User terminal, radio base station and communication control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016183173-A1
Application number	US-201414908916-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 8, 2014
Priority date	Aug 1, 2013
Publication date	Jun 23, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention is designed to allow more reliable small cell detection while preventing the increase of power consumption in user terminals. The communication control method of the present invention includes the steps in which a macro base station notifies a user terminal of measurement gap pattern information to represent a repetition period that is the same as the transmission cycle of a detection/measurement signal in small cells and a length of time that is the same as the transmission duration of the detection/measurement signal, and the start offset of the transmission duration, and the user terminal configures measurement gaps of the repetition period and the length of time, by using a start offset that is the same as the start offset.

First claim

1 . A user terminal for use in a radio communication system where a small cell to use a second frequency is placed within a macro cell to use a first frequency, the user terminal comprising:
a receiving section that receives, from a macro base station forming the macro cell, measurement gap pattern information to represent a repetition period that is the same as a transmission cycle of a detection/measurement signal in the small cell and a length of time that is the same as a transmission duration of the detection/measurement signal, and a start offset of the transmission duration; and a configuration section that configures a measurement gap of the repetition period and the length of time, by using a start offset that is the same as the start offset.

2 . The user terminal according to claim 1 , further comprising a transmission section that transmits capability information of the user terminal to the macro base station,
wherein, when the macro base station decides that the user terminal can detect the detection/measurement signal, based on the capability information, the receiving section receives the measurement gap pattern information and the start offset from the macro base station.

3 . The user terminal according to claim 1 , further comprising a decision section that decides whether or not the user terminal can detect the detection/measurement signal,
wherein, when the decision section decides that the user terminal can detect the detection/measurement signal, the configuration section configures the measurement gap by using the start offset that is the same as the start offset.

4 . The user terminal according to claim 1 , wherein, when the user terminal makes a handover from the macro base station to another macro base station, the receiving section receives the measurement gap pattern information and the start offset from the other macro base station, and the configuration section re-configures the measurement gap by using a start offset that is the same as the start offset.

5 . The user terminal according to claim 1 , further comprising a measurement section that measures received quality of the detection/measurement signal that is transmitted in the second frequency, in the measurement gap.

6 . The user terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the measurement gap pattern information and the start offset are notified from the macro base station by using higher layer signaling.

7 . A radio base station that forms a macro cell in a radio communication system where a small cell to use a second frequency is placed within the macro cell to use a first frequency, the radio base station comprising:
a determining section that determines a transmission cycle of a detection/measurement signal in the small cell, a transmission duration of the detection/measurement signal, and a start offset of the transmission duration; and a transmission section that transmits, to a user terminal, measurement gap pattern information to represent a repetition period that is the same as the transmission cycle and a length of time that is the same as the transmission duration, and the start offset of the transmission duration.

8 . The radio base station according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a receiving section that receives capability information of the user terminal from the user terminal; and a decision section that decides whether or not the user terminal can detect the detection/measurement signal, wherein, when the decision section decides that the user terminal can detect the detection/measurement signal, the transmission section transmits the measurement gap pattern information and the start offset to the user terminal.

9 . A communication control method in a radio communication system where a small cell to use a second frequency is placed within a macro cell to use a first frequency, the communication control method comprising the steps of:
in a macro base station to form the macro cell notifying a user terminal of measurement gap pattern information to represent a repetition period that is the same as a transmission cycle of a detection/measurement signal in the small cell and a length of time that is the same as a transmission duration of the detection/measurement signal, and a start offset of the transmission duration; and in the user terminal, configuring a measurement gap of the repetition period and the length of time, by using a start offset that is the same as the start offset.

10 . The user terminal according to claim 2 , wherein, when the user terminal makes a handover from the macro base station to another macro base station, the receiving section receives the measurement gap pattern information and the start offset from the other macro base station, and the configuration section re-configures the measurement gap by using a start offset that is the same as the start offset.

11 . The user terminal according to claim 3 , wherein, when the user terminal makes a handover from the macro base station to another macro base station, the receiving section receives the measurement gap pattern information and the start offset from the other macro base station, and the configuration section re-configures the measurement gap by using a start offset that is the same as the start offset.

12 . The user terminal according to claim 2 , further comprising a measurement section that measures received quality of the detection/measurement signal that is transmitted in the second frequency, in the measurement gap.

13 . The user terminal according to claim 3 , further comprising a measurement section that measures received quality of the detection/measurement signal that is transmitted in the second frequency, in the measurement gap.

14 . The user terminal according to claim 2 , wherein the measurement gap pattern information and the start offset are notified from the macro base station by using higher layer signaling.

15 . The user terminal according to claim 3 , wherein the measurement gap pattern information and the start offset are notified from the macro base station by using higher layer signaling.

Assignees

• Ntt Docomo Inc

Inventors

• Harada Hiroki
• Liu Liu
• Chen Lan

Classifications

• H04W84/045

  using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B · CPC title

• H04W48/16 Primary

  Discovering, processing access restriction or access information · CPC title

• H04W48/12 Primary

  using downlink control channel · CPC title

• H04W16/32

  Hierarchical cell structures · CPC title

• H04W36/0072

  of resource information of target access point · CPC title