Signal measurement

• US 6,721,563 B1
• Filed: 02/29/2000
• Issued: 04/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Benn, Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, CONGVAN
• Application Number:
  US09/515,734
• Time in Patent Office: 1,505 Days
• Field of Search: 455/436, 455/437, 455/438, 455/443, 455/444, 455/446, 455/450, 455/452.2, 455/434, 370/310, 370/314, 370/321, 370/331, 370/332
• US Class Current: 455/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/04 Reselecting a cell layer in multi-layered cells

Abstract

A method of assessing a signal in a second capsule (114) within a cell (102) of RF capsules in a cellular communications system, wherein measurements indicative of the signal are made by a first capsule (112) whilst it is servicing a call. The present invention enables the smooth handover of calls between capsules, where mobile assisted handover is unavailable, whilst reducing the system complexity and cost overheads prevalent in current systems.

Claims

1. A method of assessing a signal of a second capsule within a cell of a cellular communications system, the cell comprising a first and second capsule not transmitting individual broadcast channels but sharing a common broadcast channel provided by a base station serving said cell and connected to a capsule controller, the method comprising:

using the first capsule to make a measurement indicative of the signal whilst the first capsule is servicing a call;

retuning a receiver to a requested frequency;

making a measurement;

retuning the receiver to its original frequency;

receiving a request for signal measurement;

establishing whether a specified time slot is in use; and

wherein if the time slot is in use, the request is queued.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of making the measurement comprises measuring a channel decoder quality.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein if the channel decoder quality is below a pre-set threshold, the request is queued.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein requests remain queued until such time as a necessary requirements for their processing are met.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein requests remain queued until such time as the necessary requirements for their processing are met.

6. A cellular communications system, comprising:

at least one cell;

at least a first and second capsule designated within the at least one cell, the first and second capsule not transmitting individual broadcast channels but sharing a common broadcast channel provided by a base station serving said at least one cell;

a capsule controller connected to said first and second capsule,

the first capsule comprising;

means for retuning a receiver to a requested frequency;

means for making a measurement;

means for retuning the receiver to its original frequency;

means for receiving a request for signal measurements;

means for establishing whether a specified time slot is in use;

means for queuing the request if the time slot is in use; and

wherein a measurement indicative of a signal of the second capsule is made by the first capsule whilst the first capsule is servicing a call.

7. A cellular communications system according to claim 6, wherein a first mobile station is transmitting on a first radio frequency during a first time slot and a second mobile station is transmitting on the same radio frequency at the same time within the same cell geographical area.