Mobility synchronization measurements

• US 10,334,489 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2014
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Cedergren, Andreas, Reial, Andres, Tidestav, Claes
• Primary Examiner(s): Elliott, IV, Benjamin H
• Application Number:
  US15/517,446
• Publication Number:
  US 20170303173A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,721 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0085 Hand-off measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/06 Reselecting a communication resource in the serving access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0015 one node acting as a reference for the others

Abstract

There is provided a method for handling mobility synchronization measurements. The method is performed by a wireless device. The method comprises receiving an indication to perform mobility measurements on a set of transmission beams associated with a unique identity. The method comprises checking if the unique identity has previously been stored by the wireless device. The method comprises, if the unique identity has not previously been stored by the wireless device, performing mobility measurements on the set of transmission beams to determine synchronization information of the set of transmission beams. The method comprises storing the unique identity and the synchronization information of the mobility measurements.

Claims

1. A method for handling mobility synchronization measurements, the method being performed by a wireless device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving, from a radio access network node, an indication to perform mobility measurements on a set of narrow transmission beams, wherein the set of narrow transmission beams to be measured is indicated by a shared unique identity, and wherein each of the narrow transmission beams has increased signal strength in a beam direction;

prior to performing mobility measurements on the set of narrow transmission beams, checking whether said shared unique identity has previously been stored by the wireless device, and when said shared unique identity has previously been stored by the wireless device;

performing mobility measurements on the set of narrow transmission beams based on previously stored synchronization information of the set of narrow transmission beams, wherein said synchronization information is identified by said shared unique identity,

wherein the wireless device operates in a cellular communication network that comprises a plurality of radio access network nodes, wherein each of the radio access network nodes provides network coverage in a respective coverage region by transmitting narrow transmission beams in the respective coverage region.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, when said shared unique identity has not previously been stored by the wireless device:

performing mobility measurements on the set of narrow transmission beams to determine synchronization information of the set of narrow transmission beams; and

storing said shared unique identity and said synchronization information of said mobility measurements.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a beam switch command from a radio access network node serving the wireless device, the beam switch command comprising a target beam identity;

checking whether said target beam identity corresponds to any shared unique identity having previously been stored by the wireless device, and when said target beam identity corresponds to any shared unique identity having previously been stored by the wireless device;

retrieving stored synchronization information corresponding to said shared unique identity; and

receiving data transmission using the retrieved synchronization information.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said shared unique identity identifies at least one of a radio access network node and a transmission point from which the set of narrow transmission beams was transmitted.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said shared unique identity is represented by a sequence of binary digits, and wherein identities of single narrow transmission beams in said set of narrow transmission beams share at least a subset of said sequence of binary digits.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said synchronization information is determined from synchronization signals transmitted in the set of narrow transmission beams.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said synchronization information comprises at least one of a time offset to start of a first symbol of a first frame relative an internal clock of the wireless device, and a frequency offset to relative a reference frequency used by the wireless device.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, when said shared unique identity has not previously been stored by the wireless device:

performing mobility measurements on the set of narrow transmission beams to determine synchronization information of the set of narrow transmission beams, wherein said mobility measurements are based on previously stored synchronization information of another set of narrow transmission beams, and wherein said previously stored synchronization information is identified by a shared unique identity of said another set of narrow transmission beams.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said previously stored synchronization information of said another set of narrow transmission beams is used to define initial parameters to be used during said mobility measurements on the set of narrow transmission beams.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said mobility measurements further are based on reference signals transmitted in the set of narrow transmission beams.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, while in idle mode, broadcasted information; and

updating previously stored synchronization information based on said broadcasted information.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting information of said mobility measurements to a radio access network node.

13. A method for handling mobility synchronization measurements, the method being performed by a radio access network node, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting an indication for a wireless device to perform mobility measurements on a set of narrow transmission beams, wherein the set of narrow transmission beams to be measured is indicated by a shared unique identity, and wherein each of the narrow transmission beams has increased signal strength in a beam direction;

receiving information of said mobility measurements from the wireless device; and

determining a serving beam from the set of narrow transmission beams for the wireless device based on the received information,

wherein the radio access node operates in a cellular communication network that comprises the radio access node and one or more other radio access network nodes, wherein each of the radio access network node and one or more other radio access network nodes provides network coverage in a respective coverage region by transmitting narrow transmission beams in the respective coverage region.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

transmitting synchronization information using the set of narrow transmission beams associated with said shared unique identity.

15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

transmitting a message to another radio access network node to activate transmission of synchronization information using the set of narrow transmission beams associated with said shared unique identity.

16. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

transmitting a message to another radio access network node, the message comprising position information of the wireless device.

17. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

identifying that a beam switch is needed for the wireless device, and wherein the set of narrow transmission beams is based thereon.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein said set of narrow transmission beams represent candidate target beams for the wireless device.

19. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

transmitting identity information of the serving beam to the wireless device; and

transmitting data to the wireless device using the serving beam.

20. A wireless device for handling mobility synchronization measurements, the wireless device comprising a processing unit, the processing unit being configured to:

receive, from a radio access network node, an indication to perform mobility measurements on a set of narrow transmission beams, wherein the set of narrow transmission beams to be measured is indicated by a shared unique identity, and wherein each of the narrow transmission beams has increased signal strength in a beam direction;

prior to performing mobility measurements on the set of narrow transmission beams, check whether said shared unique identity has previously been stored by the wireless device, and when said shared unique identity has previously been stored by the wireless device;

perform mobility measurements on the set of narrow transmission beams based on previously stored synchronization information of the set of narrow transmission beams, wherein said synchronization information is identified by said shared unique identity,

wherein the wireless device is configured to operate in a cellular communication network that comprises a plurality of radio access network nodes, wherein each of the radio access network nodes provides network coverage in a respective coverage region by transmitting narrow transmission beams in the respective coverage region.

21. A radio access network node for handling mobility synchronization measurements, the radio access network node comprising a processing unit, the processing unit being configured to:

transmit an indication for a wireless device to perform mobility measurements on a set of narrow transmission beams, wherein the set of narrow transmission beams to be measured is indicated by a shared unique identity, and wherein each of the narrow transmission beams has increased signal strength in a beam direction;

receive information of said mobility measurements from the wireless device; and

determine a serving beam from the set of narrow transmission beams for the wireless device based on the received information,

wherein the radio access node is configured to operate in a cellular communication network that comprises the radio access node and one or more other radio access network nodes, wherein each of the radio access network node and one or more other radio access network nodes is configured to provide network coverage in a respective coverage region by transmitting narrow transmission beams in the respective coverage region.

22. A nontransitory computer readable medium comprising a computer program for handling mobility synchronization measurements, the computer program comprising computer program code which, when run on a processing unit of a wireless device causes the processing unit to:

receive, from a radio access network node, an indication to perform mobility measurements on a set of narrow transmission beams, wherein the set of narrow transmission beams to be measured is indicated by a shared unique identity, and wherein each of the narrow transmission beams has increased signal strength in a beam direction;

prior to performing mobility measurements on the set of narrow transmission beams, check whether said shared unique identity has previously been stored by the wireless device, and when said shared unique identity has previously been stored by the wireless device;

perform mobility measurements on the set of narrow transmission beams based on previously stored synchronization information of the set of narrow transmission beams, wherein said synchronization information is identified by said shared unique identity,

wherein the wireless device is configured to operate in a cellular communication network that comprises a plurality of radio access network nodes, wherein each of the radio access network nodes provides network coverage in a respective coverage region by transmitting narrow transmission beams in the respective coverage region.

23. A nontransitory computer readable medium comprising a computer program for handling mobility synchronization measurements, the computer program comprising computer program code which, when run on a processing unit of a radio access network node causes the processing unit to:

transmit an indication for a wireless device to perform mobility measurements on a set of narrow transmission beams, wherein the set of narrow transmission beams to be measured is indicated by a shared unique identity, and wherein each of the narrow transmission beams has increased signal strength in a beam direction;

receive information of said mobility measurements from the wireless device; and

determine a serving beam from the set of narrow transmission beams for the wireless device based on the received information,

wherein the radio access node is configured to operate in a cellular communication network that comprises the radio access node and one or more other radio access network nodes, wherein each of the radio access network node and one or more other radio access network nodes is configured to provide network coverage in a respective coverage region by transmitting narrow transmission beams in the respective coverage region.