Apparatus, method and computer program product providing rat priority list for multi-rat mobile devices

• US 20080176565A1
• Filed: 01/23/2007
• Published: 07/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Eerolainen, Lauri, Vasarainen, Juha
• Application Number:
  US11/656,620
• Publication Number:
  US 20080176565A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/0093 Neighbour cell search
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

A method, computer program product and a wireless network node operate to determine a content of a multi-radio access technology priority list that includes n entries (n>1) prioritized from a highest priority radio access technology to a lowest priority radio access technology, where an entry for the highest priority radio technology includes a measurement delay timer value, and to send the determined multi-radio access technology priority list to a user equipment. The user equipment stores the multi-radio access technology priority list and sends measurement results to the wireless communications network for one of the n entries that is associated with a currently camped-on radio access technology and for one of the n entries that is associated with an active neighbor radio access technology. In response to detecting a loss of the highest priority radio access technology, the user equipment initializes a timer to the timer value and terminates further making measurements from a cell associated with the highest priority radio access technology until the timer expires.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining in a wireless communication network a content of a multi-radio access technology priority list comprising n entries (n >

1) prioritized from a highest priority radio access technology to a lowest priority radio access technology, where an entry for the highest priority radio technology comprises a measurement delay timer value; and

sending the determined multi-radio access technology priority list to a user equipment.

2. The method of claim 1, where n ≧

3

3. The method of claim 1, where during use of the multi-radio access technology priority list further comprising the receiving at the wireless communication network a measurement report from the user equipment, the measurement report comprising measurement results for one of the n entries that is associated with a currently camped-on radio access technology and for one of the n entries that is associated with an active neighbor radio access technology.

4. The method of claim 3, where the measurement report does not comprise measurement results for one of the n entries that is not associated with either the currently camped-on radio access technology and the active neighbor radio access technology.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to the user equipment handing over from a first radio access technology to a second radio access technology, each having an associated entry in the multi-radio access technology priority list, sending a revised multi-radio access technology priority list to the user equipment.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to the user equipment reselecting from a first radio access technology to a second radio access technology, each having an associated entry in the multi-radio access technology priority list, sending a revised multi-radio access technology priority list to the user equipment.

7. The method of claim 1, where there are at least m potential radio access technology systems available to the wireless communication network, and where n≦

m.

8. A computer program product embodied on a tangible medium and comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one data processor, result in operations that comprise:

determining in a wireless communication network a content of a multi-radio access technology priority list comprising n entries (n>

1) prioritized from a highest priority radio access technology to a lowest priority radio access technology, where an entry for the highest priority radio technology comprises a measurement delay timer value; and

sending the determined multi-radio access technology priority list to a user equipment.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, where n≧

3.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, where during use of the multi-radio access technology priority list further comprising an operation of receiving at the wireless communication network a measurement report from the user equipment, the measurement report comprising measurement results for one of the n entries that is associated with a currently camped-on radio access technology and for one of the n entries that is associated with an active neighbor radio access technology.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, where the measurement report does not comprise measurement results for one of the n entries that is not associated with either the currently camped-on radio access technology and the active neighbor radio access technology.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising an operation of, in response to the user equipment handing over from a first radio access technology to a second radio access technology, each having an associated entry in the multi-radio access technology priority list, sending a revised multi-radio access technology priority list to the user equipment.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising, in response to the user equipment reselecting from a first radio access technology to a second radio access technology, each having an associated entry in the multi-radio access technology priority list, sending a revised multi-radio access technology priority list to the user equipment.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, where there are at least m potential radio access technology systems available to the wireless communication network, and where n≦

m.

15. A wireless network node, comprising at least one functional unit adapted to determine a content of a multi-radio access technology priority list comprising n entries (n>

1) prioritized from a highest priority radio access technology to a lowest priority radio access technology, where an entry for the highest priority radio technology comprises a measurement delay timer value; and

further comprising a wireless transceiver configured to send the determined multi-radio access technology priority list to a user equipment and to receive a measurement report from the user equipment.

16. The wireless network node of claim 15, where n≧

3.

17. The wireless network node of claim 15, where the measurement report comprises measurement results for one of the n entries that is associated with a currently camped-on radio access technology and measurement results for one of the n entries that is associated with an active neighbor radio access technology, where the measurement report does not comprise measurement results for one of the n entries that is not associated with either the currently camped-on radio access technology and the active neighbor radio access technology.

18. The wireless network node of claim 15, said at least one functional unit being responsive to the user equipment handing over from a first radio access technology to a second radio access technology, each having an associated entry in the multi-radio access technology priority list, to determine a revised multi-radio access technology priority list to the user equipment and to send the revised multi-radio access technology priority list to the user equipment via said wireless transceiver.

19. The wireless network node of claim 15, said at least one functional unit being responsive to the user equipment reselecting from a first radio access technology to a second radio access technology, each having an associated entry in the multi-radio access technology priority list, to determine a revised multi-radio access technology priority list to the user equipment and to send the revised multi-radio access technology priority list to the user equipment via said wireless transceiver.

20. The wireless network node of claim 15, where there are at least m potential radio access technology systems available to the wireless communication network, and where n≦

m.

21. The wireless network node of claim 15, embodied at least in part in a Node-B.

22. The wireless network node of claim 15, embodied at least in part in a packet scheduler function.

23. The wireless network node of claim 15, wherein the wireless network node is configured to operate in a packet switched mode.

24. The wireless network node of claim 15, wherein the wireless network node is configured to operate in a circuit switched mode.

25. The wireless network node of claim 15, embodied at least in part in a measurement report handling and control function.

26. The wireless network node of claim 15, embodied at least in part in an integrated circuit.

27. A method, comprising:

storing information descriptive of a multi-radio access technology priority list comprising n entries (n>

1) prioritized from a highest priority radio access technology to a lowest priority radio access technology, where an entry for the highest priority radio technology comprises a timer value;

sending measurement results to a wireless communications network for one of the n entries that is associated with a currently camped-on radio access technology and for one of the n entries that is associated with an active neighbor radio access technology; and

in response to detecting a loss of the highest priority radio access technology, initializing a timer to the timer value and terminating making further measurements from a cell associated with the highest priority radio access technology until the timer expires.

28. The method of claim 27, where the measurement results do not comprise measurement results for one of the n entries that is not associated with either the currently camped-on radio access technology and the active neighbor radio access technology.

29. The method of claim 27, where n≧

3.

30. The method of claim 27, further comprising, in response to handing over from a first radio access technology to a second radio access technology, each having an associated entry in the multi-radio access technology priority list, storing a revised multi-radio access technology priority list.

31. The method of claim 27, further comprising, in response to reselecting from a first radio access technology to a second radio access technology, each having an associated entry in the multi-radio access technology priority list, storing a revised multi-radio access technology priority list.

32. The method of claim 27, where there are at least m potential radio access technology systems available to the wireless communication network, and where n≦

m.

33. A computer program product embodied on a tangible medium and comprising instructions that, when executed by a data processor of a user equipment, result in operations that comprise:

storing information that includes information descriptive of a multi-radio access technology priority list comprising n entries (n>

1) prioritized from a highest priority radio access technology to a lowest priority radio access technology, where an entry for the highest priority radio technology comprises a timer value;

sending measurement results to a wireless communications network for one of the n entries that is associated with a currently camped-on radio access technology and for one of the n entries that is associated with an active neighbor radio access technology; and

in response to detecting a loss of the highest priority radio access technology, initializing a timer to the timer value and terminating further measurements from a cell associated with the highest priority radio access technology until the timer expires.

34. The computer program product of claim 33, where the measurement results do not comprise measurement results for one of the n entries that is not associated with either the currently camped-on radio access technology and the active neighbor radio access technology.

35. The computer program product of claim 33, where n≧

3.

36. The computer program product of claim 33, further comprising, in response to handing over from a first radio access technology to a second radio access technology, each having an associated entry in the multi-radio access technology priority list, an operation of storing a revised multi-radio access technology priority list.

37. The computer program product of claim 33, further comprising, in response to reselecting from a first radio access technology to a second radio access technology, each having an associated entry in the multi-radio access technology priority list, an operation of storing a revised multi-radio access technology priority list.

38. The computer program product of claim 33, where there are at least m potential radio access technology systems available to the wireless communication network, and where n≦

m.

39. A user equipment, comprising at least one transceiver adapted for wireless communication with a plurality of different radio access technologies, further comprising a control unit operatively coupled with a memory that stores information descriptive of a multi-radio access technology priority list comprising n entries (n>

1) prioritized from a highest priority radio access technology to a lowest priority radio access technology, where an entry for the highest priority radio technology comprises a timer value;

said control unit adapted to send measurement results to a wireless communications network for one of the n entries that is associated with a currently camped-on radio access technology and for one of the n entries that is associated with an active neighbor radio access technology; and

further adapted to respond to detecting a loss of the highest priority radio access technology to initialize a timer to the timer value and to terminate further measurements from a cell associated with the highest priority radio access technology until the timer expires.

40. The user equipment of claim 39, where the measurement results do not comprise measurement results for one of the n entries that is not associated with either the currently camped-on radio access technology and the active neighbor radio access technology.

41. The user equipment of claim 39, where n≧

3.

42. The user equipment of claim 39, said control unit being further adapted to respond to handing over from a first radio access technology to a second radio access technology, each having an associated entry in the multi-radio access technology priority list, to receive a revised multi-radio access technology priority list.

43. The user equipment of claim 39, said control unit being further adapted to respond to reselecting from a first radio access technology to a second radio access technology, each having an associated entry in the multi-radio access technology priority list, to receive a revised multi-radio access technology priority list.

44. The user equipment of claim 39, where there are at least m potential radio access technology systems available to the wireless communication network, and where n≦

m.

45. A method, comprising:

storing information descriptive of a radio access technology priority list comprising n entries (n>

1) prioritized from a highest priority radio access technology to a lowest priority radio access technology; and

in response to being camped on a cell not associated with the highest priority radio access technology, initiating measurements of a cell associated with the highest priority radio access technology after a predetermined period of time elapses.

46. The method of claim 45, where the predetermined period of time is specified as part of the stored information.

47. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving from a wireless network node a radio access technology priority list comprising n entries (n>

1) prioritized from a highest priority radio access technology to a lowest priority radio access technology;

means for storing the received radio access technology priority list; and

means, responsive to the apparatus being in communication with a cell not associated with the highest priority radio access technology, for initiating measurements of a cell associated with the highest priority radio access technology after a predetermined period of time elapses.

48. The apparatus of claim 47, where the predetermined period of time is specified as part of the received radio access technology priority list.