USING TD-SCDMA CONTINUOUS TIME PERIOD TO FACILITATE TD-SCDMA TO GSM WIRELESS HANDOVER

• US 20130142058A1
• Filed: 04/26/2010
• Published: 06/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Chin, Tom, Shi, Guangming, Lee, Kuo-Chun
• Application Number:
  US13/516,651
• Publication Number:
  US 20130142058A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0088 Scheduling hand-off measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface

Abstract

Wireless communication is implemented by a multi-mode user equipment (UE). The method includes selecting a continuous time period during a Time Division-Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA) voice call. The voice call is via a Node B. The selected continuous time period includes multiple subframes. The method also includes preventing the UE from communicating with the Node B during the selected continuous time period, or at least preventing downlink communications with the Node B. The method further includes acquiring a Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) signal from at least one GSM cell during the selected continuous time period. The UE can handover to a selected GSM cell based on the measurements of the acquired GSM cell(s).

Claims

1. A method of wireless communication implemented by a multi-mode user equipment, comprising:

selecting a continuous time period during a Time Division-Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA) voice call, the voice call being via a Node B, the selected continuous time period including multiple subframes;

preventing the UE from communicating with the Node B during the selected continuous time period; and

acquiring a GSM signal from at least one Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) cell during the selected continuous time period.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising handing over to a selected GSM cell based on the acquiring.

3. The method of claim 1, in which the acquiring comprises measuring signal strength, frequency and timing.

4. The method of claim 1, in which the acquiring comprises acquiring a Base Station Identity Code (BSIC).

5. The method of claim 1, in which the continuous time period is based on a silence indicator.

6. The method of claim 1, in which the continuous time period is based on a vocoder frame boundary.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

dropping at least one subframe of the TD-SCDMA voice call to create the continuous time period prior to the selecting.

8. A method of wireless communication implemented by a dual-mode user equipment, comprising:

selecting a continuous time period during a Time Division-Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA) voice call via a Node B, the selected continuous time period including multiple subframes;

preventing the UE from communicating with the Node B on a downlink during the selected continuous time period; and

acquiring on the downlink a Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) signal from at least one GSM cell during the selected continuous time period.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising handing over to a selected GSM cell based on the acquiring.

10. The method of claim 8, in which the acquiring comprises measuring signal strength, frequency and timing from a Frequency Correction Channel (FCCH).

11. The method of claim 8, in which the acquiring comprises acquiring a Base Station Identity Code (BSIC) from a Synchronization Channel (SCH).

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising transmitting from the UE to the Node B on an uplink during the selected continuous time period, while acquiring the GSM signal.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

dropping at least one subframe of the TD-SCDMA voice call to create the continuous time period prior to the selecting.

14. A user equipment (UE) of a time division-synchronous code division multiple access (TD-SCDMA) system, the UE comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

select a continuous time period during a Time Division-Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA) voice call, the voice call being via a Node B, the selected continuous time period including multiple subframes;

prevent the UE from communicating with the Node B during the selected continuous time period; and

acquire a GSM signal from at least one Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) cell during the selected continuous time period; and

a memory coupled to said at least one processor.

15. The UE of claim 14, in which the at least one processor is further configured to hand over to a selected GSM cell based on the acquiring.

16. The UE of claim 14, in which the acquiring comprises measuring signal strength, frequency and timing.

17. The UE of claim 14, in which the acquiring comprises acquiring a Base Station Identity Code (BSIC).

18. The UE of claim 14, in which the continuous time period is based on a silence indicator.

19. The UE of claim 14, in which the continuous time period is based on a vocoder frame boundary.

20. The UE of claim 14, in which the at least one processor is further configured to drop at least one subframe of the TD-SCDMA voice call to create the continuous time period prior to the selection.

21. A user equipment (UE) of a time division-synchronous code division multiple access (TD-SCDMA) system, the UE comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

select a continuous time period during a Time Division-Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA) voice call via a Node B, the selected continuous time period including multiple subframes;

prevent the UE from communicating with the Node B on a downlink during the selected continuous time period; and

acquire on the downlink a Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) signal from at least one GSM cell during the selected continuous time period; and

a memory coupled to said at least one processor.

22. The UE of claim 21, in which the at least one processor is further configured to hand over to a selected GSM cell based on the acquiring.

23. The UE of claim 21, in which the acquiring comprises measuring signal strength, frequency and timing from a Frequency Correction Channel (FCCH).

24. The UE of claim 21, in which the acquiring comprises acquiring a Base Station Identity Code (BSIC) from a Synchronization Channel (SCH).

25. The UE of claim 21, in which the at least one processor is further configured to transmit from the UE to the Node B on an uplink during the selected continuous time period, while acquiring the GSM signal.

26. The UE of claim 21, in which the at least one processor is further configured to drop at least one subframe of the TD-SCDMA voice call to create the continuous time period prior to the selection.

27. A computer readable medium having program code recorded thereon, said program code comprising:

program code to select a continuous time period during a Time Division-Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA) voice call, the voice call being via a Node B, the selected continuous time period including multiple subframes;

program code to prevent the UE from communicating with the Node B during the selected continuous time period; and

program code to acquire a GSM signal from at least one Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) cell during the selected continuous time period.

28. A computer readable medium having program code recorded thereon, said program code comprising:

program code to select a continuous time period during a Time Division-Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA) voice call via a Node B, the selected continuous time period including multiple subframes;

program code to prevent the UE from communicating with the Node B on a downlink during the selected continuous time period; and

program code to acquire on the downlink a Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) signal from at least one GSM cell during the selected continuous time period.

29. An apparatus for wireless communication in a time division-synchronous code division multiple access (TD-SCDMA) system, said apparatus comprising:

means for selecting a continuous time period during a Time Division-Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA) voice call, the voice call being via a Node B, the selected continuous time period including multiple subframes;

means for preventing the UE from communicating with the Node B during the selected continuous time period; and

means for acquiring a GSM signal from at least one Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) cell during the selected continuous time period.

30. An apparatus for wireless communication in a time division-synchronous code division multiple access (TD-SCDMA) system, said apparatus comprising:

means for selecting a continuous time period during a Time Division-Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA) voice call via a Node B, the selected continuous time period including multiple subframes;

means for preventing the UE from communicating with the Node B on a downlink during the selected continuous time period; and

means for acquiring on the downlink a Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) signal from at least one GSM cell during the selected continuous time period.