Method and System for Small Cell Discovery in Heterogeneous Cellular Networks

• US 20130079048A1
• Filed: 03/15/2012
• Published: 03/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Cai, Zhijun, Song, Yi, Bontu, Chandra Sekhar
• Granted Patent: US 9,144,010 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/517
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0061 of neighbour cell information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• 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 method and user equipment in a network having a macro cell and at least one small cell, the method receiving, from a network element, a plurality of small cell measurement configurations and at least one condition for utilizing each of the plurality of small cell measurement configurations; determining whether a condition is satisfied for one of the plurality of small cell measurement configurations; and configuring small cell measurement on the user equipment based on the one of the plurality of small cell measurement configurations for which the condition is satisfied. Further, a method at the network element, the method sending, from the network element to at least one user equipment, a plurality of small cell measurement configurations and at least one condition for utilizing each of the plurality of small cell measurement configurations.

Claims

1-102. -102. (canceled)

103. A method at a user equipment in a network having a macro cell and at least one small cell, the method comprising:

receiving, from a network element, a plurality of small cell measurement configurations and at least one condition for utilizing each of the plurality of small cell measurement configurations;

determining whether a condition is satisfied for one of the plurality of small cell measurement configurations; and

configuring small cell measurement on the user equipment based on the one of the plurality of small cell measurement configurations for which the condition is satisfied.

104. The method of claim 103, wherein the conditions are stored at the user equipment.

105. The method of claim 104, wherein the conditions are associated with a bit code.

106. The method of claim 104, wherein the conditions include an always true condition to force use of a measurement configuration.

107. The method of claim 104, wherein the conditions include an option for the user equipment to decide whether to activate the condition.

108. The method of claim 104, wherein the receiving the conditions comprises a bit value corresponding with a stored value on the user equipment.

109. The method of claim 103, further comprising, after the configuring, sending a message to the network element indicating the configuring of the measurement configuration.

110. The method of claim 103, wherein the at least one condition is received on a Third Generation Partnership Project MeasIdToAddModList Information Element.

111. A user equipment configured to operate in a network having a macro cell and at least one small cell, the user equipment comprising:

a processor; and

a communication subsystem,

wherein the processor and communication subsystem are configured to;

receive, from a network element, a plurality of small cell measurement configurations and at least one condition for utilizing each of the plurality of small cell measurement configurations;

determine whether a condition is satisfied for one of the plurality of small cell measurement configurations; and

configure small cell measurement on the user equipment based on the one of the plurality of small cell measurement configurations for which the condition is satisfied.

112. The user equipment of claim 111, wherein the conditions are stored at the user equipment.

113. The user equipment of claim 112, wherein the conditions are associated with a bit code.

114. The user equipment of claim 112, wherein the conditions include an always true condition to force use of a measurement configuration.

115. The user equipment of claim 112, wherein the conditions include an option for the user equipment to decide whether to activate the condition.

116. The user equipment of claim 112, wherein the receiving the conditions comprises a bit value corresponding with a stored value on the user equipment.

117. The user equipment of claim 111, wherein the processor and communications subsystem are further configured to send a message to the network element indicating the configuring of the measurement configuration after the configuring.

118. The user equipment of claim 111, wherein the at least one condition is received on a Third Generation Partnership Project MeasIdToAddModList Information Element.

119. A method at a network element in a network having a macro cell and at least one small cell, the method comprising:

sending, from the network element to at least one user equipment, a plurality of small cell measurement configurations and at least one condition for utilizing each of the plurality of small cell measurement configurations.

120. The method of claim 119, wherein the conditions are associated with a bit code.

121. The method of claim 119, wherein the conditions include an always true condition to force use of a measurement configuration.

122. The method of claim 119, wherein the conditions include an option for the user equipment to decide whether to activate the condition.

123. The method of claim 119, wherein the sending the conditions comprises a bit value corresponding with a stored value on the user equipment.

124. The method of claim 119, further comprising receiving a message to the network element indicating the configuring of the measurement configuration.

125. The method of claim 119, wherein the at least one condition is sent on a Third Generation Partnership Project MeasIdToAddModList Information Element.

126-154. -154. (canceled)