Method of channel allocation for a mobile terminal moving in a cellular communication network

• US 6,996,400 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2001
• Issued: 02/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Posti, Harri, Peltola, Jukka
• Primary Examiner(s): Gary, Erika A.
• Application Number:
  US10/477,717
• Publication Number:
  US 20050075110A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,729 Days
• Field of Search: 455/450, 455/441, 455/452.1, 455/452.2, 455/451
• US Class Current: 455/450
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0002 by adapting the transmission rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0015 characterised by the adaptation strategy
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00692 using simultaneous multiple data streams, e.g. cooperative multipoint [CoMP], carrier aggregation [CA] or multiple input multiple output [MIMO] allocation of physical resources in CoMP or in CA H04L5/0035
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/18 for allowing seamless reselection, e.g. soft reselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

The present invention proposes a method of channel allocation for a mobile terminal (MS) moving in a cellular communication network (NW), said method comprising the steps of: detecting (S21) the speed of said mobile terminal (MS) moving in said network, and dependent on said detected speed (S23, S25), allocating (S24, S26, S27) a channel of a specific type to said mobile terminal (MS). Accordingly, with the present invention implemented, delays in neighbor cell SCH decoding and signal level measurement are significantly reduced and may thus no longer result in incomplete data for inter-cell handover decision or even unsuccessfull handovers. Hence, communication network performance in particular in connection with handovers in a cellular network layout is improved. The present invention also concerns an accordingly adapted device for channel allocation.

Claims

1. A method of channel allocation for a mobile terminal moving in a cellular communication network, said method comprising the steps of:

detecting a speed of said mobile terminal moving in said network; and

dependent on said detected speed, allocating a channel of a specific type to said mobile terminal, wherein

if said detected speed is below a first speed threshold, a first channel of a specific type is allocated to said mobile terminal, and

said first speed threshold is predetermined based on a cell radius of cells constituting the network and an expected number of handovers occurring for the mobile terminal moving at a given speed via the network.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein

said allocated channel of a specific type is a traffic channel, with the channel types being distinguishable by their transmission rate.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein

said transmission rate differs by the number of idle frames in a multiframe of a traffic channel.

4. A method according to claim 3, further comprising a step of

conducting measurements on cells neighboring a current cell in which the mobile terminal is located, during said idle frames.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein

if said detected speed is above said first speed threshold, another channel of a specific type different from said first channel is allocated to said mobile terminal.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein

if said detected speed is above said first but below a second speed threshold, a second channel of a specific type is allocated to said mobile terminal.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein

if said detected speed is above said first and above a second speed threshold, a third channel of a specific type is allocated to said mobile terminal.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein

the speed of said mobile terminal moving in said network is repeatedly detected.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein

said detecting is performed after a predetermined time interval has elapsed.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein

said cellular communication network is composed of plural cells each of which cell covering a small area such that the coverage area of said plural small cells may be comprised in the coverage area of a large cell.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein

allocating a channel of a specific type to said mobile terminal is implemented based on hysteresis.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein

hysteresis is implemented in case that the currently detected speed is different from an immediately preceding detected speed and differs by a certain amount from a speed threshold defined for being used in channel allocation.

13. A device adapted to allocate a channel to a mobile terminal moving in a cellular communication network, said device comprising:

detecting means adapted to detect a speed of said mobile terminal moving in said network; and

control means adapted to allocate a channel of a specific type to said mobile terminal dependent on said detected speed, wherein

said control means is adapted to allocate a first channel of a specific type to said mobile terminal, if said detected speed is below a first speed threshold, and

said first speed threshold is predetermined based on a cell radius of cells constituting the network and an expected number of handovers occurring for the mobile terminal moving at a given speed via the network.

14. A device according to claim 13, wherein

said allocated channel of a specific type is a traffic channel, with the channel types being distinguishable by their transmission rate.

15. A device according to claim 14, wherein

said transmission rate differs by the number of idle frames in a multiframe of a traffic channel.

16. A device according to claim 15, wherein

said control means is adapted to allocate another channel of a specific type different from said first channel to said mobile terminal, if said detected speed is above said first speed threshold.

17. A device according to claim 16, wherein

said control means is adapted to allocate a second channel of a specific type to said mobile terminal if said detected speed is above said first but below a second speed threshold.

18. A device according to claim 16, wherein

said control means is adapted to allocate a third channel of a specific type to said mobile terminal, if said detected speed is above said first and above a second speed threshold.

19. A device according to claim 13, wherein

said detection means is adapted to repeatedly detect the speed of said mobile terminal moving in said network.

20. A device according to claim 19, wherein

said detection means is adapted to perform said detection after a predetermined time interval has elapsed.

21. A device according to claim 13, wherein

said control means is adapted to perform allocating a channel of a specific type to said mobile terminal based on hysteresis.

22. A device according to claim 21, wherein

said control means is adapted to base the allocation on hysteresis in case that the currently detected speed is different from an immediately preceding detected speed and

differs by a certain amount from a speed threshold defined for being used in channel allocation.

23. A device according to claim 13, wherein said control means and said detection means are located at a same network entity.

24. A device according to claim 13, wherein said control means and said detection means are located remotely from each other.

25. A device according to claim 24, wherein said detection means is located at said mobile terminal to which a channel is to be allocated.