Method and arrangement in a radio communication system

• US 6,990,344 B1
• Filed: 08/30/2000
• Issued: 01/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Lawlor, Claire, Dolan, Tommy
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yun, Eugene
• Application Number:
  US09/651,126
• Time in Patent Office: 1,973 Days
• Field of Search: 455/437, 455/436, 455/67.11, 455/434, 455/450, 455/509, 455/515
• US Class Current: 455/437
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0094 Definition of hand-off measurement parameters

Abstract

A method and an arrangement in a cellular radio communication network for preparing a measurement order list for transmission to a mobile station operating in a first cell. It is determined (502) whether at least one cell among the neighbouring cells is incapable of acting as a target for handoff of the mobile station. If at least one cell incapable of acting as a target for handoff is found, at least one control channel associated with such a cell is omitted when generating (503) said list by including control channels associated with neighbouring cells.

Claims

1. A method in a first cellular radio communication network for preparing a measurement order list for transmission to a mobile station operating in a first cell of the first cellular radio communication network, the method comprising the steps of;

a) determining whether at least one cell, in a set of cells defined as neighbouring cells to the first cell is incapable of acting as a target for handoff of said mobile station, wherein said set of cells defined as neighboring cells can include cells within a second cellular radio communication network in which the mobile station is allowed to operate, wherein said step of determining comprises the step of comparing characteristics of the cell with required characteristics derived from a subscriber profile stored in a Home Location Register associated with the mobile station, wherein if a neighboring cell is associated with a second cellular radio communication network in which the mobile station is not allowed to operate, the neighboring cell is automatically determined to be incapable of acting as a target for handoff;

b) generating the measurement order list by including in the measurement order list control channels associated with cells in the set of neighbouring cells while, if at least one cell incapable of acting as a target for handoff was found at step a), omitting at least one control channel associated with such a cell from the measurement order list.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein step b) involves omitting from the measurement order list all control channels associated with cells in the set of neighbouring cells which are incapable of acting as target cells for handoff.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein it is determined that the mobile station is not allowed to operate in the second cellular communication network if the subscriber profile contains no identity information ensuring unique identification of the mobile station in the second cellular radio communication network.

4. A control node for use in a first cellular radio communication network, the control node comprising:

a memory for storing configuration data defining a set of neighbouring cells to a first cell in the first cellular radio communication network, wherein said set of cells defined as neighboring cells can include cells within a second cellular radio communication network in which the mobile station is allowed to operate, said data including control channels associated with each neighbouring cell;

a control unit adapted to generate a measurement order list for transmission to a mobile station operating in the first cell, the control unit further being adapted to generate the measurement order list by including in the measurement order list control channels associated with said neighbouring cells, characterized in that the control unit is further adapted to determine whether at least one cell in the set of neighbouring cells is incapable of acting as a target for handoff and, if such an incapable cell is found, omit from the measurement order list at least one control channel associated with a cell found being incapable of acting as a target for handoff, wherein the determination of whether a cell in the set of neighbouring cells is incapable of acting as a target for handoff comprises comparing characteristics of the cell with required characteristics derived from a subscriber profile stored in a Home Location Register associated with the mobile station, wherein the control unit is adapted to determine if a neighboring cell is associated with a second cellular radio communication network in which the mobile station is not allowed to operate and, if so, the neighboring cell is automatically determined to be incapable of acting as a target for handoff.

5. A control node according to claim 4, wherein the control unit is adapted to omit from the measurement order list all control channels associated with cells which are incapable of acting as targets for handoff.

6. A control node according to claim 4, wherein the control unit is adapted to determine that the mobile station is not allowed to operate in the second cellular radio communication network if the subscriber profile contains no identity information ensuring unique identification of the mobile station in the second cellular radio communication network.

7. A control node according to claim 4, wherein the control node is a mobile switching center.

8. A cellular radio communication network comprising at least one control node according to claim 4.