ANCHOR CARRIER HANDOVER

• US 20120207133A1
• Filed: 08/03/2010
• Published: 08/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Wong, Shin Horng
• Granted Patent: US 8,817,747 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0058 Allocation criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0058 Transmission of hand-off measurement information, e.g. measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0069 in case of dual connectivity, e.g. decoupled uplink/downlink
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/28 involving a plurality of connections, e.g. multi-call or multi-bearer connections

Abstract

A method of transferring anchor carrier status from a first carrier to another carrier in a multi-carrier wireless telecommunications network. The multi-carrier wireless telecommunications network comprises a base station and user equipment operable to simultaneously transmit and receive signals on more than one radio frequency carrier within a sector of the telecommunications network. The method comprises the steps of: receiving details of a triggering event to be notified to a network node; said triggering event comprising a measurable characteristic of said first carrier changing past a predetermined first threshold value; providing triggering information indicative of said triggering event to a network node; determining which of the other carriers of the multi-carrier telecommunications network have a measurable characteristic past a predetermined second threshold value; providing information relating to carriers determined to have a measurable characteristic past said predetermined second threshold value to the network node; and transferring anchor carrier status, in response to a received signal generated in response to receipt of said information relating to carriers and said triggering information, to one of the carriers determined to have a measurable characteristic past said predetermined second threshold value.

Claims

1. A method of transferring anchor carrier status from a first carrier to another carrier in a multi-carrier wireless telecommunications network, said multi-carrier wireless telecommunications network comprising a base station and user equipment operable to simultaneously transmit and receive signals on more than one radio frequency carrier within a sector of said telecommunications network, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving details of a triggering event to be notified to a network node;

said triggering event comprising a change in a measurable characteristic of said first carrier past a predetermined first threshold value;

providing triggering information indicative of said triggering event to a network node;

determining which of the other carriers of the multi-carrier telecommunications network have a measurable characteristic past a predetermined second threshold value;

providing information relating to carriers determined to have a measurable characteristic past said predetermined second threshold value to the network node; and

transferring anchor carrier status, in response to a received signal generated in response to receipt of said information relating to carriers and said triggering information, to one of the carriers determined to have a measurable characteristic past said predetermined second threshold value.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said triggering event comprises a measurable characteristic of said first carrier changing past a predetermined first threshold value for a predetermined period of time and said triggering information indicates to said network node that a measurable characteristic of said first carrier changing a predetermined first threshold value for a predetermined period of time should occur before said generated signal is provided.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said triggering event further comprises a measurable characteristic of said first carrier changing past a predetermined first threshold value whilst another carrier is determined to have a measurable characteristic past a predetermined second threshold value, and said triggering information indicates to said network node that a measurable characteristic of said first carrier has changed past a predetermined first threshold value and a carrier has been determined to have a measurable characteristic past a predetermined second threshold value before said generated signal is provided.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of determining comprises:

the step of calculating for each other carrier a value by which said measurable characteristic passes said predetermined second threshold value, and said step of providing information relating to carriers determined to have a measurable characteristic past said predetermined second threshold value comprises;

the step of providing an indication of the value by which each carrier passes said predetermined second threshold.

5. A method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of determining which carrier passes said predetermined second threshold by a value determined to be the largest.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said measurable characteristic comprises an indication representative of received signal strength, signal to noise ratio, or path loss experienced by each carrier.

7. A computer program product operable, when executed on a computer, to perform the method steps of claim 1.

8. User equipment operable to transfer anchor carrier status from a first carrier to another carrier in a multi-carrier wireless telecommunications network, said multi-carrier wireless telecommunications network comprising a base station and user equipment operable to simultaneously transmit and receive signals on more than one radio frequency carrier within a sector of said telecommunications network, said user equipment comprising:

triggering event reception logic operable to receive details of a triggering event to be notified to a network node;

said triggering event comprising a measurable characteristic of said first carrier changing past a predetermined first threshold value;

trigger information transmission logic operable to provide triggering information indicative of said triggering event to a network node;

carrier assessment logic operable to determine which of the other carriers of the multi-carrier telecommunications network have a measurable characteristic past a predetermined second threshold value;

carrier assessment transmission logic operable to provide information relating to carriers determined to have a measurable characteristic past said predetermined second threshold value to the network node;

transfer reception logic operable to receive a transfer signal generated in response to receipt of said information relating to carriers and said triggering information; and

transfer implementation logic operable to transfer anchor carrier status to one of the carriers determined to have a measurable characteristic past said predetermined second threshold value.

9. A base station operable to transfer anchor carrier status from a first carrier to another carrier in a multi-carrier wireless telecommunications network, said multi-carrier wireless telecommunications network comprising a base station and user equipment operable to simultaneously transmit and receive signals on more than one radio frequency carrier within a sector of said telecommunications network, said base station comprising:

triggering event reception logic operable to receive details of a triggering event to be notified to a network node;

said triggering event comprising a measurable characteristic of said first carrier changing past a predetermined first threshold value;

trigger information transmission logic operable to provide triggering information indicative of said triggering event to a network node;

carrier assessment logic operable to determine which of the other carriers of the multi-carrier telecommunications network have a measurable characteristic past a predetermined second threshold value;

carrier assessment transmission logic operable to provide information relating to carriers determined to have a measurable characteristic past said predetermined second threshold value to said network node;

transfer reception logic operable to receive a transfer signal generated in response to receipt of said information relating to carriers and said triggering information; and

transfer implementation logic operable to transfer anchor carrier status to one of the carriers determined to have a measurable characteristic past said predetermined second threshold value.

10. A method of providing a transfer notification instructing transfer of anchor carrier status from a first carrier to another carrier in a multi-carrier wireless telecommunications network, said multi-carrier wireless telecommunications network comprising a base station and user equipment operable to simultaneously transmit and receive signals on more than one radio frequency carrier within a sector of said telecommunications network, in response to a triggering event comprising a measurable characteristic of said first carrier changing past a predetermined first threshold value, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving triggering information indicative of said triggering event,

receiving information relating to any other carrier determined to have a measurable characteristic past a predetermined second threshold value;

generating a transfer notification in response to said information relating to carriers determined to have a measurable characteristic past said predetermined second threshold value and said triggering information, said transfer notification instructing transfer of anchor carrier status to one of the carriers determined to have a measurable characteristic past said predetermined second threshold value; and

transmitting said transfer notification.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein said triggering event wherein said triggering event further comprises a measurable characteristic of said first carrier changing past a predetermined first threshold value whilst another carrier is determined to have a measurable characteristic past a predetermined second threshold value, and said triggering information indicative of said triggering event indicates that a measurable characteristic of said first carrier has changed past a predetermined first threshold value and a carrier has been determined to have a measurable characteristic past a predetermined second threshold value before said transfer notification is generated.

12. A method according to claim 10, wherein the step of receiving information further comprises the step of receiving information for each carrier representative of a value by which said measurable characteristic is past said predetermined second threshold value.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein said step of generating a transfer notification further comprises the step of calculating which of the carriers determined to have a measurable characteristic past said second predetermined threshold value, is past said predetermined threshold value by the largest amount and said transfer notification instructs transfer of anchor carrier status from said first carrier to a carrier determined to be past the second predetermined threshold by the largest amount.

14. A computer program product operable, when executed on a computer, to perform the method steps of claim 10.

15. A network node operable to provide a transfer notification instructing transfer of anchor carrier status from a first carrier to another carrier in a multi-carrier wireless telecommunications network in response to a triggering event comprising a measurable characteristic of said first carrier changing past a predetermined first threshold value, said multi-carrier wireless telecommunications network comprising a base station and user equipment operable to simultaneously transmit and receive signals on more than one radio frequency carrier within a sector of said telecommunications network, said network node comprising:

reception logic operable to receive triggering information indicative of said triggering event,

carrier reception logic operable to receive information relating to carriers determined to have a measurable characteristic past a predetermined second threshold value; and

transfer notification generation logic operable to generate a transfer notification in response to said information relating to carriers determined to have a measurable characteristic past said predetermined second threshold value and said triggering information, transfer notification transmission logic operable to transmit said transfer notification instructing transfer of anchor carrier status to one of the carriers determined to have a measurable characteristic past said predetermined second threshold value.