Configuration of handovers in communication systems

• US 9,973,981 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2016
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Yu, Ling, Van Phan, Vinh, Horneman, Kari Veikko
• Primary Examiner(s): Bhattacharya, Sam
• Application Number:
  US15/230,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20160345214A1
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: 455436, 455437, 455439, 370329, 370331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0058 Transmission of hand-off measurement information, e.g. measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/03 Reselecting a link using a direct mode connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/165 for reducing network power consumption H04W36/18 - H04W36/22 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/20 for optimising the interference level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/22 for handling the traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/23 Manipulation of direct-mode connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 Processing of subscriber group data

Abstract

Apparatus and method for communication are provided. The solution includes obtaining information of handovers to be performed regarding more than one user equipment connected to the apparatus; requesting the user equipment to form one or more device-to-device clusters; and controlling handovers to be performed utilizing information on the formed device-to-device clusters.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

be in device-to-device communication with a set of user equipment forming a device-to-device cluster to be handed over in a cell evacuation or massive handover to a target cell of a communication system;

transmit to a user equipment acting as a cluster head downlink synchronization status information; and

leave the device-to-device cluster autonomously after a predefined timer has expired and after a successful reception of timing advance information for the target cell from the user equipment acting as the device-to-device cluster head.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the downlink synchronization status information is transmitted in a same message as an acknowledgement for the timing advance information.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further configured to leave the device-to-device cluster autonomously after a successful handover to the target cell.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the predefined timer is a synchronization timer for the target cell.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further configured to:

perform inter-frequency measurement in response to receipt of a command to perform the inter-frequency measurements; and

report the inter-frequency measurements to the user equipment acting as the device-to-device cluster head.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a user equipment of the device-to-device cluster set comprises the apparatus.

7. A method, comprising:

being in device-to-device communication with a set of user equipment forming a device-to-device cluster to be handed over in a cell evacuation or massive handover to a target cell of a communication system;

transmitting to a user equipment acting as a cluster head downlink synchronization status information; and

leaving the device-to-device cluster autonomously after a predefined timer has expired and after a successful reception of timing advance information for the target cell from the user equipment acting as the device-to-device cluster head.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the downlink synchronization status information is transmitted in a same message as an acknowledgement for the timing advance information.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

leaving the device-to-device cluster autonomously after a successful handover to the target cell.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the predefined timer is a synchronization timer for the target cell.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

performing inter-frequency measurement in response to receipt of a command to perform the inter-frequency measurements; and

reporting the inter-frequency measurements to the user equipment acting as the device-to-device cluster head.

12. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions which, when executed by a processor, causes an apparatus to:

be in device-to-device communication with a set of user equipment forming a device-to-device cluster to be handed over to a target cell of a communication system;

be handed over to the target cell;

transmit to user equipment acting as cluster head downlink synchronization information; and

leave the cluster autonomously after a predefined timer has expired and after a successful reception of timing advance information for the target cell from the user equipment acting as the device-to-device cluster head.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the downlink synchronization status information is transmitted in a same message as an acknowledgement for the timing advance information.

14. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the apparatus is further caused to leave the device-to-device cluster autonomously after a successful handover to the target cell.

15. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the predefined timer is a synchronization timer for the target cell.

16. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

perform inter-frequency measurement in response to receipt of a command to perform the inter-frequency measurements; and

report the inter-frequency measurements to the user equipment acting as the device-to-device cluster head.

17. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein a user equipment of the device-to-device cluster set comprises the apparatus.