Method and system for soft handoff in mobile broadband systems

• US 10,244,452 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2017
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Senarath, Nimal, Gage, Bill, Periyalwar, Shalini, Tong, Wen
• Primary Examiner(s): Beyen, Zewdu A
• Application Number:
  US15/489,988
• Publication Number:
  US 20170238225A1
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0072 of resource information of target access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/18 for allowing seamless reselection, e.g. soft reselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/20 for optimising the interference level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/24 Reselection being triggered by specific parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/02 Data link layer protocols

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and system for facilitating efficient handoff and data throughput in mobile broadband communication systems. Methods implemented by a system constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention include selectively enabled soft handoff, performing Layer 2 bearer functions at the base station and using the mobile device to coordinate soft handoff and interference avoidance without the need for a centralized coordination function.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a processing element, wherein the processing element is configured to;

receive a first plurality of data transmissions from a first set of station transceiver systems, within a downlink bandwidth of an orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM cellular communications system,

receive a second plurality of data transmissions from a second set of station transceiver systems, within the downlink bandwidth of the OFDM cellular communications system, wherein each of the first and second sets of station transceiver systems comprises one or more station transceiver systems, and wherein the processing element is configured to receive the first and second pluralities of data transmissions contemporaneously; and

receive, for each of the first and second pluralities of data transmissions, a control signal related to the respective data transmission, wherein each control signal provides an indication of the respective set of station transceiver systems used for the respective data transmission, wherein the indication of the respective set of station transceiver systems used for the respective data transmission comprises an index, wherein the index corresponds to the respective set of station transceiver systems used for the respective data transmission.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing element is further configured to:

receive pilots transmitted by the first and second sets of station transceiver systems; and

transmit at least one indication of radio link conditions to at least one station transceiver system of the first and second sets of station transceiver systems.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one indication is based on the received pilots.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein to receive the first and second plurality of data transmissions the processing element is further configured to

receive a first of the first plurality of data transmissions in a first subframe;

and

receive a first of the second plurality of data transmissions in a second frame following the first subframe.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein receiving the first plurality of data transmissions comprises receiving a first data transmission from a first station transceiver system of the first set of station transceiver systems.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a particular data transmission according to a first value of the indication corresponds to resource reservation at a plurality of station transceiver systems of the respective set of station transceiver systems for the particular data transmission.

7. A method, comprising:

by a mobile station;

receiving a first plurality of data transmissions from a first set of station transceiver systems, within a downlink bandwidth of an orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM cellular communications system,

receiving a second plurality of data transmissions from a second set of station transceiver systems, within the downlink bandwidth of the OFDM cellular communications system, wherein each of the first and second sets of station transceiver systems comprises one or more station transceiver systems, and wherein the mobile station is configured to receive the first and second pluralities of data transmissions contemporaneously; and

receiving, for each of the first and second pluralities of data transmissions, a control signal related to the respective data transmission, wherein each control signal provides an indication of the respective set of station transceiver systems used for the respective data transmission, wherein the indication of the respective set of station transceiver systems used for the respective data transmission comprises an index, wherein the index corresponds to the respective set of station transceiver systems used for the respective data transmission.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving pilots transmitted by the first and second sets of station transceiver systems; and

transmitting at least one indication of radio link conditions to at least one station transceiver system of the first and second sets of station transceiver systems, wherein the at least one indication is based on the received pilots, wherein the at least one indication of radio link conditions comprises an indication associated with an antenna processing option.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving the first and second plurality of data transmissions contemporaneously comprises:

receiving a first of the first plurality of data transmissions in a first subframe; and

receiving a first of the second plurality of data transmissions in a second frame following the first subframe.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein a particular data transmission according to a least a first value of the indication corresponds to resource reservation at a plurality of station transceiver systems of the respective set of station transceiver systems for the particular data transmission.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving the first plurality of data transmissions comprises receiving a first data transmission from a first station transceiver system of the first set of station transceiver systems.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the second plurality of data transmissions comprises receiving a second data transmission from a second station transceiver system of the second set of station transceiver systems.

13. A first station transceiver system, comprising:

wireless communication circuitry; and

processing hardware coupled to the wireless communication circuitry, wherein the processing hardware and the wireless communication circuitry are configured to;

transmit a first plurality of data transmissions to a mobile device within a downlink bandwidth of an orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) cellular communications system, wherein the first station receiver system is a member of a first station transceiver set, wherein a second station transceiver set is configured to transmit a second plurality of data transmissions to the mobile device within the downlink bandwidth of the OFDM cellular communications system contemporaneously with the first plurality of data transmissions, wherein each of the first and second sets of station transceiver systems comprises one or more station transceiver systems;

transmit a control signal related to a respective data transmission of the first plurality of transmissions, wherein each control signal provides an indication of the respective set of station transceiver systems used for the respective data transmission, wherein the indication of the respective set of station transceiver systems used for the respective data transmission comprises an index, wherein the index corresponds to the respective set of station transceiver systems used for the respective data transmission.

14. The first station transceiver system of claim 13, wherein the processing hardware and the wireless communication circuitry are further configured to:

transmit pilots; and

receive at least one indication of radio link conditions, wherein the at least one indication is based on the received pilots from the first and second sets of station transceiver systems.

15. The first station transceiver system of claim 13, wherein transmission of the second plurality of data transmissions contemporaneously with the first plurality of data transmissions comprises:

transmitting a first of the first plurality of data transmissions in a subframe following transmission of first of the second plurality of data transmissions.

16. The first station transceiver system of claim 15, wherein a particular data transmission according to a least a first value of the indication corresponds to resource reservation at a plurality of station transceiver systems of the respective set of station transceiver systems for the particular data transmission.

17. The first station transceiver system of claim 15, wherein the processing hardware and the wireless communication circuitry are further configured to transmit a control signal related to a respective data transmission of the second pluralities of transmissions, wherein each control signal provides an indication of the respective set of station transceiver systems used for the respective data transmission.