RADIO LINK FAILURE REPORTING

• US 20100124173A1
• Filed: 11/13/2009
• Published: 05/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Agashe, Parag A., Tenny, Nathan E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,491,671 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/245
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00837 Determination of triggering parameters for hand-off
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0085 Hand-off measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/305 Handover due to radio link failure control signalling for hand-off failure H04W36/0079
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/18 Management of setup rejection or failure

Abstract

A communication node determines that radio link failure occurred during connected state mobility of an access terminal and reports the radio link failure to another communication node. For example, a target access point may determine that radio link failure occurred during handover of an access terminal and send a radio link failure report message to the access point that was previously serving the access terminal or to some other node (e.g., a network node). In the first case, the serving access point may adjust mobility parameters based on this radio link failure information and, optionally, other reported radio link failure information. In the second case, the other node may send a radio link failure report message to the serving access point, or the other node may adjust mobility parameters based on this radio link failure information (and, optionally, other reported radio link failure information) and send the adjusted mobility parameters to the serving access point.

Claims

1. A method of communication, comprising:

determining at a first node that radio link failure occurred during connected state mobility of an access terminal; and

reporting the radio link failure to a second node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the radio link failure occurred during handover of the access terminal.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the first node comprises a target eNodeB for the handover; and

the second node comprises a source eNodeB for the handover.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first node determines that the radio link failure occurred based on the access terminal attempting to re-establish a radio link at the first node after the radio link failure.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the attempt to re-establish the radio link comprises the access terminal sending a message requesting connection re-establishment.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the reporting of the radio link failure comprises reporting at least one of the group consisting of:

an identifier of the first node, an identifier of the second node, and an identifier of the access terminal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first node comprises a target access point for handover of the access terminal; and

the second node comprises a network management node.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the network management node comprises an operations and maintenance entity of a cellular network.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the radio link failure is reported in conjunction with an indication of whether the first node was prepared for handover of the access terminal.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising collecting statistical information relating to handovers at the first node, wherein the reporting of the radio link failure comprises sending the statistical information.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the radio link failure is reported at a time specified by a periodic reporting schedule.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the radio link failure is reported at a time specified by a defined reporting trigger.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first node was not prepared for handover of the access terminal; and

the radio link failure is reported in conjunction with a context fetch sent by the first node to the second node.

14. An apparatus for communication, comprising:

a mobility controller configured to determine at a first node that radio link failure occurred during connected state mobility of an access terminal; and

a communication controller configured to report the radio link failure to a second node.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the radio link failure occurred during handover of the access terminal.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein:

the first node comprises a target eNodeB for the handover; and

the second node comprises a source eNodeB for the handover.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first node determines that the radio link failure occurred based on the access terminal attempting to re-establish a radio link at the first node after the radio link failure.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the attempt to re-establish the radio link comprises the access terminal sending a message requesting connection re-establishment.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the reporting of the radio link failure comprises reporting at least one of the group consisting of:

an identifier of the first node, an identifier of the second node, and an identifier of the access terminal.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

the first node comprises a target access point for handover of the access terminal; and

the second node comprises a network management node.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the network management node comprises an operations and maintenance entity of a cellular network.

22. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the radio link failure is reported in conjunction with an indication of whether the first node was prepared for handover of the access terminal.

23. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the mobility controller is further configured to collect statistical information relating to handovers at the first node, wherein the reporting of the radio link failure comprises sending the statistical information.

24. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the radio link failure is reported at a time specified by a periodic reporting schedule.

25. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the radio link failure is reported at a time specified by a defined reporting trigger.

26. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

the first node was not prepared for handover of the access terminal; and

the radio link failure is reported in conjunction with a context fetch sent by the first node to the second node.

27. An apparatus for communication, comprising:

means for determining at a first node that radio link failure occurred during connected state mobility of an access terminal; and

means for reporting the radio link failure to a second node.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the radio link failure occurred during handover of the access terminal.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein:

the first node comprises a target eNodeB for the handover; and

the second node comprises a source eNodeB for the handover.

30. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the first node determines that the radio link failure occurred based on the access terminal attempting to re-establish a radio link at the first node after the radio link failure.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the attempt to re-establish the radio link comprises the access terminal sending a message requesting connection re-establishment.

32. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the reporting of the radio link failure comprises reporting at least one of the group consisting of:

an identifier of the first node, an identifier of the second node, and an identifier of the access terminal.

33. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein:

the first node comprises a target access point for handover of the access terminal; and

the second node comprises a network management node.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the network management node comprises an operations and maintenance entity of a cellular network.

35. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the radio link failure is reported in conjunction with an indication of whether the first node was prepared for handover of the access terminal.

36. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising means for collecting statistical information relating to handovers at the first node, wherein the reporting of the radio link failure comprises sending the statistical information.

37. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the radio link failure is reported at a time specified by a periodic reporting schedule.

38. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the radio link failure is reported at a time specified by a defined reporting trigger.

39. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein:

the first node was not prepared for handover of the access terminal; and

the radio link failure is reported in conjunction with a context fetch sent by the first node to the second node.

40. A computer-program product, comprising:

computer-readable medium comprising code for causing a computer to;

determine at a first node that radio link failure occurred during connected state mobility of an access terminal; and

report the radio link failure to a second node.

41. The computer-program product of claim 40, wherein the radio link failure occurred during handover of the access terminal.

42. The computer-program product of claim 41, wherein:

the first node comprises a target eNodeB for the handover; and

the second node comprises a source eNodeB for the handover.

43. The computer-program product of claim 40, wherein the first node determines that the radio link failure occurred based on the access terminal attempting to re-establish a radio link at the first node after the radio link failure.

44. The computer-program product of claim 43, wherein the attempt to re-establish the radio link comprises the access terminal sending a message requesting connection re-establishment.

45. The computer-program product of claim 40, wherein:

the first node comprises a target access point for handover of the access terminal; and

the second node comprises a network management node.

46. The computer-program product of claim 40, wherein the radio link failure is reported in conjunction with an indication of whether the first node was prepared for handover of the access terminal.

47. The computer-program product of claim 40, wherein:

the computer-readable medium further comprises code for causing the computer to collect statistical information relating to handovers at the first node; and

the reporting of the radio link failure comprises sending the statistical information.

48. The computer-program product of claim 40, wherein the radio link failure is reported at a time specified by a periodic reporting schedule.

49. The computer-program product of claim 40, wherein the radio link failure is reported at a time specified by a defined reporting trigger.