UE-based MDT measuring and reporting in a cellular radio access network

• US 8,577,360 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2010
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Olsson, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelin, Jean
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hong, Dung
• Application Number:
  US12/938,930
• Publication Number:
  US 20110250880A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,098 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455423-425, 4554561-4566, 455436-437, 455/439, 370/331
• US Class Current: 455/423
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/18 Management of setup rejection or failure

Abstract

In one embodiment, if a UE is performing minimizing drive test (MDT) measurements and a radio link failure (RLF) occurs, the UE may add MDT measurement information to an RLF message to the network. In effect, the UE “piggy-backs” MDT information in the RLF report, and in so doing, provides greater flexibility to UEs reporting MDT information and more robust reporting. In another embodiment, the UE detects that no allowed reporting channel to report MDT measurement information exists, stores the MDT information, and after detecting that allowed reporting channel exists, initiates establishment of a radio link with the radio communications network during which the UE informs the network using an availability indicator that the UE has stored unreported MDT measurement information to be reported to the radio communications network.

Claims

1. A method for a user equipment (UE) to report measurement information to a radio communications network, the UE performing the steps comprising:

performing minimizing drive test (MDT) measurements for report to the radio communications network;

detecting a failure to report MDT measurement information;

in response to detecting the failure to report the MDT measurement information, storing unreported MDT measurement information;

detecting a radio link failure;

transmitting a connection reestablishment request message to the radio communications network;

receiving a connection reestablishment message from the radio communications network responding to the transmitted connection reestablishment request message;

in response to the connection reestablishment message, transmitting a connection reestablishment confirmation message to the radio communications network, wherein the connection reestablishment confirmation message includes an indication that stored unreported MDT measurement information is available for transmission;

receiving an information request message from the radio communications network, wherein the information request message includes a report request indicator;

detecting whether the report request indicator in the received information request message is set; and

in response to detecting that the report request indicator is set, transmitting a radio link failure (RLF) message that also includes at least some of the stored unreported MDT measurement information to the radio communications network.

2. The method in claim 1, wherein the RLF message includes RLF information different from the stored unreported MDT measurement information.

3. The method in claim 1, wherein the radio communications network is an LTE-based network.

4. The method in claim 3, wherein the MDT measurement information is MDT information measured when the UE was in an immediate MDT reporting mode.

5. The method in claim 3, wherein the MDT measurement information is MDT information measured when the UE was in a logged MDT reporting mode.

6. A method for a network node in a radio communications network, comprising:

receiving one or more minimizing drive test (MDT) measurement reports from the UE over a radio link;

receiving a connection reestablishment request message from the UE network after the UE experiences a radio link failure;

in response to the connection reestablishment request message, transmitting a connection reestablishment message to the UE;

receiving a connection reestablishment confirmation message from the UE responding to the connection reestablishment request message, wherein the connection reestablishment confirmation message includes an indication that stored unreported MDT measurement information is available for transmission;

in response to the indication that stored unreported MDT measurement information is available, setting a report request indicator in an information request message and transmitting the information request message to the UE;

receiving a radio link failure (RLF) message from the UE responding to the information request message, wherein the RLF message includes unreported MDT measurement information; and

processing the MDT measurement information.

7. The method in claim 6, wherein the RLF message includes RLF information different from the MDT measurement information.

8. The method in claim 6, wherein the MDT measurement information is MDT information measured when the UE was in an immediate MDT reporting mode.

9. The method in claim 6, wherein the MDT measurement information is MDT information measured when the UE was in a logged MDT reporting mode.

10. Apparatus for a user equipment (UE) to report measurement information to a radio communications network, the apparatus comprising:

radio circuitry configured to establish a radio link with the radio communications network;

a memory;

electronic circuitry, coupled to the memory and to the radio circuitry, configured to;

perform minimizing drive test (MDT) measurements for report to the radio communications network;

detect a failure to report MDT measurement information;

in response to detecting the failure to report the MDT measurement information, store unreported MDT measurement information in the memory;

wherein the electronic circuitry and the radio circuitry are configured to;

generate and transmit a connection reestablishment request message to the radio communications network;

receive a connection reestablishment message from the radio communications network responding to the transmitted connection reestablishment request message;

in response to the connection reestablishment message, generate and transmit a connection reestablishment confirmation message to the radio communications network,

wherein the connection reestablishment confirmation message includes an indication that stored unreported MDT measurement information is available for transmission;

receive an information request message from the radio communications network, wherein the information request message includes a report request indicator;

detect whether the report request indicator in the received information request message is set;

in response to detecting that the report request indicator is set, to transmit a radio link failure (RLF) report that includes at least some of the stored MDT measurement information to the radio communications network.

11. The apparatus in claim 10, wherein the RLF report includes RLF information different from the stored MDT measurement information.

12. The apparatus in claim 10, wherein the radio communications network is an LTE-based network.

13. The apparatus in claim 12, wherein the MDT measurement information is MDT information measured when the UE was in an immediate MDT reporting mode.

14. The apparatus in claim 12, wherein the MDT measurement information is MDT information measured when the UE was in a logged MDT reporting mode.

15. The apparatus in claim 14, wherein the MDT measurement information is MDT information measured when the UE was in an immediate MDT reporting mode.

16. Apparatus for a network node in a radio communications network, comprising:

radio circuitry;

processing circuitry coupled to the radio circuitry and configured to;

process one or more minimizing drive test (MDT) measurement reports received from a user equipment (UE);

receive a connection reestablishment request message from the UE network after the UE experiences a radio link failure;

in response to the connection reestablishment request message, transmit a connection reestablishment message to the UE;

receive a connection reestablishment confirmation message from the UE responding to the connection reestablishment request message, wherein the connection reestablishment confirmation message includes an indication that stored unreported MDT measurement information is available for transmission;

in response to the indication that stored unreported MDT measurement information is available, set a report request indicator in an information request message and transmit the information request message to the UE;

after a radio link failure, process a radio link failure (RLF) message received from the UE responding to the information request message, wherein the RLF message includes unreported MDT measurement information.

17. The apparatus in claim 16, wherein the RLF message includes RLF information different from the MDT measurement information.

18. Apparatus for a user equipment (UE) to report measurement information to a radio communications network, the apparatus comprising:

radio circuitry configured to establish a radio link with the radio communications network;

a memory;

electronic circuitry, coupled to the memory and to the radio circuitry, configured to;

perform minimizing drive test (MDT) measurements for report to the radio communications network;

detect that no allowed reporting channel to report MDT measurement information exists;

in response to detecting that no allowed reporting channel to report MDT measurement information exists, store unreported MDT measurement information in the memory;

detect an allowed reporting channel to report MDT measurement information;

in response to the detected allowed reporting channel, generate and transmit a connection reestablishment request message to the radio communications network;

receive a connection reestablishment message from the radio communications network responding to the transmitted connection reestablishment request message;

in response to the connection reestablishment message, generate and transmit a connection reestablishment confirmation message to the radio communications network,

wherein the connection reestablishment confirmation message includes an indication that stored unreported MDT measurement information is available for transmission;

receive an information request message from the radio communications network, wherein the information request message includes a report request indicator;

detect whether the report request indicator in the received information request message is set;

in response to detecting that the report request indicator is set, to transmit a radio link failure (RLF) report that includes at least some of the stored unreported MDT measurement information to the radio communications network.

19. The apparatus in claim 18, wherein the radio communications system is an LTE-compliant system and wherein the connection reestablishment message is a RRCConnectionSetupComplete message.