Apparatus and method in a communication network
First Claim
1. In a network comprising a number of radio base stations and a mobile station for radio communication with the base stations, a method comprising the following steps:
- allocating a communication channel for communication between a first one of the base stations and the mobile station;
dividing the time after the allocation of the communication channel into a plurality of measuring periods;
measuring, in the mobile station, signal strengths of broadcast channel (BCCH) carriers transmitted by base stations in the vicinity of the first base station;
forming average values of the signal strengths measured for each of the BCCH carriers during each of the plurality of measuring periods;
communicating, after the completion of one of the plurality of measuring periods, the signal strength average values of the strongest identified BCCH carriers to the first base station;
pointing out, in the mobile station, an unidentified BCCH carrier which, based on the measured signal strengths, is predicted soon to be one of the strongest BCCH carriers, taking into account the signal strength average values over one of the plurality of measuring periods; and
initiating, in the mobile station, the identification of the BCCH carrier pointed out, causing identity information carried by said unidentified BCCH carrier to be read by the mobile station.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to a method and a mobile station for use in a communications network of GSM type, or a type derived from GSM. According to the invention the identification (307) of an unidentified BCCH carrier is initiated in the mobile station when said BCCH carrier on the basis of measured signal strengths is foreseen (321) soon to be one of the strongest BCCH carriers with regard to the signal strength average value over a measuring period. The delay from the point in time when the BCCH carriers becomes one of the strongest BCCH carriers, taking into account the signal strength average values over a measuring period, to the point when the BCCH carrier has been identified can in many cases be reduced or in some cases eliminated. Thus the mobile station can report measurement data for the BCCH carrier to the network at an earlier stage so that handover to the corresponding cell may be made faster.
37 Citations
17 Claims
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1. In a network comprising a number of radio base stations and a mobile station for radio communication with the base stations, a method comprising the following steps:
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allocating a communication channel for communication between a first one of the base stations and the mobile station; dividing the time after the allocation of the communication channel into a plurality of measuring periods; measuring, in the mobile station, signal strengths of broadcast channel (BCCH) carriers transmitted by base stations in the vicinity of the first base station; forming average values of the signal strengths measured for each of the BCCH carriers during each of the plurality of measuring periods; communicating, after the completion of one of the plurality of measuring periods, the signal strength average values of the strongest identified BCCH carriers to the first base station; pointing out, in the mobile station, an unidentified BCCH carrier which, based on the measured signal strengths, is predicted soon to be one of the strongest BCCH carriers, taking into account the signal strength average values over one of the plurality of measuring periods; and initiating, in the mobile station, the identification of the BCCH carrier pointed out, causing identity information carried by said unidentified BCCH carrier to be read by the mobile station. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A mobile station for communication with radio base stations in a network, the mobile station comprising:
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communication means for communication with a first one of said base stations on an allocated communication channel; measuring means for measuring signal strengths of broadcast channel(BCCH) carriers transmitted by base stations in the vicinity of the first base station; a first averaging means for forming average values of the signal strengths measured for each of the BCCH carriers during each of a sequence of measuring periods; identification means for determining the identity of one of said BCCH carriers by reading the identity information carried by the BCCH carrier; measurement data reporting means for, upon the completion of one of said measuring periods, communicating to the first base station, by means of said communication means, the signal strength average values of the strongest identified BCCH carriers; and means for pointing out an unidentified BCCH carrier which, based on the measured signal strengths is predicted soon to be one of the strongest BCCH carriers taking into account the signal strength average values over one of the measuring periods, said identification means being arranged to initiate an identification of the unidentified BCCH carrier that was pointed out. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. In a radio communication network, a method for identifying a control channel comprising the steps of:
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measuring a signal strength of each of a plurality of control channels transmitted from a plurality of base stations; selecting a number of the control channels with the highest signal strength to be in a first group; selecting remaining control channels to be in a second group; determining whether a signal strength of a control channel in said second group has increased by a value larger than a first signal strength threshold value during a first time interval; and identifying the control channel in the second group if the signal strength of the control channel has increased by a value larger than said first signal strength threshold value during said first time interval. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification