Access terminal assisted node identifier confusion resolution

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9585069-B2
Application number	US-48665809-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2009
Priority date	Jun 19, 2008
Publication date	Feb 28, 2017
Grant date	Feb 28, 2017

Abstract

Confusion resulting from assigning the same node identifier to multiple nodes is resolved through the use of confusion detection techniques and the use of unique identifiers for the nodes. In some aspects a network may provide a time gap (e.g., an asynchronous time gap) during which an access terminal may temporarily cease monitoring transmissions from a source node so that the access terminal may acquire a unique identifier from a target node. In some aspects an access terminal may commence handover operations at a target node after determining whether the access terminal is allowed to access the target node. In some aspects a source node may prepare several target nodes for potential handover in the event confusion is detected or likely. Here, the source node may send information relating to the preparation of the potential target nodes to the access terminal whereby the access terminal uses the handover preparation information to initiate a handover at that target node.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of communication, comprising:
acquiring an identifier associated with an access point at an access terminal;
reporting another identifier of the access point to a serving access point of the access terminal;
receiving, in response to the reporting of the another identifier, an indication of a time gap during which the access terminal may temporarily cease monitoring transmissions from the serving access point, wherein the identifier is acquired during the time gap;
determining, at the access terminal, whether the access terminal is allowed to access the access point based on the identifier; and
initiating, by the access terminal, connection re-establishment at the access point as a result of the determination.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determination comprises determining whether an allowed node list for the access terminal includes the identifier.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the identifier identifies a closed subscriber group of which the access point is a member; and
the determination comprises determining whether an allowed closed subscriber group list for the access terminal includes the identifier.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifier comprises a global cell identifier of the access point.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the access terminal initiates the re-establishment by performing a random access at the access point.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the re-establishment is initiated to cause the access point to invoke a forward handover with the serving access point of the access terminal.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifier is unique within a larger region than the another identifier.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifier is more unique than the another identifier such that the identifier is less likely to be subject to identifier confusion than the another identifier.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining whether an indication of whether the access terminal may initiate the connection re-establishment has been received in the event the access terminal is allowed to access the access point.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the access terminal is enabled to initiate the connection re-establishment based on the determination of whether the indication has been received.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the re-establishment is not associated with a radio-link failure.

12. An access terminal for communication, comprising:
an identifier controller configured to acquire an identifier associated with an access point at the access terminal, and to report another identifier of the access point to a serving access point of the access terminal;
a communication controller configured to receive, in response to the reporting of the another identifier, an indication of a time gap during which the access terminal may temporarily cease monitoring transmissions from the serving access point, wherein the identifier is acquired during the time gap;
an access controller configured to determine whether the access terminal is allowed to access the access point based on the identifier; and
a handover controller configured to initiate connection re-establishment at the access point as a result of the determination.

13. The access terminal of claim 12 , wherein the determination comprises determining whether an allowed node list for the access terminal includes the identifier.

14. The access terminal of claim 12 , wherein:
the identifier identifies a closed subscriber group of which the access point is a member; and
the determination comprises determining whether an allowed closed subscriber group list for the access terminal includes the identifier.

15. The access terminal of claim 12 , wherein the re-establishment is initiated to cause the access point to invoke a forward handover with the serving access point of the access terminal.

16. The access terminal of claim 12 , wherein the handover controller is further configured to determine whether an indication of whether the access terminal may initiate the connection re-establishment has been received in the event the access terminal is allowed to access the access point.

17. An access terminal for communication, comprising:
means for acquiring an identifier associated with an access point at the access terminal;
means for reporting another identifier of the access point to a serving access point of the access terminal;
means for receiving, in response to the reporting of the another identifier, an indication of a time gap during which the access terminal may temporarily cease monitoring transmissions from the serving access point, wherein the identifier is acquired during the time gap;
means for determining whether the access terminal is allowed to access the access point based on the identifier; and
means for initiating connection re-establishment at the access point as a result of the determination.

18. The access terminal of claim 17 , wherein the determination comprises determining whether an allowed node list for the access terminal includes the identifier.

19. The access terminal of claim 17 , wherein:
the identifier identifies a closed subscriber group of which the access point is a member; and
the determination comprises determining whether an allowed closed subscriber group list for the access terminal includes the identifier.

20. The access terminal of claim 17 , wherein the re-establishment is initiated to cause the access point to invoke a forward handover with the serving access point of the access terminal.

21. The access terminal of claim 17 , further comprising means for determining whether an indication of whether the access terminal may initiate the connection re-establishment has been received in the event the access terminal is allowed to access the access point.

22. A computer-program product, comprising:
a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code for causing a computer to:
acquire an identifier associated with an access point at an access terminal;
report another identifier of the access point to a serving access point of the access terminal;
receive, in response to the report of the another identifier, an indication of a time gap during which the access terminal may temporarily cease monitoring transmissions from the serving access point, wherein the identifier is acquired during the time gap;
determine, at the access terminal, whether the access terminal is allowed to access the access point based on the identifier; and
initiate, by the access terminal, connection re-establishment at the access point as a result of the determination.

23. The computer-program product of claim 22 , wherein the determination comprises determining whether an allowed node list for the access terminal includes the identifier.

24. The computer-program product of claim 22 , wherein:
the identifier identifies a closed subscriber group of which the access point is a member; and
the determination comprises determining whether an allowed closed subscriber group list for the access terminal includes the identifier.

25. A method of communication, comprising:
receiving a first message from an access terminal at a first access point, wherein the first message includes an identifier of a second access point;
determining whether the identifier may be used to identify a set of at least one access point other than the sec

Assignees

• Prakash Rajat
• Gupta Rajarshi
• Agashe Parag A
• Kitazoe Masato
• Meylan Arnaud
• Horn Gavin B
• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Prakash Rajat
• Gupta Rajarshi
• Agashe Parag A
• Kitazoe Masato
• Meylan Arnaud
• Horn Gavin B

Classifications

• H04W36/38

  by fixed network equipment · CPC title

• H04W36/0016

  Hand-off preparation specially adapted for end-to-end data sessions · CPC title

• H04W36/0061

  of neighbour cell information · CPC title

• H04W84/045

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

• H04W36/0088 Primary

  Scheduling hand-off measurements · CPC title