Method and Apparatus for Access Point Selection

• US 20170164260A1
• Filed: 07/09/2014
• Published: 06/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Liu, Jinhua, Shi, Cong
• Granted Patent: US 10,863,405 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0058 Transmission of hand-off measurement information, e.g. measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0061 of neighbour cell information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00835 Determination of neighbour cell lists
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0085 Hand-off measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 by measured or perceived connection quality data

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to access point (AP) selection. According to one embodiment, the serving AP receives from the terminal device a measurement report including one or more measurement parameters for a plurality of neighbor AP devices and the serving AP device and selects from the plurality of neighbor AP devices one or more candidate target AP devices based on the measurement report received from the terminal device. Then, the serving AP can obtain evaluated capability levels from the selected one or more candidate target AP devices and determine from the selected one or more candidate target AP devices a best candidate target AP device with the highest evaluated capability level as a target AP device.

Claims

1. A method for operating an access point device in a radio communication system, said access point device being currently connected with a terminal device and serving as the serving access point device, the method comprising:

receiving from said terminal device a measurement report including one or more measurement parameters for a plurality of neighbor access point devices and said serving access point device;

selecting from said plurality of neighbor access point devices one or more candidate target access point devices based on said measurement report received from said terminal device;

obtaining evaluated capability levels from the selected one or more candidate target access point devices, each of evaluated capability levels being indicative of the capability of user experience to be provided by a respective candidate target access point device for said terminal device; and

determining from the selected one or more candidate target access point devices a best candidate target access point device with the highest evaluated capability level as a target access point device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said one or more measurement parameters included in said measurement report comprise:

at least one parameter indicating signal strength received from a neighbor access point device of said plurality of neighbor access point devices; and

at least one parameter indicating the identification of the neighbor access point device.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein selecting from said plurality of neighbor access point devices one or more candidate target access point devices based on said measurement report received from said terminal device further comprises:

selecting a neighbor access point device as a candidate target access point device if said neighbor access point device meets one or more of the following criteria;

signal strength of said neighboring access point device is stronger than a first predetermined threshold;

signal strength of said neighboring access point device is greater than that of said serving access point device with a second predetermined threshold;

said neighboring access point device is with wired backhaul and its signal strength is greater than a third predetermined threshold.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein obtaining evaluated capability levels indicative of the capability of user experience to be provided for said terminal device from the selected one or more candidate target access point devices comprises:

for each of said one or more candidate target access point devices

sending to the candidate target access point device a probing request containing one or more measurement parameters for said candidate target access point device, wherein said one or more measurement parameters for said candidate target access point device were reported by said terminal device;

receiving a probing response from the candidate target access point device, wherein said probing response contains an evaluated capability level indicative of the capability of user experience to be provided for said terminal device.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said evaluated capability level of the capability of user experience to be provided for said terminal device is determined as a function of at least one user experience parameter evaluated by said candidate target access point device.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said at least one user experience parameter includes data rate, delay, packet loss rate.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

directly triggering a handover for said terminal device from said serving node to said best candidate target access point device,

or

determining whether to hand over said terminal device from said serving access point device to said target access point device by comparing the evaluated capability level to be provided by said best candidate target access point device with the capability level provided by said serving access point device; and

triggering a handover for said terminal device from said serving node to said best candidate target access point device, if the evaluated capability level to be provided by said target access point device is greater than the capability level provided by said serving access point device by a fourth predetermined threshold.

8. A method for operating an access point device in a radio communication system, said access point device being neighboring to a serving access point device of a terminal device, the method comprising:

providing said serving access point device with an evaluated capability level indicative of the capability of user experience to be provided for said terminal device.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein providing said serving access point device with an evaluated capability level indicative of the capability of user experience to be provided for said terminal device comprising:

receiving from said serving access point device a probing request containing one or more measurement parameters for said access point device, wherein said one or more measurement parameters for said access point device were reported to said serving access point device by said terminal device;

evaluating said evaluated capability level based on said one or more measurement parameters and local information of said access point device; and

sending to said serving access point device a probing response containing said evaluated capability level to be provided for said terminal device.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said evaluated capability level of the capability of user experience to be provided for said terminal device is determined as a function of at least one user experience parameter evaluated by said candidate target access point device.

11. An access point device in a radio communication system, comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive from a terminal device a measurement report including one or more measurement parameters for a plurality of neighbor access point devices and said access point device, wherein said access point device is currently connected with said terminal device and serving as the serving access point device of said terminal device;

a selecting unit configured to select from said plurality of neighbor access point devices one or more candidate target access point devices based on said measurement report received from said terminal device;

an obtaining unit configured to obtain evaluated capability levels from the selected one or more candidate target access point devices, each of evaluated capability levels being indicative of the capability of user experience to be provided by a respective candidate target access point device for said terminal device; and

a determining unit configured to determine from the selected one or more candidate target access point devices a best candidate target access point device with the highest evaluated capability level as a target access point device.

12. The access point device according to claim 11, wherein said one or more measurement parameters included in said measurement report comprise:

at least one parameter indicating signal strength received from a neighbor access point device of said plurality of neighbor access point devices; and

at least one parameter indicating the identification of the neighbor access point device.

13. The access point device according to claim 12, wherein said selecting unit is configured to select a neighbor access point device as a candidate target access point device, if said neighbor access point device meets one or more of the following criteria:

signal strength of said neighboring access point device is stronger than a first predetermined threshold;

signal strength of said neighboring access point device is greater than that of said serving access point device with a second predetermined threshold;

said neighboring access point device is with wired backhaul and its signal strength is greater than a third predetermined threshold.

14. The access point device according to claim 12, wherein said obtaining unit is configured to:

for each of said one or more candidate target access point devices

send to the candidate target access point device a probing request containing one or more measurement parameters for said candidate target access point device, wherein said one or more measurement parameters for said candidate target access point device were reported by said terminal device;

receive a probing response from the candidate target access point device, wherein said probing response contains an evaluated capability level indicative of the capability of user experience to be provided for said terminal device.

15. The access point device according to claim 11 or wherein said evaluated capability level of the capability of user experience to be provided for said terminal device is determined as a function of at least one user experience parameter evaluated by said candidate target access point device.

16. The access point device according to claim 15, wherein said at least one user experience parameter includes data rate, delay, packet loss rate.

17. The access point device according to claim 11, comprising a further determining unit configured to:

directly trigger a handover for said terminal device from said serving node to said best candidate target access point device,

or

determine whether to hand over said terminal device from said serving access point device to said target access point device by comparing the evaluated capability level to be provided by said best candidate target access point device with the capability level provided by said serving access point device; and

trigger a handover for said terminal device from said serving node to said best candidate target access point device, if the highest evaluated capability level to be provided by said best candidate target access point device is greater than the capability level provided by said serving access point device by a fourth predetermined threshold.

18. An access point device in a radio communication system, said access point device being neighboring to a serving access point device of a terminal device, said access device comprising:

a providing unit configured to provide said serving access point device with an evaluated capability level indicative of the capability of user experience to be provided for said terminal device.

19. The access point device according to claim 18, wherein said providing unit is configured to:

receive from said serving access point device a probing request containing one or more measurement parameters for said access point device, wherein said one or more measurement parameters for said access point device were reported to said serving access point device by said terminal device;

evaluate said evaluated capability level based on said one or more measurement parameters and local information of said access point device; and

send to said serving access point device a probing response containing said evaluated capability level to be provided for said terminal device.

20. The access point device according to claim 19, wherein said evaluated capability level of the capability of user experience to be provided for said terminal device is determined as a function of at least one user experience parameter evaluated by said candidate target access point device.

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