Methods and systems for automated activation and configuration of broadband incident area networks (IANs)

Abstract

Disclosed herein are methods and systems for automated activation and configuration of broadband LTE IANs. A mobile IAN base station, an activated mode and a dormant mode, determines at least one location in a local region of the mobile IAN base station while in the dormant mode. An activation-permission request is submitted to a geo-location-database (GDB) function, and the mobile IAN base station receives an activation-permission response. The response is based on an expected level of wide-area-network (WAN) coverage associated with the determined location. Responsive to receiving an activation-permission grant, the mobile IAN base station transitions to the activated mode. Responsive to not receiving an activation-permission grant, the mobile IAN base station remains in the dormant mode.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method carried out by a mobile incident-area-network (IAN) base station having a plurality of selectable operating modes, the plurality of selectable operating modes including an activated mode and a dormant mode, the method comprising:
 determining at least one location in a local region of the mobile IAN base station while the mobile IAN base station is in the dormant mode; 
 submitting, to a geo-location-database (GDB) function, an activation permission request that includes the determined at least one location for processing by the GDB function; 
 receiving, from the GDB function, an activation-permission response associated with the submitted activation-permission request, wherein the received activation-permission response is based at least in part on an expected level of wide area-network (WAN) coverage associated with the determined at least one location; 
 transitioning the mobile IAN base station to the activated mode in response to confirming each activation criterion in a set of one or more activation criteria, the set of one or more activation criteria comprising the received activation-permission response being an activation-permission grant; and 
 remaining in the dormant mode in response to failing to confirm at least one activation criterion in the set of one or more activation criteria. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the GDB function operates locally in the mobile IAN base station. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the GDB function utilizes a local cache of WAN-coverage data derived from a remote GDB function. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the GDB function operates remote from the mobile IAN base station. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , the method further comprising:
 operating in accordance with the activation-permission grant. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the activation-permission grant instructs the mobile IAN base station to operate at a full transmission power level. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the activation-permission grant instructs the mobile IAN base station as to permissible operating ranges with respect to one or more operating parameters, the one or more operating parameters including one or more of transmit power level, carrier frequency, channel bandwidth, utilized resource blocks, and time-frequency allocation. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the expected level of WAN coverage comprises at least one of an expected WAN signal-to-noise-and-interference ratio (SINR), an expected WAN signal strength, an expected WAN loading level, and an expected WAN available-capacity level. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 measuring an actual level of WAN coverage, 
 wherein the set of one or more activation criteria further comprises the measured actual level of WAN coverage being less than a predetermined WAN-coverage threshold. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the measured actual level of WAN coverage being less than the predetermined WAN-coverage threshold corresponds to one or both of (i) a measured actual WAN signal-to-noise-and-interference ratio (SINR) being less than a predetermined SINR threshold and (ii) a measured actual WAN signal strength being less than a predetermined signal-strength level. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the set of one or more activation criteria further comprises the mobile IAN base station having received a user instruction to transition to the activated mode. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the mobile IAN base station received the user instruction via a user interface of the mobile IAN base station. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the mobile IAN base station received the user instruction from a user authorized to issue such an instruction. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the set of one or more activation criteria further comprises the mobile IAN base station having received an activation instruction from a WAN. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the set of one or more activation criteria further comprises the mobile IAN base station having received an activation instruction from a mobile radio. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the mobile IAN base station received the activation instruction from the mobile radio over a land mobile radio (LMR) channel. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving expected-WAN-coverage data from the GDB function; 
 measuring an actual level of WAN coverage; and 
 adapting the expected-WAN-coverage data with the measured actual level of the WAN coverage. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining an updated location of the mobile IAN base station while the mobile IAN base station is in the activated mode;
 submitting, to the GBD function, a continuing operation 
 
 request that includes the determined updated location for processing by the GDB function;
 receiving, from the GDB function, a continuing-operation response associated with the submitted continuing-operation request, wherein the received continuing operation response is based at least in part on an expected level of WAN coverage associated with the determined updated location; 
 remaining in the activated mode in response to confirming each continuing operation criterion in a set of one or more continuing-operation criteria, the set of one or more continuing-operation criteria comprising the received continuing-operation response being a continuing-operation grant; and 
 transitioning the mobile IAN base station to the dormant mode in response to failing to confirm at least one continuing-operation criterion in the set of one or more continuing operation criteria. 
 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the GDB function formulates the activation-permission response based at least in part on information regarding one or more of a transmitter location, a radiated power level, an antenna height, an antenna gain, an antenna polarization, an antenna pattern, and terrain data. 
     
     
       20. A mobile incident-area network (IAN) base station having a plurality of selectable operating modes, the plurality of selectable operating modes including an activated mode and a dormant mode, the mobile IAN base station comprising:
 a wireless-communication interface; 
 a processor; and 
 a non-transitory computer readable medium containing instructions executable by the processor for causing the mobile IAN base station to carry out a set of functions, the set of functions comprising:
 determining at least one location in a local region of the mobile IAN base station while the mobile IAN base station is in the dormant mode; 
 submitting, to a geo-location-database (GDB) function, an activation permission request that includes the determined at least one location for processing by the GDB function; 
 receiving, from the GDB function, an activation-permission response associated with the submitted activation-permission request, wherein the received activation permission response is based at least in part on an expected level of wide-area-network (WAN) coverage around the determined at least one location; 
 transitioning the mobile IAN base station to the activated mode in response to confirming each activation criterion in a set of one or more activation criteria, the set of one or more activation criteria comprising the received activation-permission response being an activation-permission grant; and 
 remaining in the dormant mode in response to failing to confirm at least one activation criterion in the set of one or more activation criteria.