Session Setup In An Energy-Efficient Cellular Wireless Telecommunications System

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016192279-A1
Application number	US-201514971978-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 16, 2015
Priority date	Sep 13, 2011
Publication date	Jun 30, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention relates to a telecommunications system comprising at least a plurality of SA-cells. The invention provides a method for a terminal to facilitate establishment of a data connection between the terminal and at least one of the SA-cells. The method includes steps of, while the terminal is in an idle mode, the terminal transmitting an information request message (IRM) for the plurality of SA-cells and receiving, from each SA-cell of one or more SA-cells of the plurality of SA-cells, a message comprising at least information indicative of a strength with which the each SA-cell received the IRM. The method further includes the step of, at least partially based on the messages received from the one or more SA-cells, the terminal selecting an SA-cell of the plurality of SA-cells for establishing the data connection between the terminal and the selected SA-cell.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . In a telecommunications system comprising a decision unit, an LA-cell base station, and a plurality of SA-cell base stations, a method for a terminal to facilitate establishment of a data connection between the terminal and at least one of the plurality of the SA-cell base stations, while at least one of the plurality of the SA-cell base stations is in power saving mode, the method comprising:
while the terminal is in an idle mode and is camping on the LA-cell base station, the terminal determining properties of a signal received from each of one or more SA-cell base stations of the plurality of SA-cell base stations, the properties being indicative of propagation conditions between the each of the one or more SA-cell base stations and the terminal; while the terminal is in the idle mode and is camping on the LA-cell base station, the terminal providing a report to the decision unit, via the LA-cell base station, the report comprising at least information indicative of at least a portion of the determined properties for at least one of the one or more SA-cell base stations; while the terminal is in an idle mode and is camping on the LA-cell base station, the terminal receiving an indication that the data connection is to be established between the terminal and a selected SA-cell base station of the plurality of SA-cell base stations, wherein the selected SA-cell base station is selected by the decision unit at least partially based on the report.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein, for each of the one or more SA-cells, the determined properties comprise a signal strength of the signal received from the each of the one or more SA-cells and/or a path loss estimate.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein when at least two SA-cell base stations of the one or more SA-cell base stations are in a power-save mode, each of the at least two SA-cell base stations transmits the signal to the terminal in a predetermined pattern.

4 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein the predetermined pattern for the each of the at least two SA-cell base stations is such that the terminal receives the signals from each of the at least two SA-cell base stations substantially contemporaneously.

5 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein the predetermined pattern for the each of the at least two SA-cell base stations is such that the terminal receives the signals from each of the at least two SA-cell base stations in a succession.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the terminal is in a power-save mode and the method further comprises the terminal exiting the power-save mode to receive the signal from the each of the one or more SA-cell base stations and/or to determine the properties of the signal received from the each of the one or more SA-cell base stations.

7 . A terminal comprising means for performing the steps of claim 1 .

8 . A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a computer program comprising software code portion configured, when executed by a processor, for performing the steps of claim 1 .

9 . A decision unit configured at least for:
receiving from a terminal in idle mode camping on a LA-cell base station a report comprising at least information indicative of at least a portion of the determined properties for at least one of a plurality of SA-cell base stations, and based at least partially on the report, selecting at least one SA-cell base station of the plurality of SA-cell base stations for establishing the data connection between the terminal and the selected SA-cell base station.

10 . The decision unit according to claim 9 , further configured for providing an indication to the terminal that the data connection is to be established between the terminal and the selected SA-cell base station.

11 . The decision unit according to claim 10 , wherein the indication is provided in response to receiving a service request message from the terminal, via the LA-cell base station, requesting establishment of the data connection.

12 . The decision unit according to claim 9 , configured for, when at least one SA-cell base station of the one or more SA-cell base stations is in a power-save mode and in response to receiving a service request message from the terminal, providing a transmit-trigger to the at least one SA-cell base station to transmit the signal.

13 . The decision unit according to claim 12 , wherein the transmit-trigger is at least partially based on one or more of a terminal location estimate, an estimate of the accuracy of the terminal location estimate, and activity status of the SA-cell base stations in the vicinity of the estimated terminal location.

14 . An LA-cell base station comprising the decision unit according to claim 9 .

Assignees

• Koninkl Kpn Nv
• TNO

Inventors

• Jorguseski Ljupco
• Pais Adrian Victor
• Zhang Haibin
• Oostveen Job Cornelis
• Van Der Wal Jacob Cornelis

Classifications

• H04W48/16 Primary

  Discovering, processing access restriction or access information · CPC title

• H04W52/0206

  in access points, e.g. base stations · CPC title

• H04W76/10

  Connection setup · CPC title

• H04W24/10

  Scheduling measurement reports {; Arrangements for measurement reports} · CPC title

• H04W84/045

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