Method and apparatus for triggering of specific operation mode for terminals operating in extended long range

• US 10,097,990 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2013
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Balachandran, Kumar, Bergman, Johan, Dimou, Konstantinos, Eriksson, Erik, Wallen, Anders
• Primary Examiner(s): Adhami, Mohammad S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rivas, Raul
• Application Number:
  US14/390,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20150092566A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,791 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/242 taking into account path loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/245 taking into account received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/48 during retransmission after error or non-acknowledgment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/50 at the moment of starting communication in a multiple access environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for triggering a long range extension mode of operation for a wireless device in a cellular communications network. In one preferred embodiment, the wireless device is a Machine Type Communication (MTC) device. In one embodiment, a node in the cellular communications network determines that the wireless device is to operate in the long range extension mode if there is difficulty in establishing communication between the wireless device and the cellular communications network. If the wireless device is to operate in the long range extension mode, the node activates one or more long range extension mechanisms with respect to the wireless device such that the wireless device operates in the long range extension mode. In this manner, the long range extension mode is selectively triggered for the wireless device.

Claims

1. A method of operation of a node in a cellular communications network, comprising:

determining that there is difficulty in establishing communication between a wireless device and the cellular communications network when Reference Signal Received Power, RSRP, measurements for a number, N, of strongest cells made by the wireless device are each less than a predefined threshold RSRP;

determining that the wireless device is to operate in a long range extension mode of operation upon determining that there is difficulty in establishing communication between the wireless device and the cellular communications network, the long range extension mode of operation being a mode of operation of the wireless device in which the wireless device is configured to maintain communication with a cell of the cellular communications network over an extended range as compared to a normal range over which the wireless device is enabled to maintain communication with the cell of the cellular communications network when operating in a normal mode of operation; and

upon determining that the wireless device is to operate in the long range extension mode of operation, activating one or more long range extension mechanisms such that the wireless device operates in the long range extension mode of operation.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more long range extension mechanisms comprise one or more long range extension mechanisms for a downlink from a base station in the cellular communications network to the wireless device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more long range extension mechanisms comprise one or more long range extension mechanisms for an uplink from the wireless device to a base station in the cellular communications network.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more long range extension mechanisms comprise both one or more long range extension mechanisms for a downlink from a base station in the cellular communications network to the wireless device and one or more long range extension mechanisms for an uplink from the wireless device to a base station in the cellular communications network.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more long range extension mechanisms comprise at least one of a group consisting of:

use of an increased transmit power that eases the difficulty in establishing communication between the wireless device and the cellular communications network, use of an increased amount of reference signal resources that ease the difficulty in establishing communication between the wireless device and the cellular communications network, use of one or more modified repetition schemes that ease the difficulty in establishing communication between the wireless device and the cellular communications network, use of one or more scheduling restrictions that ease the difficulty in establishing communication between the wireless device and the cellular communications network, use of one or more modulation and coding schemes that ease the difficulty in establishing communication between the wireless device and the cellular communications network, use of one or more synchronization signals that ease the difficulty in establishing communication between the wireless device and the cellular communications network, and use of random access resources that ease the difficulty in establishing communication between the wireless device and the cellular communications network.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining that the wireless device is not to operate in the long range extension mode of operation; and

upon determining that the wireless device is not to operate in the long range extension mode of operation, de-activating the one or more long range extension mechanisms such that the wireless device operates in the normal mode of operation.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the node is the wireless device, and the method further comprises, upon determining that the wireless device is to operate in the long range extension mode of operation, attempting a random access using one or more resources dedicated for the long range extension mode of operation.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the node is the wireless device, and the method further comprises, upon determining that the wireless device is to operate in the long range extension mode of operation, attempting a scheduling request transmission using one or more resources dedicated for the long range extension mode of operation.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the node is a network node; and

activating the one or more long range extension mechanisms comprises;

signaling information to the wireless device that is indicative of at least one of a group consisting of;

one or more radio resources dedicated for random access attempts in the long range extension mode of operation and one or more radio resources dedicated for uplink scheduling requests in the long range extension mode of operation.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the node is the wireless device;

the method further comprises receiving information that is indicative of at least one of a group consisting of;

one or more radio resources dedicated for random access attempts in the long range extension mode of operation and one or more radio resources dedicated for uplink scheduling requests in the long range extension mode of operation; and

activating the one or more long range extension mechanisms comprises activating use of at least one of the group consisting of;

the one or more radio resources dedicated for random access attempts in the long range extension mode of operation and the one or more radio resources dedicated for uplink scheduling requests in the long range extension mode of operation.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the node is a network node; and

activating the one or more long range extension mechanisms comprises transmitting a request to the wireless device for the wireless device to operate in the long range extension mode of operation.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the request is made via a Radio Resource Control, RRC, message that indicates to the wireless device that the wireless device is to enter the long range extension mode of operation and includes one or more parameters for the long range extension mode of operation.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the node is the wireless device; and

the method further comprises de-activating the one or more long range extension mechanisms in response to signaling from a network node of the cellular communications network that forces the wireless device out of the long range extension mode of operation and into the normal mode of operation.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the node is a network node; and

the method further comprises subsequently forcing the wireless device to de-activate the one or more long range extension mechanisms such that the wireless device enters the normal mode of operation.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising selecting one or more parameters for the long range extension mode of operation as a function of a difficulty level in establishing communication between the cellular communications network and the wireless device.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the node is the wireless device.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the node is a network node in the cellular communications network.

18. A node in a cellular communications network, comprising:

a wireless interface; and

one or more control and processing circuits associated with the wireless interface and configured to;

determine that there is difficulty in establishing communication between a wireless device and the cellular communications network when Reference Signal Received Power, RSRP, measurements for a number, N, of strongest cells made by the wireless device are each less than a predefined threshold RSRP;

determine that the wireless device is to operate in a long range extension mode of operation upon determining that there is difficulty in establishing communication between the wireless device and the cellular communications network, the long range extension mode of operation being a mode of operation of the wireless device in which the wireless device is configured to maintain communication with a cell of the cellular communications network over an extended range as compared to a normal range over which the wireless device is enabled to maintain communication with the cell of the cellular communications network when operating in a normal mode of operation; and

upon determining that the wireless device is to operate in the long range extension mode of operation, activate one or more long range extension mechanisms such that the wireless device operates in the long range extension mode of operation.

19. The node of claim 18 wherein the node is the wireless device.

20. The node of claim 18 wherein the node is a network node of the cellular communications network.

21. The node of claim 18 wherein the node is the wireless device, and the one or more control and processing circuits are further configured to, upon determining that the wireless device is to operate in the long range extension mode of operation, attempt a scheduling request transmission using one or more resources dedicated for the long range extension mode of operation.

22. The node of claim 18 wherein the one or more control and processing circuits are further configured to select one or more parameters for the long range extension mode of operation as a function of a difficulty level in establishing communication between the cellular communications network and the wireless device.