Communication system

• US 8,880,069 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2010
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Filipovic, Milena, Serravalle, Francesca, Kuwano, Hiroaki, Sharma, Vivek
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, MAHENDRA R
• Application Number:
  US13/260,306
• Publication Number:
  US 20120021743A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,653 Days
• Field of Search: 370/338, 370/331, 370/328, 445/436, 445/434, 445/411, 445/450, 445/435.1, 445/424, 445/435.2, 445/438, 445/444, 715/764, 715/751, 715/750, 715/743, 715/741, 709/206, 709/227
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0061 of neighbour cell information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/18 Management of setup rejection or failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/16 selectively restricting mobility data tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 Processing of subscriber group data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

A communication system is described in which a home base station operating in a hybrid access mode is able to provide preferential connectivity to mobile communication devices that are members of a closed subscriber group associated with the home base station compared to mobile communication devices that are not members of the closed subscriber group.

Claims

1. A mobile communication device for connection in a communication network that comprises a base station, the mobile communication device comprising:

a receiver for receiving information identifying a closed subscriber group (CSG) associated with a home base station that operates, using a hybrid access mode, in which members and non-members are allowed to access the CSG;

a processor configured to;

identify the CSG associated with said home base station from the received information;

determine whether the mobile communication device is a member of the identified CSG associated with said home base station; and

generate a message comprising a measurement report and including an indication of whether the mobile communication device is a member of the identified CSG, in dependence on a result of a determination to whether the mobile communication device is the member of the identified CSG associated with said home base station; and

a transmitter for sending said generated message to a base station to which the mobile communication device is connected.

2. A mobile communication device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said message generated in said generating said message comprises a connection request message report, and

wherein said transmitter is operable to send said message to said home base station.

7. A mobile communication device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base station determines a membership status of the mobile communication device to decide an allowability of a handover of the mobile communication device.

8. A mobile communication device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the base station determines the membership status before the handover is initiated.

9. A mobile communication device as claimed in claim 8, wherein said indication comprises whether the mobile communication device is the member of the CSG in a target mobile communication device.

3. A method performed by a mobile communication device in a communication network that comprises a base station, the method comprising:

receiving information identifying a closed subscriber group (CSG) associated with a home base station that operates, using a hybrid access mode, in which members and non-members are allowed to access the CSG;

identifying the CSG associated with said home base station from the received information;

determining whether the mobile communication device is a member of the identified CSG associated with said home base station;

generating a message comprising a measurement report and including an indication of whether the mobile communication device is a member of the identified CSG, in dependence on a result of a determination as to whether the mobile communication device is the member of the identified CSG associated with said home base station; and

sending said generated message to a base station to which the mobile communication device is connected.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein said message generated in said generating said message comprises a connection request message report, and

wherein said message is sent to said home base station in said sending said generated message.

10. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the base station determines a membership status of the mobile communication device to decide an allowability of a handover of the mobile communication device.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the base station determines the membership status before the handover is initiated.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said indication comprises whether the mobile communication device is the member of the CSG in a target mobile communication device.

5. A mobile communication device for connection in a communication network, the mobile communication device comprising:

a receiver for receiving information identifying a closed subscriber group (CSG) associated with a home base station that operates, using a hybrid access mode, in which members and non-members are allowed to access the CSG;

a processor configured to;

identify the CSG associated with said home base station from the received information;

determine whether the mobile communication device is a member of the identified CSG associated with said home base station; and

generate a message comprising a measurement report and including an indication of whether the mobile communication device is a member of the identified CSG, in dependence on a result of a determination as to whether or not the mobile communication device is a member of the identified CSG associated with said home base station; and

a transmitter for sending said generated message to a base station to which the mobile communication device is connected,

wherein said indication comprises whether the mobile communication device is the member of the CSG in a target mobile communication device in the measurement report that is generated for neighboring mobile communication devices, and

wherein, based on said generated message that is sent to the base station, the base station determines a membership status of the mobile communication device to decide an allowability of a handover of the mobile communication device to the target mobile communication device before the handover is initiated.

6. A method performed by a mobile communication device in a communication network, the method comprising:

receiving information identifying a closed subscriber group (CSG) associated with a home base station that operates, using a hybrid access mode, in which members and non-members are allowed to access the CSG;

identifying the CSG associated with said home base station from the received information;

determining whether the mobile communication device is a member of the identified CSG associated with said home base station;

generating a message comprising a measurement report and including an indication of whether the mobile communication device is a member of the identified CSG, in dependence on a result of a determination as to whether or not the mobile communication device is a member of the identified CSG associated with said home base station; and

sending said generated message to a base station to which the mobile communication device is connected,

wherein said indication comprises whether the mobile communication device is the member of the CSG in a target mobile communication device in the measurement report that is generated for neighboring mobile communication devices, and

wherein, based on said generated message that is sent to the base station, the base station determines a membership status of the mobile communication device to decide an allowability of a handover of the mobile communication device to the target mobile communication device before the handover is initiated.