Connecting a multimode terminal to the network in a mobile communication system

• US 6,487,410 B1
• Filed: 10/19/1999
• Issued: 11/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Conversant Wireless Licensing S.à.r.l. (f/k/a Core Wireless Licensing S.a.r.l.) (MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management))
• Original Assignee: Nokia Networks Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Korhonen, Juha, Kontio, Ari
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lahjouji, Ahmed
• Application Number:
  US09/421,057
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: 455/436, 455/437, 455/444, 455/552, 455/553, 455/442, 455/464, 455/467, 455/426
• US Class Current: 455/437
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0061 of neighbour cell information

Abstract

The invention relates to a handover method and a method for selecting a base station for connecting a multimode terminal (PP/MS) in a mobile communication system which consists of at least one first base station (BTS) and at least one second base station (FRP) controlled by a MSC, and multimode terminal (PP/MS). The handover method comprises recognizing the poor radio connection between the serving second base station (RFP) and the multimode terminal (PP/MS), selecting one of the first base station (BTS) as the target cell for handover on the basis of the measurements carried out in the multimode terminal (PP/MS), and performing the handover. It is characteristic of the handover method according to the invention that a cell description is transmitted to the multimode terminal (PP/MS) via the second base station (RFP), the cell description including information about the frequency of at least one first base station (BTS), and measuring base station signal in the multimode terminal (PP/MS) at said frequencies, when the ongoing radio connection has been recognized to be poor.

Claims

1. A handover method in a mobile communication system that consists of a mobile services switching center (MSC), at least one first base station (BTS) and at least one second base station (RFP) controlled by the MSC, and multimode terminals (PP/MS) which. consist of a first part (MS) for establishing a radio connection with a first base station (BTS) and a second part (PP) to establish a radio connection with a second base station (RFP), the said handover method comprising the steps of:

recognizing the poor radio connection between the serving second base station (RFP) and the multimode terminal (PP/MS),

selecting, as the target cell for handover, one of the first base stations (BTS) on the basis of measurements performed in the multimode terminal (PP/MS), and

performing the handover from the serving second base station (RFP) to the selected first base station (BTS),

wherein the said handover method further comprises the steps of;

transmitting to the multimode terminal (PP/MS) a cell description via the second base station (RFP) before initiation of handover from the second base station (RFP) to the first base station (BTS), the cell description containing the information about the frequency of at least one first base station (BTS) located in the geographic area of the terminal, and

performing a measurement of base station signals in the multimode terminal (PP/MS) on frequencies indicated in the cell description, when the ongoing radio connection is detected to be poor.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the cell description is transmitted to the multimode terminal (PP/MS) attached to a normal signaling message of the network.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the multimode terminal (PP/MS) is transmitted cell description which contains the information about the frequency of one first base station (BTS).

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein

the cell description received in the multimode terminal (PP/MS) is stored in the memory slot of the terminal.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the measurement of the base station signals in the multimode terminal, when the ongoing radio connection has been determined to be poor, comprises the steps of

reading the stored cell description from the memory slot of the terminal,

switching on the first part (MS) of the multimode terminal,

tuning the first part (MS) of the terminal to the frequencies indicated in the cell description read from the memory slot, and

measuring the base station signals on the frequencies indicated in the cell description.

6. A method for selecting a base station for idle connecting the multimode terminal (PP/MS) in a mobile communication system which consists of a mobile services switching center (MSC), at least one first base station (BTS) and at least one second base station (RFP) controlled by the MSC, and multimode terminals (PP/MS) which consist of a first part (MS) for establishing a radio connection with the first base stations (BTS) and a second part (PP) for establishing a radio connection with the second base stations (RFP),

wherein the method comprises the steps of

transmitting to the multimode terminal (PP/MS) via the second base station (RFP) a cell description which contains the information about the frequency of at least one first base station (BTS) located in the geographic area of the terminal, and

selecting one of the first base stations (BTS) selected in the multimode terminal (PP/MS) on the basis of the cell description as the base station to which the multimode terminal (PP/MS) listens , when it is desirable to switch over to the service of one of a first base stations.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein

the poor radio signal of the second base station that the multimode terminal (PP/MS) listens to is recognized,

the base station signals are measured in the multimode terminal on frequencies indicated in the cell description, when the radio signal of the second base station (RFP) which the multimode terminal (PP/MS) listens to has been recognized to be poor, and

one of the first base stations (BTS) is selected as the base station which the multimode terminal (PP/MS) listens to on the basis of the measurements performed in the multimode terminal (PP/MS).

8. A method according to claim 6, wherein the cell description is transmitted to the multimode terminal (PP/MS) attached to a normal signaling message of the network.

9. A method according to claim 6, wherein the multimode terminal (PP/MS) is transmitted a cell description which contains the information about the frequency of one first base station (BTS).

10. A method according to claim 6, wherein

the cell description received in the multimode terminal (PP/MS) is stored in the memory slot of the terminal.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the measurement of the base station signals in the multimode terminal, when the ongoing radio connection has been determined to be poor, comprises the steps of

reading the stored cell description from the memory slot of the terminal,

switching on the first part (MS) of the multimode terminal,

tuning the first part (MS) of the terminal to the frequencies indicated in the cell description read from the memory slot, and

measuring the base station signals on the frequencies indicated in the cell description.

12. A multimode terminal which has been adapted to operate in a mobile communication system which consists of at least one first base station (BTS) and at least one second base station (RFP), wherein the said multimode terminal includes

the equipment for storing the frequency data of at least one first base station (BTS) transmitted from the second base station (RFP), and

the equipment for selecting the base station to which the multimode terminal listens on the basis of the stored frequency data.