Communication system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9326123-B2
Application number	US-201214358023-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 15, 2012
Priority date	Dec 1, 2011
Publication date	Apr 26, 2016
Grant date	Apr 26, 2016

Abstract

A communication system includes a communication network including a plurality of communication cells, a plurality of mobile communication devices each operable to connect into the communication network via at least one of the communication cells, and a communication apparatus for providing at least one of the communication cells. The communication apparatus is operable to provide first and second communication cells via which a mobile communication device can connect to a communication network and to determine whether a mobile communication device is connected to the communication network via the first and/or second communication cells. The communication apparatus is also operable to monitor for further communication cells in dependence on a result of the determination by the determining unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A communication system, comprising:
a communication network comprising a plurality of communication cells, a plurality of mobile communication devices each configured to connect into the communication network via at least one of said communication cells, and a communication apparatus configured to provide at least one of said communication cells, wherein the communication apparatus comprises:
a memory storing instructions; and
one or more processors configured to execute the instructions to:
provide a first communication cell via which a mobile communication device can connect to the communication network;
determine whether a mobile communication device is connected to the communication network via the first communication cell;
monitor for further communication cells in dependence on a result of the determination;
when no mobile communication devices are determined to be connected via the first communication cell, monitor for further communication cells operating using any of a first set of radio access technology/frequency band combinations; and
when at least one mobile communication device is determined to be connected via the first communication cell, monitor for further communication cells operating using any of a second set of radio access technology/frequency band combinations,

wherein at least one of said first and second sets comprises at least one radio access technology/frequency band combination not present in an other of said first and second sets.

2. A mobile communication device forming part of the communication system of claim 1 , comprising a transceiver configured to connect to the communication network of the communication system via at least one of said cells.

3. A communication apparatus for providing at least one communication cell and for monitoring other communication cells, the communication apparatus comprising:
a memory storing instructions; and
one or more processors configured to execute the instructions to:
provide a first communication cell via which a mobile communication device can connect to a communication network;
determine whether a mobile communication device is connected to the communication network via the first communication cell;
monitor for further communication cells in dependence on a result of the determination;
when no mobile communication devices are determined to be connected via the first communication cell, monitor for further communication cells operating using any of a first set of radio access technology/frequency band combinations; and
when at least one mobile communication device is determined to be connected via the first communication cell, monitor for further communication cells operating using any of a second set of radio access technology/frequency band combinations,

wherein at least one of said first and second sets comprises at least one radio access technology/frequency band combination not present in the other of said first and second sets.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the communication module is further configured to provide a second communication cell via which the mobile communication device can connect to the communication network,
wherein the is one or more processors are further configured to execute the instructions to determine whether at least one mobile communication device is connected to the communication network via the first communication cell and whether at least one mobile communication device is connected to the communication network via the second communication cell, and
wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the instructions to:
when no mobile communication devices are determined to be connected via the first communication cell and no mobile communication devices are determined to be connected via the second communication cell, monitor for further communication cells operating using any of said first set of radio access technology/frequency band combinations; and
when at least one mobile communication device is determined to be connected via the first communication cell and no mobile communication devices are determined to be connected via the second communication cell, monitor for further communication cells operating using any of said second set of radio access technology/frequency band combinations.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the instructions to provide the first communication cell that operates using a first radio access technology/frequency band combination, and
wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the instructions to provide the second communication cell that operates using a second radio access technology/frequency band combination.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein said first set comprises at least one radio access technology/frequency band combination not present in said second set.

7. The communication apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein:
said first set of radio access technology/frequency band combinations comprises the first radio access technology/frequency band combination and the second radio access technology/frequency band combination; and
said second set of radio access technology/frequency band combinations comprises the second radio access technology/frequency band combination but not the first radio access technology/frequency band combination.

8. The communication apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the instructions to monitor for further communication cells in dependence on a result of the determination, are further configured to execute the instructions to not monitor for any further communication cells when at least one mobile communication device is determined to be connected via the first communication cell and at least one mobile communication device is determined to be connected via the second communication cell.

9. The communication apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the instructions to:
when at least one mobile communication device is determined to be connected via the second communication cell but no mobile communication device is determined to be connected via the first communication cell, monitor for further communication cells operating using any of a third set of radio access technology/frequency band combinations, and
wherein at least one of said second and third sets comprises at least one radio access technology/frequency band combinations not present in the other of said second and third sets.

10. The communication apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein said first set comprises at least one radio access technology/frequency band combination not present in the third set.

11. The communication apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein said third set of radio access technology/frequency band combinations comprises the first radio access technology/frequency band combination but not the second radio access technology/frequency band combination.

12. The communication apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein said second and third sets each comprise at least one radio access technology/frequency band combination not present in the other of said second and third sets.

13. The communication apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the instructions to, when the one or more processors determine that no mobile communication devices are connected via at least one of said commu

Assignees

• Ganapathy Suresh
• Ahluwalia Jagdeep Singh
• Gupta Neeraj
• Kawaguchi Kenji
• Nec Corp

Inventors

• Ganapathy Suresh
• Ahluwalia Jagdeep Singh
• Gupta Neeraj
• Kawaguchi Kenji

Classifications

• H04W24/00

  Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements · CPC title

• H04W84/045

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

• H04W8/005 Primary

  Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals · CPC title

• H04W88/10

  adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points · CPC title

• H04W36/0083 Primary

  Determination of parameters used for hand-off, e.g. generation or modification of neighbour cell lists · CPC title