Apparatus and method for reception of neighboring cell service

• US 20050237961A1
• Filed: 04/13/2005
• Published: 10/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Yi, Seung-June, Lee, Young-Dae, Chun, Sung-Duck
• Granted Patent: US 7,606,206 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0007 for multicast or broadcast services, e.g. MBMS multicast or broadcast application services H04W4/06; resource management for broadcast services H04W72/30; connection management for selective distribution or broadcast H04W76/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 by measured or perceived connection quality data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/304 due to measured or perceived resources with higher communication quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/305 Handover due to radio link failure control signalling for hand-off failure H04W36/0079
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services

Abstract

A method for a mobile terminal to receive a service in mobile communications comprises the steps of detecting that the service is unavailable from a serving cell that serves the mobile terminal, and then either receiving the service from at least one neighboring cell from which the service is available while the serving cell continues to serve the mobile terminal, or selecting a cell among cells from which the service is available and receiving the service from the selected cell.

Claims

1. A method for a mobile terminal to receive a point-to-multipoint service in mobile communications, comprising:

detecting that the point-to-multipoint service is unavailable from a serving cell that serves the mobile terminal; and

receiving the point-to-multipoint service from at least one neighboring cell from which the point-to-multipoint service is available, while the serving cell continues to serve the mobile terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal does not receive the point-to-multipoint service from the serving cell after receiving the service from the neighboring cell.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting is performed by using information received via a common channel.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the common channel is a MBMS control channel.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting is performed by a radio resource control layer in the mobile terminal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the point-to-multipoint service is received via a point-to-multipoint channel.

7. The method of claim 1, further receiving radio bearer information of the point-to-multipoint service of the at least one neighboring cell.

8. A method for a mobile terminal to receive a point-to-multipoint service in mobile communications, comprising:

detecting that the point-to-multipoint service is unavailable from a current cell;

selecting a cell among cells from which the service is available; and

receiving the point-to-multipoint service from the selected cell.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the detecting and/or selecting is performed by a radio resource control layer in the mobile terminal.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the reliable channel quality refers to guaranteeing service quality to be above a certain threshold.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the cells are cells having reliable channel quality other than the current cell.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the mobile terminal does not receive the point-to-multipoint service from the serving cell after receiving the point-to-multipoint service from the neighboring cell.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the detecting is performed by using analyzing information received via a common channel.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the common channel is a MBMS control channel.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the detecting is performed by a radio resource control layer in the mobile terminal.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein the point-to-multipoint service is received via a point-to-multipoint channel.

17. The method of claim 8, further receiving radio bearer information of the service of the at least one neighboring cell.

18. The method of claim 8, wherein a point-to-multipoint radio bearer is configured for receiving the service.

19. A mobile terminal to receive a point-to-multipoint service in mobile communications, the terminal comprising:

a transceiver to transmit and receive signals; and

a processor operatively connected to and cooperating with the transceiver to detect that the point-to-multipoint service is unavailable from a current cell that serves the terminal, and to either receive the point-to-multipoint service from at least one neighboring cell from which the point-to-multipoint service is available while the serving cell continues to serve the terminal, or to select a cell among cells from which the point-to-multipoint service is available and receive the point-to-multipoint service from the selected cell.