Dynamic modification of route update protocols

• US 8,085,696 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2006
• Issued: 12/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ericsson Evdo, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Airvana Incorporated (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Garg, Deepak, Palnati, Prasasth R., Samar, Prince
• Primary Examiner(s): LEVITAN, DMITRY
• Application Number:
  US11/486,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20080013488A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,992 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370330-335, 370/349, 370464-467, 370480-487, 455/422, 455/436, 455/442
• US Class Current: 370/310
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/04 using triggered events

Abstract

A radio access network dynamically modifies a route update protocol of an access terminal in an active state that is in communication with the network, such that the access terminal reports a route update message upon satisfaction of a condition. The condition may be related to an inter-revision hard handoff, an inter-frequency hard handoff, a RF dragging prevention, a selective resource allocation, or some combination thereof.

Claims

1. A method performed in a component of a radio access network, the method comprising:

dynamically modifying a route update protocol of an access terminal operating in an active state that is in communication with the radio access network, the dynamically modifying comprising;

receiving, from the access terminal, pilot signal information detected by the access terminal; and

transmitting, to the access terminal, a message that causes an alteration in one or more threshold values used by the access terminal in determining whether to transmit a route update message to the radio access network, the message being transmitted based on the pilot signal information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the access terminal is approaching a handoff boundary; and

taking an action to modify the route update protocol of the access terminal based on the determining.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the handoff boundary comprises one or more of the following:

a carrier boundary, a revision boundary, and a subnet boundary.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the pilot signal information is associated with respective pilot signals, the pilot signals comprising one or more of the following:

a pilot signal corresponding to a sector of a candidate set of the access terminal, and a pilot signal corresponding to a sector of an active set of the access terminal.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

examining the received pilot signal information to determine whether the access terminal is approaching a handoff boundary.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

examining the received pilot signal information to determine how network resources are to be allocated.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the message causes the route update protocol of the access terminal to be modified.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the message comprises one of the following:

an inter-revision set of route update parameters, an inter-frequency set of route update parameters, an RF dragging prevention set of route update parameters, a selective resource allocation set of route update parameters, and a default set of route update parameters.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

re-sending the message to the access terminal until the radio access network receives an indication that the route update protocol of the access terminal has been modified.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selectively allocating resources of the radio access network to pilots whose respective signal strength exceeds a first threshold value; and

selectively de-allocating resources of the radio access network for pilots whose respective signal strength drops below a second threshold value.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

dynamically selecting one or more of the first threshold value and the second threshold value based on network loading conditions.

12. A method performed in an access terminal in communication with a radio access network, the access terminal operating in an active state within the radio access network, the method comprising:

dynamically modifying a route update protocol of the access terminal, the dynamically modifying comprising;

transmitting, to a component of the radio access network, pilot signal information detected by the access terminal; and

receiving, from the component, a message that causes an alteration in one or more threshold values used by the access terminal in determining whether to transmit a route update message to the radio access network, the message being transmitted based on the pilot signal information.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

detecting pilot signals, at least one of the pilot signals corresponding to a sector of a candidate set of the access terminal, and at least one of the pilot signals corresponding to a sector of an active set of the access terminal.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

measuring strengths of detected pilot signals, comparing each detected pilot signal strength corresponding to a sector of a candidate set with a weakest detected pilot signal strength corresponding to a sector of an active set, and taking an action based on the comparing.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein taking an action comprises:

reporting a route update message to the radio access network if a detected pilot signal strength corresponding to a sector of the candidate set exceeds the weakest detected pilot signal strength corresponding to a sector of the active set by a predetermined margin.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

measuring strengths of detected pilot signals, determining whether a detected pilot signal strength corresponding to a sector of an active set drops below a predetermined signal strength threshold for a predetermined time period, and taking an action based on the determining.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein taking an action comprises:

reporting a route update message to the radio access network, wherein the route update message comprises pilot signals that were most recently detected by the access terminal, and that correspond to respective sectors of the active set.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the dynamically modifying the route update protocol comprises:

modifying one or more of the following;

a PilotCompare parameter, a PilotDrop parameter, a PilotDropTimer parameter, and a PilotAdd parameter in accordance with the IS-856 specification.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the PilotDrop parameter is modified from a default value to a sector-specific value.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the PilotCompare parameter is modified from a first value to a second value, the first value being different from the second value.

21. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium that stores executable instructions for use at a radio node controller of a radio access network, the instructions causing a machine to:

dynamically modify a route update protocol of an access terminal operating in an active state that is in communication with the radio access network, the dynamically modifying comprising;

receiving, from the access terminal, pilot signal information detected by the access terminal; and

transmitting, to the access terminal, a message that causes an alteration in one or more threshold values used by the access terminal in determining whether to transmit a route update message to the radio access network, the message being transmitted based on the pilot signal information.

22. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 21, further comprising instructions to cause the machine to:

determine whether the access terminal is approaching a handoff boundary; and

take an action to modify the route update protocol of the access terminal based on the determination.

23. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the handoff boundary comprises one or more of the following:

a carrier boundary, a revision boundary, and a subnet boundary.

24. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the pilot signal information is associated with respective pilot signals, the pilot signals comprising one or more of the following:

a pilot signal corresponding to a sector of a candidate set of the access terminal, and a pilot signal corresponding to a sector of an active set of the access terminal.

25. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 24, further comprising instructions to cause the machine to:

examine the received information to determine whether the access terminal is approaching a handoff boundary.

26. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 24, further comprising instructions to cause the machine to:

examine the received information to determine how network resources are to be allocated.

27. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 21, further comprising instructions to cause the machine to:

selectively allocate resources of the radio access network to pilots whose respective signal strength exceeds a first threshold value; and

selectively de-allocate resources of the radio access network for pilots whose respective signal strength drops below a second threshold value.

28. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 27, further comprising instructions to:

dynamically select one or more of the first threshold value and the second threshold value based on network loading conditions.

29. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium that stores executable instructions for use at an access terminal in an active state that is in communication with a radio access network, the instructions causing a machine to:

dynamically modify a route update protocol of the access terminal, the dynamically modifying comprising;

transmitting, to a component of the radio access network, pilot signal information detected by the access terminal; and

receiving, from the component, a message that causes an alteration in one or more threshold values used by the access terminal in determining whether to transmit a route update message to the radio access network, the message being transmitted based on the pilot signal information.

30. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 29, further comprising instructions to cause the machine to:

detect pilot signals, at least one of the pilot signals corresponding to a sector of a candidate set of the access terminal, and at least one of the pilot signals corresponding to a sector of an active set of the access terminal.

31. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 29, further comprising instructions to cause the machine to:

measure strengths of detected pilot signals, compare each detected pilot signal strength corresponding to a sector of a candidate set with a weakest detected pilot signal strength corresponding to a sector of an active set, and take an action based on the comparison.

32. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein the instructions to cause the machine to take an action comprise instructions to cause the machine to:

report a route update message to the radio access network if a detected pilot signal strength corresponding to a sector of the candidate set exceeds the weakest detected pilot signal strength corresponding to a sector of the active set by a predetermined margin.

33. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 29, further comprising instructions to cause the machine to:

measure strengths of detected pilot signals, determine whether a detected pilot signal strength corresponding to a sector of an active set drops below a predetermined signal strength threshold for a predetermined time period, and take an action based on the determination.

34. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 33, wherein instructions to cause the machine to take an action comprise instructions to cause the machine to:

report a route update message to the radio access network, wherein the route update message comprises pilot signals that were most recently detected by the access terminal, and that correspond to respective sectors of the active set.

35. A component of a radio access network, the component comprising:

a processor, and

memory, including software to provide instructions to the processor to dynamically modify a route update protocol of an access terminal operating in an active state that is in communication with the radio access network, the dynamically modifying comprising;

receiving, from the access terminal, pilot signal information detected by the access terminal; and

transmitting, to the access terminal, a message that causes an alteration in one or more threshold values used by the access terminal in determining whether to transmit a route update message to the radio access network, the message being transmitted based on the pilot signal information.

36. An access terminal operating in an active state within a radio access network, the access terminal comprising:

a processor, and

memory, including software to provide instructions to the processor to dynamically modify a route update protocol of the access terminal in response to a message received from the radio access network, the dynamically modifying comprising;

transmitting, to a component of the radio access network, pilot signal information detected by the access terminal; and

receiving, from the component, a message that causes an alteration in one or more threshold values used by the access terminal in determining whether to transmit a route update message to the radio access network, the message being transmitted based on the pilot signal information.