Device-based idle mode load balancing

• US 10,129,822 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2012
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.), AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cui, Zhi, Brisebois, Arthur Richard, Chen, Ye, Tong, Yonghui
• Primary Examiner(s): Cosme, Natasha W
• Application Number:
  US13/707,539
• Publication Number:
  US 20140162636A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,168 Days
• Field of Search: 455436, 4554521, 4554522, 455441, 370252, 370329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point

Abstract

Concepts and technologies are described herein for device-based idle mode load balancing. According to one aspect disclosed herein, a mobile device can receive a cell information message that includes load information of a current camping cell on which the mobile device is currently camping and load information of at least one neighbor cell of a plurality of neighbor cells to the current camping cell. The mobile device can also obtain cell-type information of the current camping cell and cell-type information of the at least one neighbor cell. The mobile device can also determine a mobility state of the mobile device, and, based upon the load information of the current camping cell, the load information of the at least one neighbor cell, the cell-type information of the current camping cell, the cell-type information of the at least one neighbor cell, and the mobility state information, select a target camping cell.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising

determining a mobility state of the mobile device,

causing the mobile device to operate in an idle mode,

receiving, while operating in the idle mode, from a base station operating within a current camping cell in which the mobile device is currently located, a cell information message, wherein the cell information message is generated by the base station based upon current camping cell information associated with the current camping cell and neighbor cell information received from and associated with a neighbor cell of a plurality of neighbor cells to the current camping cell, wherein the current camping cell information comprises load information of the current camping cell and cell-type information of the current camping cell, wherein the load information of the current camping cell comprises cell loads of at least two logical cells of the current camping cell, wherein a first logical cell of the at least two logical cells of the current camping cell operates in accordance with a first frequency band and a second logical cell of the at least two logical cells of the current camping cell operates in accordance with a second frequency band, and wherein the neighbor cell information comprises load information of the neighbor cell and cell-type information of the neighbor cell,

obtaining, while operating in the idle mode, from the cell information message, the current camping cell information and the neighbor cell information,

selecting, while operating in the idle mode, based upon the current camping cell information, the neighbor cell information, and the mobility state, a target camping cell; and

connecting to the target camping cell.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the neighbor cell operates within at least a third frequency band, and wherein selecting the target camping cell comprises selecting the target camping cell further based upon the third frequency band.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the current camping cell operates in accordance with a first radio access technology and the neighbor cell operates in accordance with at least a second radio access technology, and wherein selecting the target camping cell comprises selecting the target camping cell further based upon the first radio access technology and at least the second radio access technology.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the cell information message is generated by the base station further based upon WI-FI access point information associated with and received from a WI-FI access point.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise determining a received signal strength of the current camping cell and a received signal strength of the neighbor cell, and wherein selecting the target camping cell comprises selecting the target camping cell further based upon the received signal strength of the current camping cell and the received signal strength of the neighbor cell.

16. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the load information of the neighbor cell comprises cell loads of at least two logical cells of the neighbor cell, wherein a first logical cell of the at least two logical cells of the neighbor cell operates in accordance with a third frequency band and a second logical cell of the at least two logical cells of the neighbor cell operates in accordance with a fourth frequency band.

17. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein selecting the target camping cell comprises selecting the target camping cell based upon a target frequency band provided by the target camping cell, wherein the target frequency band is conducive to serving the mobile device moving at a speed greater than or equal to 55 miles per hour.

18. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein selecting the target camping cell comprises selecting the target camping cell based upon a target frequency band provided by the target camping cell, wherein the target frequency band is conducive to serving the mobile device moving at a speed less than 55 miles per hour.

6. A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a mobile device, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

determining a mobility state of the mobile device;

causing the mobile device to operate in an idle mode,

receiving, while operating in the idle mode, from a base station operating within a current camping cell in which the mobile device is currently located, a cell information message, wherein the cell information message is generated by the base station based upon current camping cell information associated with the current camping cell and neighbor cell information received from and associated with a neighbor cell of a plurality of neighbor cells to the current camping cell, wherein the current camping cell information comprises load information of the current camping cell and cell-type information of the current camping cell, wherein the load information of the current camping cell comprises cell loads of at least two logical cells of the current camping cell, wherein a first logical cell of the at least two logical cells of the current camping cell operates in accordance with a first frequency band and a second logical cell of the at least two logical cells of the current camping cell operates in accordance with a second frequency band, and wherein the neighbor cell information comprises load information of the neighbor cell and cell-type information of the neighbor cell;

obtaining, while operating in the idle mode, from the cell information message, the current camping cell information and the neighbor cell information;

selecting, while operating in the idle mode, based upon the current camping cell information, the neighbor cell information, and the mobility state, a target camping cell; and

connecting to the target camping cell.

7. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, the neighbor cell operates within at least a third frequency band, and wherein selecting the target camping cell comprises selecting the target camping cell further based upon the third frequency band.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the current camping cell operates in accordance with a first radio access technology and the neighbor cell operates in accordance with at least a second radio access technology, and wherein selecting the target camping cell comprises selecting the target camping cell further based upon the first radio access technology and at least the second radio access technology.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the cell information message is generated by the base station further based upon WI-FI access point information associated with and received from a WI-FI access point.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise determining a received signal strength of the current camping cell and a received signal strength of the neighbor cell, and wherein selecting the target camping cell comprises selecting the target camping cell further based upon the received signal strength of the current camping cell and the received signal strength of the neighbor cell.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the load information of the neighbor cell comprises cell loads of at least two logical cells of the neighbor cell, wherein a first logical cell of the at least two logical cells of the neighbor cell operates in accordance with a third frequency band and a second logical cell of the at least two logical cells of the neighbor cell operates in accordance with a fourth frequency band.

11. A method comprising:

determining a mobility state of a mobile device;

operating the mobile device in an idle mode;

receiving, at the mobile device while operating in the idle mode, from a base station operating within a current camping cell in which the mobile device is currently located, a cell information message, wherein the cell information message is generated by the base station based upon current camping cell information associated with the current camping cell and neighbor cell information received from and associated with a neighbor cell of a plurality of neighbor cells to the current camping cell, wherein the current camping cell information comprises load information of the current camping cell and cell-type information of the current camping cell, wherein the load information of the current camping cell comprises cell loads of at least two logical cells of the current camping cell, wherein a first logical cell of the at least two logical cells of the current camping cell operates in accordance with a first frequency band and a second logical cell of the at least two logical cells of the current camping cell operates in accordance with a second frequency band, and wherein the neighbor cell information comprises load information of the neighbor cell and cell-type information of the neighbor cell;

obtaining, by the mobile device while operating in the idle mode, from the cell information message, the current camping cell information and the neighbor cell information;

selecting, by the mobile device while operating in the idle mode, based upon the current camping cell information, the neighbor cell information, and the mobility state, a target camping cell; and

connecting, by the mobile device, to the target camping cell.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the neighbor cell operates within at least a third frequency band, and wherein selecting the target camping cell comprises selecting the target camping cell further based upon the first frequency band and at least the second frequency band.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the current camping cell operates in accordance with a first radio access technology and the neighbor cell operates in accordance with at least a second radio access technology, and wherein selecting the target camping cell comprises selecting the target camping cell further based upon the first radio access technology and at least the second radio access technology.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the cell information message is generated by the base station further based upon WI-FI access point information associated with and received from a WI-FI access point.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining a received signal strength of the current camping cell and a received signal strength of the neighbor cell, and wherein selecting the target camping cell comprises selecting the target camping cell further based upon the received signal strength of the current camping cell and the received signal strength of the neighbor cell.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the load information of the neighbor cell comprises cell loads of at least two logical cells of the neighbor cell, wherein a first logical cell of the at least two logical cells of the neighbor cell operates in accordance with a third frequency band and a second logical cell of the at least two logical cells of the neighbor cell operates in accordance with a fourth frequency band.