Handoffs and handoff selection in a wireless access network

• US 10,091,693 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2014
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Ma, Jianglei, Zhu, Peiying, Tong, Wen, Zhang, Hang, Fong, Mo-Han
• Primary Examiner(s): Agosta, Steve D
• Application Number:
  US14/546,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20150065141A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• Field of Search: 455436-444, 370331-334
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0033 with transfer of context information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/18 for allowing seamless reselection, e.g. soft reselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 by measured or perceived connection quality data

Abstract

The present invention facilitates handoffs for a mobile terminal in a wireless access network that is capable of supporting different types of handoffs. The different handoff types may include soft handoffs and fast base station switching (FBSS). In operation, context information associated with supporting wireless communications between the wireless access network and the mobile terminal are determined. Based on whether the context information is shared between base stations involved in the handoff or transferred from one base station to another of the base stations involved in the handoff, a particular handoff type is selected from the different handoff types that are available. Selecting the specific type of handoff to use may also be based on the level of context information that is available, the actual content of the context information, application preferences, channel conditions, base station or mobile terminal capabilities, or any combination thereof.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating a handoff for a mobile terminal in a wireless access network capable of supporting a plurality of different handoff types, the method comprising,

at a base station:

determining context information associated with supporting wireless communications between the wireless access network and the mobile terminal, wherein the context information is associated with a plurality of levels; and

selecting a handoff type from the plurality of handoff types based on the context information used by the base stations involved in a handoff and wherein selecting a handoff type is further based on a level associated with the context information used by the base stations involved in the handoff, wherein the selecting of a handoff type is performed by at least one of a group comprising one of the base stations involved in the handoff, or the wireless access network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of handoff types is an inter-Radio Access Technology (inter-RAT) handoff.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of handoff types is a handoff between Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of handoff types is a handoff between Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) and GSM/EDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of handoff types is a handoff between Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) and Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the levels represents different levels of information associated with wireless communications.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting the selected handoff is further based on the content of the context information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting a handoff is further based on mobile movement or velocity.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting a handoff is further based on channel conditions.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting a handoff is further based on radio conditions.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting a handoff is further based on layer 2 processing related information provided at the base stations involved in the handoff.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting a handoff is further based on the capability of the base station to perform a specific type of handoff.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting a handoff is further based on the capability of the mobile terminal to perform a specific type of handoff.

14. A base station comprising:

a processor and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium,

wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores a set of instructions executable by the processor, and further wherein the set of instructions performs a method for facilitating a handoff for a mobile terminal in a wireless access network capable of supporting a plurality of different handoff types, wherein the method comprises;

determining context information associated with supporting wireless communications between the wireless access network and the mobile terminal, wherein the context information is associated with a plurality of levels; and

selecting a handoff type from the plurality of handoff types based on the context information used by the base stations involved in a handoff and wherein selecting a handoff type is further based on a level associated with the context information used by the base stations involved in the handoff, wherein the selecting of a handoff type is performed by at least one of a group comprising one of the base stations involved in the handoff, or the wireless access network.

15. The base station of claim 14, wherein at least one of the plurality of handoff types is an inter-Radio Access Technology (inter-RAT) handoff.

16. The base station of claim 14, wherein selecting a handoff is further based on the amount of data to be transmitted in the uplink or downlink direction.

17. The base station of claim 14, wherein the base station is a serving base station, wherein the method further comprises, before beginning the handoff:

a target base station sending a temporary handoff identification to the serving base station.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a set of instructions executable by a processor,

wherein the set of instructions performs a method for facilitating a handoff for a mobile terminal in a wireless access network capable of supporting a plurality of different handoff types, wherein the method comprises:

at a base station;

determining context information associated with supporting wireless communications between the wireless access network and the mobile terminal, wherein the context information is associated with a plurality of levels; and

selecting a handoff type from the plurality of handoff types based on the context information used by the base stations involved in a handoff and wherein selecting a handoff type is further based on a level associated with the context information used by the base stations involved in the handoff, wherein the selecting of a handoff type is performed b y at least one of a group comprising one of the base stations involved in the handoff, or the wireless access network.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the determining of context information comprises interaction between the wireless access network and the mobile terminal to identify context information relating to the interaction.