Reducing missed pages during cell reselection in a wireless communication system

• US 20050048982A1
• Filed: 08/28/2003
• Published: 03/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Roland, Rick, Constandse, Rodger
• Granted Patent: US 7,477,896 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/449
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/02 Arrangements for increasing efficiency of notification or paging channel

Abstract

Techniques are provided for reducing the likelihood of missed pages during cell reselection. For cell reselection with early camping, a terminal determines that reselection from a first base station to a second base station is required. The terminal then performs cell reselection and receives sufficient system information to process a paging channel for the second base station. The terminal starts monitoring the paging channel upon receiving this information and prior to completing the cell reselection. For cell reselection with reconfirmation, the terminal receives and decodes a control channel for the second base station prior to performing cell reselection. For cell reselection with overlapping page reception, the terminal monitors the paging channel for the first base station until a terminating event occurs and starts monitoring the paging channel for the second base station upon receiving sufficient system information. The monitoring of the two paging channels overlaps in time.

Claims

1. A device in a wireless communication system, comprising:

a reselection unit operative to provide an indication to perform cell reselection from a first base station to a second base station;

a control unit operative to initiate a cell reselection procedure for the second base station in response to the indication from the reselection unit; and

a monitoring unit operative to receive sufficient system information to process a paging channel for the second base station and to start monitoring the paging channel upon reception of the sufficient system information and prior to completion of the cell reselection procedure.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is operative to direct reception of full system information for the second base station in order to complete the cell reselection procedure and for two-way communication with the second base station.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the monitoring unit is operative to receive a paging message on the paging channel for the second base station prior to completion of the cell reselection procedure and to respond to the paging message via the second base station after completion of the cell reselection procedure.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the monitoring unit is operative to receive a paging message on the paging channel for the second base station prior to completion of the cell reselection procedure, abort the cell reselection procedure, and respond to the paging message via the first base station.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication system is a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) system.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the sufficient system information is System Information Type 3 in GSM.

7. An apparatus in a wireless communication system, comprising:

means for providing an indication to perform cell reselection from a first base station to a second base station;

means for performing a cell reselection procedure for the second base station in response to the indication to perform cell reselection;

means for receiving sufficient system information to process a paging channel for the second base station; and

means for starting monitoring of the paging channel upon receiving the sufficient system information and prior to completing the cell reselection procedure.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

means for receiving a paging message on the paging channel for the second base station prior to completing the cell reselection procedure; and

means for responding to the paging message via the second base station after full system information has been received.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

means for receiving a paging message on the paging channel for the second base station prior to completing the cell reselection procedure;

means for aborting the cell reselection procedure; and

means for responding to the paging message via the first base station.

10. A method of performing cell reselection in a wireless communication system, comprising:

providing an indication to perform cell reselection from a first base station to a second base station;

performing a cell reselection procedure for the second base station in response to the indication to perform cell reselection;

receiving sufficient system information to process a paging channel for the second base station; and

starting monitoring of the paging channel upon receiving the sufficient system information and prior to completing the cell reselection procedure.

11. A processor readable media for storing instructions operable in a wireless device to:

provide an indication to perform cell reselection from a first base station to a second base station in a wireless communication system;

perform a cell reselection procedure for the second base station in response to the indication to perform cell reselection;

receive sufficient system information to process a paging channel for the second base station; and

start monitoring of the paging channel for the second base station upon receiving the sufficient system information and prior to completing the cell reselection procedure.

12. A device in a wireless communication system, comprising:

a reselection unit operative to provide an indication to perform cell reselection from a first base station to a second base station; and

a control unit operative to, in response to the indication from the reselection unit,

direct reception of designated system information from a control channel for the second base station, and

if the designated system information is received successfully, switch to the second base station and initiate a cell reselection procedure for the second base station.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the control unit is operative to direct reception of full system information for the second base station in order to complete the cell reselection procedure and for two-way communication with the second base station.

14. The device of claim 12, further comprising:

a monitoring unit operative to obtain, from the designated system information, sufficient system information to process a paging channel for the second base station and to initiate monitoring of the paging channel when the cell reselection procedure is initiated.

15. The device of claim 12, further comprising:

a monitoring unit operative to receive sufficient system information to process a paging channel for the second base station and to initiate monitoring of the paging channel upon reception of the sufficient system information and prior to completion of the cell reselection procedure.

16. The device of claim 12, wherein the wireless communication system is a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) system.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the control channel is a broadcast control channel (BCCH), and wherein the designated system information is System Information Type 3 or System Information Type 4 in GSM.

18. An apparatus in a wireless communication system, comprising:

means for providing an indication to perform cell reselection from a first base station to a second base station;

means for receiving and decoding designated system information from a control channel for the second base station in response to the indication to perform cell reselection; and

means for, if the designated system information is decoded successfully, switching over to the second base station and performing a cell reselection procedure for the second base station.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, comprising:

means for starting monitoring of a paging channel for the second base station upon receiving sufficient system information to process the paging channel and prior to completing the cell reselection procedure.

20. A method of performing cell reselection in a wireless communication system, comprising:

providing an indication to perform cell reselection from a first base station to a second base station;

receiving and decoding designated system information from a control channel for the second base station in response to the indication to perform cell reselection; and

if the designated system information is decoded successfully,

switching over to the second base station, and

performing a cell reselection procedure for the second base station.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the designated system information includes sufficient system information to process a paging channel for the second base station, the method further comprising:

starting monitoring of the paging channel for the second base station upon performing the cell reselection procedure.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving sufficient system information to process a paging channel for the second base station; and

starting monitoring of the paging channel for the second base station upon receiving the sufficient system information and prior to completing the cell reselection procedure.

23. A device in a wireless communication system, comprising:

a reselection unit operative to provide an indication to perform cell reselection from a first base station to a second base station;

a control unit operative to initiate a cell reselection procedure for the second base station in response to the indication from the reselection unit; and

a monitoring unit operative to monitor a first paging channel for the first base station until a terminating event occurs at a time instant after the cell reselection procedure is initiated, receive sufficient system information to process a second paging channel for the second base station, and monitor the second paging channel upon receiving the sufficient system information, wherein the monitoring of the first paging channel and the monitoring of the second paging channel overlap in time.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein the control unit is operative to direct reception of full system information for the second base station in order to complete the cell reselection procedure and for two-way communication with the second base station.

25. The device of claim 23, wherein the terminating event is reception of a first paging message on the second paging channel.

26. The device of claim 23, wherein the control unit is further operative to initiate registration with the second base station.

27. The device of claim 26, wherein the terminating event is the registration with the second base station.

28. The device of claim 23, wherein the wireless communication system is a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) system.

29. The device of claim 28, wherein the sufficient system information is System Information Type 3 received via a broadcast control channel (BCCH).

30. An apparatus in a wireless communication system, comprising:

means for providing an indication to perform cell reselection from a first base station to a second base station;

means for performing a cell reselection procedure for the second base station in response to the indication to perform cell reselection;

means for monitoring a first paging channel for the first base station until a terminating event occurs at a time instant after the cell reselection procedure is initiated;

means for receiving sufficient system information to process a second paging channel for the second base station; and

means for monitoring the second paging channel upon receiving the sufficient system information, wherein the monitoring of the first paging channel and the monitoring of the second paging channel overlap in time.

31. A method of performing cell reselection in a wireless communication system, comprising:

providing an indication to perform cell reselection from a first base station to a second base station;

performing a cell reselection procedure for the second base station in response to the indication to perform cell reselection;

monitoring a first paging channel for the first base station until a terminating event occurs at a time instant after the cell reselection procedure is initiated;

receiving sufficient system information to process a second paging channel for the second base station; and

monitoring the second paging channel upon receiving the sufficient system information, wherein the monitoring of the first paging channel and the monitoring of the second paging channel overlap in time.