Communication system, mobile terminal and communication method

• US 8,737,352 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2010
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Kawagishi, Takeshi, Sasaki, Hiroshi, Sakurai, Jun, Itou, Tsutomu, Hozumi, Kanji, Urushiyama, Tatsuya, Yokoyama, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Warner
• Application Number:
  US12/790,984
• Publication Number:
  US 20100316020A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,457 Days
• Field of Search: 370/331, 370/350, 455/436, 455/442
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 by measured or perceived connection quality data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/302 due to low signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements

Abstract

A communication system includes a first base station for communicating complying with a first communication protocol, a second base station for communicating by using radio frames complying with a second communication protocol and transmitting synchronization signals complying with the first communication protocol, the synchronization signals synchronizing the transmitted radio frames, and a mobile terminal for communicating according to the process includes: receiving the synchronization signals from the second base station while communicating with the first base station, estimating transmitting timing of the radio frames including symbols on the basis of the received synchronization signals, measuring a receiving signal strength of the symbol on the basis of the estimated timing, and controlling a handover from the first base station to the second base station on the basis of the measurement result by the measurement of the receiving signal strength of the symbol.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a first base station configured to perform communication using a first communication protocol which uses first radio frames and first synchronization signals synchronizing the first radio frames;

a second base station configured to perform communication using a second communication protocol which uses second radio frames; and

a mobile terminal configured to

perform communication on the basis of the first communication protocol and the second communication protocol,

receive, while communicating with the first base station, second synchronization signals from the second base station, the second synchronization signals being based on the first synchronization signals and synchronizing the second radio frames, and

estimate transmitting timing of the second radio frames including symbols on the basis of the received second synchronization signals, wherein

each of the first synchronization signals has a length corresponding to each of the first radio frames, and

each of the second synchronization signals is a signal obtained by adjusting the length of each of the first synchronization signals to become a length corresponding to each of the second radio frames.

2. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal is configured to control gap sections in the first radio frames based on the transmitting timing, and detect the symbols in the second radio frames received from the second base station in the gap sections.

3. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the second synchronization signals have frequencies which are different from frequencies of first synchronization signals.

4. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal comprises a first communication circuit which communicates with the first base station using the first communication protocol, and a second communication circuit which communicates with the second base station using the second communication protocol.

5. The communication system according to claim 4, wherein the mobile terminal comprises an antenna which is shared by the first communication circuit and the second communication circuit.

9. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein

the mobile terminal is configured to

measure a receiving signal strength of the symbol transmitted from the second base station based on the estimated transmitting timing, and

control a handover based on the measurement result of the receiving signal strength of the symbol.

6. A mobile terminal comprising:

a receiver configured to receive, while communicating with a first base station, second synchronization signals from a second base station, the first base station performing communication using a first communication protocol which uses first radio frames and first synchronization signals synchronizing the first radio frames, the second base station performing communication using a second communication protocol which uses second radio frames, and the second synchronization signals being based on the first synchronization signals and synchronizing the second radio frames; and

a processor configured to estimate transmitting timing of the second radio frames including symbols on the basis of the received second synchronization signals, wherein

each of the first synchronization signals has a length corresponding to each of the first radio frames, and

each of the second synchronization signals is a signal obtained by adjusting the length of each of the first synchronization signals to become a length corresponding to each of the second radio frames.

10. The mobile terminal according to claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to:

measure a receiving signal strength of the symbol transmitted from the second base station based on the estimated transmitting timing, and

control a handover from the first base station to the second base station based on the measurement result of the receiving signal strength of the symbol.

7. A communication method comprising:

receiving, while communicating with a first base station, second synchronization signals from a second base station, the first base station performing communication using a first communication protocol which uses first radio frames and first synchronization signals synchronizing the first radio frames, the second base station performing communication using a second communication protocol which uses second radio frames, and the second synchronization signals being based on the first synchronization signals and synchronizing the second radio frames; and

estimating transmitting timing of the second radio frames including symbols on the basis of the received second synchronization signals, wherein

each of the first synchronization signals has a length corresponding to each of the first radio frames, and

each of the second synchronization signals is a signal obtained by adjusting the length of each of the first synchronization signals to become a length corresponding to each of the second radio frames.

11. The communication method according to claim 7, further comprising:

measuring a receiving signal strength of the symbol transmitted from the second base station on the basis of the estimated transmitting timing; and

controlling a handover from the first base station to the second base station based on the measurement result of the receiving signal strength of the symbol.

8. A base station comprising:

a processor configured to perform communication with a mobile terminal by using a second communication protocol which uses second radio frames; and

a transmitter configured to transmit second synchronization signals to the mobile terminal which communicates with another base station by using a first communication protocol which uses first radio frames and first synchronization signals synchronizing the first radio frames, the second synchronization signals being based on the first synchronization signals and synchronizing the second radio frames, wherein

each of the first synchronization signals has a length corresponding to each of the first radio frames, and

each of the second synchronization signals is a signal obtained by adjusting the length of each of the first synchronization signals to become a length corresponding to each of the second radio frames.