Method, apparatus and computer program product for priority based cell reselection in a multi-RAT environment

• US 8,494,528 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2010
• Issued: 07/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Jokinen, Harri, Rexhepi, Vlora, Provvedi, Leonardo
• Primary Examiner(s): AJIBADE AKONAI, OLUMIDE
• Application Number:
  US13/148,793
• Publication Number:
  US 20120122458A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,260 Days
• Field of Search: 455/127.4, 455/432.1, 455/432.3, 455/434, 4554351-4353, 455436-444, 455/449, 455/502, 455/515, 455/524, 455/525, 455/550.1, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 370/310, 370/310.2, 370328-333, 370/335, 370/338
• US Class Current: 455/437
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0016 Hand-off preparation specially adapted for end-to-end data sessions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0061 of neighbour cell information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/04 Reselecting a cell layer in multi-layered cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/36 by user or terminal equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

A method, apparatus and computer program product are therefore provided that may enable a network sending broadcast and/or dedicated priorities to a mobile terminal to also include priorities with respect to a RAT that does not support the priority algorithm. As such, for example, priority parameters for a legacy network that does not support the priority algorithm may be supplied to a mobile terminal to enable the mobile terminal to make cell reselection decisions without running two different cell reselection algorithms in parallel (e.g., a ranking based algorithm and a priority based algorithm). The provided method includes the steps of receiving an indication of a plurality candidate cells with respect to said cell reselection of a mobile terminal; assigning, toward each of said plurality of candidate cells, a priority, wherein at least one candidate cell of the plurality of candidate cells does not support priority based cell reselection; and providing said priorities to said mobile terminal.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an indication designating a plurality of candidate cells with respect to cell reselection by a mobile terminal;

assigning a priority to each of said plurality of candidate cells, wherein at least one candidate cell of the plurality of candidate cells does not support priority based cell reselection, wherein assigning a priority to the at least one candidate cell that does not support priority based cell reselection comprises determining at least one priority parameter for the candidate cell; and

configuring a message for delivery to said mobile terminal, wherein the message comprises information specifying said priorities, and wherein configuring the message comprises including in the message information relating to the at least one priority parameter for the candidate cell that does not support priority based cell reselection.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said priorities is one of a broadcast and a dedicated priority.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of said priorities is a dedicated priority including a validity time.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said priorities is a broadcast priority assigned to a candidate cell that supports priority based cell reselection and wherein at least one of said priorities is a dedicated priority assigned to a candidate cell that does not support priority based cell reselection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication designating the plurality of candidate cells includes an indication for each cell as to whether the cell supports priority-based cell reselection.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one priority parameter for a candidate cell is chosen so as to avoid ping-pong cell reselection.

7. A computer readable memory storing a program of instructions, execution of which by a processor configures an apparatus to at least:

receive an indication designating a plurality of candidate cells with respect to cell reselection by a mobile terminal;

assign a priority to each of said plurality of candidate cells, wherein at least one candidate cell of the plurality of candidate cells does not support priority based cell reselection, wherein assigning a priority to the at least one candidate cell that does not support priority based cell reselection comprises determining at least one priority parameter for the candidate cell; and

configure a message for delivery to said mobile terminal, wherein the message comprises information specifying said priorities, and wherein configuring the message comprises including in the message information relating to the at least one priority parameter for the candidate cell that does not support priority based cell reselection.

8. The computer readable memory of claim 7, wherein at least one of said priorities is one of a broadcast and a dedicated priority.

9. The computer readable memory of claim 8, wherein at least one of said priorities is a dedicated priority including a validity time.

10. The computer readable memory according to claim 7, wherein at least one of said priorities is a broadcast priority assigned to a candidate cell that supports priority based cell reselection and wherein at least one of said priorities is a dedicated priority assigned to a candidate cell that does not support priority based cell reselection.

11. The computer readable memory of claim 7, wherein the indication designating the plurality of candidate cells includes an indication for each cell as to whether the cell supports priority-based cell reselection.

12. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor;

memory storing computer program code; and

wherein the memory and the at least one processor are configured to cause an apparatus to at least;

receive an indication designating a plurality of candidate cells with respect to cell reselection by a mobile terminal;

assign a priority to each of said plurality of candidate cells, wherein at least one candidate cell of the plurality of candidate cells does not support priority based cell reselection, wherein assigning a priority to the at least one candidate cell that does not support priority based cell reselection comprises determining at least one priority parameter for the candidate cell;

configure a message for delivery to said mobile terminal, wherein the message comprises information specifying said priorities, and wherein configuring the message comprises including in the message information relating to the at least one priority parameter for the candidate cell that does not support priority based cell reselection.

13. A network device comprising an apparatus according to claim 12.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein at least one of said priorities is one of a broadcast and a dedicated priority.

15. The apparatus memory of claim 14, wherein at least one of said priorities is a dedicated priority including a validity time.

16. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein at least one of said priorities is a broadcast priority assigned to a candidate cell that supports priority based cell reselection and wherein at least one of said priorities is a dedicated priority assigned to a candidate cell that does not support priority based cell reselection.

17. The computer readable memory of claim 12, wherein at least one priority parameter for a candidate cell is chosen so as to avoid ping-pong cell reselection.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the indication designating the plurality of candidate cells includes an indication for each cell as to whether the cell supports priority-based cell reselection.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein at least one priority parameter for a candidate cell is chosen so as to avoid ping-pong cell reselection.