Dynamic modification of route update protocols

• US 20080013488A1
• Filed: 07/14/2006
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ericsson Evdo, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Airvana Network Solutions Inc (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Samar, Prince, Garg, Deepak, Palnati, Prasasth R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,085,696 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/04 using triggered events

Abstract

A radio access network dynamically modifies a route update protocol of an access terminal in an active state that is in communication with the network, such that the access terminal reports a route update message upon satisfaction of a condition. The condition may be related to an inter-revision hard handoff, an inter-frequency hard handoff, a RF dragging prevention, a selective resource allocation, or some combination thereof.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

enabling a radio access network to dynamically modify a route update protocol of an access terminal in an active state that is in communication with the network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the enabling comprises:

determining whether the access terminal is approaching a handoff boundary; and

taking an action to modify the route update protocol of the access terminal based on the determining.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the handoff boundary comprises one or more of the following:

a carrier boundary, a revision boundary, and a subnet boundary.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the enabling comprises:

receiving information about pilot signals detected by the access terminal, wherein the pilot signals comprise one or more of the following;

a pilot signal corresponding to a sector of a candidate set of the access terminal, and a pilot signal corresponding to a sector of an active set of the access terminal.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the enabling further comprises:

examining the received information to determine whether the access terminal is approaching a handoff boundary.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the enabling further comprises:

examining the received information to determine how network resources are to be allocated.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the enabling comprises:

sending a message to the access terminal to cause the route update protocol of the access terminal to be modified.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the message comprises one of the following:

an inter-revision set of route update parameters, an inter-frequency set of route update parameters, an RF dragging prevention set of route update parameters, a selective resource allocation set of route update parameters, and a default set of route update parameters.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the enabling further comprises:

re-sending the message to the access terminal until the network receives an indication that the route update protocol of the access terminal has been modified.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the enabling comprises:

dynamically modifying the route update protocol of the access terminal such that a route update message is reported by the access terminal as soon as a condition for an inter-revision hard handoff is satisfied.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the enabling comprises:

dynamically modifying the route update protocol such that a route update message is reported by the access terminal as soon as a condition for an inter-frequency hard handoff is satisfied.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the enabling comprises:

dynamically modifying the route update protocol such that a route update message is reported by the access terminal as soon as a condition for an RF dragging prevention is satisfied.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the enabling comprises:

dynamically modifying the route update protocol such that a route update message is reported by the access terminal as soon as a condition for a selective resource allocation is satisfied.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selectively allocating resources of the network to pilots whose respective signal strength exceeds a first threshold value; and

selectively de-allocating resources of the network for pilots whose respective signal strength drops below a second threshold value.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

dynamically selecting one or more of the first threshold value and the second threshold value based on network loading conditions.

16. A method comprising:

at an access terminal in an active state that is in communication with a radio access network, modifying a route update protocol in response to a message received from network.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

at the access terminal, detecting pilot signals, at least one of the pilot signals corresponding to a sector of a candidate set of the access terminal, and at least one of the pilot signals corresponding to a sector of an active set of the access terminal.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

at the access terminal, measuring strengths of detected pilot signals, comparing each detected pilot signal strength corresponding to a sector of a candidate set with a weakest detected pilot signal strength corresponding to a sector of an active set, and taking an action based on the comparing.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein taking an action comprises:

reporting a route update message to the network if a detected pilot signal strength corresponding to a sector of the candidate set exceeds the weakest detected pilot signal strength corresponding to a sector of the active set by a predetermined margin.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

at the access terminal, measuring strengths of detected pilot signals, determining whether a detected pilot signal strength corresponding to a sector of an active set drops below a predetermined signal strength threshold for a predetermined time period, and taking an action based on the determining.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein taking an action comprises:

reporting a route update message to the network, wherein the route update message including the most-recently detected pilot signals corresponding to respective sectors of the active set.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein modifying the route update protocol comprises:

modifying one or more of the following;

a PilotCompare parameter, a PilotDrop parameter, a PilotDropTimer parameter, and a PilotAdd parameter in accordance with the IS-856 specification.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the PilotDrop parameter is modified from a default value to a sector-specific value.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the PilotCompare parameter is modified from a first value to a second value, the first value being different from the second value.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein upon modification of the route update protocol, the access terminal reports a route update message as soon as a condition for an inter-revision hard handoff is satisfied.

26. The method of claim 16, wherein upon modification of the route update protocol, the access terminal reports a route update message as soon as a condition for an inter-frequency hard handoff is satisfied.

27. The method of claim 16, wherein upon modification of the route update protocol, the access terminal reports a route update message as soon as a condition for an RF dragging prevention is satisfied.

28. The method of claim 16, wherein upon modification of the route update protocol, the access terminal reports a route update message as soon as a condition for a selective resource allocation is satisfied.

29. A machine-readable medium that stores executable instructions for use at a radio node controller of a radio access network, the instructions causing a machine to:

dynamically modify a route update protocol of an access terminal in an active state that is in communication with the network.

30. The machine-readable medium of claim 29, further comprising instructions to cause the machine to:

determine whether the access terminal is approaching a handoff boundary; and

take an action to modify the route update protocol of the access terminal based on the determination.

31. The machine-readable medium of claim 30, wherein the handoff boundary comprises one or more of the following:

a carrier boundary, a revision boundary, and a subnet boundary.

32. The machine-readable medium of claim 29, further comprising instructions to cause the machine to:

receive information about pilot signals detected by the access terminal, wherein the pilot signals comprise one or more of the following;

a pilot signal corresponding to a sector of a candidate set of the access terminal, and a pilot signal corresponding to a sector of an active set of the access terminal.

33. The machine-readable medium of claim 32, further comprising instructions to cause the machine to:

examine the received information to determine whether the access terminal is approaching a handoff boundary.

34. The machine-readable medium of claim 32, further comprising instructions to cause the machine to:

examine the received information to determine how network resources are to be allocated.

35. The machine-readable medium of claim 29, further comprising instructions to cause the machine to:

selectively allocate resources of the network to pilots whose respective signal strength exceeds a first threshold value; and

selectively de-allocate resources of the network for pilots whose respective signal strength drops below a second threshold value.

36. The machine-readable medium of claim 35, further comprising instructions to:

dynamically select one or more of the first threshold value and the second threshold value based on network loading conditions.

37. A machine-readable medium that stores executable instructions for use at an access terminal in an active state that is in communication with a radio access network, the instructions causing a machine to:

modify a route update protocol in response to a message received from the network.

38. The machine-readable medium of claim 37, further comprising instructions to cause the machine to:

detect pilot signals, at least one of the pilot signals corresponding to a sector of a candidate set of the access terminal, and at least one of the pilot signals corresponding to a sector of an active set of the access terminal.

39. The machine-readable medium of claim 37, further comprising instructions to cause the machine to:

measure strengths of detected pilot signals, compare each detected pilot signal strength corresponding to a sector of a candidate set with a weakest detected pilot signal strength corresponding to a sector of an active set, and take an action based on the comparison.

40. The machine-readable medium of claim 39, wherein the instructions to cause the machine to take an action comprise instructions to cause the machine to:

report a route update message to the network if a detected pilot signal strength corresponding to a sector of the candidate set exceeds the weakest detected pilot signal strength corresponding to a sector of the active set by a predetermined margin.

41. The machine-readable medium of claim 37, further comprising instructions to cause the machine to:

measure strengths of detected pilot signals, determine whether a detected pilot signal strength corresponding to a sector of an active set drops below a predetermined signal strength threshold for a predetermined time period, and take an action based on the determination.

42. The machine-readable medium of claim 41, wherein instructions to cause the machine to take an action comprise instructions to cause the machine to:

report a route update message to the network, wherein the route update message includes the most-recently detected pilot signals corresponding to respective sectors of the active set.

43. An apparatus comprising:

a processor, and

memory, including software to provide instructions to the processor to dynamically modify a route update protocol of an access terminal in an active state that is in communication with a radio access network.

44. An apparatus comprising:

a processor, and

memory, including software to provide instructions to the processor to modify a route update protocol in response to a message received from the network.