Communications system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9723503-B2
Application number	US-73561609-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2009
Priority date	Feb 4, 2008
Publication date	Aug 1, 2017
Grant date	Aug 1, 2017

Abstract

A user communications device having active and idle states operates in a cellular communications network in which user communications devices communicate via network communications devices of cells of the network. History data identifying the cells in which the user communications device has been present whilst in the idle state is maintained. This history data is used by the user communications device or by a network communications device to enable adjustment of cell selection/reselection parameters for the user communications device in the active state.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method performed by a user communications device having active and idle states in a cellular communications network in which user communications devices communicate via network communications devices of cells of the network, the method comprising:
in the user communications device:
maintaining history data identifying a location of the user communications device while the user communications device is in the idle state, wherein the history data comprises data relating to at least one of cell selection and cell reselection; and
providing data relating to the history data to a network communications device when the user communications device is in the active state,

wherein in the active state, the user communications device includes a radio resource control (RRC) connection.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the history data includes an identification of cells in which the user communications device has been located while in the idle state.

3. A method according to claim 2 , wherein the history data includes an identification of the last n cells in which the user communications device has been located while in the idle state.

4. A method according to claim 2 , wherein the history data includes cell identification data and data identifying a time for which the user communications device was located in that cell while in the idle state.

5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the history data includes tracking area identity data.

6. A method according to claim 2 , wherein the data relating to at least one of cell selection and cell reselection includes data relating to at least one of intra LTE intra frequency cell selection and intra LTE frequency cell reselection.

7. A method according to claim 2 , wherein the data relating to at least one of cell selection and cell reselection includes data relating to at least one of intra LTE inter frequency cell selection and intra LTE inter frequency cell reselection.

8. A method according to claim 2 , wherein the data relating to at least one of cell selection and cell reselection includes data relating to at least one of inter RAT cell selection and inter RAT cell reselection.

9. A method according to claim 2 , wherein the history data comprises frequency information.

10. A method according to claim 8 , wherein the history data comprises the RAT and frequency information.

11. A method according to claim 1 , wherein providing data is initiated by the user communications device.

12. A method according to claim 11 , further comprising initiating, by the user communications device, providing of data relating to the history data upon entry into the active state.

13. A method according to claim 12 , further comprising initiating, by the user communications device, providing of data relating to the history data in an RRC initial direct transfer or any other RRC message involved in idle to Active transition.

14. A method according to claim 11 , further comprising initiating, by the user communications device, providing of data relating to the history data in response to detection of an indication of ping pong between at least one of cells and tracking areas.

15. A method according to claim 14 , wherein the data provided by the user communications device includes at least one of data identifying cells and tracking areas for which ping pong has occurred.

16. A method according to claim 15 , wherein the data provided by the user communications device also comprises time information.

17. A method according to claim 11 , further comprising carrying out, by the user communications device, checks before the providing the data.

18. A method according to claim 11 , further comprising:
determining, by the user communications device, whether the user communications device is in a high mobility state before providing the data; and
providing, by the user communications device, the data if it is determined that the user communications device is not in a high mobility state.

19. A method according to claim 11 , further comprising checking, by the user communications device, whether a tracking area of a cell in which the user communications device is present is different from a tracking area of a last cell in which the user communications device was present, before providing the data.

20. A method according to claim 19 , further comprising providing, by the user communications device, the data only if the tracking area of the cell in which the user communications device is present is different from the tracking area of the last cell in which the user communications device was present.

21. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the communications device provides data relating to the history data in response to a request from a network communication device.

22. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising receiving, by the user communications device, a new set of at least one of cell selection parameters and cell reselection parameters from a network device in response to providing data relating to the history data that is indicative of ping pong between cells.

23. A method performed by a network communications device in a cellular communications network in which user communications devices having active and idle states communicate via network communications devices of cells of the network, the method comprising:
in the network communications device:
receiving, from a user communications device in the active state, data relating to history data, the history data identifying a location of the user communications device while the user communications device is in the idle state and comprising data related to at least one of cell selection and cell reselection; and
providing parameter data for at least one of cell selection and cell reselection when in the active state,
wherein in the active state, the user communications device includes a radio resource control (RRC) connection.

24. A method according to claim 23 , wherein the network communications device provides the parameter data related for at least one of cell selection and cell reselection so that any of the user communications device in the same cell as the user communications device receives the same cell selection/reselection parameter data.

25. A method according to claim 23 , further comprising analyzing, by the network communications device, data from other user communications device in a cell for which the the parameter data for at least one of cell selection and cell reselection are provided.

26. A method according to claim 23 , further comprising providing, by the network communications device, modified parameter data for at least one of cell selection and cell reselection in response to the data relating to the history data indicative of ping pong between cells or tracking areas.

27. A method according to claim 23 , wherein the history data includes an identification of cells in which the user communications device has been located while in the idle state.

28. A method according to claim 23 , further comprising requesting, by the network communication device, a user communications device to provide data relating to the history data.

29. A user communications device having active and idle states for use in a cellular communications network in which user communications devices communicate via network communicati

Assignees

• Serravalle Francesca
• Nec Corp

Inventors

• Serravalle Francesca

Classifications

• H04W60/00 Primary

  Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration · CPC title

• H04W52/0216

  using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame · CPC title

• H04W36/0094 Primary

  Definition of hand-off measurement parameters · CPC title

• H04W24/10 Primary

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

• H04W60/04

  using triggered events · CPC title