Radio frequency dragging prevention

• US 8,094,630 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2005
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2005
• 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., Barabell, Arthur J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehrpour, Melody
• Application Number:
  US11/303,773
• Publication Number:
  US 20070140184A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,216 Days
• Field of Search: 455/436, 455/435.1, 455/466, 455/452.1, 455/560, 455/442, 455/439, 455/525, 455/437, 455/445, 370/338, 370/331, 370/203, 370/349, 370/216, 370/392, 370/401
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 by measured or perceived connection quality data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/302 due to low signal strength

Abstract

A device receives information about signals detected by an access terminal, a first one of the signals corresponds to a radio node with which the access terminal is in communication, and if a second signal detected by the access terminal does not correspond to signals in use by the radio node and the access terminal, and if a condition is met, the devise causes the access terminal to alter communication with the radio node.

Claims

1. A method performed by at least one of a radio network controller or a radio node, comprising:

receiving information about signals detected by an access terminal, a first signal of the signals being generated by the radio node with which the access terminal is in communication, the radio node, the radio network controller, and the access terminal being in a radio access network, the radio access network comprising sectors, the radio network controller being in communication with the radio node, the radio network controller and the access terminal being different entities and the radio node and the access terminal being different entities;

if a second signal of the signals detected by the access terminal does not correspond to a signal between the radio node and the access terminal, and if a condition is met, instructing the radio node to instruct the access terminal to alter communication with the radio node;

evaluating the condition by comparing a quality of the second signal to a threshold;

transmitting second information for each of the sectors, wherein selection of the second information is based on criteria that are not same in each of the sectors; and

repeatedly transmitting a message to the access terminal,

wherein the message instructs the access terminal to send the information about signals,

wherein the condition comprises that the second signal detected by the access terminal has a quality greater than a threshold, and

wherein instructing the radio node to instruct the access terminal to alter communication comprises instructing the radio node to instruct the access terminal to transition between sectors.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the quality of the second signal comprises a power of the second signal.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

increasing a rate at which the message is repeatedly transmitted if the power of the second signal increases.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

increasing a rate at which the message is repeatedly transmitted if the power of the second signal is above a threshold.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

increasing a rate at which the message is repeatedly transmitted if the access terminal is in a sector that uses a carrier that is not used by a neighboring sector.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second information for each of the sectors comprises a first list and a second list, the first list for each of the sectors comprising an identification of a carrier used in at least one of the sectors, and the second list for each of the sectors comprising an identification of one or more sectors in a neighboring area that uses a same carrier as one or more of the sectors:

wherein if two sectors are co-located in a first area, a first list for one of the two sectors comprises an identification of a carrier used by another of the two sectors unless there is a neighboring second area in which no sector uses the carrier used by the other of the two sectors, and

wherein if a first sector in the first area uses a first carrier, and a second sector in the neighboring second area uses a second carrier, and there is no sector in the neighboring second area using the first carrier, then the second list for the first sector comprises an identification of the second sector.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the second information for each of the sectors comprises a list, the list for each of the sectors comprising an identification of a carrier used in at least one of the sectors, and

wherein if two sectors are co-located in a first area, the list for each one of the two sectors comprises an identification of a carrier used by another of the two sectors unless there is a neighboring second area in which no sector uses the carrier used by the other of the two sectors.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the second information for each of the sectors comprises a list, the list for each of the sectors comprising an identification of one or more sectors in a neighboring area that uses the same carrier as one or more of the sectors, and

wherein if a first sector in a first area uses a first carrier, and a second sector in a neighboring second area uses a second carrier, and there is no sector in the neighboring second area using the first carrier, then the list for the first sector comprises an identification of the second sector.

2. A method, comprising:

receiving information about signals detected by an access terminal, a first signal of the signals being generated by a radio node with which the access terminal is in communication, the radio node and the access terminal being in a radio access network, the radio access network comprising sectors;

if a second signal of the signals detected by the access terminal does not correspond to a signal between the radio node and the access terminal, and if a condition is met, causing the access terminal to alter communication with the radio node;

transmitting second information for each sector, in which selection of the second information is based on criteria that are not same in each sector,

wherein the second information for each sector comprises an identification of a carrier used in that sector, and

wherein if two sectors are co-located in a first area, second information for one of the two sectors comprises an identification of a carrier used by another of the two sectors unless there is a neighboring second area in which no sector uses the carrier used by the other of the two sectors.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein if there is a first sector in the first area using a first carrier, and the access terminal is in the first sector using the first carrier, and there is the neighboring second area in which no sector uses the first carrier, then causing the access terminal to alter communication comprises:

instructing the access terminal to disconnect from the radio node and to connect to a second radio node using the second information transmitted for a second sector.

4. A method, comprising:

receiving information about signals detected by an access terminal, a first signal of the signals being generated by a radio node with which the access terminal is in communication, the radio node and the access terminal being in a radio access network, the radio access network comprising sectors;

if a second signal of the signals detected by the access terminal does not correspond to a signal between the radio node and the access terminal, and if a condition is met, causing the access terminal to alter communication with the radio node;

transmitting second information for each of the sectors, in which selection of the second information is based on criteria that are not the same in each of the sectors,

wherein the second information for each of the sectors comprises an identification of one or more sectors in a neighboring area that uses a same carrier as one or more of the sectors, and

wherein if a first sector in a first area uses a first carrier, and a second sector in a neighboring second area uses a second carrier, and there is no sector in the neighboring second area using the first carrier, then the second information for the first sector comprises an identification of the second sector.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein if there is the first sector in the first area using the first carrier, and the access terminal is in the first sector, and there is the neighboring second area in which no sector uses the first carrier, then causing the access terminal to alter communication comprises:

instructing the access terminal to disconnect from the radio node and to connect to a second radio node using the second information transmitted for the first sector.

11. A method performed by at least one of a radio network controller or a radio node, the method comprising:

receiving information about signals detected by an access terminal, a first signal of the signals being generated by a radio node with which the access terminal is in communication, the radio node and the access terminal being in a radio access network, the radio access network comprising sectors;

if a second signal of the signals detected by the access terminal does not correspond to a signal between the radio node and the access terminal, and if a condition is met, causing the access terminal to alter communication with the radio node;

evaluating the condition by comparing a power of the second signal to a threshold;

transmitting lists of second information for each of the sectors, wherein selection of the second information is based on criteria that are not same in each of the sectors; and

repeatedly transmitting a message to the access terminal,

wherein at least some of the information about the signals detected by the access terminal are received in response to the message, and

wherein the condition comprises that the second signal has a power greater than a threshold.