METHOD FOR MEASURING HOME CELL IN MOBILE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20090005031A1
• Filed: 06/26/2008
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Van Lieshout, Gert Jan, Van Der Velde, Himke
• Granted Patent: US 8,224,329 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/425
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/04 Reselecting a cell layer in multi-layered cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/302 due to low signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/322 by location data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

Disclosed is method for measuring a home cell in a mobile telecommunications system comprising: a network including a plurality of base stations for defining communications cells; and first and second user equipment for communicating with the network, said plurality of base stations including at least one home base station defining a home cell associated with said first user equipment and not with said second user equipment, said home cell overlapping in coverage with a communications cell usable by both said first and second user equipment, the method including the steps of: acquiring, at the network, position data indicative of the position of the first user equipment; determining whether the first user equipment is close to the home cell by using the acquired position data; sending a cell measurement control message from the network to the first user equipment via a base station specifying measurements of said home cell; performing, at the first user equipment a fine position measurement; determining at the first user equipment whether the first user equipment is close to the home cell, based on said fine position measurement; and taking measurements of said home cell at the first user equipment when the first user equipment is close to the home cell.

Claims

1. In a mobile telecommunications system comprising:

a network including a plurality of base stations for defining communications cells; and

first and second user equipment for communicating with the network, said plurality of base stations including at least one home base station defining a home cell associated with said first user equipment and not with said second user equipment, said home cell overlapping in coverage with a communications cell usable by both said first and second user equipment, a method for measuring a home cell comprising the steps of;

acquiring, at the network, position data indicative of the position of the first user equipment;

determining whether the first user equipment is close to the home cell by using the acquired position data;

sending a cell measurement control message from the network to the first user equipment via a base station specifying measurements of said home cell when the first user equipment is close to the home cell;

performing, at the first user equipment a fine position measurement;

determining at the first user equipment whether the first user equipment is close to the home cell, based on said fine position measurement; and

taking measurements of said home cell at the first user equipment when the first user equipment is close to the home cell.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the position data comprises the first user equipment being in contact with a cell that overlaps the home cell.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the position data comprises the first user equipment being registered in a tracking area that overlaps the home cell.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the position data comprises the first user equipment being within a geographical area that overlaps the home cell.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fine position measurement comprises a satellite navigation measurement.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said home cell operates on a frequency unused by other network cells.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control message is a message specifying a frequency to be measured, and includes indication representing if a home cell frequency is measured according to a user equipment.

8. In a mobile telecommunications system comprising:

a network including a plurality of base stations for defining communications cells; and

first and second user equipment for communicating with the network, said plurality of base stations including at least one home base station defining a plurality of home cells, at least one associated with said first user equipment and not with said second user equipment, said home cell overlapping in coverage with a communications cell usable by both said first and second user equipment, a method for measuring a home cell comprising the steps of;

acquiring position data indicative of the position of the first user equipment;

determining whether the first user equipment is close to the home cell by using the acquired position data;

sending a measurement control message from the network to the first user equipment via a base station relating to said home cell when the first user equipment is close to the home cell; and

taking measurements of said home cell at the first user equipment in dependence on a received said measurement control message;

wherein, on setting up or transferring to a base station a session involving said first user equipment, position information on the position of a said home cell within the area of the communication cell generated by that base station is sent to the base station.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said home cell operates on a frequency unused by other network cells.

10. In a mobile telecommunications system comprising:

a network including a plurality of base stations for defining communications cells; and

first and second user equipment for communicating with the network, said plurality of base stations including at least one home base station defining a home cell associated with said first user equipment and not with said second user equipment, said home cell overlapping in coverage with a communications cell usable by both said first and second user equipment, a method for measuring a home cell in order to transfer a user equipment from a communications cells operated by a source base station to a said home cell operated by a target home base station comprising the steps of;

transferring, from said user equipment via said source base station to said target home base station, security information;

validating, by said target home base station, whether said user equipment is authorized to connect to a cell using the security information; and

accepting, by said target home base station, connection establishment of said user equipment when said user equipment is authorized to connect to said cell.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said transferring comprises transparent transfer of said security information.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said home cell operates on a frequency unused by other network cells.

13. In a mobile telecommunications system comprising:

a network including a plurality of base stations for defining communications cells; and

first and second user equipment for communicating with the network, said plurality of base stations including at least one home base station defining a home cell associated with said first user equipment and not with said second user equipment, said home cell overlapping in coverage with a communications cell usable by both said first and second user equipment, a method for measuring a home cell in order to restrict reporting of cell measurements of said home cells from said first user equipment to said network comprising the steps of;

signaling a measurement control message from said first user equipment;

making a plurality of cell measurements at said first user equipment;

for each said measurement, validating whether said first user equipment is entitled to access the cell; and

deciding whether to report said cell measurement depending on said validating step.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein said home cell operates on a frequency unused by other network cell.

15. In a mobile telecommunications system comprising:

a network including a plurality of base stations for defining communications cells; and

first and second user equipment for communicating with the network, said plurality of base stations including at least one home base station defining a home cell associated with said first user equipment and not with said second user equipment, said home cell overlapping in coverage with a communications cell usable by both said first and second user equipment, a method for operating a telecommunications network in order to measure a home cell comprising the steps of;

signaling a measurement control message from the network to user equipment,

wherein said measurement control message includes a field instructing said first user equipment to enter a restricted reporting mode, in which said first user equipment performs cell measurement for a plurality of cells, validates based on the cell measurement whether said first user equipment is authorized to access said cell, and determines based on the validation whether to report the cell measurement.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the step of deciding whether to report said cell measurement further comprises a step of determining whether to report said measurement depending on whether it represents a change event.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein said change event comprises a cell which the first user equipment is entitled to access, and the cell becomes the best cell.

18. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein said change event comprises a cell which the user equipment is not entitled to access, and the cell becomes the best cell.

19. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein said home cell operates on a frequency unused by other network cell.

20. A method for measuring a home cell in a cellular network comprising the steps of:

sending to a user equipment a signal to indicate that it may measure and report a home cell channel;

providing first user equipment which, on receipt of such a signal, will measure and report said home cell channel; and

providing second user equipment capable of making fine position measurements which, on receipt of such a signal, will make said fine position measurements and only measure and report said home cell channel when detected to be close thereto.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein said home cell operates on a frequency unused by other network cell.

22. A method for measuring a home cell in a cellular network comprising the steps of:

sending to a user equipment a control message to indicate that it may measure and report a home cell channel; and

providing user equipment which, on receipt of a control message, can measure and report said home cell channel,

wherein the network is arranged to forward position information on the position of a said home cell which the user equipment is entitled to use to each base station with which the user equipment is registered, to allow detection of when said user terminal is close to said home cell and to restricting measurement of home cells based on said detection.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein said home cell operates on a frequency unused by other network cells.

24. A method for operating a cellular network for home cell measurement comprising the step of:

allowing validation of a user equipment directly with a said home cell on handover thereto from a network cell, using security information associated with that user equipment which is transferred from said cellular network to said home cell from said network cell on handover.

25. The method as claimed in claim 24, wherein said home cell operates on a frequency unused by other network cells.

26. A method for measuring a home cell in a cellular network comprising the step of:

sending user equipment a signal indicating that it should, for any measurements of a given channel corresponding to a home cell, determine whether it is entitled to use said home cell and to use said determination in deciding whether to report said measurement.

27. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein said home cell operates on a frequency unused by other network cells.