COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM

• US 20120142355A1
• Filed: 08/10/2010
• Published: 06/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Jha, Vivek
• Granted Patent: US 9,398,497 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 36/008375 based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

A user communications device having active and idle states operates in a cellular communications network in which user communications devices communicate via network communications devices of cells of the network. History data identifying the cells in which the user communications device has camped whilst in the idle mode or identifying the cells in which the mobile device has been connected whilst in the connected mode is maintained. This history data can be used to identify a home base station.

Claims

1. A base station operable to communicate with one or more mobile communications devices over a wireless communications link defined by a base station cell, wherein the base station is operable to maintain cell history data for a mobile communications device, the cell history data identifying the cells with which the mobile communications device has been registered and including, for one or more of the cells, data relating to an access mode of the cell.

2. A base station according to claim 1, wherein the data relating to the access mode of the cell includes whether or not the cell has an Open, Closed or Hybrid access mode.

3. A base station according to claim 2, wherein for a cell having a Hybrid access mode, the history data further comprises data identifying whether or not the mobile device accessed the cell as a CSG member or as a non-CSG member.

4. A base station according to claim 1, operable to use the stored history data for Radio Resource Management purposes.

5. A base station according to claim 1, operable to use the cell history information to identify cells to include in a cell list provided to the at least one mobile communications device.

6. A base station according to claim 1, operable to provide cell history information to a neighbouring cell or to a network node.

7. A base station according to claim 6, operable to provide the history information to another base station or to an RNC via a base station interface or via a core network interface.

8. A base station according to claim 6, operable to provide the cell history information to the neighbouring cell or the network node at the time of handover of the mobile communications device to another base station.

9. A base station according to claim 1, operable to use the stored history data to identify a Home base station for the at least one mobile communications device.

17. A computer implementable instruction product comprising computer implementable instructions for causing a mobile communication device to become configured as the base station of claim 1.

19. A base station according to claim 3, operable to use the stored history data for Radio Resource Management purposes.

20. A base station according to claim 2, operable to use the cell history information to identify cells to include in a cell list provided to the at least one mobile communications device.

10. A mobile communications device having an idle mode and a connected mode and operable in the idle mode to store history data identifying the cells in which the mobile communications device has camped and including, for one or more of the cells, data relating to an access mode of the cell.

11. A device according to claim 10, operable to report the history data to a serving cell.

12. A device according to claim 10, wherein the data relating to the access mode of the cell includes whether or not the cell has an Open, Closed or Hybrid access mode.

13. A device according to claim 12, wherein for a cell having a Hybrid access mode, the history data further comprises data identifying whether or not the mobile device accessed the cell as a preferential or non-preferential device.

14. A device according to claim 10, operable to use the stored history data to identify a Home base station.

18. A computer implementable instruction product comprising computer implementable instructions for causing a mobile communications device to become configured as the mobile communications device of claim 10.

15. A method performed by a mobile communications device having an idle mode and a connected mode and comprising, in the idle mode, storing history data identifying the cells in which the mobile communications device has camped and including, for one or more of the cells, data relating to an access mode of the cell.

16. A method performed by abuse station operable to communicate with one or more mobile communications devices over a wireless communications link defining a base station cell, the method comprising maintaining cell history data for a mobile communications device, the cell history data identifying the cells with which the mobile communications device has been registered and including, for one or more of the cells, data relating to an access mode of the cell.