Radio access device and handover method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9485694-B2
Application number	US-201113993835-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2011
Priority date	Dec 16, 2010
Publication date	Nov 1, 2016
Grant date	Nov 1, 2016

Abstract

A radio access device includes a controller signal processing unit (RNSAP unit) that processes a signal exchanged with a radio network controller (RNC); and a switching center signal processing unit (RANAP unit) that processes a signal exchanged with a switching center. The RNSAP unit requests to establish a communication path between the radio access device and the RNC and a communication path between the RNC and a BTS by transmitting a request signal to the RNC. Subsequent to receiving an acknowledgement signal corresponding to the request signal from the RNC, the RANAP unit requests to establish a communication path between the switching center and the RNC. Subsequent to receiving, by the RANAP unit, an acknowledgement signal corresponding to the request signal from the switching center, a communication path between the radio access device and the UE is released.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A radio access device that functions as a Home Node B Gateway, the Home Node B Gateway being a first upper layer node of a Home Node B of a femtocell, and that performs mobility control for causing user equipment to perform a handover to a macrocell, the user equipment being served by the femtocell,
the radio access device comprising:
a controller signal processing unit that is a radio network subsystem signal processing unit (RNSAP) included in the Home Node B Gateway, wherein the processing unit processes a controller signal exchanged with a radio network controller through an interface between the radio network controller and the radio access device, the radio network controller being a second upper layer node of a macro base station of the macrocell; and
a switching center signal processing unit that processes a switching center signal exchanged with a switching center, the switching center being a third upper layer node of the radio network controller,
wherein the controller and switching center signals are processed during the handover to the macrocell,
wherein the controller signal processing unit requests to establish a first communication path between the radio access device and the radio network controller and a second communication path between the radio network controller and the macro base station by transmitting a first request signal to the radio network controller,
wherein, subsequent to the controller signal processing unit receiving a first acknowledgement signal corresponding to the first request signal from the radio network controller,
the switching center signal processing unit requests to establish a third communication path between the switching center and the radio network controller by transmitting a second request signal to the switching center, and
wherein, subsequent to the switching center processing unit receiving a second acknowledgement signal corresponding to the second request signal from the switching center, a fourth communication path between the radio access device and the switching center is released.

2. The radio access device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the radio access device functions as the Home Node B of the femtocell.

3. A handover method of a radio access device that functions as a Home Node B Gateway, the Home Node B Gateway being a first upper layer node of a Home Node B of a femtocell, and that performs mobility control for causing user equipment to perform a handover to a macrocell, the user equipment being served by the femtocell, the radio access device comprising:
a controller signal processing unit that is a radio network subsystem signal processing unit (RNSAP) included in the Home Node B Gateway and that processes a controller signal exchanged with a radio network controller through an interface between the radio network controller and the radio access device, the radio network controller being a first second upper layer node of a macro base station of the macrocell; and
a switching center signal processing unit that processes a switching center signal exchanged with a switching center, the switching center being a third upper layer node of the radio network controller, wherein the controller and switching center signals are processed during the handover to the macrocell,
wherein the handover method includes steps such that the controller signal processing unit requests to establish a first communication path between the radio access device and the radio network controller and a second communication path between the radio network controller and the macro base station by transmitting a first request signal to the radio network controller,
wherein, subsequent to the controller signal processing unit receiving a first acknowledgement signal corresponding to the first request signal from the radio network controller, the switching center signal processing unit requests to establish a third communication path between the switching center and the radio network controller by transmitting a second request signal to the switching center, and
wherein, subsequent to the switching center processing unit receiving a second acknowledgement signal corresponding to the second request signal from the switching center, a fourth communication path between the radio access device and the switching center is released.

Assignees

• Hosono Hiroyuki
• Okamoto Takeshi
• Ntt Docomo Inc

Inventors

• Hosono Hiroyuki
• Okamoto Takeshi

Classifications

• H04W92/22

  between access point controllers · CPC title

• H04W36/10

  Reselecting an access point controller · CPC title

• H04W36/04 Primary

  Reselecting a cell layer in multi-layered cells · CPC title

• H04W92/12

  between access points and access point controllers · CPC title

• H04W84/045

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