Technique for performing physical layer measurements

• US 9,210,603 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2015
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• 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:
  US14/605,862
• Publication Number:
  US 20150139019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 316 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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, said mobile terminal 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 resource(s) within a time period, 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 resource(s);

if it is determined that there is no data to be communicated over the second frequency resource(s) 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;

or

if it is determined that there is data to be communicated over the second frequency resource(s) within the time period, skipping performing the physical layer measurement on the first frequency resource, and forming a quality measure of the first frequency resource based on the a previous physical layer measurement.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the performing the physical layer measurement comprises performing multiple signal measurements.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein performing 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.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 3, wherein the performed or skipped 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 any of claims 1 to 4, said mobile terminal 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.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 5, 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.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 6, wherein said mobile terminal is further configured to decode a data portion received during switching on reception on the first frequency resource.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 6, 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 second frequency resource(s).

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

10. 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 resource(s) within a time period, 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;

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, skipping performing the physical layer measurement on the first frequency resource and forming a quality measure of the first frequency resource based on the previous physical layer measurement.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein performing the physical layer measurement comprises performing multiple signal measurements.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein performing 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.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the performed or skipped 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.

14. The method of any of claims 10 to 13, 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.

15. The method of claim 14, said method 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.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising decoding a data portion received during switching on reception on the first frequency resource.

17. The method of claim 15, 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 second frequency resource(s).

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising switching off reception on the first frequency resource subsequent to forming the quality measure.

19. A mobile terminal operable to communicate over one or more distinct frequency resources, said mobile terminal 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 resource(s) within a time period, within a time period, wherein the time period is between a switching on time for switching on reception on the first frequency resource and signal measurement start time, and wherein the first frequency resource is distinct from the second frequency resource(s);

if it is determined that there is no data to be communicated over the second frequency resource(s) 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;

or

if it is determined that there is data to be communicated over the second frequency resource(s) within the time period, delaying performing the physical layer measurement on the first frequency resource until the data has been communicated over the second frequency resource(s), and forming a quality measure of the first frequency resource based on the delayed physical layer measurement.

20. The mobile terminal of claim 19, wherein the physical layer measurement comprises performing multiple signal measurements.

21. The mobile terminal of claim 20, 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.

22. The mobile terminal of claim 21, 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.

23. 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 resource(s) within a time period, wherein the time period is between a switching on time for switching on reception on the first frequency resource and signal measurement start time, and wherein the first frequency resource is distinct from the second frequency resource(s);

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, delaying performing the physical layer measurement on the first frequency resource until the data has been communicated over the second frequency resource(s), and forming a quality measure of the first frequency resource based on the delayed physical layer measurement.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein performing the physical layer measurement comprises performing multiple signal measurements.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein performing 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.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the performed 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.