Performing handover from a second generation RAT to a fourth generation RAT

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9521598-B2
Application number	US-201414288895-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 28, 2014
Priority date	Apr 23, 2014
Publication date	Dec 13, 2016
Grant date	Dec 13, 2016

Abstract

Transitioning a UE from a first RAT to a third RAT in an area having a first RAT, a second RAT, and a third RAT. The first RAT may be a second generation RAT, the second RAT may be a third generation RAT, and the third RAT may be a fourth generation RAT. The network of the first RAT may not provide information (e.g., a neighbor list) for the third RAT. The UE may use information to perform measurement of one or more base stations of the third RAT without attaching to the second RAT. For example, the UE may use pre-stored information to perform measurement of the third RAT. Alternatively, or additionally, the UE may receive the information (e.g., from a system information block) from the second RAT without attaching to the second RAT. The UE may then transition to from the first RAT to the third RAT.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
at a user equipment device (UE) comprising one or more radios, wherein the one or more radios are configurable to operate according to a first radio access technology (RAT), a second RAT, and a third RAT:
communicating using the first RAT;
performing base station measurement of the second RAT, wherein the UE maintains a connection to the first RAT while performing the base station measurement of the second RAT;
obtaining information regarding one or more base stations of the third RAT from a base station of the second RAT during said performing the base station measurement of the second RAT;
transitioning from the first RAT to the third RAT based on said obtaining information regarding the one or more base stations of the third RAT, wherein said obtaining information and said transitioning is performed without the UE registering with the second RAT.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said obtaining information regarding the one or more base stations of the third RAT comprises determining the information regarding the one or more base stations of the third RAT from system information received from the base station of the second RAT.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the UE transitioning from the first RAT to the third RAT comprises:
determining if measurement of a base station of the one or more base stations in the third RAT is above a target threshold;
selecting the base station of the one or more base stations in the third RAT instead of a second RAT base station if the measurement of the base station of the one or more base stations in the third RAT is above the target threshold.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the UE is unable to obtain information regarding the one or more base stations of the third RAT from the first RAT.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first RAT is a second generation RAT, wherein the second RAT is a third generation RAT, and wherein the third RAT is a fourth generation RAT.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first RAT comprises global system for mobile communications (GSM) and wherein the third RAT comprises long term evolution (LTE).

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the UE comprises a single radio for performing cellular communication and wherein said communicating, performing base station measurement, obtaining information, and transitioning is performed using the single radio.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the UE comprises two smart cards which each implement SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) functionality, wherein the UE implements DSDA (Dual SIM Dual Active) functionality.

9. An apparatus for configuration in a user equipment device (UE), comprising:
one or more processing elements, wherein the one or more processing elements are configured to:
communicate using a first radio access technology (RAT);
perform base station measurement of a second RAT while maintaining a connection to the first RAT;
obtain information regarding one or more base stations of a third RAT from a base station of the second RAT during said performing the base station measurement of the second RAT;
transition from the first RAT to the third RAT based on said obtaining information regarding the one or more base stations of the third RAT, wherein said obtaining information and said transitioning is performed without registering with the second RAT.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein said obtaining information regarding the one or more base stations of the third RAT comprises determining the information regarding the one or more base stations of the third RAT from system information received from the base station of the second RAT.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein transitioning from the first RAT to the third RAT comprises:
determining when measurement of a base station of the one or more base stations in the third RAT is above a target threshold;
selecting the base station of the one or more base stations in the third RAT instead of a second RAT base station when the measurement of the base station of the one or more base stations in the third RAT is above the target threshold.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the apparatus is unable to obtain information regarding the one or more base stations of the third RAT from the first RAT.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the first RAT is a second generation RAT, wherein the second RAT is a third generation RAT, and wherein the third RAT is a fourth generation RAT.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first RAT comprises global system for mobile communications (GSM) and wherein the third RAT comprises long term evolution (LTE).

15. A user equipment device (UE), comprising:
one or more radios, configurable to perform communication using a first radio access technology (RAT), a second RAT, and a third RAT; and
one or more processors coupled to the one or more radios, wherein the one or more processors and the one or more radios are configured to:
communicate using the first RAT;
perform base station measurement of the second RAT, wherein the UE maintains a connection to the first RAT while performing the base station measurement of the second RAT;
obtain information regarding one or more base stations of the third RAT from a base station of the second RAT during said performing the base station measurement of the second RAT;
transition from the first RAT to the third RAT based on said obtaining information regarding the one or more base stations of the third RAT, wherein said obtaining information and said transitioning is performed without the UE registering with the second RAT.

16. The UE of claim 15 , wherein said obtaining information regarding the one or more base stations of the third RAT comprises determining the information regarding the one or more base stations of the third RAT from system information received from the base station of the second RAT.

17. The UE of claim 15 , wherein transitioning from the first RAT to the third RAT comprises:
determining when measurement of a base station of the one or more base stations in the third RAT is above a target threshold;
selecting the base station of the one or more base stations in the third RAT instead of a second RAT base station when the measurement of the base station of the one or more base stations in the third RAT is above the target threshold.

18. The UE of claim 15 , wherein the UE is unable to obtain information regarding the one or more base stations of the third RAT from the first RAT.

19. The UE of claim 15 , wherein the first RAT is a second generation RAT, wherein the second RAT is a third generation RAT, and wherein the third RAT is a fourth generation RAT.

20. The UE of claim 15 , wherein the UE comprises a single radio for performing cellular communication and wherein said communicating, performing base station measurement, obtaining information, and transitioning is performed using the single radio.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Nie Xiao
• Yan Yaoqi
• Zhang Wanping
• Miao Qiang
• Shi Jianxiong

Classifications

• H04W36/14

  Reselecting a network or an air interface · CPC title

• H04W36/0083 Primary

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

• H04W36/1443

  between licensed networks · CPC title

• H04W36/0085 Primary

  Hand-off measurements · CPC title