Cell selection
First Claim
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1. A cellular communications system for carrying out a site selection diversity method, the system comprising:
- a user equipment comprising a processor operable periodically to select a cell for data transmission from a plurality of cells, and a transmitter operable to transmit a result of the selection to a base station; and
a plurality of base stations, each of which comprisesa receiver operable to receive a result of a selection,a transmitter operable to transmit data to the user equipment, anda controller operable to determine whether or not the base station is a selected base station and to delay the transmission of data from the base station to the user equipment, when the base station is the selected base station for the user equipment and a measure of a congestion level in the cell is above a certain threshold, until the measure of the congestion level in the cell is below the certain threshold;
wherein the processor in the user equipment is operable to select a cell for data transmission based on measures of congestion levels in the cells.
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Abstract
Cell selection techniques for use in cellular communications systems are disclosed. A decision as to whether to use a cell for data transmission is made in dependence on a measure of a congestion level in the cell. The decision may either be part of a cell selection decision, or used to override a cell selection decision. The techniques may be used in fast cell site selection.
206 Citations
33 Claims
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1. A cellular communications system for carrying out a site selection diversity method, the system comprising:
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a user equipment comprising a processor operable periodically to select a cell for data transmission from a plurality of cells, and a transmitter operable to transmit a result of the selection to a base station; and a plurality of base stations, each of which comprises a receiver operable to receive a result of a selection, a transmitter operable to transmit data to the user equipment, and a controller operable to determine whether or not the base station is a selected base station and to delay the transmission of data from the base station to the user equipment, when the base station is the selected base station for the user equipment and a measure of a congestion level in the cell is above a certain threshold, until the measure of the congestion level in the cell is below the certain threshold; wherein the processor in the user equipment is operable to select a cell for data transmission based on measures of congestion levels in the cells. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A base station which carries out a site selection diversity method in a cellular communications system, the base station comprising:
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a measurement unit operable to measure a congestion level in a cell served by the base station; a transmitter operable to transmit a measure of the congestion level to a user equipment; a receiver operable to receive a result of a selection from the user equipment, the result of a selection indicating a base station to be used for data transmission; and a controller operable to determine whether or not the base station is a selected base station and to delay transmission of data from the base station to the user equipment, when the base station is the selected base station for the user equipment and the measure of the congestion level in the cell is above a certain threshold, until the measure of the congestion level in the cell is below the certain threshold.
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19. A base station which carries out a site selection diversity method in a cellular communications system, the base station comprising:
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a measurement unit operable to produce a measure of a congestion level in a cell served by the base station; a receiver operable to receive a result of a selection from a user equipment, the result of a selection indicating a base station to be used for data transmission; a transmitter operable to transmit data to a user equipment; and a controller operable to determine whether or not the base station is a selected base station and to delay the transmission of data from the base station to the user equipment, when the base station is the selected base station for the user equipment and the measure of the congestion level in the cell is above a certain threshold, until the measure of the congestion level in the cell is below the certain threshold. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A cellular communications system for carrying out a site selection diversity method, the system comprising a base station and a user equipment, the base station comprising:
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a measurement unit operable to produce a measure of a congestion level in a cell served by the base station; a receiver operable to receive a result of a selection from the user equipment, the result of a selection indicating a base station to be used for data transmission; a transmitter operable to transmit data to the user equipment; and a controller operable to determine whether or not the base station is a selected base station and to delay the transmission of data from the base station to the user equipment, when the base station is the selected base station for the user equipment and the measure of the congestion level in the cell is above a certain threshold, until the measure of the congestion level in the cell is below the certain threshold; and the user equipment comprising; a receiver operable to receive transmission signals from a plurality of base stations; a processor operable to produce measures of qualities of signals received from the base stations, and to select a cell based on measures of signal qualities; and a transmitter operable to transmit a result of a cell selection decision to the base stations. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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28. A cellular communications system for carrying out a site selection diversity method, the system comprising:
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a user equipment comprising means for periodically selecting a cell for data transmission from a plurality of cells, and means for transmitting a result of the selection to a base station; and a plurality of base stations, each of which comprises means for receiving a result of a selection, means for determining whether or not the base station is a selected base station, and means for delaying transmission of data from the base station to the user equipment, when the base station is the selected base station for the user equipment and a measure of a congestion level in the cell is above a certain threshold, until the measure of the congestion level in the cell is below the certain threshold; wherein the selecting means in the user equipment is arranged to select a cell for data transmission based on measures of congestion levels in the cells.
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29. A base station for carrying out a site selection diversity method in a cellular communications system, the base station comprising:
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means for measuring a congestion level in a cell served by the base station; means for transmitting a measure of the congestion level to a user equipment; means for receiving a result of a selection from the user equipment, the result of a selection indicating a base station to be used for data transmission; means for determining whether or not the base station is a selected base station; means for delaying transmission of data from the base station to the user equipment, when the base station is the selected base station for the user equipment and the measure of the congestion level in the cell is above a certain threshold, until the measure of the congestion level in the cell is below the certain threshold.
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30. A base station for carrying out a site selection diversity method in a cellular communications system, the base station comprising:
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means for producing a measure of a congestion level in a cell served by the base station; means for receiving a result of a selection from a user equipment, the result of a selection indicating a base station to be used for data transmission; means for determining whether or not the base station is a selected base station; means for delaying transmission of data from the base station to the user equipment, when the base station is the selected base station for the user equipment and the measure of the congestion level in the cell is above a certain threshold, until the measure of the congestion level in the cell is below the certain threshold.
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31. A site selection diversity method for use in a cellular communications network, the method comprising the steps of:
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in a user equipment, periodically selecting a cell for data transmission from a plurality of cells and transmitting a result of the selection to a base station; and in a base station, receiving a result of a selection, determining whether or not the base station is a selected base station and delaying transmission of data from the base station to the user equipment, when the base station is the selected base station for the user equipment and a measure of a congestion level in the cell is above a certain threshold, until the measure of the congestion level in the cell is below the certain threshold; wherein a cell for data transmission is selected based on measures of congestion levels in the cells.
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32. A site selection diversity method for use in a base station of a cellular communications network, the method comprising the steps of, in the base station:
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producing a measure of a congestion level in a cell served by the base station; receiving a result of a selection from a user equipment, the result of a selection indicating a base station to be used for data transmission; determining whether or not the base station is a selected base station; delaying transmission of data from the base station to the user equipment, when the base station is the selected base station for the user equipment and the measure of the congestion level in the cell is above a certain threshold, until the measure of the congestion level in the cell is below the certain threshold.
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33. A site selection diversity method for use in a cellular communications network, the method comprising the steps of:
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producing a measure of a congestion level in a cell served by the base station; receiving a result of a selection from a user equipment, the result of a selection indicating a base station to be used for data transmission; determining whether or not the base station is a selected base station; delaying transmission of data from the base station to the user equipment, when the base station is the selected base station for the user equipment and the measure of the congestion level in the cell is above a certain threshold, until the measure of the congestion level in the cell is below the certain threshold.
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Specification