Session setup in an energy-efficient cellular wireless telecommunications system

• US 9,307,485 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2012
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke KPN NV, Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast-Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Tno
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke KPN NV, Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast-Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Tno
• Inventors: Jorguseski, Ljupco, Pais, Adrian Victor, Zhang, Haibin, Oostveen, Job Cornelis, Van Der Wal, Jacob Cornelis
• Primary Examiner(s): LETT, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US14/344,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20140364116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,301 Days
• Field of Search: 455/434
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0206 in access points, e.g. base stations access point devices per se H04W88/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The invention relates to a telecommunications system comprising at least a plurality of SA-cells. The invention provides a method for a terminal to facilitate establishment of a data connection between the terminal and at least one of the SA-cells. The method includes steps of, while the terminal is in an idle mode, the terminal transmitting an information request message (IRM) for the plurality of SA-cells and receiving, from each SA-cell of one or more SA-cells of the plurality of SA-cells, a message comprising at least information indicative of a strength with which the each SA-cell received the IRM. The method further includes the step of, at least partially based on the messages received from the one or more SA-cells, the terminal selecting an SA-cell of the plurality of SA-cells for establishing the data connection between the terminal and the selected SA-cell.

Claims

1. In a telecommunications system comprising at least one LA-cell base station and a plurality of SA-cell base stations, a method for a terminal to facilitate establishment of a data connection between the terminal and at least one of the plurality of SA-cell base stations, the method comprising:

while the terminal is in an idle mode and is camping on the LA-cell base station, the terminal transmitting an information request message (IRM) signal to the plurality of SA-cell base stations, the IRM signal indicating to the SA-cell base stations a request to perform measurements on the IRM signal;

receiving, from each SA-cell base station of one or more SA-cell base stations of the plurality of SA-cell base stations, a message comprising at least information indicative of a strength with which each SA-cell base station received the IRM signal;

based, at least partially, on the messages received from the one or more SA-cell base stations, selecting an SA-cell base station of the plurality of SA-cell base stations for establishing the data connection between the terminal and the selected SA-cell base station.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein transmitting the IRM signal in a manner that enables each of the plurality of SA-cell base stations that received the IRM signal to identify the IRM signal and/or the terminal comprises including in the IRM signal information providing an identification of the IRM signal and/or the terminal.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein transmitting the IRM signal in a manner that enables each of the plurality of SA-cell base stations that received the IRM signal to identify the IRM signal and/or the terminal comprises the terminal transmitting the IRM signal within a predetermined window of time.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the IRM signal is transmitted upon receiving a paging signal from the LA-cell base station.

5. A terminal comprising means for performing the steps of claim 1.

6. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a computer program comprising software code portion configured, when executed by a processor, for performing the steps of claim 1.

7. An LA-cell base station configured at least for:

providing a transmit-trigger to a terminal instructing the terminal to transmit an information request message (IRM) signal, the IRM signal indicating a request to perform measurements on the IRM signal, the terminal being in an idle mode and camping on the LA-cell base station and

providing a receive-trigger to at least one of a plurality of SA-cell base stations to enter an IRM listening mode, wherein in the IRM listening mode the at least one of the plurality of SA-cell base stations is capable of receiving the IRM signal.

8. An LA-cell base station according to claim 7 wherein the receive-trigger is provided in response to receiving a service request message from the terminal.

9. An SA-cell base station configured at least for:

receiving an information request message (IRM) transmitted by an idle mode terminal camping on an LA-cell base station, the IRM signal indicating to the SA-cell base station a request to perform measurements on the IRM signal,

determining the strength with which the SA-cell base station received the IRM signal, and

providing to the terminal a message comprising at least information indicative of the determined strength.

10. The SA-cell base station according to claim 9, further configured for determining an identification of the IRM signal and/or the terminal based, at least partially, on information included in the IRM signal, the information providing the identification of the IRM signal and/or the terminal, and/or on a time at which the IRM signal was received.

11. The SA-cell base station according to claim 9, further configured for determining the path loss between the terminal and the SA-cell base station and, optionally, providing information indicative of the determined path loss in the message provided to the terminal.

12. The SA-cell base station according to claim 9, further configured to provide the message to the terminal after expiration of a predetermined delay period following receipt of the IRM signal.

13. The SA-cell base station according to claim 12, further comprising setting the predetermined delay period at least partially based on the determined strength.

14. The SA-cell base station according to claim 9, wherein the SA-cell base station is configured for entering an IRM listening mode at predetermined times, wherein in the IRM listening mode the SA-cell base station is capable of receiving the IRM signal.

15. The SA-cell base station according to claim 14, wherein the SA-cell base station is configured for entering the IRM listening mode in response to receiving a receive-trigger from the LA-cell base station, the receive-trigger instructing the SA-cell base station to enter the IRM listening mode.