Apparatus and method for making measurements in mobile telecommunications system user equipment

• US 8,600,383 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3G Licensing S.A. (Fineur International S.A.)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Roberts, Gideon, Harrison, Robert, George, Richard, De Jong, Gjalt Gerrit
• Primary Examiner(s): Rego, Dominic E
• Application Number:
  US13/617,241
• Publication Number:
  US 20130065591A1
• Time in Patent Office: 445 Days
• Field of Search: 4554351-4353, 455436-444
• US Class Current: 455/435.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00835 Determination of neighbour cell lists
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0085 Hand-off measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information

Abstract

A method and apparatus for selecting cells in a mobile telecommunications system, the system comprising a network of a plurality of cells of a Universal Mobile Telecommunications Systems (UMTS) and a network of a plurality of cells of a second Radio Access Technology (RAT), the method comprising, at a user equipment device: when in UMTS mode, flagging in a neighboring cell list stored on the user equipment device information for a cell of a second RAT which is known to be unsuitable for selection. Information from the neighboring cell list information for the flagged cell may be removed, in particular for a limited period of time.

Claims

1. A method of cell reselection by a user equipment device (UE), the UE operable with a first cellular Radio Access Technology (RAT) and a second cellular RAT, the method comprising:

when the UE is camped on a cell of the first RAT, determining whether a cell of a second RAT is suitable for camping,

the UE not considering said cell of the second RAT as a candidate for reselection if said cell of the second RAT is not suitable for camping, and further not considering said cell of the second RAT for a time period.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising considering said cell of the second RAT as a candidate for reselection after expiry of the time period.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein not considering said cell of the second RAT comprises removing said cell from a list of neighboring cells.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein not considering said cell of the second RAT comprises flagging said cell in a list of neighboring cells as being unsuitable for camping.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said cell of the second RAT is not suitable when it is barred.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said cell of the second RAT is not suitable due to being part of a list of barred cells.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said cell of the second RAT is not suitable due to being part of a list of unsuitable cells.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said cell of the second RAT is not suitable due to belonging to a public land mobile network (PLMN) that is not the same as a PLMN selected by the UE.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the time period is a maximum of 300 seconds.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the time period is 300 seconds.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the time period is a defined period of time.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the time period is a limited period of time.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the UE receives a list of neighboring cells including the cell of the second RAT.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first RAT is selected from a group including UMTS, GSM, or CDMA;

and the second RAT is different from the first RAT and selected from the group including UMTS, GSM, or CDMA.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the reselection is for camping.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether a cell of a second RAT is suitable for camping comprises:

generating measurement data for cells in a neighboring cell list;

identifying from the measurement data a cell that meets a cell reselection criterion; and

determining whether the identified cell is suitable for camping when the identified cell is a cell of the second RAT.

17. A user equipment device (UE) configured to be operable with a first cellular Radio Access Technology (RAT) and a second cellular RAT, the UE comprising:

a processor and memory, the UE being operable so that, when the UE is camped on a cell of the first RAT, it is determined whether a cell of a second RAT is suitable for camping,

wherein the UE does not consider said cell of the second RAT as a candidate for reselection if said cell of the second RAT is not suitable for camping, and further does not consider said cell of the second RAT for a time period.

18. The UE according to claim 17, further configured to consider said cell of the second RAT as a candidate for reselection after expiry of the time period.

19. The UE according to claim 17, wherein, in order to not consider said cell of the second RAT, the UE is configured to remove said cell from a list of neighboring cells.

20. The UE according to claim 17, wherein, in order to not consider said cell of the second RAT, the UE is arranged to flag said cell in a list of neighboring cells as being unsuitable for selection.

21. The UE according to claim 17, wherein said cell of a second RAT is not suitable when it is barred.

22. The UE according to claim 17, wherein said cell of a second RAT is not suitable due to being part of a list of barred cells.

23. The UE according to claim 17, wherein said cell of a second RAT is not suitable due to being part of a list of unsuitable cells.

24. The UE according to claim 17, wherein said cell of a second RAT is not suitable due to belonging to a public land mobile network (PLMN) that is not to the same as a PLMN selected by the UE.

25. The UE according to claim 17, wherein the time period is a maximum of 300 seconds.

26. The UE according to claim 17, wherein the time period is 300 seconds.

27. The UE according to claim 17, wherein the time period is a defined period of time.

28. The UE according to claim 17, further configured to receive a list of neighboring cells including the cell of the second RAT.

29. The UE of claim 17, wherein the first RAT is selected from a group including UMTS, GSM, GPRS or CDMA;

and the second RAT is different from the first RAT and selected from the group including UMTS, GSM, GPRS, or CDMA.

30. The UE of claim 17, wherein the reselection is for camping.

31. The UE of claim 17, further operable to:

generate measurement data for cells in a neighboring cell list;

identify from the measurement data a cell that meets a cell reselection criterion; and

determine whether the identified cell is suitable for camping when the identified cell is a cell of the second RAT.

32. A method of cell reselection by a user equipment device (UE), the UE operable with a first cellular Radio Access Technology (RAT) and a second cellular RAT, the method comprising:

when the UE is camped on a cell of the first RAT,

the UE considering a cell of a second RAT as barred as a candidate for reselection for a time period if said cell of the second RAT is not suitable for camping.

33. The method according to claim 32, further comprising determining whether said cell of the second RAT is suitable for camping.

34. The method according to claim 32, further comprising considering said cell of the second RAT as a candidate for reselection after expiry of the time period.

35. The method according to claim 32, wherein considering said cell of the second RAT as barred comprises removing said cell from a list of neighboring cells.

36. The method according to claim 32, wherein considering said cell of the second RAT as barred comprises flagging said cell in a list of neighboring cells as being unsuitable for camping.

37. The method according to claim 32, wherein said cell of the second RAT is not suitable when it is barred.

38. The method according to claim 32, wherein said cell of the second RAT is not suitable due to being part of a list of barred cells.

39. The method according to claim 32, wherein said cell of the second RAT is not suitable due to being part of a list of unsuitable cells.

40. The method according to claim 32, wherein said cell of the second RAT is not suitable due to belonging to a public land mobile network (PLMN) that is not the same as a PLMN selected by the UE.

41. The method according to claim 32, wherein the time period is a maximum of 300 seconds.

42. The method according to claim 32, wherein the time period is 300 seconds.

43. The method according to claim 32, wherein the time period is a defined period of time.

44. The method according to claim 32, wherein the time period is a limited period of time.

45. The method according to claim 32, wherein the UE receives a list of neighboring cells including the cell of the second RAT.

46. The method of claim 32, wherein the first RAT is selected from a group including UMTS, GSM, or CDMA;

and the second RAT is different from the first RAT and selected from the group including UMTS, GSM, or CDMA.

47. The method of claim 32, wherein the reselection is for camping.

48. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

generating measurement data for the cells in a neighboring cell list;

identifying from the measurement data a cell that meets a cell reselection criterion; and

determining whether the identified cell is suitable for camping when the identified cell is a cell of the second RAT.

49. A user equipment device (UE) configured to be operable with a first cellular Radio Access Technology (RAT) and a second cellular RAT, the UE comprising:

a processor and memory, the UE being operable so that, when the UE is camped on a cell of the first RAT,

the UE considers a cell of a second RAT as barred as a candidate for reselection for a time period if said cell of the second RAT is not suitable for camping.

50. The UE according to claim 49, wherein the UE is configured to determine whether said cell of the second RAT is suitable for camping.

51. The UE according to claim 49, further configured to consider said cell of the second RAT as a candidate for reselection after expiry of the time period.

52. The UE according to claim 49, wherein, in order to consider said cell of the second RAT as barred, the UE is configured to remove said cell from a list of neighboring cells.

53. The UE according to claim 49, wherein, in order to consider said cell of the second RAT as barred, the UE is arranged to flag said cell in a list of neighboring cells as being unsuitable for camping.

54. The UE according to claim 49, wherein said cell of the second RAT is not suitable when it is barred.

55. The UE according to claim 49, wherein said cell of the second RAT is not suitable due to being part of a list of barred cells.

56. The UE according to claim 49, wherein said cell of the second RAT is not suitable due to being part of a list of unsuitable cells.

57. The UE according to claim 49, wherein said cell of the second RAT is not suitable due to belonging to a public land mobile network (PLMN) that is not the same as a PLMN selected by the UE.

58. The UE according to claim 49, wherein the time period is a maximum of 300 seconds.

59. The UE according to claim 49, wherein the time period is 300 seconds.

60. The UE according to claim 49, wherein the time period is a defined period of time.

61. The UE according to claim 49, wherein the time period is a limited period of time.

62. The UE according to claim 49, further configured to receive a list of neighboring cells including the cell of the second RAT.

63. The UE of claim 49, wherein the first RAT is selected from a group including UMTS, GSM, or CDMA;

and the second RAT is different from the first RAT and selected from the group including UMTS, GSM, or CDMA.

64. The UE of claim 49, wherein the reselection is for camping.

65. The UE of claim 49, further operable to:

generate measurement data for the cells in a neighboring cell list;

identify from the measurement data a cell that meets a cell reselection criterion; and

determine whether the identified cell is suitable for camping when the identified cell is a cell of the second RAT.

66. A method of cell reselection by a user equipment device (UE), the UE operable with a first cellular Radio Access Technology (RAT) and a second cellular RAT, the method comprising:

when the UE is camped on a cell of the first RAT,

determining whether a cell of a second RAT is suitable for camping,

the UE excluding said cell of the second RAT as a candidate for reselection for a time period if said cell of the second RAT is not suitable for camping.

67. The method according to claim 66, further comprising considering said cell of the second RAT as a candidate for reselection after expiry of the time period.

68. The method according to claim 66, wherein excluding said cell of the second RAT comprises removing said cell from a list of neighboring cells.

69. The method according to claim 66, wherein excluding said cell of the second RAT comprises flagging said cell in a list of neighboring cells as being unsuitable for camping.

70. The method according to claim 66, wherein said cell of the second RAT is not suitable when it is barred.

71. The method according to claim 66, wherein said cell of the second RAT is not suitable due to being part of a list of barred cells.

72. The method according to claim 66, wherein said cell of the second RAT is not suitable due to being part of a list of unsuitable cells.

73. The method according to claim 66, wherein said cell of the second RAT is not suitable due to belonging to a public land mobile network (PLMN) that is not the same as a PLMN selected by the UE.

74. The method according to claim 66, wherein the time period is a maximum of 300 seconds.

75. The method according to claim 66, wherein the time period is 300 seconds.

76. The method according to claim 66, wherein the time period is a defined period of time.

77. The method according to claim 66, wherein the time period is a limited period of time.

78. The method according to claim 66, wherein the UE receives a list of neighboring cells including the cell of the second RAT.

79. The method of claim 66, wherein the first RAT is selected from a group including UMTS, GSM, or CDMA;

and the second RAT is different from the first RAT and selected from the group including UMTS, GSM, or CDMA.

80. The method of claim 66, wherein the reselection is for camping.

81. The method of claim 66, wherein determining whether a cell of a second RAT is suitable for camping comprises:

generating measurement data for cells in a neighboring cell list;

identifying from the measurement data a cell that meets a cell camping criterion; and

determining whether the identified cell is suitable for camping when the identified cell is a cell of the second RAT.

82. A user equipment device (UE) configured to be operable with a first cellular Radio Access Technology (RAT) and a second cellular RAT, the UE comprising:

a processor and memory, the UE being operable so that, when the UE is camped on a cell of the first RAT, it is determined whether a cell of a second RAT is suitable for camping,

wherein the UE excludes said cell of the second RAT as a candidate for reselection for a time period if said cell of the second RAT is not suitable for camping.

83. The UE according to claim 82, further configured to consider said cell of the second RAT as a candidate for reselection after expiry of the time period.

84. The UE according to claim 82, wherein, in order to exclude said cell of the second RAT, the UE is configured to remove said cell from a list of neighboring cells.

85. The UE according to claim 82, wherein, in order to exclude said cell of the second RAT, the UE is arranged to flag said cell in a list of neighboring cells as being unsuitable for camping.

86. The UE according to claim 82, wherein said cell of the second RAT is not suitable when it is barred.

87. The UE according to claim 82, wherein said cell of the second RAT is not suitable due to being part of a list of barred cells.

88. The UE according to claim 82, wherein said cell of the second RAT is not suitable due to being part of a list of unsuitable cells.

89. The UE according to claim 82, wherein said cell of the second RAT is not suitable due to belonging to a public land mobile network (PLMN) that is not the same as a PLMN selected by the UE.

90. The UE according to claim 82, wherein the time period is a maximum of 300 seconds.

91. The UE according to claim 82, wherein the time period is 300 seconds.

92. The UE according to claim 82, wherein the time period is a defined period of time.

93. The UE according to claim 82, wherein the time period is a limited period of time.

94. The UE according to claim 82, further configured to receive a list of neighboring cells including the cell of the second RAT.

95. The UE of claim 82, wherein the first RAT is selected from a group including UMTS, GSM, or CDMA;

and the second RAT is different from the first RAT and selected from the group including UMTS, GSM, or CDMA.

96. The UE of claim 82, wherein the reselection is for camping.

97. The UE of claim 82, further operable to:

generate measurement data for cells in a neighboring cell list;

identify from the measurement data a cell that meets a cell reselection criterion; and

determine whether the identified cell is suitable for camping when the identified cell is a cell of the second RAT.