DISCOVERY OF NEIGHBOR CELLS

• US 20070291770A1
• Filed: 03/15/2007
• Published: 12/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Kitazoe, Masato
• Granted Patent: US 9,118,529 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/395.52
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/0093 Neighbour cell search
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4541 Directories for service discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

The present patent application comprises a method and apparatus to identify an address of a neighboring node, comprising the steps of identifying an existence of a neighboring cell, receiving a measurement report containing an identifier of the cell; sending an inquiry containing the identifier of the cell to a server, wherein the inquiry inquires what the IP address of the neighboring node of the cell is, and receiving an inquiry response containing the IP address of the neighboring node. In another embodiment, the inquiry containing the identifier of the cell is sent to other nodes.

Claims

1. A method of identifying an address of a neighboring node, comprising the steps of:

identifying an existence of a neighboring cell;

receiving a measurement report containing an identifier of the cell;

sending an inquiry containing said identifier of the cell to a server, wherein said inquiry inquires what the IP address of the neighboring node of said cell is; and

receiving an inquiry response containing the IP address of the neighboring node.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said nodes are eNode Bs.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said identifier of the cell is a cell ID.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

sending a connection establishment message to the neighboring node; and

establishing an association between the source node and the neighboring node.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said inquiry and said response are sent via a unicast transmission.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said server comprises:

a neighbor list that includes IP addresses and cell identification of the neighboring nodes; and

a neighbor list manager responsible for gathering information from the neighboring nodes, wherein said information includes said cell IDs and said IP addresses.

40. The computer program product according to claim 38, wherein said code for causing a computer to identify an address of a neighboring node further comprises code for causing a computer to:

receive a measurement report containing an identifier of a neighboring cell;

send an inquiry containing said identifier of the cell to other nodes, wherein said inquiry inquires what the IP address of the neighboring node of said cell is; and

receive an inquiry response containing the IP address of the said neighboring node.

46. The computer program product according to claim 40, wherein said nodes are eNode Bs.

47. The computer program product according to claim 40, wherein said identifier of the cell is a cell ID.

48. The computer program product according to claim 40, further comprising code for causing a computer to:

send a connection establishment message to the neighboring node; and

establish an association between the source node and the neighboring node.

49. The computer program product according to claim 40, wherein said inquiry is sent as a multicast transmission and said inquiry response is sent as a unicast transmission.

50. The computer program product according to claim 40, wherein at least one of said other nodes comprises:

a neighbor list that includes IP addresses and cell identification of the neighboring nodes; and

a neighbor list manager responsible for gathering information from the neighboring nodes, wherein said information includes said cell IDs and said IP addresses.

7. A method of identifying an address of a neighboring node, comprising the steps of:

identifying an existence of a neighboring cell;

receiving a measurement report containing an identifier of the cell;

sending an inquiry containing said identifier of the cell to other nodes, wherein said inquiry inquires what the IP address of the neighboring node of said cell is; and

receiving an inquiry response containing the IP address of the neighboring node.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said nodes are eNode Bs.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein said geo identifier of the cell is a cell ID.

10. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

sending a connection establishment message to the neighboring node; and

establishing an association between the source node and the neighboring node.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein said inquiry is sent as a multicast transmission and said inquiry response is sent as a unicast transmission.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein at least one of said other nodes comprises:

a neighbor list that includes IP addresses and cell identification of the neighboring nodes; and

a neighbor list manager responsible for gathering information from the neighboring nodes, wherein said information includes said cell IDs and said IP addresses.

13. A means for identifying an address of a neighboring node, comprising:

means for identifying an existence of a neighboring cell;

means for receiving a measurement report containing an identifier of the cell;

means for sending an inquiry containing said identifier of the cell to a means for serving, wherein said inquiry inquires what the IP address of the neighboring node of said cell is; and

means for receiving an inquiry response containing the IP address of the neighboring node.

14. The means according to claim 13, wherein said nodes are eNode Bs.

15. The means according to claim 13, wherein said identifier of the cell is a cell ID.

16. The means according to claim 13, further comprising:

means for sending a connection establishment message to the neighboring node; and

means for establishing an association between the source node and the neighboring node.

17. The means according to claim 13, wherein said inquiry and said response are sent via a unicast transmission.

18. The means according to claim 13, wherein said means for serving comprises:

a neighbor list that includes IP addresses and cell identification of the neighboring nodes; and

a means for managing said neighbor list responsible for gathering information from the neighboring nodes, wherein said information includes said cell IDs and said IP addresses.

19. A means for identifying an address of a neighboring node, comprising:

means for identifying an existence of a neighboring cell;

means for receiving a measurement report containing an identifier of the cell;

means for sending an inquiry containing said identifier of the cell to other nodes, wherein said inquiry inquires what the IP address of the neighboring node of said cell is; and

means for receiving an inquiry response containing the IP address of the said neighboring node.

20. The means according to claim 19, wherein said nodes are eNode Bs.

21. The means according to claim 19, wherein said identifier of the cell is a cell ID.

22. The means according to claim 19, further comprising:

means for sending a connection establishment message to the neighboring node; and

means for establishing an association between the source node and the neighboring node.

23. The means according to claim 19, wherein said inquiry is sent as a multicast transmission and said inquiry response is sent as a unicast transmission.

24. The means according to claim 19, wherein at least one of said other nodes comprises:

a neighbor list that includes IP addresses and cell identification of the neighboring nodes; and

a means for managing said neighbor list responsible for gathering information from the neighboring nodes, wherein said information includes said cell IDs and said IP addresses.

25. A node capable of identifying an address of a neighboring node, comprising:

a data queue;

a channel element;

an RF unit;

a control unit; and

a memory operably connected to said control unit, wherein said memory comprises instructions to identify an address of the neighboring node.

26. The node according to claim 25, wherein said instructions to identifying an address of a neighboring node comprise instructions to:

receive a measurement report containing an identifier of a neighboring cell;

.

send an inquiry containing said identifier of the cell to a server, wherein said inquiry inquires what the IP address of the neighboring node of said cell is; and

receive an inquiry response containing the IP address of the neighboring node.

27. The node according to claim 25, wherein said instructions to identifying an address of a neighboring node comprise instructions to:

receive a measurement report containing an identifier of a neighboring cell;

send an inquiry containing said identifier of the cell to other nodes, wherein said inquiry inquires what the IP address of the neighboring node of said cell is; and

receive an inquiry response containing the IP address of the neighboring node.

28. The node according to claim 26, wherein said nodes are eNode Bs.

29. The node according to claim 26, wherein said identifier of the cell is a cell ID.

30. The node according to claim 26, further comprising instructions to:

send a connection establishment message to the neighboring node; and

establish an association between the source node and the neighboring node.

31. The node according to claim 26, wherein said inquiry and said response are sent via a unicast transmission.

32. The node according to claim 26, wherein said server comprises:

a neighbor list that includes IP addresses and cell identification of the neighboring eNode Bs; and

a neighbor list manager responsible for gathering information from neighboring eNodeBs, wherein said information includes cell IDs and IP addresses.

33. The node according to claim 27, wherein said nodes are eNode Bs.

34. The node according to claim 27, wherein said identifier of the cell is a cell ID.

35. The node according to claim 27, further comprising instructions to:

send a connection establishment message to the neighboring node; and

establish an association between the source node and the neighboring node.

36. The node according to claim 27, wherein said inquiry is sent as a multicast transmission and said inquiry response is sent as a unicast transmission.

37. The node according to claim 27, wherein at least one of said other nodes comprises:

a neighbor list that includes IP addresses and cell identification of the neighboring nodes; and

a neighbor list manager responsible for gathering information from the neighboring nodes, wherein said information includes said cell IDs and said IP addresses.

38. A computer program product, comprising:

computer-readable medium comprising;

code for causing a computer to identify an address of a neighboring node.

39. The computer program product according to claim 38, wherein said code for causing a computer to identify an address of a neighboring node further comprises code for causing a computer to:

receive a measurement report containing an identifier of a neighboring cell;

.

send an inquiry containing said identifier of the cell to a server, wherein said inquiry inquires what the IP address of the neighboring node of said cell is; and

receive an inquiry response containing the IP address of the neighboring node.

41. The computer program product according to claim 39, wherein said nodes are eNode Bs.

42. The computer program product according to claim 39, wherein said identifier of the cell is a cell ID.

43. The computer program product according to claim 39, further comprising code for causing a computer to:

send a connection establishment message to the neighboring node; and

establish an association between the source node and the neighboring node.

44. The computer program product according to claim 39, wherein said inquiry and said response is sent via a unicast transmission.

45. The computer program product according to claim 39, wherein said server comprises:

a neighbor list that includes IP addresses and cell identification of the neighboring eNode Bs; and

a neighbor list manager responsible for gathering information from neighboring eNodeBs, wherein said information includes cell IDs and IP addresses.