Radio communication system, radio terminal, radio station, and cell selection method

• US 10,257,756 B2
• Filed: 07/04/2013
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Futaki, Hisashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Dhaval V
• Application Number:
  US14/412,810
• Publication Number:
  US 20150156690A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,105 Days
• Field of Search: 455436, 4554352, 455411, 4554521, 4554221, 455507, 455524, 455522, 455 631, 455450, 455434, 4554261, 455437, 375260, 375262, 375265, 375267, 370329, 370252, 370345, 370328, 370342, 370332, 370311, 370331, 370336, 370255, 341144, 341155, 341183
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point

Abstract

The present invention is a radio communication system in which a radio station and a radio terminal communicate with each other. The radio communication system has a control means with which at least one of the radio stations controls a plurality of types of cells by using one radio access technology, a recognition means with which the radio terminal recognizes the types of the cells, and a cell selection means with which the radio terminal selects the cell based on cell selection criteria based on the types of the cells.

Claims

1. A radio communication system comprising a radio station and a radio terminal,

wherein the radio station comprises at least one processor configured to implement a control unit configured to control a plurality of types of cells by using one radio access technology, which is determined by a radio transmission method, and a memory coupled to the at least one processor;

and

wherein the radio terminal comprises;

at least one processor, which is configured to;

implement a recognition unit with which the radio terminal recognizes a type of a serving cell and a type of a neighbor cell by recognizing at least a type of a downlink carrier of the corresponding cell, and

implement a cell selection unit with which the radio terminal selects a target cell in intra the radio access technology based on cell selection criteria, which are configured in accordance with at least either the recognized type of the serving cell or the recognized type of the neighbor cell, and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

2. The radio communication system according to claim 1, wherein the type of the downlink carrier is classified by at least one of

a transmission configuration of a transmitted signal,

a configuration of a physical channel, and

contents of the system information.

3. A radio terminal for use in a radio communication system in which a radio station controls a plurality of types of cells by using one radio access technology, which is determined by a radio transmission method, comprising:

at least one processor and a memory coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to;

implement a recognition unit that recognizes a type of a serving cell and a type of a neighbor cell by recognizing at least a type of a downlink carrier of the corresponding cell, and

implement a cell selection unit that selects a target cell in intra the radio access technology based on cell selection criteria, which are configured in accordance with at least either the recognized type of the serving cell or the recognized type of the neighbor cell.

4. The radio terminal according to claim 3, wherein a selection of the cell is a cell selection or a cell reselection in a state in which a radio connection between the radio terminal and the radio station is not established.

5. The radio terminal according to claim 4, wherein the type of the downlink carrier is classified by a transmission configuration of a transmitted signal.

6. The radio terminal according to claim 4, wherein the type of the downlink carrier is classified by a configuration of a physical channel.

7. The radio terminal according to claim 4, wherein the type of the downlink carrier is classified by the transmission configuration of at least any one of a known signal, system information, and a control signal transmitted from the radio station in the carrier.

8. The radio terminal according to claim 4, wherein the type of the downlink carrier is classified by contents of the system information.

9. The radio terminal according to claim 3, wherein the cell selection criteria are received from the radio station.

10. The radio terminal according to claim 3, wherein the radio terminal is classified into a radio terminal having a function to use only a first carrier and a radio terminal having a function to use the first carrier and a second carrier.

11. The radio terminal according to claim 10, wherein

a function to use the first carrier and the second carrier is equipped, and

in a frequency band supported by the radio terminal, the cell selection unit preferentially selects a cell of the second carrier that satisfies the cell selection criteria.

12. A radio station comprising:

at least one processor and a memory coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to implement a control unit that controls a plurality of types of cells by using one radio access technology, which is determined by a radio transmission method, and a unit that broadcasts or individually transmits cell selection criteria in intra the radio access technology to be criteria when a radio terminal selects a target cell between a serving cell and a neighbor cell, a type of the serving cell and a type of the neighbor cell being recognized by the radio terminal by recognizing at least a type of a downlink carrier of the corresponding cell,

wherein the cell selection criteria are configured in accordance with at least either the recognized type of a serving cell or the recognized type of a neighbor cell.

13. A cell selection method comprising:

causing at least one radio station to control a plurality of types of cells by using one radio access technology, which is determined by a radio transmission method;

causing a radio terminal to recognize a type of a serving cell and a type of a neighbor cell by recognizing at least a type of a downlink carrier of the corresponding cell; and

causing the radio terminal to select a target cell in intra the radio access technology based on cell selection criteria, which are configured in accordance with at least either the recognized type of the serving cell or the recognized type of the neighbor cell.

14. The cell selection method according to claim 13, wherein a selection of the cell is a cell selection or a cell reselection in a state in which a radio connection between the radio terminal and the radio station is not established.

15. The cell selection method according to claim 14, wherein the type of the downlink carrier is classified by contents of the system information.

16. The cell selection method according to claim 14, wherein the type of the downlink carrier is classified by a transmission configuration of a transmitted signal.

17. The cell selection method according to claim 14, wherein the type of the downlink carrier is classified by a configuration of a physical channel.

18. The cell selection method according to claim 13, wherein

the radio station controls at least a first carrier and a second carrier, and

the radio terminal is classified into a first radio terminal having a function to use only the first carrier and a second radio terminal having a function to use the first carrier and the second carrier.

19. The cell selection method according to claim 18, wherein in a frequency band supported by the second radio terminal, the second radio terminal preferentially selects a cell of the second carrier that satisfies the cell selection criteria.