Method of administering call handover between cells in a communications system

• US 20080070575A1
• Filed: 09/15/2006
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Samuel, Louis Gwyn, Claussen, Holger, Ho, Lester Tse Wee
• Application Number:
  US11/521,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20080070575A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/382 for resource allocation, admission control or handover
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/24 Reselection being triggered by specific parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/365 by manual user interaction
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

A communications system 1 includes an underlay network 2, which a cellular communications network implemented using UMTS technology, and an overlay home cell 8 set up by a user using a base station router 7, or other similar access device. A call may be transferred from the home cell 8 to a cell of the underlay network 2 and vice versa. If these operate at different tariffs, the user may find that handover between them results in extra charges for an on-going call.

The user terminal 10 is enabled so as to allow the user to determine if handover should be performed, and thus retain control of costs incurred in making a call. The user terminal 10 may give an alert if there is a risk of imminent handover, allowing the user to take avoiding action if desired, or the user may configure preferences to control under what conditions handover may be performed.

Claims

1. A method of administering call handover between cells in a communications system including the step of:

permitting a user of a device that communicates with the system to determine if call handover should be performed.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 and including the steps of:

detecting when there is an increased risk of handover of a call; and

alerting the user when an increased risk is detected.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 and wherein the user is alerted by an alert that is at least one of an audible and vibration alarm.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2 and including the step of monitoring signal strength and comparing it with a threshold level to detect when there is an increased risk of handover.

5. The method as claimed in claim 2 and including the step of detecting when there is an increased risk of handover by comparing signal strength measurements of a current cell carrying an on-going call, with signal strength measurements for other cells in a measured set of cells, and alerting the user when the signal strength measurement of the current cell falls below a certain level compared to the measurements for the other cells.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 and including the step of obtaining agreement of the user in order to initiate handover.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 and wherein agreement is obtained from the user by the user setting preferences.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 and wherein the user sets preferences by configuring them in said device.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 and wherein the user preferences include the maximum allowable tariffs for different session types such that handovers to acceptable new tariffs are automatic.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8 and wherein a preference to prevent handover is implemented by modifying reported signal measurements in a measured set of cells to report false measurements that are always lower than the signal strength measurements of a current cell carrying an on-going call.

11. The method as claimed in claim 2 and including the step of obtaining agreement of the user in order to initiate handover.

12. The method as claimed in claim 7 and wherein the preferences are set by the user before a call is initiated.

13. The method as claimed in claim 6 and including the step of recording the agreement of the user.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 and wherein a record of the agreement of the user is stored at a network element in the system.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1 and where handover is between cells of an underlay system and an overlay cell.

16. The method as claimed in claim 1 and wherein the handover is between cells at different tariffs.

17. The method as claimed in claim 1 and wherein the system includes a plurality of different networks.

18. A user terminal for use in a communications system comprising means for permitting a user of a device to determine if call handover should be performed between cells included in the system.

19. The user terminal as claimed in claim 18 and including means for the user to set preferences so that handover is performed only if the user preferences are met.

20. A communications system including an underlay cellular network and a home cell, and comprising means for permitting a user of a device that communicates with the system to determine if call handover should be performed between cells included in the system.

21. A communications system as claimed in claim 20 and wherein the home cell operates at a lower tariff to cells of the underlay cellular network