Identifying Hand-Over Targets

• US 20100242103A1
• Filed: 03/17/2009
• Published: 09/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Airvana Incorporated (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Richardson, Andrew, Hou, Jindong
• Granted Patent: US 8,805,371 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/7
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/065 using assembly or disassembly of packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0061 of neighbour cell information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

In general, a method performed on a portable access terminal operating in an active mode includes detecting a presence of a personal base station. An encoded identification message transmitted from the personal base station is received, and the encoded identification message includes a unique identifier associated with the personal base station. The encoded identification message is decoded to extract the unique identifier, and the unique identifier is transmitted to a source network entity.

Claims

1. A method performed on a portable access terminal operating in an active mode, the method comprising:

detecting a presence of a personal base station;

receiving an encoded identification message transmitted from the personal base station, the encoded identification message comprising a unique identifier associated with the personal base station;

decoding the encoded identification message to extract the unique identifier; and

transmitting the unique identifier to a source network entity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable access terminal enters a compressed mode.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting comprises detecting the presence of the personal base station by detecting a scrambling code of the personal base station.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting comprises comparing a signal quality of the personal base station with a pre-determined threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the access terminal receives the encoded identification message over a channel status indicator channel (CSICH) from the personal base station.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable access terminal transmits the unique identifier to the source network entity in a measurement report message (MRM) or a radio resource control message (RRC).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the network is a circuit-switched network or a packet-switched network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein decoding comprises partially decoding the encoded identification message and storing a partial result.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the access terminal combines one or more partial results to form a full result.

10. A method comprising:

detecting, by a portable access terminal, a presence of a personal base station;

receiving, by a portable access terminal, an encoded identification message transmitted from the personal base station, the encoded identification message comprising a unique identifier associated with the personal base station;

decoding the encoded identification message on the portable access terminal to extract the unique identifier; and

transmitting the unique identifier to a source network entity, the source network entity determining whether to hand-over a session to the personal base station based on one or more predetermined factors.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the source network entity transmits a relocation message to a target network entity, the relocation message being populated with the unique identifier.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the source network entity verifies a validity of the unique identifier before populating the relocation message with the unique identifier.

13. A system comprising:

a personal base station;

a source network entity; and

a portable access terminal in an active mode, the portable access terminal to;

detect a presence of the personal base station

receive an encoded identification message transmitted from the personal base station comprising a unique identifier associated with the personal base station;

decode the encoded identification message to extract the unique identifier; and

transmit the unique identifier to the source network entity.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the portable access terminal enters a compressed mode.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the portable access terminal detects the presence of the personal base station by detecting a scrambling code of the personal base station.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the personal base station transmits the encoded identification message over a channel status indicator channel (CSICH).

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the portable access terminal transmits the unique identifier to the source network entity in a measurement report message (MRM) or a radio resource control message (RRC).

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the source network entity determines whether to hand-over a session to the personal base station based on one or more predetermined factors.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the source network entity transmits a relocation message to a target network entity, the relocation message being populated with the unique identifier.

20. The system of claim 13, further comprising circuit-switched or packet-switched network architecture.

21. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in a computer-readable medium, for executing instructions on a processor, the computer program product being operable to cause a portable access terminal operating in an active mode to:

detect a presence of a personal base station;

receive an encoded identification message transmitted from the personal base station, the encoded identification message comprising a unique identifier associated with the personal base station;

decode the encoded identification message to extract the unique identifier; and

transmit the unique identifier to a source network entity.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the portable access terminal enters a compressed mode.

23. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein detecting further comprises detecting the presence of the personal base station by detecting a scrambling code of the personal base station.

24. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the access terminal receives the encoded identification message over a channel status indicator channel (CSICH) from the personal base station.

25. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the portable access terminal transmits the unique identifier to the source network entity in a measurement report message (MRM) or a radio resource control message (RRC).

26. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the network is a circuit-switched network or a packet-switched network.

27. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein decoding comprises partially decoding the encoded identification message and storing a partial result.

28. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the access terminal combines one or more partial results to form a full result.

29. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in a computer-readable medium, for executing instructions on a processor, the computer program product being operable to cause a machine to:

detect, by a portable access terminal, a presence of a personal base station;

receive, by a portable access terminal, an encoded identification message transmitted from the personal base station, the encoded identification message comprising a unique identifier associated with the personal base station;

decode the encoded identification message on the portable access terminal to extract the unique identifier; and

transmit the unique identifier to a source network entity, the source network entity determining whether to hand-over a session to the personal base station based on one or more predetermined factors.

30. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the source network entity transmits a relocation message to a target network entity, the relocation message being populated with the unique identifier.