Method and system for soft handoff in mobile broadband systems

• US 9,307,472 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2013
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Senarath, Nimal, Gage, Bill, Periyalwar, Shalini, Tong, Wen
• Primary Examiner(s): Beyen, Zewdu A
• Application Number:
  US13/893,157
• Publication Number:
  US 20130329695A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,058 Days
• Field of Search: 370/331, 370/329, 370/330, 370/338
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0072 of resource information of target access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/18 for allowing seamless reselection, e.g. soft reselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/20 for optimising the interference level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/24 Reselection being triggered by specific parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/02 Data link layer protocols

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and system for facilitating efficient handoff and data throughput in mobile broadband communication systems. Methods implemented by a system constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention include selectively enabled soft handoff, performing Layer 2 bearer functions at the base station and using the mobile device to coordinate soft handoff and interference avoidance without the need for a centralized coordination function.

Claims

1. A method of receiving data from one or more station transceiver systems, comprising:

at a mobile device;

communicating with a first station transceiver system;

receiving pilots transmitted by a first set of two or more station transceiver systems, wherein the first set includes the first station transceiver system;

determining at least one indication of radio link conditions, wherein the at least one indication is based on the received pilots from the two or more station transceiver systems of the first set;

transmitting the at least one indication of radio link conditions to at least one station transceiver system of the first set;

receiving a plurality of data transmissions from a plurality of second sets of station transceiver systems, wherein each data transmission of the plurality of data transmissions is received from a respective second set of station transceiver systems of the plurality of second sets of station transceiver systems, wherein each of the second sets of station transceiver systems comprises one or more station transceiver systems and is a subset of the first set station transceiver systems, wherein the mobile device is configured to receive data transmissions of the plurality of data transmissions from respective different ones of the second sets of station transceiver systems contemporaneously; and

receiving, for each of the plurality of data transmissions, a control signal related to the respective data transmission, wherein each control signal comprises a control value indicative of the respective second set of station transceiver systems used for the respective data transmission.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the at least one indication of radio link conditions comprises determining an indication associated with a modulation and coding scheme.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the at least one indication of radio link conditions comprises determining an indication associated with an antenna processing option.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the plurality of data transmissions comprises receiving a first data transmission from a first station transceiver system of the first set.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein receiving the plurality of data transmissions comprises receiving a second data transmission from a second station transceiver system of the first set, different from the first station transceiver system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the plurality of data transmissions comprises receiving a first data transmission from a plurality of station transceiver systems of the first set.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is configured to receive consecutive data transmissions from different ones of the plurality of second sets of station transceiver systems.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each data transmission is a single packet transmission.

9. A mobile device receiving data from one or more station transceiver systems, the mobile device comprising:

wireless communication circuitry; and

processing hardware coupled to the wireless communication circuitry, wherein the processing hardware and the wireless communication circuitry are configured to;

communicate with a first station transceiver system;

receive pilots transmitted by a first set of two or more station transceiver systems, wherein the first set includes the first station transceiver system;

determine at least one indication of radio link conditions, wherein the at least one indication is based on the received pilots from the two or more station transceiver systems of the first set;

transmit the at least one indication of radio link conditions to at least one station transceiver system of the first set;

receive plurality of data transmissions from a plurality of second sets of station transceiver systems, wherein each data transmission of the plurality of data transmissions is received from a respective second set of station transceiver systems of the plurality of second sets of station transceiver systems, wherein each of the second sets of station transceiver systems comprises one or more station transceiver systems and is a subset of the first set station transceiver systems, wherein the mobile device is configured to receive data transmissions of the plurality of data transmissions from respective different ones of the second sets of station transceiver systems contemporaneously; and

receive, for each of the plurality of data transmissions, a control signal related to the respective data transmission, wherein each control signal comprises a control value indicative of the respective second set of station transceiver systems used for the respective data transmission.

10. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the processing hardware is further configured to determine the at least one indication of radio link conditions comprises determining an indication associated with a modulation and coding scheme.

11. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the processing hardware is further configured to determine the at least one indication of radio link conditions comprises determining an indication associated with an antenna processing option.

12. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein receiving the plurality of data transmissions comprises receiving a first data transmission from a first station transceiver system of the first set.

13. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein receiving the plurality of data transmissions comprises receiving a second data transmission from a second station transceiver system of the first set, different from the first station transceiver system.

14. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein receiving the plurality of data transmissions comprises receiving a first data transmission from a plurality of station transceiver systems of the first set.

15. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the mobile device is configured to receive consecutive data transmissions from different ones of the plurality of second sets of station transceiver systems.

16. A method of transmitting data from one or more station transceiver systems, comprising:

communicating, by a first station transceiver system, with a mobile device;

transmitting pilots, by a first set of two or more station transceiver systems, wherein the first set includes the first station transceiver system,

receiving, by at least the first station transceiver system, at least one indication of radio link conditions from a mobile device, wherein the at least one indication is based on the received pilots from the two or more station transceiver systems of the first set;

transmitting a plurality of data transmissions to the mobile device from a plurality of second sets of station transceiver systems, wherein each data transmission of the plurality of data transmissions is transmitted from a respective second set of station transceiver systems of the plurality of second sets of station transceiver systems, wherein the second sets of station transceiver systems comprises one or more station transceiver systems and is a subset of the first set station transceiver systems, wherein the mobile device is configured to receive data transmissions of the plurality of data transmissions from respective different ones of the second sets of station transceiver systems contemporaneously; and

transmitting, for each of the plurality of data transmissions, a control signal related to the respective data transmission to the mobile device, wherein each control signal comprises a respective control value indicative of the respective second set of station transceiver systems used for the respective data transmission.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein receiving the at least one indication of radio link conditions comprises an indication associated with at least one of:

a modulation and coding scheme;

or

an antenna processing option.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein transmitting the plurality of data transmissions comprises transmitting a first data transmission from a first station transceiver system of the first set.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein transmitting the plurality of data transmissions comprises transmitting a second data transmission from a second station transceiver system of the first set, different from the first station transceiver system.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein transmitting the plurality of data transmissions comprises receiving a first data transmission from a plurality of station transceiver systems of the first set.