Radio frequency dragging prevention

• US 20070140184A1
• Filed: 12/16/2005
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ericsson Evdo, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Airvana Network Solutions Inc (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Palnati, Prasasth, Garg, Deepak, Barabell, Arthur
• Granted Patent: US 8,094,630 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/302 due to low signal strength

Abstract

A device receives information about signals detected by an access terminal, a first one of the signals corresponds to a radio node with which the access terminal is in communication, and if a second signal detected by the access terminal does not correspond to signals in use by the radio node and the access terminal, and if a condition is met, the devise causes the access terminal to alter communication with the radio node.

Claims

1. A method comprising

receiving information about signals detected by an access terminal,

a first one of the signals corresponding to a radio node with which the access terminal is in communication, and

if a second signal detected by the access terminal does not correspond to signals in use by the radio node and the access terminal, and

if a condition is met,

causing the access terminal to alter communication with the radio node.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the altering includes closing communication with the radio node.

3. The method of claim 2 in which the altering also includes opening communication with a radio node that is generating the second signal.

4. The method of claim 1 in which

the first and second signals originate from different radio access networks.

5. The method of claim 4 in which the different radio access networks comprise radio access sub-networks.

6. The method of claim 4 in which the different radio access networks are operated by different radio network operators.

7. The method of claim 1 in which the first and second signals use different carriers.

8. The method of claim 1 in which the first and second signals operate in different modes.

9. The method of claim 8 in which the different modes comprise revision levels.

10. The method of claim 1 in which evaluating the condition comprises comparing a quality of the second signal to a threshold.

11. The method of claim 10 in which the threshold is based on a quality of the first signal.

12. The method of claim 10 in which the condition is met if the quality of the second signal is greater than the threshold.

13. The method of claim 10 in which the information is received repeatedly, and the condition is met if the quality of the second signal is greater than the threshold during a number of sequential times that the information is received.

14. The method of claim 10 in which the quality of the second signal is the power of the second signal.

15. The method of claim 11 in which the quality of the first signal is the power of the first signal.

16. The method of claim 1 in which the information is received from the access terminal.

17. The method of claim 16 also comprising sending a message instructing the access terminal to send the information.

18. The method of claim 17 also comprising sending the message repeatedly.

19. The method of claim 18 in which a rate at which the message is repeated depends on a quality of the second signal.

20. The method of claim 19 in which the quality is a power of the second signal.

21. The method of claim 20 also comprising increasing the rate if the power of the second signal is greater than a threshold.

22. The method of claim 21 in which the threshold is based on a power of the first signal.

23. The method of claim 21 in which a value to which the rate is increased is based on a number of times the condition must be met.

24. The method of claim 18 in which

the radio node and the access terminal are in a radio access network comprising sectors, and

a rate at which the message is repeated depends on a location of the access terminal.

25. The method of claim 24 in which a rate at which the message is repeated is increased if the access terminal is in a sector that uses a carrier that is not used by a neighboring sector.

26. The method of claim 25 in which a value to which the rate is increased is based on a number of times the condition must be met.

27. The method of claim 1 in which

the radio node and the access terminal are in a radio access network comprising sectors, the method also comprising

transmitting information for each sector, in which selection of the information is based on criteria that are not the same in each sector.

28. The method of claim 27 in which

the criteria for the selection of information for a sector comprise resources available in the sector, in co-located sectors, and in neighboring sectors.

29. The method of claim 27 in which

the information for each sector includes an identification of a carrier used in that sector, and

if two sectors are co-located in a first area,

the information for each sector includes an identification of a carrier used by the other sector unless there is a neighboring second area in which no sector uses the carrier used by the other sector.

30. The method of claim 29 in which

if there is a first sector in a first area using a first carrier, and

the access terminal is in the first sector using the first carrier, and

there is a neighboring second area in which no sector uses the first carrier,

then

causing the access terminal to alter communication comprises

instructing the access terminal to disconnect from the radio node and to connect to a second radio node using the information transmitted for a second sector.

31. The method of claim 27 in which

the information for each sector includes an identification of any sector in a neighboring area that uses the same carrier as that sector,

if a first sector in a first area uses a first carrier, and

a second sector in a neighboring second area uses a second carrier, and

there is no sector in the second area using the first carrier,

then

the information for the first sector includes an identification of the second sector.

32. The method of claim 31 in which

if there is a first sector in a first area using a first carrier, and

the access terminal is in the first sector, and

there is a neighboring second area in which no sector uses the first carrier,

causing the access terminal to alter communication comprises

instructing the access terminal to disconnect from the radio node and to connect to a second radio node using the information transmitted for the first sector.

33. The method of claim 1 in which

the radio node and the access terminal are in a radio access network comprising sectors, the method also comprising

transmitting information for each sector,

in which selection of information is based on criteria that are not the same in each sector, and

repeatedly transmitting a message to the access terminal, in which the message instructs the access terminal to send the information about signals,

the condition comprises that the second signal detected by the access terminal has a power greater than a threshold, and

causing the access terminal to alter communication comprises instructing the access terminal to transition between sectors.

34. The method of claim 33 also comprising increasing a rate at which the message is repeated if the power of the signal increases.

35. The method of claim 33 also comprising increasing the rate at which the message is repeated if the power of the signal is above a threshold.

36. The method of claim 33 in which a rate at which the message is repeated is increased if the access terminal is in a sector that uses a carrier that is not used by a neighboring sector.

37. The method of claim 33 in which

the information for each sector includes a first list and a second list,

the first list for each sector includes an identification of a carrier used in that sector,

the second list for each sector includes an identification of any sector in a neighboring area that uses the same carrier as that sector,

if two sectors are co-located in a first area, then

the first list for each sector includes an identification of a carrier used by the other sector unless there is a neighboring second area in which no sector uses the carrier used by the other sector, and

if a first sector in a first area uses a first carrier, and

a second sector in a neighboring second area uses a second carrier, and

there is no sector in the second area using the first carrier, then

the second list for the first sector includes an identification of the second sector.

38. The method of claim 1 in which

the radio node and the access terminal are in a radio access network comprising sectors, the method also comprising

transmitting lists of information for each sector,

in which selection of information to be included in a list is based on criteria that are not the same in each sector;

and

repeatedly transmitting to an access terminal a message;

at lease some of the information about signals detected by the access terminal being received in response to the message;

in which

the condition is that the second signal has a power greater than a threshold.

39. A method comprising

repeatedly receiving information about signals detected by an access terminal,

a first one of the signals corresponding to a first radio node with which the access terminal is in communication, and

if a second signal detected by the access terminal does not correspond to signals in use by the radio node and the access terminal,

comparing a quality of the second signal to a first and second threshold each time the information is received,

if the quality of the second signal is greater than the first threshold, increasing a rate at which the information is received, and

if the quality of the second signal is greater than the second threshold during a number of sequential comparisons, causing the access terminal to close communication with the radio node.

40. A method comprising

receiving information about signals detected by an access terminal,

a first one of the signals corresponding to a first radio node with which the access terminal is in communication, and

if a second signal detected by the access terminal does not originate from a second radio node on the same radio access network as the first radio node, and

if a quality of the second signal is greater than a threshold,

causing the access terminal to close communication with the radio node.

41. A method comprising

receiving information about signals detected by an access terminal,

a first one of the signals corresponding to a first radio node with which the access terminal is in communication, and

if a second signal detected by the access terminal uses a different carrier than the first signal, and

if a quality of the second signal is greater than a threshold,

causing the access terminal to close communication with the radio node.

42. A method comprising

receiving information about signals detected by an access terminal,

a first one of the signals corresponding to a first radio node with which the access terminal is in communication, and

if a second signal detected by the access terminal uses a different mode of operation than the first signal, and

if a quality of the second signal is greater than a threshold,

causing the access terminal to close communication with the radio node.

43. A method comprising

receiving information about at least two signals detected by an access terminal,

placing the signals into at least two groups,

in which a first group comprises signals corresponding to a radio node with which the access terminal is in communication, and

a second group comprises signals not corresponding to signals is use by the radio node and the access terminal, and

if a signal in the second group meets a condition,

causing the access terminal to alter communication with the radio node.

44. A medium bearing instructions to cause a radio network controller to

receive information from and transmit instructions to a radio node,

the information including information about signals detected by an access terminal in communication with the radio node, and

if a signal detected by the access terminal does not correspond to signals used by the radio node and the access terminal, and

if a condition is met,

instruct the radio node to instruct the access terminal to alter communication with the radio node.

45. The medium of claim 44 in which the instructions also cause the radio network controller to, if a second condition is met, instruct the radio node to transmit a message requesting the information about signals from the access terminal.