of the millimeter wave station; and   transmit over a first carrier of the microwave band a request to the user equipment to perform beamforming measurements of the beamforming signals for the second measurement report.   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 trigger proximity determination and beamforming operations in response to any one of traffic conditions exceeding a particular threshold, user equipment request, and network entity request.   
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 receive a first stage beamforming measurement report from the user equipment;   transmit a configuration for a second stage beamforming transmission in accordance to the first stage beamforming measurement report; and   receive second stage beamforming measurement report from the user equipment.   
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 receive a failure indication for user equipment access to the millimeter wave band; and   continue microwave band operation between the use equipment and the microwave station in response to millimeter wave band access failure.