Method and apparatus for cell reselection

• US 10,212,633 B1
• Filed: 07/08/2016
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mbit Wireless Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mbit Wireless Inc.
• Inventors: Govindassamy, Sivakumar, Patel, Bhaskar
• Primary Examiner(s): Heiber, Shantell L
• Application Number:
  US15/205,475
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/38 Arrangements for distribution where lower stations, e.g. receivers, interact with the broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/005 Routing actions in the presence of nodes in sleep or doze mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/04 using triggered events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/02 Arrangements for increasing efficiency of notification or paging channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

In cellular communication systems, the success rate for incoming calls for a client terminal in idle mode is related to the successful reception of paging messages. The instances for paging message transmission, known as paging occasions, may be based on a client terminal'"'"'s unique identity. The network transmits a paging message addressed to a specific client terminal in its specific paging occasion. In addition to the reception of paging messages, a client terminal may be required to search and monitor neighbor cells for cell reselection and handoffs. A method and apparatus are disclosed that improve the cell reselection by using the known a priori information to categorize the neighbor cells, to categorize the cell reselection types, and to perform cell reselection to an appropriate neighbor cell at the opportune time such that a paging message reception may be neither missed nor delayed during the cell reselection.

Claims

1. A method for cell reselection at a client terminal in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

controlling, by a processing device at the client terminal, cell reselection for the client terminal based on determining a type of a neighbor cell for communication with the client terminal using the wireless communication system,

wherein the type of the neighbor cell is determined based on

whether stored information about the neighbor cell which is valid is available, in which the information about the neighbor cell is from a broadcast in the neighbor cell using the wireless communication system and is received by and stored at the client terminal, and

a determination, from the stored information which is valid, of a time of a next occurrence of a paging occasion (PO) in the neighbor cell in relation to a selected given time window to perform reselection to the neighbor cell from a current serving cell of the client terminal and at least two of (i) whether the neighbor cell is suitable or acceptable, (ii) whether the neighbor cell belongs to a current network registration area, (iii) whether the client terminal is registered to a current serving cell using a first Radio Access Technology (RAT) and a second RAT used by the neighbor cell which is different from the first RAT or (iv) whether network registration is required for inter-RAT cell reselection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the type of the neighbor cell is an inter-RAT neighbor cell or an intra-RAT neighbor cell,

wherein when the type of the neighbor cell is an inter-RAT neighbor cell, the type of the neighbor cell is an inter-frequency neighbor cell, and

wherein when the type of the neighbor cell is an intra-RAT neighbor cell, the type of the neighbor cell is an inter-frequency neighbor cell or an intra-RAT neighbor cell.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein whether the stored information about the neighbor cell is valid is determined based on a timer.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the timer is refreshed such that the stored information is maintained valid, based on whether broadcast system information or a change mark for the broadcast system information is received at the client terminal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored information indicates at least one of a tracking area code (TAC), a Public Land Mobile Network Identity (PLMN ID), a Closed Subscriber Group Identity (CSG ID), a paging cycle, an updated network radio frame number or registration status.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the type of the neighbor cell is determined to be at least one of:

(i) a first type of neighbor cell for which the neighbor cell is an intra-frequency neighbor cell, the stored information for the neighbor cell is valid, the neighbor cell is a suitable cell and the neighbor cell belongs to the current network registration area;

(ii) a second type of neighbor cell for which the neighbor cell is an inter-frequency neighbor cell, the stored information for the neighbor cell is valid, the neighbor cell is a suitable cell and the neighbor belongs to the current network registration area;

(iii) a third type of neighbor cell for which the neighbor cell is an inter-RAT neighbor cell, the stored information for the neighbor cell is valid, the neighbor cell is a suitable cell, the neighbor cell belongs to the current network registration area and the client terminal is registered in the first RAT and the second RAT;

(iv) a fourth type of neighbor cell for which the neighbor cell is an intra-frequency neighbor cell, the stored information for the neighbor cell is valid, the neighbor cell is an acceptable cell and the neighbor cell does not belong to the current network registration area;

(v) a fifth type of neighbor cell for which the neighbor cell is an inter-frequency neighbor cell, the stored information for the neighbor cell is valid, the neighbor cell is an acceptable cell and the neighbor cell does not belong to the current network registration area;

(vi) a sixth type of neighbor cell for which the neighbor cell is an inter-RAT neighbor cell, the stored information for the neighbor cell is valid, the neighbor cell is an acceptable cell and the neighbor does not belong to the current network registration area;

(vii) a seventh type of neighbor cell for which the neighbor cell is an intra-frequency neighbor cell, the stored information for the neighbor cell is not valid and whether the neighbor cell belongs to the current network registration area is not known;

(viii) an eighth type of neighbor cell for which the neighbor cell is an inter-frequency neighbor cell, the stored information for the neighbor cell is not valid and whether the neighbor cell belongs to the current network registration area is not known;

or (ix) a ninth type of neighbor cell for which the neighbor cell is an inter-RAT neighbor cell, the stored information for the neighbor cell is not valid and whether the neighbor cell belongs to the current network registration area is not known.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

controlling, by the processing device, determining a time window to perform the cell reselection based on the type of the neighbor cell, such that a first paging message at the PO in the neighbor cell and a second paging message at a PO of the serving cell are received by the client terminal when the cell reselection is being performed.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

controlling, by the processing device, determining a time window to perform the cell reselection based on the type of the neighbor cell; and

wherein the cell reselection to be performed has a type including at least one of;

a first cell reselection type to be performed when the neighbor cell is determined to be the first type of neighbor cell, a second cell reselection type to be performed when the neighbor cell is determined to be the second type of neighbor cell, a third cell reselection type to be performed when the neighbor cell is determined to be the third type of neighbor cell, a fourth cell reselection type to be performed when the neighbor cell is determined to be the fourth, fifth or sixth type of neighbor cell, and a fifth cell reselection type to be performed when the neighbor cell is determined to be the seventh, eighth or ninth type of neighbor cell.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a first time window TW1 and a second time window TW2 to perform the cell reselection are adjacent to a given PO of the serving cell, a third time window TW3 to perform the cell reselection is between first and second POs of the serving cell, and a time window TW4 to perform the cell reselection is immediately prior to a given PO of the neighbor cell, and

wherein, when the cell reselection to be performed is the fifth cell reselection type, the cell reselection is performed not in TW1 and in at least one of TW2, TW3 or TW4.

10. An apparatus for cell reselection at a client terminal in a wireless communication system, the apparatus comprising:

circuitry configured to control at the client terminal cell reselection for the client terminal based on determining a type of a neighbor cell for communication with the client terminal using the wireless communication system,

wherein the type of the neighbor cell is determined based on

whether stored information about the neighbor cell which is valid is available, in which the information about the neighbor cell is from a broadcast in the neighbor cell using the wireless communication system and is received by and stored at the client terminal, and

a determination, from the stored information which is valid, of a time of a next occurrence of a paging occasion (PO) in the neighbor cell in relation to a selected given time window to perform reselection to the neighbor cell from a current serving cell of the client terminal and at least two of (i) whether the neighbor cell is suitable or acceptable, (ii) whether the neighbor cell belongs to a current network registration area, (iii) whether the client terminal is registered to a current serving cell using a first Radio Access Technology (RAT) and a second RAT used by the neighbor cell which is different from the first RAT or (iv) whether network registration is required for inter-RAT cell reselection.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the type of the neighbor cell is an inter-RAT neighbor cell or an intra-RAT neighbor cell,

wherein when the type of the neighbor cell is an inter-RAT neighbor cell, the type of the neighbor cell is an inter-frequency neighbor cell, and

wherein when the type of the neighbor cell is an intra-RAT neighbor cell, the type of the neighbor cell is an inter-frequency neighbor cell or an intra-RAT neighbor cell.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein whether the stored information about the neighbor cell is valid is determined based on a timer.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the timer is refreshed such that the stored information is maintained valid, based on whether broadcast system information or a change mark for the broadcast system information is received at the client terminal.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the stored information indicates at least one of a tracking area code (TAC), a Public Land Mobile Network Identity (PLMN ID), a Closed Subscriber Group Identity (CSG ID), a paging cycle, an updated network radio frame number or registration status.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the type of the neighbor cell is determined to be at least one of:

(i) a first type of neighbor cell for which the neighbor cell is an intra-frequency neighbor cell, the stored information for the neighbor cell is valid, the neighbor cell is a suitable cell and the neighbor cell belongs to the current network registration area;

(ii) a second type of neighbor cell for which the neighbor cell is an inter-frequency neighbor cell, the stored information for the neighbor cell is valid, the neighbor cell is a suitable cell and the neighbor belongs to the current network registration area;

(iii) a third type of neighbor cell for which the neighbor cell is an inter-RAT neighbor cell, the stored information for the neighbor cell is valid, the neighbor cell is a suitable cell, the neighbor cell belongs to the current network registration area and the client terminal is registered in the first RAT and the second RAT;

(iv) a fourth type of neighbor cell for which the neighbor cell is an intra-frequency neighbor cell, the stored information for the neighbor cell is valid, the neighbor cell is an acceptable cell and the neighbor cell does not belong to the current network registration area;

(v) a fifth type of neighbor cell for which the neighbor cell is an inter-frequency neighbor cell, the stored information for the neighbor cell is valid, the neighbor cell is an acceptable cell and the neighbor cell does not belong to the current network registration area;

(vi) a sixth type of neighbor cell for which the neighbor cell is an inter-RAT neighbor cell, the stored information for the neighbor cell is valid, the neighbor cell is an acceptable cell and the neighbor does not belong to the current network registration area;

(vii) a seventh type of neighbor cell for which the neighbor cell is an intra-frequency neighbor cell, the stored information for the neighbor cell is not valid and whether the neighbor cell belongs to the current network registration area is not known;

(viii) an eighth type of neighbor cell for which the neighbor cell is an inter-frequency neighbor cell, the stored information for the neighbor cell is not valid and whether the neighbor cell belongs to the current network registration area is not known;

or (ix) a ninth type of neighbor cell for which the neighbor cell is an inter-RAT neighbor cell, the stored information for the neighbor cell is not valid and whether the neighbor cell belongs to the current network registration area is not known.

16. The apparatus of claim 10,

wherein the circuitry is configured to control determining a time window to perform the cell reselection based on the type of the neighbor cell, such that a first paging message at the PO in the neighbor cell and a second paging message at a PO of the serving cell are received by the client terminal when the cell reselection is being performed.

17. The apparatus of claim 15,

wherein the circuitry is configured to control determining a time window to perform the cell reselection based on the type of the neighbor cell;

and

wherein the cell reselection to be performed has a type including at least one of;

a first cell reselection type to be performed when the neighbor cell is determined to be the first type of neighbor cell, a second cell reselection type to be performed when the neighbor cell is determined to be the second type of neighbor cell, a third cell reselection type to be performed when the neighbor cell is determined to be the third type of neighbor cell, a fourth cell reselection type to be performed when the neighbor cell is determined to be the fourth, fifth or sixth type of neighbor cell, and a fifth cell reselection type to be performed when the neighbor cell is determined to be the seventh, eighth or ninth type of neighbor cell.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein a first time window TW1 and a second time window TW2 to perform the cell reselection are adjacent to a given PO of the serving cell, a third time window TW3 to perform the cell reselection is between first and second POs of the serving cell, and a time window TW4 to perform the cell reselection is immediately prior to a given PO of the neighbor cell, and

wherein, when the cell reselection to be performed is the fifth cell reselection type, the cell reselection is performed not in TW1 and in at least one of TW2, TW3 or TW4.

19. A wireless communication device comprising:

a receiver to receive a signal of a wireless communication system; and

a processing device configured to control cell reselection for the wireless communication device based on determining a type of a neighbor cell for communication with the wireless communication device using the wireless communication system,

wherein the type of the neighbor cell is determined based on

whether stored information about the neighbor cell which is valid is available, in which the information about the neighbor cell is from a broadcast in the neighbor cell using the wireless communication system and is received by and stored at the wireless communication device, and

a determination, from the stored information which is valid, of a time of a next occurrence of a paging occasion (PO) in the neighbor cell in relation to a selected given time window to perform reselection to the neighbor cell from a current serving cell of the client terminal and at least two of (i) whether the neighbor cell is suitable or acceptable, (ii) whether the neighbor cell belongs to a current network registration area, (iii) whether the wireless communication device is registered to a current serving cell using a first Radio Access Technology (RAT) and a second RAT used by the neighbor cell which is different from the first RAT or (iv) whether network registration is required for inter-RAT cell reselection.

20. The wireless communication device of claim 19, wherein the type of the neighbor cell is an inter-RAT neighbor cell or an intra-RAT neighbor cell,

wherein when the type of the neighbor cell is an inter-RAT neighbor cell, the type of the neighbor cell is an inter-frequency neighbor cell, and

wherein when the type of the neighbor cell is an intra-RAT neighbor cell, the type of the neighbor cell is an inter-frequency neighbor cell or an intra-RAT neighbor cell.