Apparatus and method for supporting handover to CSG cell or hybrid cell

• US 9,526,041 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 12/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Xu, Lixiang, Wang, Hong, Liang, Huarui, Ke, Xiaowan
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAH, TANMAY K
• Application Number:
  US14/385,492
• Publication Number:
  US 20150072686A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,376 Days
• Field of Search: 455/436
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0061 of neighbour cell information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/04 Reselecting a cell layer in multi-layered cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method for supporting a handover to a closed subscriber group (CSG) cell or a hybrid cell in a mobile communication system, and the method includes: sending, by a radio access network (RAN), information indicating that authorized public land mobile network (PLMN) information changes to a user equipment (UE); sending, by the UE, all PLMN identifiers (IDs) broadcasted by a target CSG cell to a source RAN in a measurement report; and selecting, by the source RAN or a source core network(CN), a target PLMN for the UE.

Claims

1. A method for supporting handover, by a first evolved node b (eNB) included in a source cell, in a communication system, comprising:

transmitting, to a user equipment (UE), information indicating that a public land mobile network (PLMN) authorized for the UE is changed;

receiving, from the UE, a measurement report including PLMN identifiers (IDs) broadcasted by a target cell, the PLMN IDs being IDs of PLMNs available in the target cell;

determining a target PLMN for the UE from among the PLMNs, based on the measurement report; and

transmitting, to the UE, information for the determined target PLMN.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting, to the UE, information indicating that the PLMN authorized for the UE is changed comprises transmitting, to the UE, the information indicating that the PLMN authorized for the UE is changed if a PLMN authorized for the UE received from a mobile management entity (MIME) changes.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the UE moves from a second eNB to the first eNB, receiving, from the second eNB, the information indicating that the PLMN authorized for the UE is changed in a connection mode.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the UE moves from a second eNB to the first eNB, receiving, from a mobile management entity (MME), the information indicating that the PLMN authorized for the UE is changed in a connection mode.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the target PLMN for the UE comprises:

filtering out a PLMN ID for the PLMN authorized for the UE from the PLMN IDs included in the measurement report;

transmitting, to a mobile management entity (MME), the filtered out PLMN ID and an accessible ID of the target cell;

receiving, from the MME, a filtered out PLMN ID according the accessible ID of the target cell from the filtered out PLMN ID; and

selecting a target PLMN ID for the target PLMN from the received PLMN ID.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the target PLMN for the UE comprises:

receiving, from a mobile management entity (MME) accessible ID of the target cell;

filtering out PLMN ID for the PLMN authorized for the UE according to the accessible ID of the target cell from the PLMN IDs included in the measurement report; and

selecting, a target PLMN ID for the target PLMN from the filtered out PLMN ID.

8. The method of claim 1, the target cell is a closed subscriber group (CSG) cell or a hybrid cell.

2. A method for supporting a handover, by a user equipment (UE), in a communication system, comprising:

receiving, from a first evolved node b (eNB) included in a source cell, information indicating that a public land mobile network (PLMN) authorized for the UE is changed;

transmitting, to the first eNB, a measure report including PLMN identifiers (IDs) broadcasted by a target cell, the PLMN IDs being IDs of PLMNs available in the target cell ; and

receiving, from the first eNB, information for a target PLMN determined from among the PLMNs based on the measurement report.

13. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving, from the first eNB, the information indicating that the PLMN authorized is changed receiving, from the first eNB, the information indicating that the PLMN authorized is changed if a PLMN authorized for the UE received from a mobile management entity (MME) changes.

14. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving, from the first eNB, the information indicating that the PLMN authorized for the UE is changed comprises:

receiving, from the first eNB, the information indicating that the PLMN authorized for the UE is changed if the UE moves from a second eNB to the first eNB.

15. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving, from the first eNB, the information indicating that the PLMN authorized for the UE is changed comprises:

receiving, from the first eNB, the information indicating that the PLMN authorized for the UE is changed received by a mobile management entity (MME) if the UE moves from a second eNB to the first eNB.

16. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving, from the first eNB, the information for the target PLMN determined from among the PLMNs based on the measurement report comprises:

when a PLMN ID according to the PLMN authorized for the UE is filtered out from the PLMN IDs included in the measurement report and a PLMN ID according to an accessible ID of the target cell is filtered out from the filtered out PLMN ID by the first eNB, receiving, from the first eNB, information including the filtered out PLMN ID according to the accessible ID of the target cell.

17. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving, from the first eNB, the information for the target PLMN determined from among the PLMNs based on the measurement report comprises:

when a PLMN ID according to the PLMN authorized for the UE is filtered out from the PLMN IDs included in the measurement report and a PLMN ID according to an accessible ID of the target cell is filtered out from the filtered out PLMN ID by a mobile management entity (MME), receiving, from the first eNB, information including the filtered out PLMN ID according to the accessible ID of the target cell.

18. The method of claim 2, the target cell is a closed subscriber group (CSG) cell or a hybrid cell.

9. A method for supporting handover, by a mobile management entity (MME), in a communication system, comprising:

receiving from a first evolved node b eNB included in a source cell a measurement report including public land mobile network (PLMN) identifiers (IDs) broadcasted by a target cell, wherein the PLMN IDs being IDs of PLMNs available in the target cell

selecting a target PLMN for a user equipment (UE) from among the PLMNs, based on the measurement report; and

transmitting, to the first eNB, first information for the selected target PLMN

wherein the first eNB transmits, to a user equipment (UE), second information indicating that a public land mobile network (PLMN) authorized for the UE is changed.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

if the UE moves from a second eNB to the first eNB, transmitting, to the first eNB, the second information in a connection mode.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the selecting the target PLMN for the UE comprises:

receiving, from the first eNB, an accessible ID of the target cell and a filtered out PLMN ID from the PLMN IDs included in the measurement report, wherein the filtered out PLMN ID is corresponded to the PLMN authorized for the UE; and

filtering out a PLMN ID according to the accessible ID of the target cell from the filtered out PLMN ID.

12. The method of claim 9, the target cell is a closed subscriber group (CSG) cell or a hybrid cell.

19. An apparatus for supporting handover in a first evolved node b (eNB) included in a source cell, in a communication system, comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit, to a user equipment (UE), information indicating that a public land mobile network (PLMN) authorized for the UE is changed;

a receiver configured to receive, from the UE, a measurement report including PLMN identifiers (IDs) broadcasted by a target cell, the PLMN IDs being IDs of PLMNs available in the target cell; and

a controller configured to determine a target PLMN for the UE from among the PLMNs, based on the measurement report and controlling to transmit, to the UE, information for the determined target PLMN.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit, to the UE, the information indicating that the PLMN authorized for the UE is changed if a authorized PLMN authorized for the UE received from a mobile management entity (MME) changes.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the receiver is configured to receive, from a second eNB, the information indicating that the PLMN authorized for the UE is changed in a connection mode if the UE moves from the second eNB to the first eNB.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the receiver is configured to receive, from a mobile management entity (MME), the information indicating that the PLMN authorized for the UE is changed in a connection mode if the UE moves from a second eNB to the first eNB.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the controller is configured to filter out a PLMN ID for the PLMN authorized for the UE from the PLMN IDs included in the measurement report, control to transmit, to a mobile management entity (MME), the filtered out PLMN ID and an accessible ID of the target cell, control to receive, from the MME, a filtered out PLMN ID according the accessible ID of the target cell from the filtered out PLMN ID, and select a target PLMN ID for the target PLMN from the received PLMN ID.

24. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the control is configured to control to receive, from a mobile management entity (MME), an accessible ID of the target cell, filter out PLMN ID for the PLMN authorized for the UE according to the accessible ID of the target cell from the PLMN IDs included in the measurement report, and select a target PLMN ID for the target PLMN from the filtered out PLMN.

25. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the target cell is a closed subscriber group (CSG) cell or a hybrid cell.

26. An apparatus for supporting handover in a mobile management entity (MME) comprised in a communication system, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive, from a first evolved node b (eNB), a measurement report including public land mobile network (PLMN) identifiers (IDs) broadcasted by a target cell, wherein the PLMN IDs being IDs of PLMNs available in the target cell;

a controller configured to select a target PLMN for a user equipment (UE) from among the PLMNs, based on the measurement report; and

a transmitter configured to transmit, to the first eNB, first information for the selected target PLMN;

wherein the first eNB transmits, to a user equipment (UE), second information indicating that a public land mobile network (PLMN) authorized for the UE is changed.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit, to the first eNB, the second information if the UE moves from a second eNB to the first eNB.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the controller is configured to control to receive, from the first eNB, an accessible ID of the target cell and a filtered out PLMN ID from the PLMN IDs included in the measurement report, wherein the filtered out PLMN ID is corresponded to the PLMN authorized for the UE, and filter out a PLMN ID according to the accessible ID of the target cell from the filtered out PLMN ID.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the target cell is a closed subscriber group (CSG) cell or a hybrid cell.

30. An apparatus for supporting handover, in user equipment (UE) comprised in a communication system, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive, from a first evolved node b (eNB), information indicating that a public land mobile network (PLMN) authorized for the UE is changed;

a transmitter configured to transmit, to the first eNB, a measurement report including PLMN identifiers (IDs) broadcasted by a target cell, the PLMN IDs being IDs of PLMNs available in the target cell; and

a controller configured to control to receive, from the first eNB, information for a target PLMN determined from among the PLMNs based on the measurement report.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the receiver is configured to receive, from the first eNB, the information indicating that the PLMN authorized for the UE is changed if a PLMN authorized for the UE received from a mobile management entity (MME) changes.

32. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the receiver is configured to receive, from the first eNB, the information indicating that the PLMN authorized for the UE is changed if the UE moves from a second eNB to the first eNB.

33. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the receiver is configured to receive, from the first eNB, the information indicating that the PLMN authorized for the UE is changed received by a mobile management entity (MME) if the UE moves from a second eNB to the first eNB.

34. The apparatus of claim 30, when a PLMN ID according to the PLMN authorized for the UE is filtered out from the PLMN IDs included in the measurement report and a PLMN ID according to an accessible ID of the target cell is filtered out from the filtered out PLMN ID by the first eNB, wherein the receiver is configured to receive, from the first eNB, information including the filtered out PLMN ID according to the accessible ID of the target cell.

35. The apparatus of claim 30, when a PLMN ID according to the PLMN authorized for the UE is filtered out from the PLMN IDs included in the measurement report and a PLMN ID according to an accessible ID of the target cell is filtered out from the filtered out PLMN ID by a mobile management entity (MME), wherein the receiver is configured to receive, from the first eNB, information including the filtered out PLMN ID according to the accessible ID of the target cell.

36. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the target cell is a closed subscriber group (CSG) cell or a hybrid cell.