Selecting a transmission technology

• US 8,345,531 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2010
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vodafone Group PLC
• Original Assignee: Vodafone Group PLC
• Inventors: De Pasquale, Andrea, Exadaktylos, Kyriakos, Alcazar Viguera, Esperanza, Diaz Mateos, Maria, Garriga Muñiz, Beatriz, Dominguez Romero, Francisco Javier, McWilliams, Brendan, Urbano Ruiz, Julio, Serrano Solsona, Clara, López Roman, Javier, García Viñas, Aitor, Tenorio Sanz, Santiago, Le Pezennec, Yannick
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Tri H
• Application Number:
  US12/831,442
• Publication Number:
  US 20110019629A1
• Time in Patent Office: 909 Days
• Field of Search: 370203-210, 370/230, 370/235, 370/241, 370310-350, 4554321-444, 455446-458
• US Class Current: 370/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0689 using different transmission schemes, at least one of them being a diversity transmission scheme
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0871 using different reception schemes, at least one of them being a diversity reception scheme

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method for selecting a transmission technology (MIMO or non MIMO) for a HSDPA connection established between a RNC and a UE depending on the mobility of said UE, measured at the RNC as variations of the position of the UE. Then, if the connection is established with HSDPA MIMO technology and the position variations exceed a first pre-defined threshold, the connection is switched to HSPDA non MIMO technology. Also, if the connection is established with HSPDA non MIMO technology and the position variations are below a second pre-defined threshold, the connection is switched to HSPDA MIMO technology.

Claims

1. Method for selecting a transmission technology for a HSDPA connection established between a Radio Network Controller and a User Equipment, the User Equipment having a serving base station and a serving cell assigned, wherein both the Radio Network Controller and the User Equipment support both HSDPA MIMO technology and HSDPA non MIMO technology, characterised in that the method comprises the steps of:

(i) measuring by the Radio Network Controller position variations of the User Equipment;

(ii) if the connection is established by means of HSDPA MIMO technology, comparing by the Radio Network Controller the position variations with, at least one, first pre-defined threshold;

(iii) if the connection is established by means of HSPDA non MIMO technology, comparing by the Radio Network Controller the position variations with, at least one, second pre-defined threshold;

iv) if the connection is established by means of HSDPA MIMO technology and if the position variations exceed the, at least one, first pre-defined threshold, switching by the Radio Network Controller the connection to HSPDA non MIMO technology;

v) if the connection is established by means of HSPDA non MIMO technology and if the position variations are below the, at least one, second pre-defined threshold, switching by the Radio Network Controller the connection to HSDPA MIMO technology.

2. Method according to claim 1 characterised in that steps (i) to (iii) are performed periodically during the connection.

3. Method according to claim 1 characterised in that step (i) comprises measuring a number of times that the assigned serving cell of the User Equipment changes during a period of time.

4. Method according to claim 1 characterised in that step (i) comprises using information of variations of Round Trip delay Time of the connection to measure the position variations of the User Equipment, being said Round Trip delay Time periodically reported to the Radio Network Controller by the serving base station.

5. Method according to claim 4 characterised in that the information of variations of Round Trip delay Time is filtered by the Radio Network Controller using a filter to eliminate transitory effects.

6. Radio Network Controller in a radio network capable of establishing a connection with at least a User Equipment and of assigning a serving base station and a serving cell station to the User Equipment, wherein both the Radio Network Controller and the User Equipment support both HSDPA MIMO technology and HSDPA non MIMO technology, characterised in that the Radio Network Controller comprises:

measuring means configured for measuring position variations of the User Equipment;

comparing means configured for;

if the connection is established by means of HSDPA MIMO technology, comparing the position variations with, at least one, first pre-defined threshold;

if the connection is established by means of HSPDA non MIMO technology, comparing the position variations with, at least one, second pre-defined threshold;

switching means configured for;

if the connection is established by means of HSDPA MIMO technology and if the position variations exceed the, at least one, first pre-defined threshold, switching the connection to HSPDA non MIMO technology;

if the connection is established by means of HSPDA non MIMO technology and if the position variations are below the, at least one, second pre-defined threshold, switching the connection to HSDPA MIMO technology.

7. Radio Network Controller according to claim 6 wherein the measuring means measure a number of times that the assigned serving cell of the User Equipment changes during a period of time, using this measured number of times to measure position variations of the User Equipment.

8. Radio Network Controller according to claim 6 characterised by further comprising requesting means configured for requesting the serving base station to periodically report to the Radio Network Controller the Round Trip delay Time of the connection, and in that the measuring means are also configured for using variations in the Round Trip delay Time to measure the position variations of the User Equipment.

9. Radio Network Controller according to claim 6 characterised by further comprising a filter for eliminating transitory effects configured for filtering the variations of the Round Trip delay Time.