Wireless communication system, management device, and communication path switching method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11166223-B2
Application number	US-201716473515-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2017
Priority date	Dec 27, 2016
Publication date	Nov 2, 2021
Grant date	Nov 2, 2021

Abstract

To reduce power consumption and enable a quick change from one communication path to another when detecting a decrease in quality of communication for communicating user data, a first base station determines a second base station and a third base station, and then the first base station transmits a connection request message to a terminal, the second base station and the third base station concurrently with transmitting a communication request message to the second base station, and, while the second base station is in communication with the terminal, upon detecting a decrease in quality of communication with the terminal based on a reception status of an uplink signal from the terminal, the second base station transmits a path switching request message to the first base station, which in turn transfers the received path switching request message transmitted from the second base station to the third base station.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wireless communication system for communicating user data between a terminal device and a superordinate network via base station devices configured for wireless communication with the terminal device, comprising:
the terminal device;
the base station devices including a main base station device which serves as a normal communication path for the user data, and a backup base station device which serves as a backup communication path for the user data;
a management device configured to manage the terminal device and the base station devices;
wherein the management device comprises:
a management communication device configured to communicate with the terminal device and the base station devices; and
a management controller configured to determine the main base station device and the backup base station device, and transmit a connection request message to the terminal device, the main base station device, and the backup base station device concurrently with transmitting a communication request message to the main base station device, wherein, upon receiving a path switching request message from the main base station device, the management controller transfers the received path switching request message to the backup base station device,

wherein each of the base station devices comprises:
a base station communication device configured to communicate with the terminal device and the management device; and
a base station controller configured to control connection and communication with the terminal device in response to the connection request message and/or the communication request message transmitted from the management device, wherein, upon detecting a decrease in quality of communication with the terminal device, the base station controller transmits the path switching request message to the management device, and

the terminal device comprises:
a terminal communication device configured to communicate with the management device and the base station devices; and
a terminal controller configured to control connection and communication with the base station devices in response to the connection request message transmitted from the management device.

2. The wireless communication system according to claim 1 , wherein when the base station device serves as the main base station device and is in communication with the terminal device, the base station device detects the decrease in quality of communication based on a reception status of an uplink signal from the terminal device.

3. A wireless communication system for communicating user data between a terminal device and a superordinate network via base station devices configured for wireless communication with the terminal device, comprising:
the terminal device;
the base station devices including a main base station device which serves as a normal communication path for the user data, and a backup base station device which serves as a backup communication path for the user data;
a management device configured to manage the terminal device and the base station devices;
wherein the management device comprises:
a management communication device configured to communicate with the terminal device and the base station devices; and
a management controller configured to determine the main base station device and the backup base station device, and transmit a connection request message to the terminal device, the main base station device, and the backup base station device concurrently with transmitting a communication request message to the main base station device, wherein, upon detecting a decrease in quality of communication with the terminal device, the management controller transmits a path switching request message to the backup base station device,

wherein each of the base station devices comprises:
a base station communication device configured to communicate with the terminal device and the management device; and
a base station controller configured to control connection and communication with the terminal device in response to the connection request message and/or the communication request message transmitted from the management device, and

wherein the terminal device comprises:
a terminal communication device configured to communicate with the management device and the base station devices; and

a terminal controller configured to control connection and communication with the base station devices in response to the connection request message transmitted from the management device.

4. The wireless communication system according to claim 3 , wherein the terminal device is configured to, upon detecting the decrease in quality of communication with the main base station device while in communication with the main base station device, transmit a detection result to the management device, the detection result indicating the decrease in quality of communication, and
wherein the management device detects the decrease in quality of communication based on the detection result transmitted from the terminal device.

5. The wireless communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the management device is a base station device configured to form a macro cell in a control plane, and
wherein the management device is a base station device configured to form a small cell in a user plane.

6. The wireless communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the management controller of the management device is configured to choose, as the main base station device, a base station device adapted for wireless communications utilizing High-SHF band or EHF band, and choose, as the backup base station device, a base station device adapted for wireless communications utilizing Low-SHF band.

7. The wireless communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the terminal controller of the terminal device is configured to, upon completion of establishing a connection with the backup base station device, stop monitoring an entire control channel region related to the backup base station device, and upon detecting the decrease in quality of communication with the main base station device, shift into a state in which the entire control channel region related to the backup base station device is monitored.

8. The wireless communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the terminal controller of the terminal device is configured to, upon completion of establishing a connection with the backup base station device, monitor a portion of a control channel region related to the backup base station device, and upon receiving control data from the backup base station device, shift into a state in which an entire control channel region related to the backup base station device is monitored.

9. The wireless communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the terminal controller of the terminal device is configured to, upon completion of establishing a connection with the backup base station device, control the connection with the backup base station device in such a manner as to repeatedly alternate a non-monitored state in which an entire control channel region is not monitored and a limited monitored state in which a portion of a control channel region related to the backup base station device is monitored at prescribed time periods, and upon receiving control data from the backup base station device, shift into a state in which the entire control channel region related to the backup base station device is monitored.

10. The wireless communication system according to claim 3 , wherein the management device detects the decrease in quality of communication based on wireless communication quality information included in a message transmitted from

Assignees

• Panasonic Corp

Inventors

• Shimizu Noriyuki
• Asano Hiroaki
• Shingu Hideki

Classifications

• H04W36/0069 Primary

  in case of dual connectivity, e.g. decoupled uplink/downlink · CPC title

• H04W24/04

  Arrangements for maintaining operational condition · CPC title

• H04W40/36 Primary

  due to handover · CPC title

• H04W16/32

  Hierarchical cell structures · CPC title

• H04W92/12

  between access points and access point controllers · CPC title