Method and apparatus for access point selection

• US 10,863,405 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2014
• Issued: 12/08/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Shi, Cong, Liu, Jinhua
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ahsan, Umair
• Application Number:
  US15/324,216
• Publication Number:
  US 20170164260A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,344 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0058 Transmission of hand-off measurement information, e.g. measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0061 of neighbour cell information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00835 Determination of neighbour cell lists
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/008357 Determination of target cell based on access point [AP] properties, e.g. AP service capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0085 Hand-off measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 by measured or perceived connection quality data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/302 due to low signal strength

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to access point (AP) selection. According to one embodiment, the serving AP receives from the terminal device a measurement report including one or more measurement parameters for a plurality of neighbor AP devices and the serving AP device and selects from the plurality of neighbor AP devices one or more candidate target AP devices based on the measurement report received from the terminal device. Then, the serving AP can obtain evaluated capability levels from the selected one or more candidate target AP devices and determine from the selected one or more candidate target AP devices a best candidate target AP device with the highest evaluated capability level as a target AP device.

Claims

1. A method for operating an access point device in a radio communication system, said access point device being currently connected with a terminal device and serving as a serving access point device of the terminal device, the method comprising:

receiving, from said terminal device, a measurement report including one or more measurement parameters for a plurality of neighbor access point devices and said serving access point device, wherein said measurement report;

indicates signal strength for each of said plurality of neighbor access point devices; and

indicates which neighbor access point device of said plurality of neighbor access point devices has wired backhaul;

selecting, from said plurality of neighbor access point devices, one or more candidate target access point devices based on said measurement report received from said terminal device;

obtaining evaluated capability levels from the selected one or more candidate target access point devices in response to a probing request sent by said serving access point device, each of said evaluated capability levels being indicative of a capability of user experience to be provided by a respective candidate target access point device for said terminal device, wherein each of said evaluated capability levels is based on local information and said one or more measurement parameters of said respective candidate target access point device, said local information including an available backhaul capacity allocated for said terminal device;

determining, from the selected one or more candidate target access point devices, a best candidate target access point device with the highest evaluated capability level as a target access point device;

determining whether to handover said terminal device from said serving access point device to said best candidate target access point device by comparing the evaluated capability level to be provided by said best candidate target access point device with a capability level provided by said serving access point device; and

triggering a handover for said terminal device from said serving access point device to said best candidate target access point device, if the evaluated capability level to be provided by said best candidate target access point device is greater than the capability level provided by said serving access point device by a fourth predetermined threshold.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said one or more measurement parameters included in said measurement report comprise:

at least one parameter indicating signal strength received from a neighbor access point device of said plurality of neighbor access point devices; and

at least one parameter indicating an identification of the neighbor access point device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein selecting, from said plurality of neighbor access point devices, said one or more candidate target access point devices based on said measurement report received from said terminal device further comprises:

selecting a neighbor access point device as a candidate target access point device if said neighbor access point device meets one or more of the following criteria;

signal strength of said neighbor access point device is stronger than a first predetermined threshold;

signal strength of said neighbor access point device is greater than that of said serving access point device with a second predetermined threshold; and

said neighbor access point device is with wired backhaul and signal strength of said neighbor access point device is greater than a third predetermined threshold.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein obtaining the evaluated capability levels indicative of the capability of user experience to be provided for said terminal device from the selected one or more candidate target access point devices comprises:

for each of said one or more candidate target access point devices;

sending, to said respective candidate target access point device, the probing request containing said one or more measurement parameters for said respective candidate target access point device, wherein said one or more measurement parameters for said respective candidate target access point device were reported by said terminal device; and

receiving a probing response from said respective candidate target access point device, wherein said probing response contains said evaluated capability level indicative of the capability of user experience to be provided for said terminal device.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said evaluated capability level of the capability of user experience to be provided for said terminal device is determined as a function of at least one user experience parameter evaluated by said candidate target access point device.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said at least one user experience parameter includes data rate, delay, and packet loss rate.

7. An access point device in a radio communication system, the access point device comprising:

a receiver configured to receive, from a terminal device, a measurement report including one or more measurement parameters for a plurality of neighbor access point devices and said access point device, wherein said access point device is currently connected with said terminal device and serving as a serving access point device of said terminal device, and wherein said measurement report;

indicates signal strength for each of said plurality of neighbor access point devices; and

indicates which neighbor access point device of said plurality of neighbor access point devices has wired backhaul; and

a processor configured to;

select, from said plurality of neighbor access point devices, one or more candidate target access point devices based on said measurement report received from said terminal device;

obtain evaluated capability levels from the selected one or more candidate target access point devices in response to a probing request sent by said serving access point device, each of said evaluated capability levels being indicative of a capability of user experience to be provided by a respective candidate target access point device for said terminal device, wherein each of said evaluated capability levels is based on local information and said one or more measurement parameters of said respective candidate target access point device, said local information including an available backhaul capacity allocated for said terminal device;

determine, from the selected one or more candidate target access point devices, a best candidate target access point device with the highest evaluated capability level as a target access point device;

determine whether to handover said terminal device from said serving access point device to said best candidate target access point device by comparing the evaluated capability level to be provided by said best candidate target access point device with a capability level provided by said serving access point device; and

trigger a handover for said terminal device from said serving access point device to said best candidate target access point device, if the evaluated capability level to be provided by said best candidate target access point device is greater than the capability level provided by said serving access point device by a fourth predetermined threshold.

8. The access point device according to claim 7, wherein said one or more measurement parameters included in said measurement report comprise:

at least one parameter indicating signal strength received from a neighbor access point device of said plurality of neighbor access point devices; and

at least one parameter indicating an identification of the neighbor access point device.

9. The access point device according to claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to select, from said plurality of neighbor access point devices, a neighbor access point device as a candidate target access point device if said neighbor access point device meets one or more of the following criteria:

signal strength of said neighbor access point device is stronger than a first predetermined threshold;

signal strength of said neighbor access point device is greater than that of said serving access point device with a second predetermined threshold; and

said neighbor access point device is with wired backhaul and signal strength of said neighbor access point device is greater than a third predetermined threshold.

10. The access point device according to claim 7, wherein, for each of said one or more candidate target access point devices, the processor is configured to:

send, to the respective candidate target access point device, the probing request containing said one or more measurement parameters for said respective candidate target access point device, wherein said one or more measurement parameters for said respective candidate target access point device were reported by said terminal device; and

receive a probing response from the respective candidate target access point device, wherein said probing response contains said evaluated capability level indicative of the capability of user experience to be provided for said terminal device.

11. The access point device according to claim 7, wherein said evaluated capability level of the capability of user experience to be provided for said terminal device is determined as a function of at least one user experience parameter evaluated by said candidate target access point device.

12. The access point device according to claim 11, wherein said at least one user experience parameter includes data rate, delay, and packet loss rate.