Management of inter-frequency measurements

• US 9,756,534 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2015
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Meshkati, Farhad, Sadek, Ahmed Kamel, Prakash, Rajat
• Primary Examiner(s): Kasraian, Allahyar
• Application Number:
  US14/859,686
• Publication Number:
  US 20170086108A1
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 4554321-434, 455436-444, 455450-455, 455507-525, 370328-334, 370338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0085 Hand-off measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0088 Scheduling hand-off measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0094 Definition of hand-off measurement parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer

Abstract

Techniques for prioritizing inter-frequency measurements are disclosed. The method may include identifying a first frequency for measurement that is associated with mobility of an access terminal for transitioning from a serving primary cell to a target primary cell, identifying a second frequency for measurement that is associated with supplemental capacity of the access terminal for adding a secondary cell to operate in conjunction with the serving primary cell, prioritizing the mobility of the access terminal or the supplemental capacity of the access terminal, selecting for measurement in a measurement period either the first frequency or the second frequency based on the prioritizing, and triggering a measurement for the selected frequency.

Claims

1. A method for managing inter-frequency measurements, comprising:

identifying a first frequency for measurement that is associated with mobility of an access terminal for transitioning from a serving primary cell to a target primary cell;

identifying a second frequency for measurement that is associated with supplemental capacity of the access terminal for adding a secondary cell to operate in conjunction with the serving primary cell;

prioritizing the mobility of the access terminal or the supplemental capacity of the access terminal;

selecting for measurement in a measurement period either the first frequency or the second frequency based on the prioritizing; and

triggering a measurement for the selected frequency.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the prioritizing comprises:

anticipating a handover of the access terminal from the serving primary cell to the target primary cell; and

prioritizing the mobility of the access terminal in response to the anticipating.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the anticipating of the handover comprises receiving at an access point an A2 event notification from the access terminal.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the anticipating of the handover comprises receiving at an access point an automatic neighbor relation event notification from the access terminal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the prioritizing comprises:

monitoring utilization of the serving primary cell and any existing secondary cells;

comparing the monitored utilization to a supplemental capacity threshold; and

prioritizing the supplemental capacity of the access terminal based on the comparing.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the monitoring of the utilization comprises determining, by an access point, an amount of data scheduled for transmission; and

the comparing comprises comparing the amount of data scheduled for transmission to the supplemental capacity threshold.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

identifying the first frequency for measurement comprises determining that the first frequency is associated with licensed spectrum; and

identifying the second frequency for measurement comprises determining that the second frequency is associated with unlicensed spectrum.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

identifying the first frequency for measurement comprises determining that the first frequency is associated with a downlink-uplink pair; and

identifying the second frequency for measurement comprises determining that the second frequency is not associated with the downlink-uplink pair.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the triggering comprises sending, from an access point, a request that the access terminal perform the measurement for the selected frequency.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the triggering comprises performing, at the access terminal, the measurement for the selected frequency.

11. An apparatus for managing inter-frequency measurements, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor, the at least one processor and the at least one memory being configured to;

identify a first frequency for measurement that is associated with mobility of an access terminal for transitioning from a serving primary cell to a target primary cell;

identify a second frequency for measurement that is associated with supplemental capacity of the access terminal for adding a secondary cell to operate in conjunction with the serving primary cell;

prioritize the mobility of the access terminal or the supplemental capacity of the access terminal;

select for measurement in a measurement period either the first frequency or the second frequency based on the prioritizing; and

trigger a measurement for the selected frequency.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, the at least one processor and the at least one memory being further configured to:

anticipate a handover of the access terminal from the serving primary cell to the target primary cell; and

prioritize the mobility of the access terminal in response to the anticipating.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, the at least one processor and the at least one memory being further configured to anticipate the handover by receiving at an access point an A2 event notification from the access terminal.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, the at least one processor and the at least one memory being further configured to anticipate the handover by receiving at an access point an automatic neighbor relation event notification from the access terminal.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, the at least one processor and the at least one memory being further configured to:

monitor utilization of the serving primary cell and any existing secondary cells;

compare the monitored utilization to a supplemental capacity threshold; and

prioritize the supplemental capacity of the access terminal based on the comparing.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, the at least one processor and the at least one memory being further configured to:

monitor utilization at an access point by determining an amount of data scheduled for transmission; and

compare the amount of data scheduled for transmission to the supplemental capacity threshold.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, the at least one processor and the at least one memory being further configured to:

identify the first frequency for measurement by determining that the first frequency is associated with licensed spectrum; and

identify the second frequency for measurement by determining that the second frequency is associated with unlicensed spectrum.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, the at least one processor and the at least one memory being further configured to:

identify the first frequency for measurement by determining that the first frequency is associated with a downlink-uplink pair; and

identify the second frequency for measurement by determining that the second frequency is not associated with the downlink-uplink pair.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, the at least one processor and the at least one memory being further configured to trigger by sending, from an access point, a request that the access terminal perform the measurement for the selected frequency.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, the at least one processor and the at least one memory being further configured to trigger by performing, at the access terminal, the measurement for the selected frequency.

21. An apparatus for managing inter-frequency measurements, comprising:

means for identifying a first frequency for measurement that is associated with mobility of an access terminal for transitioning from a serving primary cell to a target primary cell;

means for identifying a second frequency for measurement that is associated with supplemental capacity of the access terminal for adding a secondary cell to operate in conjunction with the serving primary cell;

means for prioritizing the mobility of the access terminal or the supplemental capacity of the access terminal;

means for selecting for measurement in a measurement period either the first frequency or the second frequency based on the prioritizing; and

means for triggering a measurement for the selected frequency.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, means for prioritizing comprising:

means for anticipating a handover of the access terminal from the serving primary cell to the target primary cell; and

means for prioritizing the mobility of the access terminal in response to the anticipating.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, means for prioritizing comprising:

means for monitoring utilization of the serving primary cell and any existing secondary cells;

means for comparing the monitored utilization to a supplemental capacity threshold; and

means for prioritizing the supplemental capacity of the access terminal based on the comparing.

24. The apparatus of claim 21 further comprising:

means for identifying the first frequency for measurement comprising means for determining that the first frequency is associated with licensed spectrum; and

means for identifying the second frequency for measurement comprising means for determining that the second frequency is associated with unlicensed spectrum.

25. The apparatus of claim 21 further comprising:

means for identifying the first frequency for measurement comprising means for determining that the first frequency is associated with a downlink-uplink pair; and

means for identifying the second frequency for measurement comprising means for determining that the second frequency is not associated with the downlink-uplink pair.

26. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including code, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations for managing inter-frequency measurements, the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:

code for identifying a first frequency for measurement that is associated with mobility of an access terminal for transitioning from a serving primary cell to a target primary cell;

code for identifying a second frequency for measurement that is associated with supplemental capacity of the access terminal for adding a secondary cell to operate in conjunction with the serving primary cell;

code for prioritizing the mobility of the access terminal or the supplemental capacity of the access terminal;

code for selecting for measurement in a measurement period either the first frequency or the second frequency based on the prioritizing; and

code for triggering a measurement for the selected frequency.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26, the code for prioritizing comprising:

code for anticipating a handover of the access terminal from the serving primary cell to the target primary cell; and

code for prioritizing the mobility of the access terminal in response to the anticipating.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26, the code for prioritizing comprising:

code for monitoring utilization of the serving primary cell and any existing secondary cells;

code for comparing the monitored utilization to a supplemental capacity threshold; and

code for prioritizing the supplemental capacity of the access terminal based on the comparing.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26 further comprising:

code for identifying the first frequency for measurement comprising code for determining that the first frequency is associated with licensed spectrum; and

code for identifying the second frequency for measurement comprising code for determining that the second frequency is associated with unlicensed spectrum.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26 further comprising:

code for identifying the first frequency for measurement comprising code for determining that the first frequency is associated with a downlink-uplink pair; and

code for identifying the second frequency for measurement comprising code for determining that the second frequency is not associated with the downlink-uplink pair.