Systems and methods for mobility optimization in a heterogeneous network
First Claim
1. A base station comprising:
- storage for context information for a user equipment (UE) and a virtual cell identity for a set of small cells networked with the base station acting as transmission points (TPs) for the UE;
memory coupled with a processor configured to;
configure the base station as a virtual anchor cell with the virtual cell identity in a third generation partnership project (3GPP) network for a plurality of small cells, the virtual cell identity enabling the UE to change between the TPs networked with the base station without changing the UE context information at a mobility management entity (MME) or a serving gateway (S-GW) within a core network;
maintain the context information for the UE, wherein the context information for the UE is maintained by a context information module while any small cell of the plurality of small cells is configured as a TP for the UE; and
send at least a portion of the context information to a small cell configured as a target TP for the UE without causing a radio resource reconfiguration when a handover occurs based at least in part on the TP using the virtual cell identity, the UE remaining connected with the virtual cell identity while using the target TP after the handover.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods, systems, and devices for mobility optimization in a heterogeneous network are disclosed herein. A base station includes an anchor module, a context information module, and a transmission point module. The anchor module configures the base station as a virtual anchor cell for a plurality of small cells. The context information module is configured to maintain context information for user equipment (UE). The context information for the UE is maintained by the context information module while any small cell of the plurality of small cells is configured as a TP for the UE. The transmission point (TP) change module is configured to send at least a portion of the context information to a small cell configured as the TP for the UE.
22 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A base station comprising:
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storage for context information for a user equipment (UE) and a virtual cell identity for a set of small cells networked with the base station acting as transmission points (TPs) for the UE; memory coupled with a processor configured to; configure the base station as a virtual anchor cell with the virtual cell identity in a third generation partnership project (3GPP) network for a plurality of small cells, the virtual cell identity enabling the UE to change between the TPs networked with the base station without changing the UE context information at a mobility management entity (MME) or a serving gateway (S-GW) within a core network; maintain the context information for the UE, wherein the context information for the UE is maintained by a context information module while any small cell of the plurality of small cells is configured as a TP for the UE; and send at least a portion of the context information to a small cell configured as a target TP for the UE without causing a radio resource reconfiguration when a handover occurs based at least in part on the TP using the virtual cell identity, the UE remaining connected with the virtual cell identity while using the target TP after the handover. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) Node B (eNB) comprising circuitry configured to:
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configure the eNB to store context information for user equipment (UE) when any of a plurality of small cells networked with the eNB are configured as a transmission point (TP) for the UE using a virtual cell identity, wherein the eNB comprises a macro cell; receive a TP change request from a source TP to handover the UE to a target TP, wherein the plurality of small cells comprise the source TP and the target TP; and wherein the virtual cell identity enables the TP change to be transparent to one or more of a mobility management entity (MME) and a serving gateway (S-GW) by leaving the context information at the MME and S-GW unchanged and wherein the TP change is accomplished without causing a radio resource reconfiguration. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A handover method comprising:
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sending, from a source transmission point (TP) in a third generation partnership project (3GPP) network, a handover request to a target TP to request a handover of user equipment (UE) from the source TP to the target TP; receive, by the source TP, a handover acknowledgement from the target TP; and send a TP change request to a serving anchor cell, wherein the serving anchor cell comprises a macro cell, and the source TP and the target TP both comprise small cells networked with the serving anchor cell; wherein the change request is implemented without causing a radio resource reconfiguration when the handover occurs based at least in part on the virtual cell identity shared by the source TP and the target TP, the virtual cell identity enabling the UE to change between the source TP and the target TP without changing the UE context information at a mobility management entity (MME) or a serving gateway (S-GW) within a core network. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program code for causing one or more processors to perform a method, the method comprising:
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sending a handover request to a target transmission point and receiving a handover acknowledgement; sending an anchor change request to an anchor macro cell, wherein the target transmission point corresponds to a different anchor macro cell; and receiving an anchor change acknowledgement indicating changing of the transmission point and the anchor, wherein the anchor macro cell uses a first virtual cell identity and the different anchor macro cell uses a second virtual cell identity, and wherein transmission points that share a virtual cell identity with the different anchor macro cell can perform a handover without causing a radio resource reconfiguration, the shared virtual cell identity enabling the UE to change between the transmission points networked with the different anchor macro cell without changing UE context information at a mobility management entity (MME) or a serving gateway (S-GW) within a core network. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. A base station comprising:
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storage for context information for a user equipment (UE) and a virtual cell identity for a set of small cells networked with the base station and acting as transmission points (TPs) for the UE; memory coupled with a processor configured to; configure the base station as a virtual anchor cell with the virtual cell identity for the small cells and base station in a third generation partnership project (3GPP) network for a plurality of small cells, the virtual cell identity enabling the UE to change between the TPs networked with the base station transparently to a mobility management entity (MME) or a serving gateway (S-GW) within a core network, the change between the TPs networked with the base station performed without changing UE context information at the MME or the S-GW; maintain the context information for the UE, wherein the context information for the UE is maintained by a context information module while any small cell of the plurality of small cells is configured as a TP for the UE; send at least a portion of the context information to a target small cell configured as the TP for the UE without causing a radio resource reconfiguration when a handover occurs to the target small cell based at least in part on the virtual cell identity; receive UE uplink data from the TP for the UE using an X2 interface; send the UE uplink data to a S-GW; receive downlink data for the UE from the core network; and send the downlink data for the UE to the TP for the UE using the X2 interface.
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Specification