Method and device for transmitting scanning start information of different radio access network

• US 8,331,940 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2011
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Ahn, Jee Hwan, Kim, Won-Ik, Jin, Sung-Geun, Chang, Sung Cheol, Yoon, Chul Sik
• Primary Examiner(s): Agosta, Steve D
• Application Number:
  US13/219,593
• Publication Number:
  US 20110312364A1
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• Field of Search: 455/421, 455/422.1, 455/432.1, 455/436, 455/437, 455/438, 455/439, 455/440, 455/441, 455/442, 455/443, 455/444, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 370/310.2, 370/328, 370331-334, 370/338
• US Class Current: 455/436
• 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 36/0085 Hand-off measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method and device for providing reference information for starting scanning a different radio access network to a terminal in a boundary area is provided. A receiver supporting a plurality of access systems includes a receiving circuit for receiving a scanning threshold from a transmitter, a first measuring module for measuring channel quality of a serving cell, and a second measuring module for starting scanning a neighboring cell that is a different radio access network when channel quality of the serving cell is less than the channel quality threshold. The receiver may further include a handover module for performing handover to the neighboring cell when the channel quality of the neighboring cell measured by the second measuring module is greater than that of the serving cell.

Claims

1. A receiver for supporting a plurality of radio access technologies (RATs), the receiver comprising:

a receiving circuit configured to receive a network boundary indication from a transmitter, the network boundary indication indicating that the receiver is located in a boundary area of a first radio access network;

a measuring module configured to scan a first neighboring cell that belongs to a second radio access network if a channel quality of a serving cell is below a scanning threshold and the receiving circuit has received the network boundary indication; and

a handover module configured to decide a handover based on a channel quality of the first neighboring cell,

wherein the first and second radio access networks correspond to different RATs,

wherein the measuring module is configured to scan a second neighboring cell that belongs to the first radio access network if the channel quality of the serving cell is less than the scanning threshold, the second neighboring cell being adjacent to the serving cell in the first radio access network,

wherein the handover module is configured to perform the handover to the second neighboring cell if the channel quality of the second neighboring cell is greater than the channel quality of the serving cell, and

wherein the handover module is configured to perform the handover to the first neighboring cell if the channel quality of the second neighboring cell is less than the channel quality of the serving cell and the channel quality of the first neighboring cell is greater than the channel quality of the serving cell.

2. The receiver of claim 1, wherein the receiving circuit is configured to receive the scanning threshold from the transmitter.

3. The receiver of claim 1, wherein the receiving circuit is configured to receive the network boundary indication through an AAI-L2-XFER message.

4. The receiver of claim 3, wherein the AAI-L2-XFER message further includes information on the second radio access network.

5. The receiver of claim 1, wherein the measuring module is configured to measure the channel quality of the first neighboring cell when scanning the first neighboring cell.

6. The receiver of claim 1, wherein the handover module is configured to perform the handover to the first neighboring cell when the channel quality of the first neighboring cell is greater than the channel quality of the serving cell.

7. The receiver of claim 1, wherein the scanning threshold is updated for a next scanning by the transmitter for each predetermined period using a channel quality of a neighboring cell that is reported by the receiver as a cell to which there has been a handover of the receiver.

13. The receiver of claim 7, wherein the scanning threshold is reduced if the channel quality of the neighboring cell reported by the receiver is greater than a previous scanning threshold stored in the transmitter, and is increased if otherwise.

8. A handover method of a receiver supporting a plurality of radio access technologies (RATs), the method comprising:

receiving a network boundary indication from a transmitter, the network boundary indication indicating that the receiver is located in a boundary area of a first radio access network;

scanning, by a measuring module, a first neighboring cell that belongs to a second radio access network if a channel quality of a serving cell is below a scanning threshold and the receiver has received the network boundary indication;

deciding, by a handover module, a handover based on a channel quality of the first neighboring cell;

scanning, by the measuring module, a second neighboring cell that belongs to the first radio access network if the channel quality of the serving cell is less than the scanning threshold, the second neighboring cell being adjacent to the serving cell in the first radio access network,

wherein the first and second radio access networks correspond to different RATs, and

wherein deciding the handover comprises;

performing the handover to the second neighboring cell if the channel quality of the second neighboring cell is greater than the channel quality of the serving cell; and

performing the handover to the first neighboring cell if the channel quality of the second neighboring cell is less than the channel quality of the serving cell and the channel quality of the first neighboring cell is greater than the channel quality of the serving cell.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein scanning the first neighboring cell includes measuring the channel quality of the first neighboring cell.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving the network boundary indication includes receiving the network boundary indication through an AAI-L2-XFER message.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the AAI-L2-XFER message further includes information on the second radio access network.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving the scanning threshold from the transmitter.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the scanning threshold is updated for a next scanning by the transmitter for each predetermined period using a channel quality of a neighboring cell that is reported by the receiver as a cell to which there has been a handover of the receiver.

15. The receiver of claim 14, wherein the scanning threshold is reduced if the channel quality of the neighboring cell reported by the receiver is greater than a previous scanning threshold stored in the transmitter, and is increased if otherwise.