Base station identification to indicate mobility of a wireless communication device

• US 8,204,503 B1
• Filed: 08/25/2010
• Issued: 06/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Wick, Ryan Alan, Reeves, Raymond Emilio, Jones, John Marvin III
• Primary Examiner(s): Rego, Dominic E
• Application Number:
  US12/862,936
• Time in Patent Office: 664 Days
• Field of Search: 455/422.1, 455/424, 4554321-4323, 455/435.2, 455436-444, 455/101, 455/517, 370/331
• US Class Current: 455/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0016 Hand-off preparation specially adapted for end-to-end data sessions

Abstract

A base station identification system comprises a processing system and a memory device. The processing system is configured to initiate a modulo count to indicate mobility of the wireless communication device, determine a last base station identifier for a last base station serving the wireless communication device, compare the last base station identifier to a set of previous base station identifiers for previous base stations serving the wireless communication device, if the last base station identifier is in the set of previous base station identifiers, assign a previous modulo number in the modulo count to the last base station identifier, and if the last base station identifier is not in the set of previous base station identifiers, assign a next modulo number in the modulo count to the last base station identifier, and add the last base station identifier to the set of previous base station identifiers.

Claims

1. A method of operating a base station identification system to indicate mobility of a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

initiating a modulo count to indicate the mobility of the wireless communication device;

determining a last base station identifier for a last base station serving the wireless communication device;

comparing the last base station identifier to a set of previous base station identifiers for previous base stations serving the wireless communication device;

if the last base station identifier is in the set of previous base station identifiers, assigning a previous modulo number in the modulo count to the last base station identifier, wherein the previous modulo number was previously assigned to one of the previous base station identifiers matching the last base station identifier;

if the last base station identifier is not in the set of previous base station identifiers, assigning a next modulo number in the modulo count to the last base station identifier, and adding the last base station identifier to the set of previous base station identifiers; and

storing data indicating a sequence of the assigned modulo numbers for the modulo count.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the last base station identifier indicates a sector of the last base station serving the wireless communication device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the last base station identifier comprises a system identification number (SID) and a network identification number (NID).

4. The method of claim 1 wherein assigning the previous modulo number in the modulo count to the last base station identifier comprises assigning the previous modulo number and a repeat number indicator to the last base station identifier.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the repeat number indicator indicates that the previous modulo number was already assigned to the last base station identifier.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein assigning the next modulo number in the modulo count to the last base station identifier comprises assigning the next modulo number and a new number indicator to the last base station identifier.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the new number indicator indicates that the next modulo number is newly assigned to the last base station identifier.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising, if the last base station identifier is in the set of previous base station identifiers, transferring the previous modulo number for delivery to the wireless communication device when a handoff to the last base station serving the wireless communication device occurs.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising, if the last base station identifier is not in the set of previous base station identifiers, transferring the next modulo number for delivery to the wireless communication device when a handoff to the last base station serving the wireless communication device occurs.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein assigning the next modulo number in the modulo count to the last base station identifier comprises, if the next modulo number was already assigned to one of the previous base station identifiers in the set of previous base station identifiers, unassigning the next modulo number from the one of the previous base station identifiers and removing the one of the previous base station identifiers from the set of previous base station identifiers.

11. A base station identification system to indicate mobility of a wireless communication device, the system comprising:

a processing system configured to initiate a modulo count to indicate the mobility of the wireless communication device, determine a last base station identifier for a last base station serving the wireless communication device, compare the last base station identifier to a set of previous base station identifiers for previous base stations serving the wireless communication device, if the last base station identifier is in the set of previous base station identifiers, assign a previous modulo number in the modulo count to the last base station identifier, wherein the previous modulo number was previously assigned to one of the previous base station identifiers matching the last base station identifier, and if the last base station identifier is not in the set of previous base station identifiers, assign a next modulo number in the modulo count to the last base station identifier, and add the last base station identifier to the set of previous base station identifiers; and

a memory device configured to store data indicating a sequence of the assigned modulo numbers for the modulo count.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the last base station identifier indicates a sector of the last base station serving the wireless communication device.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the last base station identifier comprises a system identification number (SID) and a network identification number (NID).

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the processing system configured to assign the previous modulo number in the modulo count to the last base station identifier comprises the processing system configured to assign the previous modulo number and a repeat number indicator to the last base station identifier.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the repeat number indicator indicates that the previous modulo number was already assigned to the last base station identifier.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein the processing system configured to assign the next modulo number in the modulo count to the last base station identifier comprises the processing system configured to assign the next modulo number and a new number indicator to the last base station identifier.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the new number indicator indicates that the next modulo number is newly assigned to the last base station identifier.

18. The system of claim 11 further comprising a communication interface configured to, if the last base station identifier is in the set of previous base station identifiers, transfer the previous modulo number for delivery to the wireless communication device when a handoff to the last base station serving the wireless communication device occurs.

19. The system of claim 11 further comprising a communication interface configured to, if the last base station identifier is not in the set of previous base station identifiers, transfer the next modulo number for delivery to the wireless communication device when a handoff to the last base station serving the wireless communication device occurs.

20. A method of operating a base station identification system to indicate mobility of a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

initiating a modulo count to indicate the mobility of the wireless communication device;

determining a last base station identifier for a last base station serving the wireless communication device;

comparing the last base station identifier to a set of previous base station identifiers for previous base stations serving the wireless communication device;

if the last base station identifier is in the set of previous base station identifiers, assigning a previous modulo number in the modulo count to the last base station identifier, wherein the previous modulo number was previously assigned to one of the previous base station identifiers matching the last base station identifier, and transferring the previous modulo number for delivery to the wireless communication device when a handoff to the last base station serving the wireless communication device occurs; and

if the last base station identifier is not in the set of previous base station identifiers, assigning a next modulo number in the modulo count to the last base station identifier, adding the last base station identifier to the set of previous base station identifiers, and transferring the next modulo number for delivery to the wireless communication device when a handoff to the last base station serving the wireless communication device occurs.