Technique for performing physical layer measurements

• US 8,942,171 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2010
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Optis Wireless Technology, LLC (Brevet Capital)
• Original Assignee: Optis Wireless Technology, LLC (Brevet Capital)
• Inventors: Lindoff, Bengt, Baldemair, Robert, Sundstrm, Lars
• Primary Examiner(s): JAIN, RAJ K
• Application Number:
  US13/512,358
• Publication Number:
  US 20120307660A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,524 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310.2, 370/318, 370/319, 370/320, 370/321, 370/328, 455/450, 455/63.1, 455/67.13
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/03343 Arrangements at the transmitter end
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0088 Scheduling hand-off measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 using the level of interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a technique for performing physical layer measurements on a frequency resource relative to other frequency resources in a telecommunications system operable to communicate over multiple frequency resources. A method aspect of this technique includes determining that a mobile terminal is to perform a physical layer measurement with regard to a first frequency resource, determining if there is data to be communicated over one or more second frequency resource(s) within a time period wherein the first frequency resource is distinct from the second frequency resources: if it is determined that there is no data to be communicated over the second frequency resource(s) within the time period, performing the physical layer measurement on the first frequency resource and forming a quality measure of the first frequency resource based on the physical layer measurement; or if it is determined that there is data to be communicated over the second frequency resource(s) within the time period, modifying the physical layer measurement and forming a quality measure of the first frequency resource based on the modified physical layer measurement.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal operable to communicate over one or more distinct frequency resources, wherein said mobile terminal is configured to:

determine that the mobile terminal is to perform a physical layer measurement with regard to a first frequency resource;

determine if there is data to be communicated over one or more second frequency resources within a time period defined by a time window preceding a measurement start time, wherein the time period is based on a switching on time for switching on reception on the first frequency resource and wherein the first frequency resource is distinct from the one or more second frequency resources;

if it is determined that there is no data to be communicated over the one or more second frequency resources within the time period, perform the physical layer measurement on the first frequency resource and form a quality measure of the first frequency resource based on the physical layer measurement; and

if it is determined that there is data to be communicated over the one or more second frequency resources within the time period, modify the physical layer measurement and form a quality measure of the first frequency resource based on the modified physical layer measurement.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the physical layer measurement to be performed with regard to the first frequency resource comprises multiple signal measurements.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein the physical layer measurement to be performed with regard to the first frequency resource comprises multiple signal measurements performed on the first frequency resource serially over time, wherein each signal measurement measures the first frequency resource at a point in time.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 3, wherein the signal measurement includes at least one of a signal strength, a noise, a signal to noise, an interference, a signal-to-interference, an RSSI, an RSRQ, and a RSRP measurement.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein said mobile terminal is configured to modify the physical layer measurement by skipping a signal measurement and forming the quality measure of the first frequency resource without the skipped signal measurement.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein said mobile terminal is configured to modify the physical layer measurement by utilizing a previously performed signal measurement of the first frequency resource to form the quality measure of the first frequency resource.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein said mobile terminal is configured to:

upon determining that a signal measurement on the first frequency resource is overdue, perform a delayed signal measurement on the first frequency resource, and utilize the delayed signal measurement to form the quality measure of the first frequency resource.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein said mobile terminal is further configured to determine that a signal measurement on the first frequency resource is overdue by:

starting a signal measurement timer upon determining that the physical layer measurement is to be performed; and

subsequent to starting the signal measurement timer, determining that said signal measurement timer has expired.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein said mobile terminal is further configured to decode a data portion received during switching on reception on the first frequency resource.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein said mobile terminal is further configured to transmit a NAK in response to receiving a data portion during switching on reception on the first frequency resource and subsequently rely on retransmissions to decode a data portion received over the one or more second frequency resources.

11. The mobile terminal claim 1, wherein said mobile terminal is further configured to switch off reception on the first frequency resource subsequent to forming the quality measure.

12. A mobile terminal operable to communicate over one or more distinct frequency resources, wherein said mobile terminal is configured to:

decide to switch off reception on a first frequency resource;

determine if there is data to be communicated over one or more second frequency resources within a time period, wherein the time period is based on a switching off time for switching off reception on the first frequency resource and wherein the first frequency resource is distinct from the one or more second frequency resources;

if it is determined that there is no data to be communicated over the one or more second frequency resources within the time period, switch off reception on the first frequency resource; and

if it is determined that there is data to be communicated over the one or more second frequency resources within the time period, delay switching off reception on the first frequency resource until after no further data is assigned to the mobile terminal.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein said mobile terminal is further configured to decide to switch off reception on the first frequency resource subsequent to a physical layer measurement on the first frequency resource.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein the physical layer measurement is a modified physical layer measurement.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein said mobile terminal is further configured to delay switching off reception on the first frequency resource until the mobile terminal has no data scheduled to be communicated during a duration spanning the time period.

16. A method performed in a mobile terminal, said method comprising:

determining that the mobile terminal is to perform a physical layer measurement with regard to a first frequency resource;

determining if there is data to be communicated over one or more second frequency resources within a time period defined by a time window preceding a measurement start time, wherein the time period is based on a switching on time for switching on reception on the first frequency resource and wherein the first frequency resource is distinct from the second frequency resources; and

if it is determined that there is no data to be communicated over the one or more second frequency resources within the time period, performing the physical layer measurement on the first frequency resource and forming a quality measure of the first frequency resource based on the physical layer measurement;

or

if it is determined that there is data to be communicated over the one or more second frequency resources within the time period, modifying the physical layer measurement and forming a quality measure of the first frequency resource based on the modified physical layer measurement.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the physical layer measurement comprises performing multiple signal measurements.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the physical layer measurement comprises performing the multiple signal measurements on the first frequency resource serially over time, wherein a signal measurement measures the first frequency resource at a point in time.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the signal measurement includes at least one of a signal strength, a noise, a signal to noise, an interference, a signal-to-interference, an RSSI, an RSRQ, and a RSRP measurement.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising modifying the physical layer measurement by skipping a signal measurement and forming the quality measure of the first frequency resource without the skipped signal measurement.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising modifying the physical layer measurement by utilizing a previously performed signal measurement of the first frequency resource to form the quality measure of the first frequency resource.

22. The method of claim 16, said method further comprising:

upon determining that a signal measurement on the first frequency resource is overdue, performing a delayed signal measurement on the first frequency resource, and utilizing the delayed signal measurement to form the quality measure of the first frequency resource.

23. The method of claim 22, said method comprising determining that a signal measurement on the first frequency resource is overdue by:

starting a signal measurement timer upon determining that the physical layer measurement is to be performed; and

subsequent to starting the signal measurement timer, determining that said signal measurement timer has expired.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising decoding a data portion received during switching on reception on the first frequency resource.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising transmitting a NAK in response to receiving a data portion during switching on reception on the first frequency resource and subsequently relying on retransmissions to decode a data portion received over the one or more second frequency resources.

26. The method of claim 16, further comprising switching off reception on the first frequency resource subsequent to forming the quality measure.

27. A method performed in a mobile terminal, said method comprising:

deciding to switch off reception on a first frequency resource;

determining if there is data to be communicated over the one or more second frequency resources within a time period, wherein the time period is based on a switching off time for switching off reception on the first frequency resource;

if it is determined that there is no data to be communicated over the one or more second frequency resources within the time period, switching off reception on the first frequency resource;

or

if it is determined that there is data to be communicated over the one or more second frequency resources within the time period, delaying switching off reception on the first frequency resource until after no further data is assigned to the mobile terminal.

28. The method of claim 27, said method further comprising:

deciding to switch off reception on the first frequency resource subsequent to a physical layer measurement on the first frequency resource.

29. The method of claim 27, said method further comprising:

delaying switching off reception on the first frequency resource until the mobile terminal has no data scheduled to be communicated during a duration spanning the time period.