BASE STATION, USER EQUIPMENT, COMMUNICATION CONTROL METHOD, AND RADIO COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20120287911A1
• Filed: 10/21/2010
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Takano, Hiroaki, Morioka, Yuichi, Sawai, Ryo
• Granted Patent: US 8,897,260 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/332
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0088 Scheduling hand-off measurements
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 by measured or perceived connection quality data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/38 by fixed network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A base station includes a radio communication unit that establishes FIG. 7 communication with a mobile communication terminal using a plurality of component carriers. The base station further includes a determination unit that determines a handover factor. The base station also includes a control unit allocates to the mobile communication terminal a measurement time interval for at least one component carrier from the plurality of component carriers according to the handover factor. A channel quality of the at least one component carrier of another base station is measured during the measurement time interval.

Claims

1. A base station comprising:

a radio communication unit configured to establish communication with a mobile communication terminal using a plurality of component carriers;

a determination unit configured to determine a handover factor; and

a control unit configured to allocate to the mobile communication terminal a measurement time interval for at least one component carrier from the plurality of component carriers according to the handover factor, wherein

a channel quality of the at least one component carrier of another base station is measured during the measurement time interval.

2. The base station according to claim 1, wherein the handover factor specifies an urgency level for handover to the another base station.

3. The base station according to claim 2, wherein the urgency level depends on a moving speed of the mobile communication terminal or a communication quality of the mobile communication terminal.

4. The base station according to claim 3, wherein the urgency level is low upon determination that the moving speed of the mobile communication terminal is below a speed threshold and the communication quality is above a communication threshold, and

at least one component carrier from the plurality of component carriers is not allocated the measurement time interval upon determination that the urgency level is low.

5. The base station according to claim 1, wherein

a first component carrier from the plurality of component carriers has a higher communication quality compared to each other component carrier from the plurality of component carriers, and

the control unit is further configured to avoid assignment of the measurement time interval to the first component carrier.

6. The base station according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to adjust a frequency of allocation of the measurement time interval to the at least one component carrier according to a communication quality of the at least one component carrier.

7. The base station according to claim 6, wherein the control unit is further configured to increase the frequency of allocation of the measurement time interval in case where the communication quality of the at least one component carrier degrades.

8. The base station according to claim 6, wherein the control unit is further configured to decrease the frequency of allocation of the measurement time interval in case where the communication quality of the at least one component carrier improves.

9. The base station according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to, according to at least one of a communication quality and a measurement report, delete a component carrier from the plurality of component carriers used for communication terminal or add a component carrier from the plurality of component carriers used for communication with the mobile communication terminal.

10. A mobile communication terminal comprising:

a radio communication unit configured to establish a communication with a base station using a plurality of component carriers;

a control unit configured to receive a measurement time interval for at least one component carrier from a base station according to a handover factor; and

a measurement unit configured to measure a channel quality of the at least one component carrier of another base station during the measurement time interval.

11. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 10, wherein the handover factor specifies an urgency level for handover to another base station.

12. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 11, wherein the urgency level depends on a moving speed of the mobile communication terminal or a communication quality of the mobile communication terminal.

13. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 12, wherein the urgency level is low upon determination that the moving speed of the mobile communication terminal is below a speed threshold and the communication quality is above a communication threshold, and

at least one component carrier from the plurality of component carriers is not allocated the measurement time interval upon determination that the urgency level is low.

14. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 10, wherein a first component carrier from the plurality of component carriers has a higher communication quality compared to each other component carrier from the plurality of component carriers, and the first component carrier is not assigned the measurement time interval.

15. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 10, wherein a frequency of allocation of the measurement time interval to the at least one component carrier is adjusted according to a communication quality of the at least one component carrier.

16. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 15, the frequency of allocation of the measurement time interval is increased in case where the communication quality of the at least one component carrier degrades.

17. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 15, wherein the frequency of allocation of the measurement time interval is decreased in case where the communication quality of the at least one component carrier improves.

18. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 11, wherein the control unit is further configured to, according to at least one of a communication quality and a measurement report, delete a component carrier from the plurality of component carriers used for the mobile communication terminal or add a component carrier from the plurality of component carriers used for communication with the base station.

19. A method comprising:

establishing communication with a mobile communication terminal using a plurality of component carriers;

determining a handover factor; and

allocating to the mobile communication terminal a measurement time interval for at least one component carrier from the plurality of component carriers according to the handover factor, wherein a channel quality of the at least one component carrier of another base station is measured during the measurement time interval.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium, having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a processor in a base station causes the processor to:

establish communication with a mobile communication terminal using a plurality of component carriers;

determine a handover factor; and

allocate to the mobile communication terminal a measurement time interval for at least one component carrier from the plurality of component carriers according to the handover factor, wherein a channel quality of the at least one component carrier of another base station is measured during the measurement time interval.

21. A method comprising:

establishing a communication with a base station using a plurality of component carriers;

receiving a measurement time interval for at least one component carrier from a base station according to a handover factor; and

measuring a channel quality of the at least one component carrier of another base station during the measurement time interval.

22. A non-transitory computer readable medium, having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a processor in a mobile communication terminal causes the processor to:

establish a communication with a base station using a plurality of component carriers;

receive a measurement time interval for at least one component carrier from a base station according to a handover factor; and

measure a channel quality of the at least one component carrier of another base station during the measurement time interval.

23. A base station comprising:

a radio communication unit configured to establish communication with a mobile communication terminal using a plurality of component carriers;

a determination unit configured to determine moving speed of the mobile communication terminal or a channel quality of component carrier; and

a control unit configured to allocate to the mobile communication terminal a measurement time interval for at least one component carrier from the plurality of component carriers according to the moving speed of the mobile communication terminal or the channel quality of component carrier, wherein

a channel quality of the at least one component carrier is measured during the measurement time interval.