Tune-away protocols for wireless systems

• US 20070097922A1
• Filed: 10/27/2005
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Ulupinar, Fatih, Prakash, Rajat, Parekh, Nileshkumar
• Granted Patent: US 8,134,977 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/332
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0066 of control information between different types of networks in order to establish a new radio link in the target network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0083 Determination of parameters used for hand-off, e.g. generation or modification of neighbour cell lists
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0085 Hand-off measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/12 Inter-network notification

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for processing wireless signal components for a mobile wireless access broadband service. This can include processes for defining a protocol that controls whether to invoke a tune away component to determine an alternative wireless communications path. This can include defining one or more tune away parameters for the tune away component. The process can then automatically select the alternative wireless communications path based in part on the tune away procedure and at least one of the tune away parameters.

Claims

1. A method to process wireless signal components for a mobile wireless access broadband service, comprising:

defining a protocol that controls whether to invoke a tune away component to determine an alternative wireless communications path;

defining one or more tune away parameters for the protocol; and

selecting the alternative wireless communications path based in part on the tune away component and at least one of the tune away parameters.

2. The method of claim 1, the protocol is employed with at least one of an inter-frequency protocol, an inter-radio access technology protocol, and a hybrid communications protocol.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a parameter for initiating a signal strength measurement.

4. The method of claim 1, the protocol includes at least one of a tune away attribute and a tune away control message.

5. The method of claim 4, the protocol includes provisions for one or more sets of parameters for tune away.

6. The method of claim 4, the protocol includes messaging for independently controlling at least one tune away schedule.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising a tune-away control allowing for time adjustment per the tune-away schedule.

8. The method of claim 7, the tune-away control allowing timing control per an active set member.

9. The method of claim 4, the tune away attribute further comprising at least one of a length field, an attribute ID, a start super frame number, a start super frame offset, a time away duration, and a time away period.

10. The method of claim 4, the tune away control message further comprising at least one of a message ID, a tune away enabled field, a number of pilots field, an active set index field, and a sector time offset field.

11. The method of claim 1, the tune away parameters further comprising one or more of the following parameters, a message ID a country code, a sector ID, a subnet mask, a sector signature, a latitude parameter, a longitude parameter, a registration radius, time information, date information, offset information, registration information, parameters for synchronizing systems, channel data, pilot neighbor data, a carrier ID, a sector color field, a transmit power field, a number of other technologies field, a technology occurrences field, a technology type, a technology neighbor list length, or a technology neighbor list.

12. A method for detecting pages in a mobile broadband wireless access system, comprising:

enabling a tune-away protocol to determine if a page has been received in a communications system, the tune-away protocol specifies timing differences between components in the communications system; and

sampling for the page in accordance scheduled intervals specified with the tune-away protocol.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising providing a cross registration component with the tune-away protocol.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising sending a blob (binary large object) message from an access terminal or an access node to facilitate determining the page.

15. The method of claim 14, the blob further comprising at least one of a message ID field and a technology type field.

16. The method of claim 14, the blob further comprising at least one of a blob length field and a blob value field.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising allowing other technology messaging over a wireless network via the blob message.

18. The method of claim 17, the other technology messaging including at least one of a paging component, a neighbor list, a registration component, and a connection establishment.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising updating a timing schedule with a parameter that accounts for timing differences between at least two different timing components.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising determining a page based in part on the timing schedule.

21. A wireless communications system, comprising:

means for transmitting a protocol specifying a frequency measurement for a channel;

means for processing threshold data from the frequency measurement; and

means for communicating to an alternative communications channel based in part on the frequency measurement.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising means for processing one or more parameters including a channel parameter, a message parameter, a location parameter, a time parameter, a date parameter, neighbor parameter, a power parameter, and a technology type parameter.

23. The system of claim 21, further comprising means for determining at least one page according to a second protocol.

24. The system of claim 21, further comprising means for setting inter-frequency protocol data or an inter-RAT (Radio Access Technology) protocol data.

25. A computer readable medium having a data structure stored thereon for communicating with a wireless broadband communications system, comprising:

at least one tune-away attribute to determine an alternative communications path;

at least one tune-away control message to enable a tune-away component; and

at least one message field to specify an alternative communications path.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 25, the tune away attribute further comprising at least one of a length field, an attribute ID, a start super frame number, a start super frame offset, a time away duration, and a time away period.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 25, the tune away control message further comprising at least one of a message ID, a tune away enabled field, a number of pilots field, an active set index field, and a sector time offset field.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 25, further comprising one or more of the following fields a message ID, a country code, a sector ID, a subnet mask, a sector signature, a latitude parameter, a longitude parameter, a registration radius, date information, offset information, registration information, parameters for synchronizing systems, channel data, pilot neighbor data, a carrier ID, a sector color field, a transmit power field, a number of other technologies field, a technology occurrences field, a technology type field, a technology neighbor list length field, or a technology neighbor list field.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 25, the tune away component includes a tune away schedule and a tune away control element.

30. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

a memory that includes one or more protocol parameters for a tune-away with respect to an access terminal; and

a processor that determines timing differences between the access terminal and an access network associated therewith, the processor determines a timing correction parameter in view of the timing differences and the one or more protocol parameters.

31. An apparatus for allocating base station resources during a tune-away, comprising:

means for determining a tune away protocol schedule;

means for adjusting at least one protocol parameter in view of the protocol schedule; and

means for performing a handoff to an alternative communications channel based in part on the protocol parameter and the protocol schedule.