Methods, systems and devices for obtaining system information in a wireless network

• US 9,357,417 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Siomina, Iana, Kazmi, Muhammad, Chapman, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, MONG-THUY THI
• Application Number:
  US13/804,652
• Publication Number:
  US 20140051426A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• Field of Search: 455/422.1, 455/449, 455/436, 455/444, 370/312, 370/328, 370/254
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information

Abstract

System Information (SI) of a second node of a wireless network is obtained for a wireless device that is communicating with a first node of the wireless network. In response to at least one criterion, one or more of the following operations are performed, to obtain the SI of the second node: decoding at least one channel of the second node to obtain the SI of the second node; receiving the SI of the second node from a node other than the second node; and/or inferring at least one component of the SI of the second node based on a corresponding at least one component of the SI of the first node. Related systems, methods, nodes and wireless devices are also described.

Claims

1. A method of obtaining System Information (SI) of a second base station of a wireless network for a wireless device that is communicating with a first base station of the wireless network, the method comprising:

in response to at least one criterion, selectively performing at least two operations comprising;

decoding at least one channel of the second base station to obtain the SI of the second base station;

receiving the SI of the second base station from a base station other than the second base station; and

/or

inferring at least one component of the SI of the second base station based on a corresponding at least one component of the SI of the first base station,

wherein the SI of the second base station comprises one or more components of a SystemInformationBlock (SIB) of the second base station.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the at least one criterion comprises:

a predefined rule for selectively performing the at least two of the operations;

a wireless communications signal measurement-based criterion for selectively performing the at least two of the operations; and

/or

a recommendation from a wireless network element other than the wireless device for selectively performing the at least two of the operations.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein the predetermined rule comprises performing the receiving if the decoding fails and performing the inferring if the receiving is not performed within a given time.

4. A method according to claim 2 wherein the wireless communications signal measurement-based criterion comprises an absolute and/or relative quality measure of a signal from the second base station and wherein the selectively performing comprises:

performing the decoding if the absolute and/or relative quality measure of a signal from the second base station exceeds a threshold; and

performing the receiving or the inferring if the absolute and/or relative quality measure of the signal from the second base station is less than the threshold.

5. A method according to claim 2 wherein the wireless communications signal measurement-based criterion comprises an absolute and/or relative quality measure of a signal from a base station other than the first and second base stations and wherein the selectively performing comprises:

performing the decoding if an absolute and/or relative quality measure of a signal from a base station other than the first and second base stations is less than a threshold; and

performing the receiving or the inferring lithe absolute and/or relative quality measure of the signal from the base station other than the first and second base stations exceeds the threshold.

6. A method according to claim 2 wherein the wireless communications signal measurement-based criterion comprises a difference between an absolute and/or relative quality measure of a signal from the second base station and from a base station other than the first and second base stations and wherein the selectively performing comprises:

performing the decoding if the difference between the absolute and/or relative quality measure of a signal from the second base station and from the base station other than the first and second base stations is less than a threshold; and

performing the receiving or the inferring if the difference between the absolute and/for relative quality measure of the signal from second base station and from the base station other than the first and second base stations exceeds the threshold.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein the at least one criterion comprises a battery level of the wireless device and wherein the selectively performing comprises:

performing the decoding if the battery level of the wireless device exceeds a threshold; and

performing the receiving or the inferring if the battery level of the wireless device is less than the threshold.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein the at least one criterion comprises power consumption of the wireless device and wherein the selectively performing comprises:

performing a selected one of the decoding, receiving and inferring that consumes least power at the wireless device.

9. A method according to claim 1 wherein the at least one criterion comprises a class of wireless devices to which the wireless device belongs and wherein the selectively performing comprises:

performing a selected one of the decoding, receiving and inferring based upon the class of wireless devices to which the wireless device belongs.

10. A method according to claim 1 wherein the at least one criterion comprises an absolute or relative location of the wireless device and wherein the selectively performing comprises:

performing a selected one of the decoding, receiving and inferring based upon the absolute or relative location of the wireless device.

11. A method according to claim 1 wherein the at least one criterion comprises carrier frequency differences between the first and second base stations, bandwidth, number of strong interferers, carrier aggregation configuration of the wireless device and/or capability of the wireless device to obtain the SI.

12. A method according to claim 1 wherein the at least one criterion comprises System Frame Number (SFN) synchronization differences between the first and second base stations and wherein the selectively performing comprises:

performing the decoding if the SFN of the first and second base stations is the same; and

performing the receiving or the inferring if the SFN of the first and second base stations is different.

13. A method according to claim 1 wherein the at least one criterion comprises an accuracy of time synchronization of signals transmitted by the first and second base stations, received time difference of signals at the wireless device front the first and second base stations and/or an accuracy of frequency synchronization of signals transmitted by the first and second base stations.

14. A method according to claim 13 wherein the selectively performing comprises:

performing the decoding if the accuracy of the transmit time synchronization and/or the received time difference at the wireless device is greater than their respective threshold and the accuracy of frequency synchronization is greater than a threshold; and

performing the receiving or the inferring if the accuracy of the transmit time synchronization, the received time difference at the wireless device and/or the accuracy of frequency synchronization are less than their respective thresholds.

15. A method according to claim 1,

wherein the selectively performing comprises performing the inferring, and

wherein the inferring comprises setting at least one component of the SI of the second base station other than a System Frame Number (SFN) to be same as a corresponding at least one component of the SI of the first base station other than the SFN in response to the SFN of the first and second base stations being the same.

16. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

signaling a capability information to the first base station, the capability information indicating that the wireless device is capable of obtaining the SI of the second base station by selectively performing at least one of the decoding, the receiving and the inferring in response to at least one criterion.

17. A method according to claim 1 wherein the SI of the second base station comprises one or more components of a SystemInformationBlockType1(SIB-1) of the second base station.

18. A method according to claim 1 further comprising requesting, by the wireless device, the SI of the second base station from the base station other than the second base station.

19. A wireless device comprising:

a wireless transceiver that is configured to communicate with a first base station of a wireless network; and

a processor that is configured to obtain System Information (SI) of a second base station of the wireless network in response to at least one criterion to selectively perform operations comprising;

decoding at least one channel of the second base station that is received by the wireless transceiver to obtain the SI of the second base station;

receiving the SI of the second base station via the wireless transceiver from a base station other than the second base station; and

/or

inferring at least one component of the SI of the second base station based on a corresponding at least one component of the SI of the first base station,

wherein the processor is configured to further selectively perform at least two of the operations in response to the at least one criterion, and

wherein the SI of the second base station comprises one or more components of a SystemInformationBlock (SIB) of the second base station.

20. A wireless device according to claim 19 wherein the at least one criterion comprises:

a predefined rule for selectively performing the at least two of the operations;

a wireless communications signal measurement-based criterion for selectively performing the at least two of the operations; and

/or

a recommendation from a wireless network element other than the wireless device for selectively performing the at least two of the operations.

21. A wireless device according to claim 20 wherein the predetermined rule comprises performing the receiving if the decoding fails and performing the inferring if the receiving is not performed within a given time.

22. A wireless device according to claim 20 wherein the wireless communications signal measurement-based criterion comprises an absolute and/or relative quality measure of a signal from the second base station and wherein the processor is configured to further selectively perform operations comprising:

performing the decoding if the absolute and/or relative quality measure of a signal from the second base station exceeds a threshold; and

performing the receiving or the inferring if the absolute and/or relative quality measure of the signal from the second base station is less than the threshold.

23. A wireless device according to claim 20 wherein the wireless communications signal measurement-based criterion comprises an absolute and/or relative quality measure of a signal from a base station other than the first and second base stations and wherein the processor is configured to further selectively perform operations comprising:

performing the decoding if an absolute and/or relative quality measure of a signal from a base station other than the first and second base stations is less than a threshold; and

performing the receiving or the inferring if the absolute and/or relative quality measure of the signal from the base station other than the first and second base stations exceeds the threshold.

24. A wireless device according to claim 20 wherein the wireless communications signal measurement-based criterion comprises a difference between an absolute and/or relative quality measure of a signal from the second base station and from a base station other than the first and second base stations and wherein the processor is configured to further selectively perform operations comprising:

performing the decoding if the difference between the absolute and/or relative quality measure of a signal from the second base station and from the base station other than the first and second base stations is loss than a threshold; and

performing the receiving or the inferring if the difference between the absolute and/or relative quality measure of the signal from second base station and from the base station other than the first and second base stations exceeds the threshold.

25. A wireless device according to claim 19 wherein the at least one criterion comprises a battery level of the wireless device and wherein the processor is configured to further selectively perform operations comprising:

performing the decoding if the battery level of the wireless device exceeds a threshold; and

performing the receiving or the inferring if the battery level of the wireless device is less than the threshold.

26. A wireless device according to claim 19 wherein the at least one criterion comprises power consumption of the wireless device and wherein the processor is configured to further selectively perform operations comprising:

performing a selected one of the decoding, receiving and inferring that consumes least power at the wireless device.

27. A wireless device according to claim 19 wherein the at least one criterion comprises a class of wireless devices to which the wireless device belongs and wherein the processor is configured to further selectively perform operations comprising:

performing a selected one of the decoding, receiving and inferring based upon the class of wireless devices to which the wireless device belongs.

28. A wireless device according to claim 19 wherein the at least one criterion comprises an absolute or relative location of the wireless device and wherein the processor is configured to further selectively perform operations comprising:

performing a selected one of the decoding, receiving and inferring based upon the absolute or relative location of the wireless device.

29. A wireless device according to claim 19 wherein the at least one criterion comprises carrier frequency differences between the first and second base stations, bandwidth, number of strong interferers, carrier aggregation configuration of the wireless device and/or capability of the wireless device to obtain the SI.

30. A wireless device according to claim 19 wherein the at least one criterion comprises System Frame Number (SFN) synchronization differences between the first and second base stations and wherein the processor is configured to further selectively perform operations comprising:

performing the decoding if the SFN of the first and second base stations is the same; and

performing the receiving or the inferring if the SFN of the first and second base stations is different.

31. A wireless device according to claim 19 wherein the at least one criterion comprises an accuracy of time synchronization of signals transmitted by the first and second base stations, received time difference of signals at the wireless device from the first and second base stations and/or an accuracy of frequency synchronization of signals transmitted by the first and second base stations.

32. A wireless device according to claim 31 wherein the processor is configured to further selectively perform operations comprising:

performing the decoding if the accuracy of the transmit time synchronization and/or the received time difference at the wireless device is greater than their respective threshold and the accuracy of frequency synchronization is greater than a threshold; and

performing the receiving or the inferring if the accuracy of the transmit time synchronization, the received time difference at the wireless device and/or the accuracy of frequency synchronization are less than their respective thresholds.

33. A wireless device according to claim 19,

wherein the processor is configured to selectively perform operations comprising the interring, and

wherein the inferring comprises setting at least one component of the SI of the second base station other than a System Frame Number (SFN) to be same as a corresponding at least one component of the SI of the first base station other than the SFN in response to the SFN of the first and second base stations being the same.

34. A wireless device according to claim 19 wherein the processor is configured to further perform operations comprising:

signaling a capability information to the first base station, the capability information indicating that the wireless device is capable of obtaining the SI of the second base station by selectively performing at least one of the decoding, the receiving and the inferring in response to at least one criterion.

35. A first base station of a wireless network comprising:

a wireless transceiver; and

a processor that is configured to direct a wireless device that is communicating with the first base station via the wireless transceiver to obtain System Information (SI) of a second base station of the wireless network by directing the wireless device in response to at least one criterion to selectively perform operations comprising;

decoding at least one channel of the second base station that is received by the wireless device to obtain the SI of the second base station;

receiving the SI of the second base station from a base station other than the second base station; and

/or

inferring at least one component of the SI of the second base station based on a corresponding at least one component of the SI of the first base station,

wherein the processor is configured to direct the wireless device to selectively perform at least two of the operations in response to the at least one criterion, and

wherein the SI of the second base station comprises one or more components of a SystemInformationBlock (SIB) of the second base station.

36. A first base station according to claim 35, further comprising:

transmitting and/or receiving wireless device capability information, the capability information indicating that the wireless device is capable of obtaining the SI of the second base station by selectively performing at least one of the decoding, the receiving and the inferring in response to at least one criterion.

37. A first base station according to claim 36, further comprising:

transmitting the SI of the second base station to the wireless device via the wireless transceiver in response to at least one criterion and in response to the received capability information.

38. A first base station of a wireless network comprising:

a wireless transceiver; and

a processor that is configured perform operations comprising;

identifying a condition that may impact a wireless device that is communicating with the first base station via the wireless transceiver from obtaining System Information (SI) of a second base station of the same wireless network as the first base station; and

transmitting the SI of the second base station to the wireless device via the wireless transceiver in response to the identifying,

wherein the SI of the second base station comprises one or more components of a SystemInformationBlock (SIB) of the second base station.

39. A first base station according to claim 38 wherein the transmitting is preceded by obtaining the SI of the second base station.

40. A first base station according to claim 38 wherein the operations further comprise identifying a System Frame Number (SFN) of the second base station;

and wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting the SI of the second base station to the wireless device via the wireless transceiver in response to the identifying and in further response to the SFN of the second base station that was identified.

41. A first base station according to claim 40 wherein the transmitting the SI of the second base station to the wireless device via the wireless transceiver is selectively performed in response to the SFN of the second base station that was identified being different than that of the first base station.

42. A first base station according to claim 38 wherein the operations further comprise:

determining an accuracy of time synchronization of signals transmitted by the first and second base stations, a received time difference of signals at the wireless device from the first and second base stations and/or an accuracy of frequency synchronization of signals transmitted by the first and second base stations; and

transmitting the SI of the second base station to the wireless device via the wireless transceiver in response to the determining.

43. A first base station according to claim 42 wherein the transmitting the SI of the second base station to the wireless device via the wireless transceiver is selectively performed in response to the accuracy of time synchronization, the received time difference and/or the accuracy of frequency synchronization being less than their respective thresholds.