Patent ID: 8971880
Filing Date: 2015-03-03
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: sending to a first neighbor base station an association level indication requesting that the first neighbor base station reports for a user equipment a ranging parameter set corresponding to one of at least two different levels of association of the first neighbor base station with the user equipment, the association level indication using type, length, and value (TLV) encoding to specify a parameter type, a parameter length, and a parameter value for selecting a corresponding association level of the at least two different levels of association; wherein said at least two different levels of association correspond to different ranging parameter sets; and each ranging parameter set comprises at least one ranging parameter for said user equipment, said at least one ranging parameter allowing said user equipment to align its transmissions with a reception window of the first neighbor base station; receiving from said first neighbor base station for said user equipment proposed values for at least one ranging parameter of said ranging parameter set corresponding to said association level indication, the proposed values comprising values for time advance, power offset, frequency offset, ranging result, and expected service level; receiving proposed values for ranging parameters from a second neighbor base station for said user equipment, the proposed values comprising values for time advance, power offset, frequency offset, ranging result, and expected service level; coordinating said ranging parameters from said first neighbor base station and said ranging parameters of said second neighbor base station; and sending to said first neighbor base station and said second neighbor base station an association acknowledgement indicating final values for the ranging parameters of said first neighbor base station and said second neighbor base station.