Method for transmitting and receiving signal in communication environment in which multiple communication systems interwork, and apparatus therefor

• US 10,075,904 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2014
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Eunjong, Chung, Jaehoon, Choi, Hyeyoung, Cho, Heejeong, Hahn, Genebeck
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao, Kwang B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bokhari, Syed M
• Application Number:
  US15/036,790
• Publication Number:
  US 20160286470A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,525 Days
• Field of Search: 370329, 370320, 370328, 370230, 370232
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0833 Random access procedures, e.g. with 4-step access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A user equipment in a communication environment in which a plural communication systems interwork comprises: a processor for searching a base station of a first communication system, the base station having a signal intensity higher than a threshold; and a receiver for receiving information of a base station list of a second communication system adjacent to the terminal through a first communication system link from the searched base station of the first communication system, wherein the processor turns on a second communication system mode in the case of failing in random access channel (RACH) transmissions a predetermined number of times to the searched base station of the first communication system, wherein the receiver receives a beacon signal including an indicator which indicates support of an uplink transmission of the first communication system from base stations included in the information of the base station list of the second communication system; the processor recognizes that an uplink transmission is disabled or only a downlink transmission is enabled through the first communication system link based on the beacon signal; and the information of the base station list of the second communication system may include an indicator which indicates whether the base station of the second communication system supports a downlink (DL) or uplink (UL) transmission through the first communication system link.

Claims

1. A method of receiving a downlink signal by a user equipment (UE) in a communication environment in which a plural communication systems interwork, the method comprising:

receiving information of a list of base stations of a second communication system adjacent to the user equipment from a base station of a first communication system through a first communication system link;

when quality of downlink signals received from the base station of the first communication system do not continuously satisfy a threshold a predetermined number of times,

turning on a second communication system mode based on the information of list of base stations of the second communication system; and

receiving a beacon signal or a probe response message from a base station included in the list of base stations of the second communication system through a second communication system link, the base station included in the list of base stations of the second communication system supporting downlink transmission of the first communication system;

based on the beacon signal or the probe response message, recognizing that downlink transmission through the first communication system link is impossible or only uplink transmission through the first communication system link is possible;

performing an association procedure with the base station supporting the downlink transmission of the first communication system based on a result of the recognizing; and

receiving downlink data or system information of the base station of the first communication system from the base station supporting the downlink transmission of the first communication system through the second communication system link,

wherein the beacon signal or the probe response message includes an indicator indicating support of the downlink transmission of the first communication system,

wherein the information on the list of base stations of the second communication system includes an indicator indicating whether a base station of the second communication system supports downlink or uplink transmission through the first communication system link.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, to the base station of the first communication system, an indicator indicating that the downlink signal will be received from a base station supporting downlink transmission of the first communication system.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting uplink data to the base station of the first communication system through the first communication system link.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first communication system is a cellular communication system and the second communication system is a wireless LAN (WLAN) communication system.

5. The method according to claim 1, where the base station supporting the downlink transmission of the first communication system is a base station belonging to the second communication system which can deliver a downlink signal received through the first communication system link to the user equipment.

6. A method of transmitting an uplink signal by a user equipment in a communication environment in which a plural communication systems interwork, the method comprising:

searching for a base station of a first communication system, the base station having signal intensity of higher than a threshold;

receiving, from the searched base station of the first communication system, information of a list of base stations of a second communication system adjacent to the user equipment through a first communication system link;

turning on a second communication system mode when failing in a predetermined number of random access channel (RACH) transmissions to the searched base station of the first communication system;

receiving a beacon signal including an indicator indicating support of uplink transmission of the first communication system from a base station included in the information of the list of base stations of the second communication system;

based on the beacon signal, recognizing that the uplink transmission through the first communication system link is impossible or only downlink transmission through the first communication system link is possible;

performing an association procedure with the base station supporting uplink transmission of the first communication system; and

transmitting a RACH signal or a connection establishment request message to the base station supporting uplink transmission of the first communication system,

wherein the information of the list of base stations of the second communication system includes an indicator indicating whether a base station of the second communication system supports downlink or uplink transmission through the first communication system link.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the base station supporting the uplink transmission of the first communication system is a base station belonging to the second communication system, receiving an uplink signal for transmission to the first communication system by the user equipment and transmitting the uplink signal to the searched base station of the first communication system.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the first communication system is a cellular communication system and the second communication system is a wireless LAN (WLAN) communication system.

9. A user equipment (UE) for receiving a downlink signal in a communication environment in which a plural communication systems interwork, the user equipment comprising:

a transceiver; and

a processor connected with the transceiver,

wherein the processor is configured to;

control the transceiver to receive information of a list of base stations of a second communication system adjacent to the user equipment from a base station of a first communication system through a first communication system link,

turn on a second communication system mode on the basis of the information of the list of the second communication system when quality of downlink signals received from the base station of the first communication system do not continuously satisfy a threshold a predetermined number of times,

control the transceiver to receive a beacon signal or a probe response message from a base station included in the list of base stations of the second communication system through a second communication system link, the base station included in the list of base stations of the second communication system supporting downlink transmission of the first communication system,

based on the beacon signal or the probe response message, recognize that downlink transmission through the first communication system link is impossible or only uplink transmission through the first communication system link is possible,

perform an association procedure with the base station supporting the downlink transmission of the first communication system based on a result of the recognizing; and

control the transceiver to receive downlink data or system information of the base station of the first communication system from the base station supporting the downlink transmission of the first communication system through the second communication system link,

wherein the beacon signal or the probe response message includes an indicator indicating support of the downlink transmission of the first communication system,

wherein the information of the list of base stations of the second communication system includes an indicator indicating whether a base station of the second communication system supports downlink or uplink transmission through the first communication system link.

10. A user equipment (UE) for transmitting an uplink signal in a communication environment in which a plural communication systems interwork, the user equipment comprising:

a transceiver; and

a processor connected with the transceiver,

wherein the processor is configured to;

search for a base station of a first communication system, the base station having signal intensity of higher than a threshold,

control the transceiver to receive, from the searched base station of the first communication system, information of a list of base stations of a second communication system adjacent to the user equipment through a first communication system link,

turn on a second communication system mode when a predetermined number of RACH transmissions to the searched base station of the first communication system fail,

control the transceiver to receive a beacon signal including an indicator indicating support of uplink transmission of the first communication system from a base station included in the information of the list of base station of the second communication system,

based on the beacon signal, recognize that uplink transmission through the first communication system link is impossible or only downlink transmission through the first communication system link is possible,

perform an association procedure with the base station supporting uplink transmission of the first communication system, and

control the transceiver to transmit a RACH signal or a connection establishment request message to the base station supporting uplink transmission of the first communication system,

wherein the information of the list of base stations of the second communication system includes an indicator indicating whether a base station of the second communication system supports downlink or uplink transmission through the first communication system link.