Measure of Quality of Link Between Mobile Station and Base Station

• US 20160088505A1
• Filed: 12/07/2015
• Published: 03/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: MONTEMURRO, Michael Peter, DURAND, Roger Paul
• Granted Patent: US 9,906,972 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0847 Transmission error
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/302 due to low signal strength

Abstract

A mobile station associated with a base station determines a measure of the quality of a communication link between the mobile station and the base station. The measure is determined by comparing either i) an expected data rate for communications over the link and an actual data rate of communications over the link, wherein the expected data rate takes into account radio frequency (RF) power levels of signals received at the mobile station over the link, or ii) an expected RF power level for communications over the link and RF power levels of signals received at the mobile station over the link, wherein the expected RF power level takes into account the actual data rate of communications over the link. This measure of the quality of the link may be a factor in triggering the mobile station to initiate a handoff.

Claims

1-16. -16. (canceled)

17. A method in an access point (AP), the method comprising:

determining an expected data rate for communications over a link between the access point and a mobile station and an actual data rate of communications over the link, wherein the expected data rate is based on radio frequency power levels of signals received at the mobile station over the link; and

in response to determining the expected data rate, determining a measure of a quality of a link between the access point and a mobile station.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising determining whether to trigger the mobile station to initiate a handoff from the access point based, at least in part, on the measure of the quality of the link.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising selecting a different access point as a target of the handoff based on a determination that a link with the different access point experiences less interference than the link between the mobile station and the access point.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising determining based, at least in part, on the measure of the quality of the link whether to transfer to the link a communication session currently being carried over a different link between the mobile station and the access point.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising using signal strength measurements of the signals as an indication of the power levels.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising using received channel power indicator measurements of the signals as an indication of the power levels.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising selecting a network based, at least in part, on the measure of the quality of the link.

24. A mobile station comprising:

a wireless local area network communication interface through which the mobile station is able to communicate with an access point over a communication link; and

one or more processors coupled to the wireless local area network communication interface and configured to;

determine an expected data rate for communications over a link between the access point and a mobile station and an actual data rate of communications over the link, wherein the expected data rate is based on radio frequency power levels of signals received at the mobile station over the link; and

determine a measure of a quality of a link between the access point and a mobile station by comparing the expected data rate to the actual data rate.

25. The mobile station of claim 24, the one or more processors further configured to determine whether to trigger the mobile station to initiate a handoff from the access point based, at least in part, on the measure of the quality of the link.

26. The mobile station of claim 25, the one or more processors further configured to select a different access point as a target of the handoff based on a determination that a link with the different access point experiences less interference than the link between the mobile station and the access point.

27. The mobile station of claim 24, the one or more processors further configured to determine based, at least in part, on the measure of the quality of the link whether to transfer to the link a communication session currently being carried over a different link between the mobile station and the access point.

28. The mobile station of claim 24, the one or more processors further configured to use signal strength measurements of the signals as an indication of the power levels.

29. The mobile station of claim 24, the one or more processors further configured to use received channel power indicator measurements of the signals as an indication of the power levels.

30. The mobile station of claim 24, the one or more processors further configured to select a network based, at least in part, on the measure of the quality of the link.

31. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions to cause a processor to perform operations comprising:

determining an expected data rate for communications over a link between the access point and a mobile station and an actual data rate of communications over the link, wherein the expected data rate is based on radio frequency power levels of signals received at the mobile station over the link; and

in response to determining the expected data rate, determining a measure of a quality of a link between the access point and a mobile station.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 31, the instructions further comprising determining whether to trigger the mobile station to initiate a handoff from the access point based, at least in part, on the measure of the quality of the link.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 32, the instructions further comprising selecting a different access point as a target of the handoff based on a determination that a link with the different access point experiences less interference than the link between the mobile station and the access point.

34. The computer readable medium of claim 31, the instructions further comprising determining based, at least in part, on the measure of the quality of the link whether to transfer to the link a communication session currently being carried over a different link between the mobile station and the access point.

35. The computer readable medium of claim 31, the instructions further comprising using signal strength measurements of the signals as an indication of the power levels.

36. The computer readable medium of claim 31, the instructions further comprising selecting a network based, at least in part, on the measure of the quality of the link.