Mobile Station, Infrastructure Processor, System and Method for Use in Cellular Communications

• US 20080009291A1
• Filed: 12/19/2005
• Published: 01/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Young, Malcolm, Emberson, Grant
• Granted Patent: US 8,249,601 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/437
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0009 for a plurality of users or terminals, e.g. group communication or moving wireless networks user group management H04W4/08; processing of subscriber group data H04W8/186
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/04 Reselecting a cell layer in multi-layered cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• 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 8/186 Processing of subscriber group data

Abstract

A mobile station for use in a cellular communication system includes a transceiver and a processor operable to apply a cell re-selection procedure which includes determining whether the mobile station should change its serving base station, wherein the transceiver is operable to receive via its serving base station a signal from an infrastructure processor advising or instructing the mobile station to select a particular base station in its cell re-selection procedure, and the processor of the mobile station is operable to apply a cell re-selection procedure to determine whether the mobile station should change its serving base station to the particular selected base station, wherein the particular selected base station has been selected and specified by the infrastructure processor based upon the location of members of a group of mobile stations with which the mobile station is to communicate.

Claims

1. A mobile station for use in a cellular communication system including a receiver and a processor operable to apply a cell re-selection procedure which includes determining whether the mobile station should change its serving base station, wherein the receiver is operable to receive via its serving base station a signal from an infrastructure processor indicating that the mobile station should select a particular base station in its cell re-selection procedure, and the processor of the mobile station is operable to apply a cell re-selection procedure to determine whether the mobile station should change its serving base station or to apply a handover to the particular selected base station, wherein the particular selected base station has been selected and specified by the infrastructure processor based upon the location of members of a group of mobile stations with which the mobile station is to communicate.

2. A mobile station according to claim 1 wherein the mobile station includes a transmitter operable to send signals to the infrastructure processor via a currently serving base station and the receiver is operable to receive signals from the infrastructure processor via a currently serving base station.

3. A mobile station according to claim 2 wherein the transmitter of the mobile station is operable to send to an infrastructure processor a signal including information relating to one or more groups of mobile stations with which it is intended that the mobile station is to communicate.

4. A mobile station according to claim 3 wherein the signal includes details of a plurality of groups of mobile stations and one of the groups is a priority group for the mobile station.

5. A mobile station according to claim 1 wherein the mobile station is operable to receive from the infrastructure processor a list of non-serving base stations selected by the infrastructure processor which are suitable to be selected as a serving base station in a cell re-selection procedure.

6. A mobile station according to claim 5 wherein the mobile station is operable to apply a first stage of a cell re-selection procedure using information to compare the non-serving base stations of the list and includes a transmitter operable to send to the infrastructure processor a signal including information relating to the suitability of the non-serving base stations selected by the infrastructure processor.

7. A mobile station according to claim 5 wherein the receiver of the mobile station is operable to receive from the infrastructure processor a signal indicating one of the list of non-serving base stations selected as the particular base station and the processor of the mobile station is operable to apply a second stage of a cell re-selection procedure using a comparison between the current serving base station and that selected particular base station.

8. A mobile station according to claim 6 wherein the processor of the mobile station is operable in a first stage of a cell re-selection procedure to establish suitability of non-serving base stations using information comparing base stations by reference to one or more parameters selected from:

(i) received signal strength from the base station at the mobile station;

(ii) signal quality;

(iii) subscriber class;

(iv) services available from the base station;

(v) cell priority;

(vi) preferred cell of the mobile station; and

(vii) cell loading.

9. A mobile station according to claim 1 wherein the processor of the mobile station is operable to apply a second stage of a cell re-selection procedure to determine whether service handover to the selected particular base station should be made, wherein the procedure includes comparing whether a received signal strength from a base station currently serving the mobile station is less than a pre-determined threshold and less than a received signal strength from the selected particular base station by a pre-determined signal strength difference.

11. A mobile station according to claim 2 wherein the mobile station is operable to receive from the infrastructure processor a list of non-serving base stations selected by the infrastructure processor which are suitable to be selected as a serving base station in a cell re-selection procedure.

12. A mobile station according to claim 3 wherein the mobile station is operable to receive from the infrastructure processor a list of non-serving base stations selected by the infrastructure processor which are suitable to be selected as a serving base station in a cell re-selection procedure.

13. A mobile station according to claim 4 wherein the mobile station is operable to receive from the infrastructure processor a list of non-serving base stations selected by the infrastructure processor which are suitable to be selected as a serving base station in a cell re-selection procedure.

15. A mobile station according to claim 7 wherein the processor of the mobile station is operable in a first stage of a cell re-selection procedure to establish suitability of non-serving base stations using information comparing base stations by reference to one or more parameters selected from:

(i) received signal strength from the base station at the mobile station;

(ii) signal quality;

(iii) subscriber class;

(iv) services available from the base station;

(v) cell priority;

(vi) preferred cell of the mobile station; and

(vii) cell loading.

16. A mobile station according to claim 2 wherein the processor of the mobile station is operable to apply a second stage of a cell re-selection procedure to determine whether service handover to the selected particular base station should be made, wherein the procedure includes comparing whether a received signal strength from a base station currently serving the mobile station is less than a pre-determined threshold and less than a received signal strength from the selected particular base station by a pre-determined signal strength difference.

17. A mobile station according to claim 3 wherein the processor of the mobile station is operable to apply a second stage of a cell re-selection procedure to determine whether service handover to the selected particular base station should be made, wherein the procedure includes comparing whether a received signal strength from a base station currently serving the mobile station is less than a pre-determined threshold and less than a received signal strength from the selected particular base station by a pre-determined signal strength difference.

18. A mobile station according to claim 5 wherein the processor of the mobile station is operable to apply a second stage of a cell re-selection procedure to determine whether service handover to the selected particular base station should be made, wherein the procedure includes comparing whether a received signal strength from a base station currently serving the mobile station is less than a pre-determined threshold and less than a received signal strength from the selected particular base station by a pre-determined signal strength difference.

19. A mobile station according to claim 6 wherein the processor of the mobile station is operable to apply a second stage of a cell re-selection procedure to determine whether service handover to the selected particular base station should be made, wherein the procedure includes comparing whether a received signal strength from a base station currently serving the mobile station is less than a pre-determined threshold and less than a received signal strength from the selected particular base station by a pre-determined signal strength difference.

20. A mobile station according to claim 7 wherein the processor of the mobile station is operable to apply a second stage of a cell re-selection procedure to determine whether service handover to the selected particular base station should be made, wherein the procedure includes comparing whether a received signal strength from a base station currently serving the mobile station is less than a pre-determined threshold and less than a received signal strength from the selected particular base station by a pre-determined signal strength difference.

10. A method of operation in a cellular communication system including (i) a system infrastructure including a plurality of base stations and a processor;

and (ii) a plurality of mobile stations wherein at least one of the mobile stations includes a transmitter, a receiver and a processor operable to apply a cell re-selection or handover procedure, wherein the method includes the processor of the system infrastructure sending to the mobile station a signal indicating to the mobile station to select a particular base station in its cell re-selection or handover procedure, receiving the signal by receiver of the mobile station and applying by the processor of the mobile station a cell re-selection or handover procedure using the selected particular base station, wherein the processor of the infrastructure is operable to select and specify the particular base station based upon the location of members of a group of mobile stations with which the mobile station is to communicate.

14. A mobile station according to 6 wherein the receiver of the mobile station is operable to receive from the infrastructure processor a signal indicating one of the list of non-serving base stations selected as the particular base station and the processor of the mobile station is operable to apply a second stage of a cell re-selection procedure using a comparison between the current serving base station and that selected particular base station.