Method for Neighbor Set Selection for Handover in a Home Access Environment

• US 20100260068A1
• Filed: 10/29/2007
• Published: 10/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Maheshwari, Shashikant, Bhatt, Tejas
• Granted Patent: US 8,750,160 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/04 Reselecting a cell layer in multi-layered cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

A macro wireless communication system includes a base station and a femto access point for communicating with user equipment (UE), such as handset, whereby the UE receives information regarding the network relationships between the base station and the femto access point. A home profile setting may be stored in the UE. When the UE communicates with a femto access point that is identified in the home profile, the UE adapts a neighbor listing provided by the home femto access point. Alternatively, the base station stores a list of the UE and its corresponding home femto access point, along with the neighbor list of the femto access point. When a UE is connected to the base station and that base station is in neighbor list of the UE'"'"'s home femto access point, a message is sent to the UE to forward an appropriate neighbor list to simplify handovers.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

creating a home profile;

adding at least one access point in the home profile; and

receiving an access point neighbor list from the access point, wherein said access point neighbor list is configured to identify at least one base station associated with the access point.

2. A method of claim 1 further comprising

determining whether the access point is identified in the home profile;

and

if the access point is identified in the home profile, editing, verifying or accessing the neighbor list in the home profile to identify the base station

3. A method of claim 1 further comprising

determining whether the base station is identified in the home profile;

and

if the base station is identified in the home profile, editing a neighbor list in the home profile to identify the access point.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

a device with the home profile monitoring transmissions from the base station; and

if the base station is identified within the home profile, searching for and communicating with the access point in the home profile.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising

a device with home profile monitoring transmissions from the access point;

and

if the access point is identified within a home profile, the searching for and communicating with the base station within the home profile.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the home profile comprises the access point neighbor list.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the access point identifies the base station through a receiver circuitry or backhaul signaling or device signaling.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the access point identifies the base station through a unique base station signature such as scrambling code, preamble, pilot pattern or training sequence.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the device communicates with the access point and the base station in different frequency bands.

10. The device configured to:

store a home profile;

add at least one access point in the home profile; and

receive an access point neighbor list from the access point, wherein said access point neighbor list identifies at least one base station associated with the access point.

11. A device of claim 10 further configured to:

determine whether the access point is identified in the home profile; and

edit a device neighbor list to identify one or more of the base stations if the access point is identified in the home profile.

12. A device of claim 10 further configured to:

determine whether the base station is identified in the home profile; and

if the base station is identified in the home profile, edit a neighbor list in the home profile to identify the access point.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the device is further configured to:

monitor for and identify a second base station; and

if the second base station is identified within a home profile, search for and communicate with the access point in the home profile.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein the device is further configured to:

monitor for and identify a second access point; and

if the second access point is identified within a home profile, searching and communicating with a base station within the home profile.

15. The device of claim 10, wherein the device is further configured to communicate with the access point and the base station in different frequency bands.

16. (canceled)

17. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

20. A mobile device configured to:

connect to a first base station; and

receive a message from the first base station, said message comprising a neighbor list that comprises an identifier that specifies an access point,

wherein the message is uniquely addressed to the device.

21. The device of claim 20 further configured to:

search for and communicate with the access point.

22. The device of claim 20 wherein:

the said access point identifier is received from network based on presence of the device in the first base station.

23. The device of claim 20 further configured to:

communicates with the access point and the base station in different frequency bands.

24. A network element configured to:

store a plurality of identifiers that each specifies an access point and an access point neighbor list associated with each of the access points; and

transmit a message comprising a neighbor list that comprises an identifier that specifies an access point and an access point neighbor list associated with the access point.

25. (canceled)