Frequency layer convergence method for MBMS

• US 20050245260A1
• Filed: 09/08/2004
• Published: 11/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conversant Wireless Licensing S.à.r.l. (f/k/a Core Wireless Licensing S.a.r.l.) (MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management))
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Tat, Quan, Numminen, Jussi, Nielsen, Sari, Kettunen, Kimmo, Barreto, Luis
• Granted Patent: US 8,300,593 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/435.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• 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 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/24 Reselection being triggered by specific parameters
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services

Abstract

A method to control cell selection and/or re-selection in a communication system comprising a plurality of cells with which terminal devices may communicate, the method including the steps of: determining that a terminal device is to start a session for a certain service, the service using a reception frequency; based on that determination, changing at least one cell selection and/or re-selection parameter in respect of the terminal device with the effect that a subsequent cell selection and/or re-selection performed by the device would favor cells that use the reception frequency used in the service session over other cells.

Claims

1. A method to control cell selection or re-selection in a communication system comprising a plurality of cells with which terminal devices may communicate, the method comprising the steps of:

determining that a terminal device is to start a session for a service, the service using a reception frequency; and

changing, based on the determining step, at least one cell selection or re-selection parameter with respect to the terminal device, with the effect that a subsequent cell selection or re-selection performed by the device would favor cells that use the reception frequency over other cells.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the determining step determines that the terminal device is to start a session for the service, and wherein the service comprises a multicasting service.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the changing step changes the at least one cell selection or re-selection parameter which comprises a parameter that the terminal device is capable of using to prioritize which cells of a system the terminal device should select or reselect.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the changing step changes the at least one cell selection or re-selection parameter which comprises a cell selection parameter.

5. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the changing step changes the at least one cell selection or re-selection parameter which comprises the HCS_PRIO parameter.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the changing step changes the at least one cell selection or re-selection parameter which comprises an R criterion or an offset thereto.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

identifying whether given cells are hierarchical and, based on such a determination, selecting which of a plurality of cell selection or reselection parameters is to be changed in said changing step.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of changing the at least one cell selection or re-selection parameter comprises sending, from a system to the terminal device, data identifying a new value for the parameter.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein, in the changing step, the data is sent using at least one of a session control start message and a system information data message.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

starting the session, wherein said determining step is performed in response to the starting the session step.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the changing step further comprises setting a parameter that reduces responsiveness of the terminal device to high mobility triggers.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the changing step further comprises setting a parameter so as to encourage the terminal device to select or re-select a cell more promptly.

13. A method to control cell selection/re-selection in a system where multicasting is used to deliver information to several terminal devices, the method comprising the steps of:

determining which terminal devices are to start a multicast session; and

changing, based on the determining step, at least one cell selection/re-selection parameter for the terminal devices so that cell selection/re-selection favors cells which use a reception frequency used in the multicasting session compared to other cells.

14. A method to control cell selection or re-selection in a communication system comprising a plurality of cells with which terminal devices may communicate, the method comprising the steps of:

determining that a session for a certain service is to start, the service using a reception frequency; and

changing, based on the determining step, at least one cell selection or re-selection parameter with respect to one or more terminal devices with an effect that a subsequent cell selection or re-selection performed by the devices would favor cells that use the reception frequency over other cells.

15. A method to control cell selection or re-selection in a communication system comprising a plurality of cells with which terminal devices may communicate, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting to a plurality of terminal devices a message indicating a value for a cell selection or re-selection parameter that, if adopted by a terminal device, would cause a subsequent cell selection or re-selection performed by the device to favor cells on which a service session is available over other cells; and

adopting the value indicated in the message for the parameter in one or more of the plurality of terminal devices.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

determining, for at least one of the plurality of terminal devices, whether reception of the service session is desired; and

adopting the value indicated in the message for the parameter in the at least one of the plurality of terminal devices only if it is determined that reception of the service session is desired.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the step of determining is performed by the at least one of the plurality of terminal devices and the message is broadcasted or multicasted to a plurality of terminals.

18. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the step of determining is performed by a network and the message is transmitted only to terminals for which it is determined that reception of the service session is desired.

19. The method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising:

transmitting to the plurality of the terminal devices a second message indicating a value for a second parameter that, if adopted by the terminal device, would inhibit the terminal device from subsequently selecting a different cell from a cell with which it is currently operating; and

adopting the value indicated in the second message for the second parameter in one or more of the terminal devices.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

determining, for at least one of the plurality of terminal devices, whether reception of the service session is desired; and

adopting the value indicated in the second message for the second parameter in the terminal device only if it is determined that reception of the service session is desired.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein the step of determining is performed by the terminal device and the second message is broadcasted or multicasted to a plurality of terminals.

22. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein the step of determining is performed by a network and the second message is transmitted only to those terminals for which it is determined that reception of the service session is desired.

23. A network device, comprising:

receiving means for receiving a notification of whether a certain service session has started or not; and

changing means for changing, based on said notification, at least one cell selection/re-selection parameter for terminals so that cell selection/re-selection favor cells which use a reception frequency used in said service session compared to other cells.

25. The network device as claimed in claim 23, wherein the controller comprises an RNC.

24. A network device, comprising:

a processor configured to determine that a terminal device is to start a session for a service, the service using a reception frequency; and

a controller configured to change, based on such a determination, at least one cell selection or re-selection parameter with respect to the terminal device, with the effect that a subsequent cell selection or re-selection performed by the device would favor cells that use the reception frequency over other cells.

26. A terminal device, comprising:

receiving means for receiving a notification whether a certain service session has started or not; and

changing means for changing, based on said notification, at least one cell selection/re-selection parameter for terminals so that cell selection/re-selection favors cells which use a reception frequency used in said service session compared to other cells.

28. The terminal device as claimed in claim 26, wherein the device comprises a UE.

27. A terminal device, comprising:

a processor configured to determine that a terminal device is to start a session for a service, the service using a reception frequency; and

a controller configured to change, based on such a determination, at least one cell selection or re-selection parameter with respect to the terminal device, with the effect that a subsequent cell selection or re-selection performed by the device would favor cells that use the reception frequency over other cells.