HANDOVER BETWEEN MOBILE COMMUNICATION NETWORKS

• US 20140179322A1
• Filed: 01/29/2014
• Published: 06/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Cooper, David
• Granted Patent: US 10,455,467 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 36/1443 between licensed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

A method of handover from an active network to a selected one of a plurality of potential other networks is provided. For example, the method may comprise scanning an area for all available networks within the area by a current active mobile communication network, storing a list of plurality of network identifiers and corresponding cell information based upon the scanning, receiving a signal from a user equipment, determining a signal level of the signal received from the user equipment; and transmitting a first message including a first list including the list of the plurality of network identifiers stored to the user equipment based upon the determined signal level. The transmitting of the first message occurs without the user equipment searching said mobile communication network. The list includes all of the available networks within the area. Also provided are user equipment and a mobile communication network for performing handover.

Claims

1. User equipment for a mobile communication network comprising:

a storage device for storing a first list and a second list;

a receiver for receiving a first message from a current active mobile communication network while a call is in progress, said first message including the first list of a plurality of network identifiers corresponding to a plurality of available networks for a potential handover, the plurality of available networks are determined by the current active mobile communication network by scanning an area for all available networks within the area, the first list being received from the current active mobile communication network based on a determined signal level of a signal transmitted by the user equipment; and

a selector for selecting one network of the plurality of available networks to which the user equipment hands over based on a comparison of the first list and the second list, said second list includes at least a network identifier.

2. A mobile communication network with which user equipment is connected comprising:

a receiver for scanning an area for all available networks within the area;

a storage device for storing a list of plurality of network identifiers and corresponding cell information based upon the scanning, the list including all of the available networks within the area;

a processor comprising hardware for determining a signal level of a signal received from the user equipment; and

a transmitter for transmitting a first message including a first list including the list of the plurality of network identifiers stored to the user equipment based upon the determined signal level, the transmitting of said first message occur without said user equipment searching said mobile communication network.

3. A method comprising:

scanning an area for all available networks within the area by a current active mobile communication network;

storing a list of plurality of network identifiers and corresponding cell information based upon the scanning, the list including all of the available networks within the area;

receiving a signal from a user equipment;

determining a signal level of the signal received from the user equipment; and

transmitting a first message including a first list including the list of the plurality of network identifiers stored to the user equipment based upon the determined signal level, the transmitting of said first message occur without said user equipment searching a mobile communication network.