Communicating via a FEMTO access point within a wireless communications system

摘要

In an embodiment, a user of a wireless communications device (WCD) is notified when operating in a serving area of a FEMTO access point (AP). In another embodiment, the WCD can notify an application server (AS) that the WCD is served by the FEMTO AP. In another embodiment, the AS can set a service level for a server-arbitrated communication session (CS) based on the FEMTO AP serving status of participating WCDs. In another embodiment, the FEMTO AP can determine to use a downlink control or signaling channel to transmit data to the WCD. In another embodiment, based on its serving FEMTO AP status, the WCD can (i) modify its participation level in the CS and/or (ii) selectively track usage. In another embodiment, the WCD or FEMTO AP can measure performance parameters of the CS to determine whether to trigger a handoff of the WCD to a different AP.

主权项

1. A method of setting up a communication session to be arbitrated by an application server in a wireless communications system, comprising:
determining that a current serving access point (AP) of a wireless communications device corresponds to a FEMTO AP; configuring at least one message to request initiation of the communication session to be arbitrated by the application server and to indicate that the wireless communications device is FEMTO-connected based on the determination; and transmitting the configured at least one message to the application server, wherein when the determining, the configuring and the transmitting are performed by an originating wireless communications device of the communication session, the configured at least one message corresponds to a communication session setup request message that requests initiation of the communication session and has a first field set to indicate that the originating wireless communications device is FEMTO-connected, and wherein when the determining, the configuring and the transmitting are performed by a target wireless communications device of the communication session, the configured at least one message corresponds to an acknowledgment to a communication session setup announce message that announces the communication session to the target wireless communications device and has a second field set to indicate that the target wireless communications device is FEMTO-connected.