Method for transferring intersystem connections

• US 7,359,355 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2001
• Issued: 04/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Faerber, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HANH N
• Application Number:
  US10/182,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20030031143A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,633 Days
• Field of Search: 370/331, 370/328, 370/329, 370/332, 370/333, 370/338, 370/352, 455/436, 455/437, 455/438, 455/442, 455/443, 455/453
• US Class Current: 370/332
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/382 for resource allocation, admission control or handover
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0003 by switching between different modulation schemes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0007 by modifying the frame length
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0013 Rate matching, e.g. puncturing or repetition of code symbols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0068 by puncturing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0088 Scheduling hand-off measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 by measured or perceived connection quality data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0245 according to signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

To transfer intersystem connections, the quality of a transfer to a supplying base station in a first radiocommunication system is determined at a given moment by a subscriber station and compared to a threshold value. If the value falls below said threshold, a compressed mode is activated and measurements are carried out by the subscriber station in relation to the transfer qualities to neighboring base stations in a second radiocommunication network. On the basis of said measurements, the subscriber station selects a base station for the transfer of a connection. If the value falls below the second threshold, information sequences in the organization channels of the selected base stations are detected by the subscriber station.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an intersystem connection transfer from a first radiocommunication system having a first transmission method to a second radiocommunication system having a second transmission method, comprising:

in a first step, determining a transmission quality at a subscriber station, with respect to transmission characteristics from the subscriber station to a supplying base station of the first radiocommunication system;

comparing the transmission quality with a first threshold value;

activating a compressed mode if the transmission quality falls below the first threshold value, the compressed mode generating at least one transmission gap in a time frame of the first transmission method;

determining transmission characteristics at the subscriber station with respect to a base station of the second radiocommunication system within the at least one transmission gap;

comparing the transmission quality with a second threshold value;

in a subsequent second step, detecting, at the subscriber station, information sequences transmitted by the base station of the second radiocommunication system in a control channel only if the transmission quality with respect to transmission characteristics from the subscriber station to the supplying base station of the first radiocommunication system falls below the second threshold; and

selecting the base station of the second radio communication system for the connection transfer on the basis of the determined transmission characteristics and the detected information sequences.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transmission quality is determined by evaluating a receiving level signal strength.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein a periodicity for generating transmission gaps is selected depending on a current transmission quality with respect to the supplying base station of the first radiocommunication system.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 wherein

timing for generating transmission gaps is determined by the base station of the first radiocommunication system, and

the timing is signaled to the subscriber station.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the timing for generating transmission gaps includes information regarding at least one of a start time for generating transmission gaps and a periodicity for generating transmission gaps.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the compressed mode is activated for signal transmission in at least one of an uplink direction and a downlink direction.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the subscriber station transmits at least one of the transmission quality and the transmission characteristics to at least one of the base station of the first radiocommunication system and the base station of the second radiocommunication system.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first radiocommunication system supports a Frequency Division Duplex transmission (FDD) method, and the second radiocommunication system supports a Time Division Duplex (TDD) transmission method or a Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) transmission method.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a periodicity for generating transmission gaps is selected depending on a current transmission quality with respect to the supplying base station of the first radiocommunication system.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein

timing for generating transmission gaps is determined by the base station of the first radiocommunication system, and

the timing is signaled to the subscriber station.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the timing for generating transmission gaps includes information regarding at least one of a start time for generating transmission gaps and a periodicity for generating transmission gaps.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the compressed mode is activated for signal transmission in at least one of an uplink direction and a downlink direction.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the subscriber station transmits at least one of the transmission quality and the transmission characteristics to at least one of the base station of the first radiocommunication system and the base station of the second radiocommunication system.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first radiocommunication system supports a Frequency Division Duplex transmission (FDD) method, and the second radiocommunication system supports a Time Division Duplex (TDD) transmission method or a Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) transmission method.

15. A subscriber station to control an intersystem connection transfer from a base station of a first radiocommunication system having a first transmission method to a base station of a second radiocommunication system having a second transmission method, the subscriber station comprising:

a first determination unit to determine, in a first step, a transmission quality, with respect to transmission characteristics with a supplying base station of the first radiocommunication system;

a first comparison unit to compare the transmission quality with a first threshold value;

an activation unit to activate a compressed mode if the transmission quality falls below the first threshold value, the compressed mode generating at least one transmission gap in a time frame of the first transmission method;

determining transmission characteristics at the subscriber station with respect to a base station of the second radiocommunication system within the at least one transmission gap;

a second comparison unit to compare the transmission quality with a second threshold value;

a detection unit to detect, in a subsequent second step, at the subscriber station, information sequences transmitted by the base station of the second radiocommunication system in a control channel only if the transmission quality with respect to transmission characteristics from the subscriber station to the supplying base station of the first radiocommunication system falls below the second threshold; and

a selection unit to select a suitable base station of the second radio communication system for the connection transfer on the basis of the determined transmission characteristics and the detected information sequences.

16. A method for controlling an intersystem connection transfer from a first radiocommunication system having a first transmission method to a second radiocommunication system having a second transmission method, comprising:

in a first step, determining a transmission quality at a subscriber station, with respect to transmission characteristics from the subscriber station to a supplying base station of the first radiocommunication system;

comparing the transmission quality with a first threshold value;

activating a compressed mode if the transmission quality falls below the first threshold value, the compressed mode generating at least one transmission gap in a time frame of the first transmission method;

determining transmission characteristics at the subscriber station with respect to a base station of the second radiocommunication system within the at least one transmission gap;

comparing the transmission quality with a second threshold value;

in a subsequent second step, detecting, at the subscriber station, information sequences transmitted by the base station of the second radiocommunication system in a control channel only if the transmission quality with respect to transmission characteristics from the subscriber station to the supplying base station of the first radiocommunication system falls below the second threshold; and

selecting the base station of the second radio communication system for the connection transfer on the basis of the determined transmission characteristics and the detected information sequences.