HANDOVER BETWEEN MOBILE COMMUNICATION NETWORKS

• US 20110003594A1
• Filed: 07/29/2010
• Published: 01/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Cooper, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,676,203 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0061 of neighbour cell information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/1443 between licensed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

The invention provides a method of handover from an active network to a selected one of a plurality of potential other networks. In addition to the overall solution, the solution proposed has several individual aspects. All subsidiary aspects are related to the common problem mentioned above and sharing the underlying common solution concept of implementing a system in which selective handover is possible and in which a list of available other networks provided by an active network can be handled and selection made by a terminal, so that neighbor cell information can be transmitted based on expressed terminal preferences.

Claims

1. User equipment for a mobile communication network comprising:

means for receiving a first message from a current active mobile communication network while a call is in progress, said first message including a first list of a plurality of network identifiers corresponding to a plurality of available networks for a potential handover;

means for comparing the first list with a second list which includes at least a network identifier and is stored in the user equipment;

means for selecting one network of the plurality of available networks to which the user equipment hands over based on the comparing the first list and the second list;

means for storing the first list; and

means for receiving a second message specifying deletion of network identifiers in the stored first list wherein said current active communication network signals the plurality of network identifiers corresponding to the plurality of available networks for the potential handover, and said receiving of said first and second messages occur without said user equipment searching said mobile communication network.

2. A mobile communication network with which user equipment is connected or component thereof, comprising:

means for providing a first message including a first list including a plurality of network identifiers corresponding to a plurality of available networks for potential handover to the user equipment, the first list being compared with a second list which includes at least a network identifier and is stored in the user equipment, and the first list being stored in the user equipment;

means for selecting one network of the plurality of available networks to which the user equipment hands over based on the comparing the first list and the second list; and

means for providing a second message specifying deletion of network identifiers in the stored first list in the user equipment while a call is in progress, wherein an current active communication network signals the plurality of network identifiers corresponding to the plurality of available networks for the potential handover, and said providing of said first and second messages occur without said user equipment searching said mobile communication network.

3. A method for user equipment handover from a current active network with which user equipment is in communication to another network comprising:

receiving a first message at the user equipment from the current active network while a call is in progress, said first message including a first list of a plurality of network identifiers corresponding to a plurality of available networks for a potential handover;

comparing the first list with a second list which includes at least a network identifier and is stored in the user equipment;

storing the first list at the user equipment;

selecting one network of the plurality of available networks to which the user equipment hands over based on the comparing the first list and the second list; and

receiving a second message at the user equipment, said second message specifying deletion of network identifiers in the stored first list, wherein said current active network signals the plurality of network identifiers corresponding to the plurality of available networks for the potential handover, and said first and second messages occur without said user equipment searching any network.