Communications system

• US 9,723,503 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2009
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Serravalle, Francesca
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Application Number:
  US12/735,616
• Publication Number:
  US 20100317349A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,105 Days
• Field of Search: 455403, 4554041, 4554042, 4554221, 4554561-4566, 455440
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0066 of control information between different types of networks in order to establish a new radio link in the target network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0083 Determination of parameters used for hand-off, e.g. generation or modification of neighbour cell lists
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0094 Definition of hand-off measurement parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/165 for reducing network power consumption H04W36/18 - H04W36/22 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/04 using triggered events
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A user communications device having active and idle states operates in a cellular communications network in which user communications devices communicate via network communications devices of cells of the network. History data identifying the cells in which the user communications device has been present whilst in the idle state is maintained. This history data is used by the user communications device or by a network communications device to enable adjustment of cell selection/reselection parameters for the user communications device in the active state.

Claims

1. A method performed by a user communications device having active and idle states in a cellular communications network in which user communications devices communicate via network communications devices of cells of the network, the method comprising:

in the user communications device;

maintaining history data identifying a location of the user communications device while the user communications device is in the idle state, wherein the history data comprises data relating to at least one of cell selection and cell reselection; and

providing data relating to the history data to a network communications device when the user communications device is in the active state,

wherein in the active state, the user communications device includes a radio resource control (RRC) connection.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the history data includes an identification of cells in which the user communications device has been located while in the idle state.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the history data includes an identification of the last n cells in which the user communications device has been located while in the idle state.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein the history data includes cell identification data and data identifying a time for which the user communications device was located in that cell while in the idle state.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the history data includes tracking area identity data.

6. A method according to claim 2, wherein the data relating to at least one of cell selection and cell reselection includes data relating to at least one of intra LTE intra frequency cell selection and intra LTE frequency cell reselection.

7. A method according to claim 2, wherein the data relating to at least one of cell selection and cell reselection includes data relating to at least one of intra LTE inter frequency cell selection and intra LTE inter frequency cell reselection.

8. A method according to claim 2, wherein the data relating to at least one of cell selection and cell reselection includes data relating to at least one of inter RAT cell selection and inter RAT cell reselection.

9. A method according to claim 2, wherein the history data comprises frequency information.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein the history data comprises the RAT and frequency information.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein providing data is initiated by the user communications device.

12. A method according to claim 11, further comprising initiating, by the user communications device, providing of data relating to the history data upon entry into the active state.

13. A method according to claim 12, further comprising initiating, by the user communications device, providing of data relating to the history data in an RRC initial direct transfer or any other RRC message involved in idle to Active transition.

14. A method according to claim 11, further comprising initiating, by the user communications device, providing of data relating to the history data in response to detection of an indication of ping pong between at least one of cells and tracking areas.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the data provided by the user communications device includes at least one of data identifying cells and tracking areas for which ping pong has occurred.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the data provided by the user communications device also comprises time information.

17. A method according to claim 11, further comprising carrying out, by the user communications device, checks before the providing the data.

18. A method according to claim 11, further comprising:

determining, by the user communications device, whether the user communications device is in a high mobility state before providing the data; and

providing, by the user communications device, the data if it is determined that the user communications device is not in a high mobility state.

19. A method according to claim 11, further comprising checking, by the user communications device, whether a tracking area of a cell in which the user communications device is present is different from a tracking area of a last cell in which the user communications device was present, before providing the data.

20. A method according to claim 19, further comprising providing, by the user communications device, the data only if the tracking area of the cell in which the user communications device is present is different from the tracking area of the last cell in which the user communications device was present.

21. A method according to claim 1, wherein the communications device provides data relating to the history data in response to a request from a network communication device.

22. A method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the user communications device, a new set of at least one of cell selection parameters and cell reselection parameters from a network device in response to providing data relating to the history data that is indicative of ping pong between cells.

44. A method according to claim 1, wherein the history data comprises time information indicating a time to which said history data relates.

23. A method performed by a network communications device in a cellular communications network in which user communications devices having active and idle states communicate via network communications devices of cells of the network, the method comprising:

in the network communications device;

receiving, from a user communications device in the active state, data relating to history data, the history data identifying a location of the user communications device while the user communications device is in the idle state and comprising data related to at least one of cell selection and cell reselection; and

providing parameter data for at least one of cell selection and cell reselection when in the active state,

wherein in the active state, the user communications device includes a radio resource control (RRC) connection.

24. A method according to claim 23, wherein the network communications device provides the parameter data related for at least one of cell selection and cell reselection so that any of the user communications device in the same cell as the user communications device receives the same cell selection/reselection parameter data.

25. A method according to claim 23, further comprising analyzing, by the network communications device, data from other user communications device in a cell for which the the parameter data for at least one of cell selection and cell reselection are provided.

26. A method according to claim 23, further comprising providing, by the network communications device, modified parameter data for at least one of cell selection and cell reselection in response to the data relating to the history data indicative of ping pong between cells or tracking areas.

27. A method according to claim 23, wherein the history data includes an identification of cells in which the user communications device has been located while in the idle state.

28. A method according to claim 23, further comprising requesting, by the network communication device, a user communications device to provide data relating to the history data.

45. A method according to claim 23, wherein the history data comprises time information indicating a time to which said history data relates.

29. A user communications device having active and idle states for use in a cellular communications network in which user communications devices communicate via network communications devices of cells of the network, the user communications device comprising:

a memory device storing a set of instructions; and

one or more processors configured to execute the set of instructions to;

maintain history data identifying a location of the user communications device while the user communications device is in the idle state, wherein the history data comprises data relating to at least one of cell selection and cell reselection; and

provide data relating to the history data to a network communications device when the user communications device is in the active state,

wherein in the active state, the user communications device includes a radio resource control (RRC) connection.

30. A device according to claim 29, wherein the history data includes an identification of cells in which the user communications device has been located.

31. A device according to claim 29, wherein the data relating to at least one of cell selection and cell reselection includes data relating to at least one of intra LTE intra frequency cell selection and LTE intra frequency cell reselection.

32. A device according to claim 29, wherein the data relating to at least one of cell selection and cell reselection includes data related to at least one of intra LTE inter frequency cell selection and intra LTE inter frequency cell reselection.

33. A device according to claim 29, wherein the data relating to at least one of cell selection and cell reselection includes data relating to at least one of inter RAT cell selection an inter RAT cell reselection.

34. A device according to claim 29, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the set of instructions to initiate providing of the data.

35. A device according to claim 34, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the set of instructions to provide the data upon entry into the active state.

36. A device according to claim 34, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the set of instructions to initiate providing of the data in response to detection of an indication of ping pong between at least one of cells and tracking areas.

37. A device according to claim 29, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the set of instructions to initiate providing of the data in response to a request from a network communications device.

38. A device according to claim 34, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the set of instructions to carry out checks before providing the data.

46. A device according to claim 29, wherein the history data comprises time information indicating a time to which said history data relates.

39. A network communications device for use in a cellular communications network in which user communications devices having active and idle states communicate via network communications devices of cells of the network, the network communications device comprising:

a memory device storing a set of instructions; and

one or more processors configured to execute the set of instructions to;

receive from a user communications device in the active state data relating to history data, the history data relating to a location of the user communications device while the user communications device is in the idle state; and

provide data related to parameters for at least one of cell selection and cell reselection when in the active state,

wherein in the active state, the user communications device includes a radio resource control (RRC) connection.

47. A device according to claim 39, wherein the history data comprises time information indicating a time to which said history data relates.

40. A network communications device for use in a cellular communications network in which user communications devices having active and idle states communicate via network communications devices of cells of the network, the network communications device comprising:

a memory device that stores a set of instructions; and

at least one controller configured to execute the set of instructions to;

receive from a user communications device in the active state data relating to history data, the history data relating to a location of the user communications device while the user communications device is in the idle state;

provide data related to parameters for at least one of cell selection and cell reselection when in the active state, the parameters being related to information about at least one of cell selection and cell reselection included in the history data,

wherein in the active state, the user communications device includes a radio resource control (RRC) connection.

41. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program that, when executed by a user communications device having active and idle states for use in a cellular communications network in which the user communications devices communicate with other user communications devices via network communications devices of cells of the network, causes the user communications device to perform a method, the method comprising:

maintaining history data identifying a cell location of the user communications device while the user communications device is in the idle state, wherein the history data comprises data relating to at least one of cell selection and cell reselection; and

providing data relating to the history data to a network communications device when the user communications device is in the active state,

wherein in the active state, the user communications device includes a radio resource control (RRC) connection.

42. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program that, when executed by a network communications device for use in a cellular communications network in which user communications devices having active and idle states communicate via the network communications device, causes the network communications device to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving from a user communications device in the active state data relating to history data, the history data relating to a cell location of the user communications device while the user communications device is in the idle state, wherein the history data comprises data relating to at least one of cell selection and cell reselection; and

providing the user communications device with data related to parameters for at least one of cell selection and cell reselection when in the active state,

wherein in the active state, the user communications device includes a radio resource control (RRC) connection.

43. A non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 42, wherein the program, when executed by the network communications device, causes the network communications device to provide the user communications device with parameter data, the parameters being related to information about at least one of cell selection and cell reselection included in the history data.