KR101477079B1 - Favoring Access points in Wireless Communications - Google Patents

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed that facilitate applying offsets and / or selectable hysteresis values to favor access points in cell reselection. In measuring and ranking peripheral access points in reselection, offsets may be applied to preferred access points to facilitate cell reselection to the preferred access point. In some cases, the offset can affect the measurement and hence the ranking with a positive component. Negative offsets can be applied to lower the measurements (and hence the ranking) of some access points. The hysteresis values can also be applied in current cell measurements to prevent frequent reselection. These hysteresis values may be selected based on the type of the current cell or associated access point to expand the coverage area if desired. Thus, if the current access point is preferred, a larger hysteresis may be added to the measurements associated with the current access point.

Description

Preferred Access Points in Wireless Communications < RTI ID = 0.0 >

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 988,631, entitled " Apparatus and Method to Facilitate Idle State Handoff in Systems With Restricted Association, " filed November 16, 2007, U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 988,649 filed on November 16, 2007 entitled " Apparatus and Method to Facilitate Management and Advertisement of Neighbor Lists in U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 086,223 entitled " Idle Mode Parameters for HeNB Detection and Camping "filed on August 5, 2008, U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 086,337, entitled " Idle Mode Parameters for HeNB Detection and Camping ". The entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

This application also claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 072324U1, Attorney Docket No. 072324U1, filed by Gavin Horn et al., U.S. Patent Application No. & to Convey Restricted Association Information ", Attorney Docket No. 072324U4," Classifying Access points using Pilot Identifiers "filed by Gavin Horn et al., and Attorney Docket No. 072324U5, filed by Gavin Horn et al. "All of which are now pending and assigned to the present assignee and incorporated herein by reference.

The present application relates generally to wireless communications, and more particularly to the preference of access points within a wireless communication network.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Wireless communication systems are widely used to provide various types of content such as, for example, voice, data, and so on. These typical communication systems may be multiple access systems capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., bandwidth, transmit power, etc.). Examples of such multiple access systems include Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) systems, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) systems, Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) systems, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) systems, and the like. These systems may also conform to standards such as 3GPP, 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE), Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), and the like.

In general, wireless multiple-access communication systems can simultaneously support communication for multiple mobile devices. Each mobile device may communicate with one or more base stations via transmissions on the forward and reverse links. The forward link (or downlink) refers to the communication link from the base stations to the mobile devices, and the reverse link (or uplink) refers to the communication link from the mobile devices to the base stations. Communications between mobile devices and base stations can be established through a single input single output (SISO) system, a multiple input single output (MISO) system, a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) system, In addition, mobile devices may communicate with other mobile devices in peer-to-peer wireless network configurations (and / or base stations may communicate with other base stations).

A MIMO system uses multiple (N _T ) transmit antennas and multiple (N _R ) receive antennas for data transmission. In one example, such antennas may be associated with both base stations and mobile devices, thereby enabling bi-directional communication between devices on wireless networks. Because mobile devices move through service areas, the cells used for communication by these devices can be reselected between one or more access points (e.g., macrocells, femtocells, etc.). This reselection may occur, for example, if the available access point (or the serving sector of the available access point) is able to provide a better signal or service than the current access point. Mobile devices can measure parameters (e.g., signal quality, service level, etc.) associated with one or more cells and can rank cells according to their preferences that may be based on one or more of these parameters. In one example, an available access point may be associated with a home access point for a given mobile device that provides desirable billing, coverage, service options, and the like.

The following description provides a simplified description of one or more embodiments in order to provide a basic understanding of embodiments of the invention. This section is not a comprehensive overview of all possible embodiments and is not intended to identify key elements or to cover the scope of all embodiments of all elements. Its sole purpose is to present the concept of one or more embodiments in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

In accordance with one or more embodiments and corresponding explanations, various aspects related to facilitating the preference of an access point for reselection in wireless communications are presented. For example, certain access points may be preferred by mobile devices because they provide desirable billing, data throughput, access levels, features, and / or the like. The mobile device may prefer certain access points during reselection by providing an offset for communication measurements, at least partially with the preferred access points, which may cause the preferred access point to be identified as compared to other access points measured without using the offset Lt; / RTI > Also, when connected to a preferred access point, the mobile device may add a hysteresis to the communication measurements with the current preferred access point, which may make the current access point more advantageous than peripheral access points that do not use the hysteresis value I make it. In this case, if they are within the extended range, the mobile devices can be dependent on the preferred access point and can maintain a connection with the preferred access point over the extended range compared to the non-preferred access point.

According to related aspects, a method for cell reselection in a wireless communication network is provided. The method may include receiving a wireless communication service from a first access point and determining the type and signal strength of the second access point. The method may further comprise applying an offset to the signal strength of the second access point in ranking the second access point for cell reselection from the first access point, Is selected based at least in part on the type of the second access point.

Yet another aspect relates to a wireless communication device. The wireless communications apparatus may include at least one processor configured to receive a wireless communication service from a first access point and to receive a type and signal strength for each of the first access point and the second access point. Wherein the processor is further configured to apply an offset to the signal strength of the second access point in ranking the second access point for cell reselection from the first access point, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > at least < / RTI > And the at least one processor is configured to apply a hysteresis to the signal strength of the first access point in ranking the second access point for reselection from the first access point, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > 1 < / RTI > The wireless communication device also includes a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

Yet another aspect relates to a wireless communication device that facilitates performing cell reselection to one or more access points. The wireless communication device may comprise means for receiving a wireless communication service from a first access point and means for determining the type and signal strength of the second access point. The wireless communication device may further comprise means for applying an offset to the signal strength of the second access point in ranking the second access point for cell reselection from the first access point, The offset is selected based at least in part on the type of the second access point.

Yet another aspect relates to a computer program product comprising a computer readable medium comprising code for causing at least one computer to receive wireless communication services from a first access point. The computer-readable medium may also include code for causing the at least one computer to determine the type and signal strength of the second access point. The computer readable medium may also be configured to cause the at least one computer to apply an offset to the signal strength of the second access point in ranking the second access point for cell reselection from the first access point Code, and the offset is selected based at least in part on the type of the second access point.

Further aspects are related to the apparatus. The apparatus includes a sector parameter measurer for measuring a signal strength of one or more peripheral access points and an access point offset criterion for applying an offset to the signal strength of the one or more peripheral access points based at least in part on the type of the one or more peripheral access points And may include specifiers. The apparatus may also include a cell reselector that establishes communication with the one or more neighboring access points based at least in part on the ranking of the offset applied signal strength for the current access point.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the one or more embodiments comprise the features hereinafter detailed and particularly pointed out in the claims. The following description and the annexed drawings set forth in detail certain illustrative aspects of such one or more embodiments. These aspects, however, are merely examples of various ways in which the various embodiments may be used, and the disclosed embodiments should be construed as including all such aspects and their equivalents.

1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a wireless communication system according to various aspects presented herein.
2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a wireless communication network that facilitates cell reselection;
3 is a diagram illustrating an example of an exemplary communication device for use in a wireless communication environment.
4 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary wireless communication system that achieves the application of offsets and / or hysteresis to a cell re-election.
5 is a diagram illustrating an example of an exemplary method that facilitates performing cell reselection in a wireless network.
6 is an illustration of an example of an exemplary method that facilitates applying an offset to a potential access point when ranking for reselection.
FIG. 7 illustrates an example of an exemplary method that facilitates selecting and applying a hysteresis value to a current access point for reselection.
8 is a diagram illustrating an example of an exemplary mobile device that facilitates applying offsets and selectable hysteresis in ranking cell re-elections.
9 is a diagram illustrating an example of an exemplary wireless network environment that may be used in connection with the various systems and methods presented herein.
10 is a diagram illustrating an example of an exemplary system for applying offsets to future access point measurements at cell re-election.

Various embodiments are now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to refer to like elements. For purposes of explanation, various descriptions are set forth herein to provide an understanding of the present invention. It is evident, however, that such embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate describing embodiments.

The terms "component," "module," system, "and the like, as used herein, refer to a computer-related entity, hardware, firmware, software, combination of software and hardware, or execution of software. For example, a component may be, but is not limited to, a process executing on a processor, a processor, an object, an executing thread, a program, and / or a computer. For example, both an application running on a computing device and a computing device may be a component. One or more components may reside within a processor and / or thread of execution, one component may be localized within one computer, or it may be distributed between two or more computers. Further, such components may execute from various computer readable media having various data structures stored therein. The components may be, for example, a signal (e.g., a local system, data from one component interacting with another component in a distributed system, and / or data over a network, such as the Internet, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > and / or < / RTI >

In addition, various embodiments are described in connection with a mobile device. A mobile device may be referred to as a system, a subscriber unit, a subscriber station, a mobile station, a mobile, a remote station, an access point, a remote terminal, an access terminal, a user terminal, a terminal, a wireless communication device, a user agent, . The mobile device may be a cellular telephone, a cordless telephone, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) telephone, a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a handheld device with connectivity capability, . Also, various embodiments are described herein in connection with a base station. A base station may be used to communicate with the mobile device (s) and may be referred to as an access point, a Node B, a bulged Node B (eNode B or eNB), a base transceiver station (BTS), or some other terminology.

In addition, various aspects or features presented herein may be implemented as a method, apparatus, or article of manufacture using standard programming and / or engineering techniques. The term "article of manufacture " as used herein includes any computer readable device, carrier, or computer program accessible from the media. For example, the computer-readable medium can be a magnetic storage device (e.g., a hard disk, a floppy disk, a magnetic strip, etc.), an optical disk (e.g., CD, DVD, etc.), a smart card, (E. G., EEPROM, card, stick, key drive, etc.). The various storage media presented herein also include one or more devices and / or other machine-readable media for storing information. The term "machine-readable medium" includes, but is not limited to, wireless channels and various other media capable of storing, holding, and / or transferring instruction (s) and / or data.

The techniques described herein may be used in various systems such as Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiplexing (SC- , ≪ / RTI > and the like. The terms "system" and "network ", as used herein, are often used interchangeably. CDMA systems implement wireless technologies such as Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA), CDMA2000, and the like. UTRA includes wideband-CDMA (WCDMA) and low-rate chip rate (LCR). In addition, CDMA2000 includes IS-2000, IS-95, and IS-856 standards. The TDMA system implements a radio technology such as General Purpose System for Mobile Communications (GSM). The OFDMA system implements wireless technologies such as bulb UTRA (E-UTRA), ultra mobile broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), IEEE 802.20, UTRA and E-UTRA are part of the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) is the next release using E-UTRA, which uses OFDMA in the downlink and SC-FDMA in the uplink. UTRA, E-UTRA, GSM, UMTS and LTE are presented in documents from the organization named "Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)". In addition, CDMA2000 and UMB are presented in documents from an organization named "3rd Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2) ".

Referring now to Figure 1, a wireless communication system 100 is presented in accordance with various aspects set forth herein. The system 100 includes a base station 102 that may include multiple antenna groups. For example, one antenna group may include antennas 104 and 106, another group may include antennas 108 and 110, and an additional group may include antennas 112 and 114 can do. Two antennas are presented for each antenna group; However, more or fewer antennas may be used for each group. The base station 102 may additionally include a transmitter chain and a receiver chain, each of which includes a plurality of components (e.g., a processor, a modulator, a multiplexer, a demodulator, a demultiplexer, an antenna, etc.) Which will be well understood by those skilled in the art.

Base station 102 may communicate with one or more mobile devices, such as mobile devices 116 and 126; However, base station 102 may communicate with substantially any number of mobile devices similar to mobile devices 116 and 126. The mobile devices 116 and 126 may be any device capable of communicating via, for example, a cellular telephone, a smart phone, a laptop, a portable communication device, a portable computing device, a satellite radio, a GPS, a PDA, and / Lt; / RTI > As indicated, mobile device 116 communicates with antennas 112 and 114, antennas 112 and 114 transmit information to mobile device 116 over forward link 118, and reverse link 120, < / RTI > In a frequency division duplex (FDD) system, the forward link 118 may use a different frequency band than the frequency band used by the reverse link 120. Also, in a time division duplex (TDD) system, the forward link 118 and the reverse link 120 may use a common frequency.

Each of the groups of antennas and the area that they are designated to communicate with may be referred to as a sector or cell of the base station 102. For example, antenna groups may be designed to communicate to mobile devices within the sector of the area covered by base station 102. [ In communications over the forward link 118, the transmit antennas of the base station 102 may use beamforming to improve the signal to noise ratio of the forward link 118 to the mobile device 116. Also, while base station 102 is using beamforming to transmit to mobile device 116, which is randomly scattered throughout its associated coverage, mobile devices of neighboring cells may transmit through their single antennas to all their mobile devices Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > interference. ≪ / RTI > In addition, mobile devices 116 and 126 may communicate directly with each other using peer-to-peer or ad-hoc technology.

The base station 102 may also communicate with the network 122 and the network 122 may be one or more networks including a wireless service access network (e.g., a 3G network) over a backhaul link connection. The network 122 may store information relating to the access parameters associated with the mobile devices 116 and 126 and other parameters of the radio access network for providing services to the mobile devices 116 and 126. The femtocell 124 also provides for facilitating communication with the mobile device 126 via the forward link 128 and the reverse link 130 (similar to the forward link 118 and the reverse link 120 shown above) . Femtocell 124 may provide access to one or more mobile devices 126 similar to base station 102, but its scale is smaller than base station 102. [ In one example, the femtocell 124 may comprise a residence, a commercial building, and / or other local settings (e.g., an amusement park, a stadium, an apartment complex, etc.). The femtocell 124 may connect to the network 122 using a backhaul link connection, which in one example may be a broadband Internet connection (T1 / T3, DSL, cable, etc.). The network 122 may similarly provide access information to the mobile device 126.

According to one example, mobile devices 116 and 126 may move across service areas to perform cell reselection among separate base stations and / or femtocells during movement. In this regard, the mobile devices 116 and 126 may achieve continuous wireless service without disruption to users of the mobile devices 116 and 126. In one example (not shown), the mobile device 126 may have been able to communicate with the base station 102, similar to the mobile device 116, and may have moved within a certain range of the femtocell 124. In this regard, the mobile device 126 may have reselected one or more cells associated with the femtocell 124 to receive a more preferred wireless service access. In one example, the femtocell 124 may be a home access point for the mobile device 126 that provides more desirable billing and / or other access options. In another example, the femtocell 124 may be associated with a place or business that provides an option or data tailored to each business or venue. Accordingly, the mobile device 126 may reselect one or more cells associated with the femtocell 124 to receive these customized options. In addition, when the mobile device 126 moves in the direction of the base station 102, the mobile device 126 may receive a more optimal signal or increased throughput < RTI ID = 0.0 > , Etc.), the cell associated with base station 102 may be reselected.

Upon moving across the service area, the mobile devices 116 and / or 126 may communicate with the serving base stations (such as base station 102), femtocells (such as femtocell 124), and / To determine when cell reselection is favorable to the mobile device 116 and / or 126. Such measurements may include, for example, evaluating signal quality, throughput, available services, wireless access providers associated with the access point, and the like. Based on one or more of these measurements, mobile devices 116 and / or 126 may rank access points for reselection. Upon such ranking, the mobile devices 116 and / or 126 may attempt cell reselection with the highest ranking access point. In addition, mobile devices 116 and / or 126 may maintain a list of accessible access points and / or a list of groups of accessible access points. Accessible access points may, for example, be associated with restricted access points that are granted access to mobile devices 116 and / or 126, or where access is prioritized or preferred over other access points.

In one example, the femtocell 124 may be such a limited associated access point. The restricted associated access points provide for example, each access point provides specific services to specific mobile devices (e.g., mobile device 116 and / or 126), but other mobile devices or access terminals (not shown) May be limited in some aspects that are not necessarily provided by. For example, the femtocell 124 may be restricted from providing registration, signaling, voice calls, data access, and / or additional services to these other mobile devices or access terminals. The restricted associated access points may be deployed in an ad-hoc manner. For example, a given homeowner may install and configure a limited access point for the house.

In one example, the mobile devices 116 and / or 126 may identify one or more available access points based at least in part on one or more indicators in the broadcast signal associated with the access point (s). Upon receiving one or more indicators, the mobile device 116 and / or 126 may ensure that the access point (s) are in the list or that the associated group identifier is in the list before attempting a cell reselection. In another example, the mobile device 116 and / or 126 may verify the association of the access point with the list before measuring the parameters for the ranking.

When measuring access points, such as base station 102 and / or femtocell 124, mobile devices 116 and / or 126 may prefer one or more access points. The femtocell 124 may be a home access point for the mobile device 126 and therefore the mobile device 126 may prefer the femtocell 124 over other access points. For example, when measuring neighboring access points at a cell re-election, the mobile device 126 applies a hysteresis value to the measurement of the femtocell 124 so that the femtocell 124 is compared to an access point to which the hysteresis value is not applied It can be made to have a higher ranking. Which consequently expands the coverage area of the femtocell 124 relative to the mobile device 126. Also, although not shown, if mobile device 126 moves into the range of femtocell 124 when mobile device 126 is communicating with another access point, such as base station 102, An offset may be applied to the measured values of the femtocell compared to the base station 102 to make the femtocell 124 preferred. This extends the coverage of the femtocell 124 to the mobile device 126 or makes the mobile device 126 long dependent on the coverage area of the femtocell 124. [

In this case, the mobile device 126 may establish communication with the femtocell 124 when it is proximate using offsets, and once established with the femtocell 124, it may use a hysteresis value for a longer distance It is possible to maintain communication with the femtocell 124 and extend the time and area for receiving desired services from the femtocell 124, for example. In addition, the mobile device 126 may perform reselection to the femtocell 124 in the active communication mode to continue its service. In addition, mobile device 126 may perform reselection in idle mode to camp on femtocell 124. [ Camping can operate in idle mode in a sector that can cause the mobile device to sleep and periodically wake up to receive events such as paging, signal loss, neighboring sector measurements, etc., which can lead to switching from idle mode to active mode .

Referring now to FIG. 2, a wireless communication system 200 configured to support multiple mobile devices is presented. System 200 provides communication for a number of cells, such as, for example, macrocells 202A-202G, where each cell is serviced by a corresponding access point 204A-204G. As described above, access points 204A-204G associated with, for example, macrocells 202A-202G may be base stations. It is suggested that mobile devices 206A-206I are distributed in various locations throughout the wireless communication system 200. [ Each mobile device 206A-206I may communicate with one or more access points 204A-204G on the forward link and / or reverse link as indicated. In addition, access points 208A-208C are presented. They may be smaller in scale than access points (e.g., femtocells) and provide services related to a particular service location as presented. Mobile devices 206A-206I can additionally communicate with these smaller scale access points 208A-208C to receive the services provided. The wireless communication system 200 may provide services over a larger geographic area in one example (e.g., the macrocells 202A-202G may cover several neighboring blocks and the femtocell access point 208A-208C may reside in areas such as residential areas, office buildings, etc., as shown). In one example, mobile devices 206A-206I may establish connections with access points 204A-204G and / or 208A-208C via wireless and / or backhaul connections.

Additionally, as shown, mobile devices 206A-206I may move across system 200 and mobile devices 206A-206I may move through different macrocells 202A-202G or femtocell coverage areas The mobile devices 206A-206I may reselect the cells associated with the various access points 204A-204G and / or 208A-208C. In one example, one or more mobile devices 206A-206I may be associated with a home femtocell associated with at least one of the femtocell access points 208A-208C. For example, mobile device 206I may be associated with a femtocell access point 208B as its home femtocell. Thus, although the mobile device 206I is in the macro cell 202B and therefore is within the coverage area of the access point 204B, the mobile device 206I may be used instead of (or in addition to) And may communicate with the access point 208B. In one example, the femtocell access point 208B may provide the mobile device 206I with additional services such as preferred billing or billing, minute usage, enhanced services (e.g., high speed broadband access, media services, etc.) . Thus, if mobile device 206I is located within range of femtocell access point 208B, it may be forced to communicate with femtocell access point 208B by preferring femtocell access point 208B on re-election.

For example, a mobile device 206D may be associated with a femtocell access point 208C. When mobile device 206D moves closer to macrodevice 202C into 202D and to access points 204D and / or 208C, mobile device 206D may initiate a cell reselection process as shown herein have. This may include, for example, measuring neighbor cell parameters (e.g., associated with access points 204C, 204D, and 208C) to determine the desired connection. These parameters may relate, for example, to signal quality, connection throughput, service provided, service provider associated with the access point, and so on. Mobile device 206D may additionally verify the identifier of the access point that is present in the list of accessible access points as further shown. Such a list may additionally or alternatively identify groups of access points, where the group identifier of the access point may be verified with group identifiers in the list. In the example described above, mobile device 206D may measure parameters for access points 204C, 204D, and 208C, and rank these cells to determine if their rank is higher than access point 204C And may decide to perform cell reselection to one of the access points. In the above example in which the femtocell access point 208C is associated with the home femtocell of the mobile device 206D, the femtocell access point 208C may be preferred for the mobile device 206D upon re-election. For example, if the mobile device 206D moves within the range of the femtocell access point 208C, then the mobile device 206D adds an offset to the measured parameters of the femtocell access point 208C, The femtocell access point 208C may be preferred. Once communicated with the femtocell access point 208C, the mobile device 206D also applies hysteresis in the measurement of the communication parameters of the other access points for reselection to favor the femtocell access point 208C in this case as well . If one or more of the separate access points 204D and / or 208C have a higher rank than the access point 204C, the mobile device 206D may be connected to such a separate access point 204D or 208C, The associated one or more cells may be reselected.

In one example, one or more of the separate access points 204D and / or 208C may implement a limited association, in which case some of the mobile devices may not connect to them, and / or the access points 204D and / May limit certain mobile devices in providing signaling, data access, registration, services, and the like. Which may be based, for example, at least partially on the service provider of the mobile device and the restricted associated access point. In another example, such a restricted associated access point may be associated with certain mobile devices, such as a corporate access point, that restrict access only to company-provided mobile devices. Thus, if the mobile device 206D can not reselect the cells associated with one or more of the separate access points 204D and / or 208C due to the limited association, the mobile device 206D may determine that the mobile device 206D can connect It may attempt cell reselection with one or more other ranked access points until it finds the access point. If mobile device 206D is unable to connect to access point 204D and / or 208C due to a limited association, mobile device 206D may receive a restriction code indicating the reason for the restriction.

Also, as shown, mobile devices 206A-206I may maintain a list of accessible access points and / or groups thereof. In one example, such a list may contain only certain types of access points (e.g., femtocells), since different types of access points (e.g., macrocells) Since it can be accessed from the device. The list of accessible access points and / or groups may be uniquely populated by one or more access points in communication with mobile devices 206A-206I, which may retrieve information from the wireless network, for example, and can be populated. As shown, when mobile devices 206A-206I move across the coverage area of wireless system 200 and reselect the cells, mobile devices 206A-206I can first verify that the cells are in the associated list have. In one example, if mobile devices 206A-206I determine one or more femtocell access points 208A-208C that are cells with the highest ranking based on the measurements, mobile devices 206A-206I may determine It is possible to verify whether or not each femtocell access point exists in the list. If not present, mobile devices 206A-206I may decide not to make an attempt to access this femtocell access point and may then attempt to contact a higher-ranking access point and / It may attempt to discover the access point. As shown, this ranking may be influenced by the offset and / or hysteresis values to be within the range of the access point or to make each of the access points, respectively, be preferred when connected to the access point

Referring to FIG. 3, a communication device 300 for use in a wireless communication environment is presented. The communication device 300 may be a base station or a portion of a base station, a mobile device or a portion of a mobile device, or a substantially any communication device that receives data transmitted in a wireless communication environment. The communication device 300 includes a sector parameter measurer 302 (e.g., a base station controller) that measures a communication parameter (e.g., signal strength, data throughput, service provided, etc.) related to a sector and determines whether to reselect the sector or associated access point ). The communication device 300 includes a preferred access point offset descriptor 304 that can apply an offset to one or more communication parameter measurements to prefer an access point when measuring sector communication parameters, A preferred access point hysteresis delimiter 306 that may add a hysteresis value to the communication parameters associated with the preferred access point in order to further favor the preferred access point. In one example, such a preferred access point may be associated with one or more access points in a maintenance list (e.g., a closed subscriber group list (CSG), etc.) comprised of access points and / or groups that may be preferred .

According to one example, the sector parameter measurer 302 may measure one or more parameters associated with communication with a sector and evaluate the sector for cell reselection to that sector. As described above, sectors may be ranked for reselection according to these parameters. The preferred access point offset descriptor 304 may affect the positive component of the parameters associated with the surrounding preferred access point by adding an offset value to the parameters. In some cases, this may positively affect the ranking of preferred access points for cell reselection. Also, in one example, preferred access point offset descriptor 304 may apply a negative offset to non-preferred peripheral access points, resulting in a lowering of the ranking of such access points in cell reselection in some cases. In addition, or as an alternative, the preferred access point hysteresis delimiter 306 may add a hysteresis value to the parameters of the current access point, which affects the order of the current access point, You can alleviate the selection. The preferred access point hysteresis delimiter 306 may additionally select a hysteresis value related to whether the current access point is preferred (or prioritized). By choosing a higher hysteresis value for the currently preferred access point, the coverage of the preferred access point is effectively extended to the communication device 300.

In one example, cell reselection occurs when Rn > Rs, where Rn is the rank of the new cell and Rs is the rank of the current cell. Thus, in one example,

or,

은 주변 액세스 포인트의 측정치(예를 들면, 전술한 신호 강도 및/또는 하나 이상의 추가적인 파라미터들)이고,

은 상기 주변 액세스 포인트에 관련된 오프셋이며, 여기서 상기 주변 액세스 포인트는 선호되거나 및/또는 선호 액세스 포인트들의 관련 그룹 내에 존재하며,

는 통신 장치(300)가 현재 연결되는 액세스 포인트의 측정치로서 현재 액세스 포인트에서 이용되는 동일한 측정 파라미터일 수 있으며,

는 현재 액세스 포인트에 관련된 히스테리시스 값이다. 셀 재선택 순위는 현재 비-선호 액세스 포인트에 관련된 이러한 히스테리시스 값을 고려하여 단기간에 액세스 포인트들 사이의 빈번한 재선택(예를 들면, 핑퐁 효과)을 방지할 수 있다. 제시되는 바와 같이, 섹터 파라미터 측정기(302)는

및

를 측정할 수 있으며, 선호 액세스 포인트 오프셋 규정기(304)는

를 결정 및/또는 적용할 수 있다. 따라서, 상기 공식이 충족되는 경우, 현재 액세스 포인트에서 선호 액세스 포인트로의 재선택이 수행될 수 있다. 음의 값일 수 있는

를 사용함으로써, 통신 장치는 상기 액세스 포인트를 선호할 수 있는데, 음의 값이 측정된 파라미터로부터 감산되고, 이는 결과적으로 선호 액세스 포인트의 측정치에 양의 값으로 영향을 미치기 때문이다. 또 다른 예에서, 주변 액세스 포인트가 선호 액세스 포인트가 아닌 경우에, 양의 오프셋이 측정된 값으로부터 감산될 수 있다. . ≪ / RTI > here

(E.g., the signal strength and / or one or more additional parameters described above) of the neighboring access point,

Is an offset relative to the neighboring access point, wherein the neighboring access point is preferred and / or is within an associated group of preferred access points,

May be the same measurement parameter used at the current access point as a measure of the access point to which the communication device 300 is currently connected,

Is the hysteresis value associated with the current access point. The cell reselection order can prevent frequent reselection (e.g., ping pong effect) between the access points in a short period of time considering this hysteresis value associated with the current non-preferred access point. As shown, the sector parameter measurer 302

And

And the preferred access point offset determiner 304 may determine

/ RTI > can be determined and / or applied. Thus, if the above formula is satisfied, a reselection from the current access point to the preferred access point may be performed. Which may be negative

, The communication device may prefer the access point because a negative value is subtracted from the measured parameter, which eventually affects the measurement of the preferred access point as a positive value. In another example, if the neighboring access point is not a preferred access point, a positive offset may be subtracted from the measured value.

Similarly, if the current cell is a preferred access point, reselection to the surrounding non-preferred access point may occur if the following formula is satisfied.

or,

.

.

은 주변 비-선호 액세스 포인트의 측정치(예를 들면, 전술한 신호 강도 및/또는 하나 이상의 추가적인 파라미터)이고,

는 비-선호 액세스 포인트에 관련된 오프셋이며,

는 통신 장치(300)가 현재 연결된 현재 선호 액세스 포인트의 측정치로서 비-선호 액세스 포인트에서 이용되는 동일한 측정 파라미터일 수 있으며,

는 현재 액세스 포인트에 관련된 히스테리시스 값이다. 일 예에서, 제시되는 바와 같이, 섹터 파라미터 측정기(302)는

및

를 측정할 수 있다. 또한, 선호 액세스 포인트 히스테리시스 규정기(306)는 현재 연결된 액세스 포인트가 선호 액세스 포인트인지 아닌지에 기반하여 히스테리시스 값

을 선택 및 제공할 수 있다. 따라서, 이러한 가설 값은 현재 액세스 포인트의 타입에 적어도 부분적으로 기반하여 가변할 수 있다. 이와 관련하여, 통신 장치(300)는 별개의 히스테리시스 값을 사용하여 연장된 시간 기간 동안 및/또는 확장된 커버리지 영역에 대해서 이러한 선호 액세스 포인트에 캠핑된 상태로 유지되거나 및/또는 이와 통신할 수 있다. here,

(E.g., the signal strength and / or one or more additional parameters described above) of the neighbor non-preferred access point,

Is an offset associated with a non-preferred access point,

May be the same measurement parameter used at the non-preferred access point as a measure of the current preferred access point to which the communication device 300 is currently connected,

Is the hysteresis value associated with the current access point. In one example, as shown, the sector parameter measurer 302

And

Can be measured. In addition, the preferred access point hysteresis regulator 306 determines whether the currently connected access point is a preferred access point or not based on the hysteresis value

Can be selected and provided. Thus, these hypothesized values may vary based at least in part on the type of the current access point. In this regard, the communication device 300 may remain camped and / or communicate with the preferred access point for extended time periods and / or for extended coverage areas using distinct hysteresis values .

Referring now to FIG. 4, a wireless communication system 400 is shown that facilitates preference of access points in a wireless communication network. The wireless device 402, the access point 404, and / or the preferred access point 406 may be a base station, femtocell, mobile device, or a portion thereof. In one example, wireless device 402 may transmit information to access point 404 and / or 406 via a reverse link or uplink channel; The wireless device 402 may also receive information from the access points 404 and / or 406 over the forward link or downlink channel. In addition, the system 400 may be a MIMO system. In addition, the components and functions presented below in wireless device 402 may reside at access point 404 and / or 406, and vice versa; This configuration is not presented for convenience of explanation.

The wireless device 402 may include a sector parameter measurer 408 capable of measuring one or more communication parameters associated with a sector as part of a cell reselection or initial communication process, An access point offset descriptor 410 that can determine an offset that can be used to affect measurements related to a non-preferred access point, an access point offset descriptor 410 that, when coupled to a preferred access point, An access point hysteresis delimiter 412 that determines a hysteresis value that can be used to increase the likelihood of a preferred access point over other access points for reselection, Access Lee to maintain a list of groups of It includes a bit controller 414, and a cell re-selector (416) to perform reselection based at least in part on the measurements and applied offset. The retention list indicates whether the access points are femtocells, macrocells, limited association (with respect to providing services, signaling, data access, registration, services, and / or the like, as indicated), non- , ≪ / RTI > and / or the like.

According to one example, the wireless device 402 may communicate with an access point 404, which may be a non-preferred access point, to receive wireless communication services. When the wireless device 402 moves through the coverage area, the wireless device 402 may move around other access points, such as the preferred access point 406. [ The sector parameter measurer 408 includes current access points currently in use for communication as well as other peripheral access points and may include communication parameters related to the access point 406 (e.g., signal strength, data throughput, A billing rate, a service provider, etc.). In one example, the sector parameter measurer 408 may tune away from the current access point 404 to evaluate the parameters of the access point 406, which may be from a frequency required for communication with the current access point 404 May be tuned to the frequency of the preferred access point 406 to briefly measure the parameters associated with the preferred access point. The access list controller 414 may be queried to determine whether the preferred access point 406 is in the list of access points (or, for example, the list of related groups). As discussed above, such a list may relate to accessible access points, restricted associated access points, associated groups, and / or the like.

If the preferred access point 406 is in the list, the access point offset descriptor 410 provides an offset that can be applied to the measurements associated with the preferred access point 406, such that this preferred access point has no offset Can be made more preferable. This causes an earlier connection with the preferred access point 406 as described above to enable reception of desired services. Also, for example, if the preferred AP 406 is not in the list, a negative offset may be applied. Hysteresis may also be applied to the currently connected access point 404 measurements to prevent frequent reselections in the short term between the access points; Thus, if the measurements of the access point change slightly, the applied hysteresis value can suppress reselection until there is a greater difference in the cell measurements. If the preferred AP 406 to which the offset is applied has a higher rank than the current access point 404 (e.g., with hysteresis applied), then the cell reselector may reselect the preferred AP 406 to the sector Can be performed.

In another example, the preferred access point 406 may include a hysteresis value descriptor 418 that may determine a plurality of hysteresis values for the preferred access point 406. For example, one value may be for a wireless device where the preferred access point 406 is the actual preferred access point, and the other value may be for wireless devices where the preferred access point 406 is not a preferred access point have. According to one example, the wireless device 402 may be coupled to a preferred access point 406 that provides wireless communication services. When the wireless device 402 moves across the mobile service area, the sector parameter measurer 408, as described above, may measure the communication parameters of the various sectors to rank the sectors for cell reselection. In one example, when the wireless device 402 is communicating with its preferred access point 406, the wireless device 402 need not utilize the offset from the access point offset descriptor 410. Nonetheless, the access point hysteresis regulator 412 determines the hysteresis associated with the preferred access point 406 and determines the hysteresis of the currently selected preferred access point 406 among the other access points to determine which reselection should occur. Hysteresis can be applied in ranking.

One or more hysteresis values may be defined by the hysteresis value descriptor 418 and transmitted to the wireless device 402 upon connection with the preferred access point 406. [ In another example, these values may be received from other peripherals or previously connected access points. The access point offset descriptor 414 may similarly receive offsets from the current access point, peripheral access point, and / or one or more previously connected access points. The access point hysteresis regulator 412 may select a received hysteresis value to be used in ranking the preferred access point 406 among other access points, including the access point 404. In one example, the access list controller may determine whether the preferred access point 406 is in the list of preferred access points maintained by the access list controller 414. [ Thus, if the preferred access point 406 is in the list, the preferred access point hysteresis value may be selected by the access point hysteresis regulator 412 to affect the current cell parameters with a positive component, Allowing the device to remain connected to the preferred access point 406 for a larger coverage area. However, if the preferred access point 406 is not in the list, the access point hysteresis regulator 412 selects a lower hysteresis value to affect the current cell measurements with a positive component, The effect can be prevented. If the access point 404 has a higher rank than the preferred access point 406 with one or more hysteresis values applied to affect the positive components of the measurements of the preferred access point 406, Cell reselector 416 may select one or more cells.

In any case, if required by the wireless device 402, an offset may be used to rank the preferred access point for cell reselection, or a ranking of the preferred access point for cell reselection to another access point Using higher hysteresis in defining the range extends the coverage of the preferred access point. This allows the wireless device 402 to receive preferred services of the preferred access point over a larger coverage area, as described above. It will be appreciated that if the access point selected for reselection is not available, the cell reselector may reselect one or more cells associated with a separate, different access point (not shown). For example, a separate, different access point may be in a different frequency range than the currently connected access point and / or the original reselected access point.

Referring to Figures 5-7, a method for establishing an access point rank for cell reselection and reselection using offsets and / or hysteresis is presented. For purposes of simplicity of explanation, the methods are presented as a series of acts, but the methods are not limited to the order of those acts, and that in accordance with one or more embodiments, some operations may be performed in a different order and / It can occur at the same time. For example, those skilled in the art will understand that a method may alternatively be represented as a series of interrelated states or events in a state diagram, for example. Moreover, not all illustrated acts may be necessary to implement one method in accordance with one or more embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 5, a method for facilitating cell reselection in wireless communication is presented. At 502, neighbor cells are measured to determine one or more parameters associated with neighboring cells. As indicated, these parameters may include communication metrics (e.g., signal strength, throughput, etc.) and / or one or more additional considerations (e.g., access point identifiers, group identifiers, ). ≪ / RTI > These parameters may also be related to the cell provided by the home access point providing improved billing patterns, additional service or speed, and the like. These parameters may also relate to offset or hysteresis to increase consideration of desired access points (e. G., Home access point) and / or to reduce consideration of other access points. At 504, neighboring cells may be ranked according to the determined parameters. This ranking may indicate the order of the desired cells to provide wireless communication services.

At 506, it may be determined whether the highest ranked cell is the currently used cell. This determination can be used to ensure connectivity with an optimal access point. If the highest ranked cell is the cell currently being used to receive wireless communications, the method returns to step 502 to measure the neighboring cells again. In one example, this may be based on a timer to prevent the network from overloading with cell measurements or consuming resources by constantly measuring the cell. If the highest ranked cell is not the currently used cell, cell reselection may be performed to reselect the highest ranked cell as shown here at 508. [ In one example, once the reselection is complete, the method may return to step 502 to continue measuring the neighboring cells. As indicated, the access points may be base stations, femtocells, and the like.

Referring to FIG. 6, a method 600 is shown that facilitates access ranking in cell re-election. At 602, a service is received from the first access point. For example, such services may be associated with wireless network access provided by an access point to facilitate communication over the network. At 604, the type and signal strength of the second access point may be determined. This may be part of, for example, a cell reselection procedure, where neighboring access points may be measured for reselection to neighboring access points. This type may also be determined based at least in part on whether the access point is present in the list of preferred and / or restricted access points as presented. At 606, an offset may be applied to the signal strength of the second access point based on this type. Such offsets may be applied, for example, during measurements and / or ranking for cell reselection. Such an offset may have a positive value and / or a negative value based on the second access point type as shown. Thus, for example, if a second access point is preferred, the offset may be a positive value to favor the second access point over other access points that may have better signal quality (e.g., preferred Since the access point may have other desirable aspects). At 608, the second access point may be ranked for reselection to the second access point based on the signal strength to which the offset is applied. Thus, even though the access point may reduce the signal strength in the above example, reselection to such an access point may occur rather than an access point with a stronger signal in order to enjoy other desirable aspects associated with such an access point.

Referring to FIG. 7, a method 700 is shown that facilitates applying selective hysteresis values to a cell re-election. At 702, neighboring access point parameters may be measured to facilitate reselection. Thus, in one example, simultaneous communications may occur at the current access point. At 704, a hysteresis value may be applied to the measurement of the current access point based on the type of the current access point. Thus, based on the type of the current access point, a hysteresis value may be selected for cell reselection. In one example, this type may be a preferred and / or limited associated access point from which an access may be received; In this example, the selected hysteresis value may be greater than if the access point is not preferred. Thus, if an access point is preferred, this hysteresis value may affect a measure value associated with the current access point as a positive value, which may extend the coverage for the current access point. At 706, in ranking the access points, the neighbor access point measurements may be compared to the measurements of the current access point. Thus, as indicated, the hysteresis value applied measure of the current access points is evaluated in relation to the values of the other access points, and at 708, if the neighboring access point is still higher than the current access point, Can be constructed.

According to one or more aspects set forth herein, the parameters may be measured, the cell ranking according to these parameters (and / or additional parameters), and the aspects of the actual reselection (e.g., Etc.) can be made. As used herein, the term " reasoning " is generally used to reason or infer a state of a system, environment, and / or user from a set of observations as captured through events and / Process. Inference may be employed to identify a particular context or action, or may generate a probability distribution over states, for example. The inference can be probabilistic - that is, in the context of computing the probability based on consideration of data and events, or in the context of the uncertainty of user goals and intentions, establishing probabilistic reasoning, Lt; / RTI > may be a theoretical decision, taking into account actions. Inference may also refer to techniques employed in constructing high-level events from a set of events and / or data. Such inference may be based on a set of observed events and / or stored event data, whether or not the events are correlated with temporally close proximity and whether the events and data are from one or more events and data sources Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > events or operations. ≪ / RTI > In one example, inferences may additionally be made when determining the offset and / or hysteresis to be applied to the expected and / or current access points in order to extend the coverage to preferred or preferred access points in the cell reselection, as shown.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a mobile device 800 that facilitates applying hysteresis and / or offset values to a cell re-election to select a particular type of access point. The mobile device 800 may receive signals from, for example, a receive antenna (not shown), perform typical operations on the received signal (e.g., filter, amplify, downconvert, etc.) And a receiver 802 for digitizing and obtaining samples. Receiver 802 includes a demodulator 804 that can demodulate received symbols and provide them to processor 806 for channel estimation. Processor 806 includes a processor dedicated to analyzing information received by receiver 802 and / or generating information for transmission by transmitter 816, a processor (not shown) for controlling one or more components of mobile device 800, A processor that analyzes information received by the receiver 802, generates information for transmission by the transmitter 816, and controls one or more components of the mobile device 800 .

The mobile device 800 estimates the channel, information related to the data to be transmitted, data received, information relating to available channels, data related to the analyzed signal and / or interference intensity, information related to the assigned channel, power rate, And may additionally include a memory 808 operatively coupled to the processor 806. The memory 808 may be a memory, Memory 808 may additionally store protocols and / or algorithms associated with estimating and / or using channels (e.g., performance based, capacity based, etc.).

The data store (e.g., memory 808) presented herein may be volatile memory, or non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memory. By way of example, and not limitation, nonvolatile memory may include read only memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), electrically programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM), or flash memory. The volatile memory may include a random access memory (RAM) operating as an external cache memory. As a non-limiting example, RAM may include synchronous RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rate SDRAM (SDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), Synchlink DRAM (SLDRAM) RAM (DRRAM), and the like. The memory 808 of the present systems and methods is intended to include any such and any other type of suitable memory.

The processor 806 and / or the receiver 802 may be further operatively coupled to a sector parameter measurer 810 that can receive and measure parameters of various neighbor sectors and / or associated access points during cell reselection. For example, if an access point associated with one cell is located at least partially in communication parameters (e.g., signal strength, service provided, billing scheme, and / or the like) . ≪ / RTI > The processor 806 may also determine offsets and / or hysteresis values to affect a positive or negative component for a particular access point for reselection and send it to the measured parameters May be operatively coupled to an applicable offset / hysteresis regulator 812. In one example, the offset / hysteresis regulator 812 may apply a positive offset to the measured access point to make the parameters associated with subsequent re-election more desirable (thus, the coverage area for that access point ). In another example, the offset / hysteresis regulator 812 may apply a negative offset to the measured access point to make the parameters associated with the re-election less desirable.

Also, in one example, the offset / hysteresis regulator 812 may select a hysteresis value based on the type of the current access point and apply it to the current access point. Thus, if the current access point is preferred, a larger hysteresis value may be applied, resulting in a higher measurement associated with the current access point, thereby extending the coverage of the current preferred access point. If the access point is not preferred, the offset / hysteresis regulator 812 may select and apply a lower hysteresis value. It will be appreciated that hysteresis values may be applied to prevent frequent selection and reselection from / to the access point in any case. The mobile device 800 also includes a modulator 814 and a transmitter 816, for example, each for modulating signals and transmitting them to a base station, another mobile device, and so on. A sector parameter measurer 810, an offset / hysteresis regulator 812, a demodulator 84, and / or a modulator 814 may be coupled to the processor 806 or to multiple processors (not shown) ). ≪ / RTI >

FIG. 9 shows an exemplary wireless communication system 900. The wireless communication system 900 shows one base station 910 and one mobile device 950 for simplicity. However, the system 900 may include more than one base station and / or more than one mobile device, in which case additional base stations and / or mobile devices may communicate with the base station 910 and the mobile device 950, May be similar or may be different. Further, base station 910 and / or mobile device 950 may utilize the systems (Figs. 1-4 and 8) and / or methods (Figs. 5-7) presented herein to facilitate wireless communication therebetween Will be understood.

At base station 910, traffic data for a number of data streams is provided from a data source 912 to a transmit (TX) data processor 914. According to one example, each data stream may be transmitted via each antenna. Transmission data processor 914 formats, codes, and interleaves the traffic data stream based on the particular coding scheme selected for that data stream to provide coded data.

The coded data for each data stream may be multiplexed with the pilot data using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) techniques. Additionally or alternatively, the pilot symbols may be Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM), Time Division Multiplexing (TDM), or Code Division Multiplexing (CDM). The pilot data is a typical known data pattern that can be used in the mobile device 950 to process in a known manner and estimate the channel response. The multiplexed pilot and coded data for each data stream may be combined with a particular modulation scheme (e.g., binary phase shift keying (BPSK), quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK), M-phase shift keying -PSK), M-quadrature amplitude modulation (M-QAM), etc.) to provide modulation symbols. The data rate, coding, and modulation for each data stream may be determined by instructions performed or provided by processor 930. [

The modulation symbols for the data streams may be provided to a transmit MIMO processor 920 that may further process the modulation symbols (e.g., for OFDM). The transmit MIMO processor 920 then provides the N _T modulation symbol streams to the N _T transmitters (TMTR) 922a through 922t. In various embodiments, transmit MIMO processor 920 applies beamforming weights to antennas that are transmitting symbols and symbols of data streams.

Each transmitter 922 receives and processes each symbol stream to provide one or more analog signals and further conditions (e.g., amplifies, filters, and upconverts) the analog signals to provide a modulated signal suitable for transmission on a MIMO channel Lt; / RTI > In addition, N _T modulated signals from transmitters 922a through 922t are transmitted from N _T antennas 924a through 924t.

In mobile device 950, the transmitted modulated signals are received by N _R antennas 952a through 952r and the received signal from each antenna 952 is provided to a respective receiver (RCVR) 954a through 954r . Each receiver 954 conditions (e.g., filters, amplifies, and downconverts) each signal, digitizes the conditioned signal to provide samples, and further processes the samples to generate a corresponding " to provide.

RX data processor 960 receives the N _R of the received symbol streams from N _R receivers 954, and processes them based on a particular receiver processing technique to provide N _T of "detected" symbol streams. The receive data processor 960 may demodulate, deinterleave, and decode each of the detected symbol streams to recover the traffic data for the data stream. The processing by the receive data processor 960 is complementary to the processing performed by the transmit MIMO processor 920 and the transmit data processor 914 of the base station 910.

Processor 970 may periodically determine a precoding matrix to use as described above. In addition, processor 970 may form a reverse link message including a matrix index portion and a rank value portion.

The reverse link message may include various types of information for the communication link and / or the received data stream. The reverse link message is processed by a transmit data processor 938, modulated by a modulator 980, conditioned by transmitters 954a through 954r, and transmitted to a base station 910 where the transmit data processor 938 Also receives traffic data for a plurality of data streams from data source 936. [

At base station 910, the modulated signals from mobile device 950 are received by antennas 924, conditioned by receivers 922, demodulated by demodulator 940, 942 and extracts the reverse link message transmitted by the mobile device 950. The processor 930 may also process the extracted message to determine a precoding matrix to use to determine the beamforming weights.

Processors 930 and 970 can direct (e.g., control, coordinate, manage, etc.) operations at base station 910 and mobile device 950, respectively. Each of processors 930 and 970 may be associated with memory 932 and 972 that store program codes and data. Processors 930 and 970 can also perform calculations to derive frequency and impulse response estimates for the uplink and downlink, respectively.

It is to be understood that the aspects presented herein may be implemented by hardware, software, firmware, middleware, microcode, or a combination thereof. For a hardware implementation, the processing units may be implemented as one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays , A controller, a micro-controller, a microprocessor, other units designed to perform the functions set forth herein, or a combination thereof.

When the embodiments are implemented in software, firmware, middleware or microcode, program code or code segments, they may be stored in a machine-readable medium, such as a storage component. A code segment may represent a procedure, a function, a subprogram, a program, a routine, a subroutine, a module, a software package, a class, or any combination of instructions, data structures, or program statements. A code segment may be coupled to another code segment or hardware circuit by conveying and / or receiving information, data, arguments, parameters, or memory contents. Information, arguments, parameters, data, etc. may be communicated, forwarded, or transmitted using any suitable means including memory sharing, message passing, token passing,

For a software implementation, the techniques described herein may be implemented with modules (e.g., procedures, functions, and so on) that perform the functions presented herein. The software codes may be stored in memory units and executed by processors. The memory unit may be implemented within the processor or external to the processor, and when implemented externally, the memory may be communicatively coupled to the processor through various means as is known.

Referring to FIG. 10, a system 1000 for applying offset values associated with cell reselection in a wireless network is presented. System 1000 may reside, for example, in a base station, femtocell, mobile device, and the like. As indicated, the system 1000 includes functional blocks that may represent functions implemented by a processor, software, or combination thereof (e.g., firmware). System 1000 includes a logical grouping 1002 of electronic components that operate in conjunction. Logical group 1002 may comprise means 1004 for receiving a service from a first access point. For example, such a service may relate to communication with various devices of a wireless network as presented. Logic group 1002 may also include means 1006 for determining the type and signal strength of the second access point. This may be part of the reselection process as suggested, wherein neighboring sectors and / or associated access points are evaluated to determine whether cell reselection results in improved network access. The logical grouping 1002 also includes means (1008) for applying an offset selected based at least in part on the type of the second access point to the signal strength of the second access point for reselection from the first access point can do. As shown, if the second access point is a member of a preferred and / or limited association, for example, such an offset may be preferred for the second access point. Thus, applying an offset can affect the measurement to a positive component to extend the coverage of the second access point. In another example, if the second access point is not preferred, a negative offset may similarly be applied to mitigate cell reselection to the second access point. In addition, the system 1000 may include a memory 1010 that retains instructions for executing functions associated with the electronic components 1004, 1006, and 1008. Electronic components 1004, 1006, and 1008 may be present in memory 1010, although shown as being external to memory 1010.

The foregoing includes one or more embodiments. While it is, of course, of course not possible to describe all possible components or combinations of methods in order to describe the above-described embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate that additional combinations and permutations of various embodiments are possible. Accordingly, the presented embodiments are intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations, which fall within the scope of the appended claims. Also, the term "comprising" as used in the specification and claims should be interpreted in a generic sense that does not exclude other configurations. Also, although elements of the invention are described or claimed in the singular, a plurality of elements may be considered, unless explicitly limited by the singular. Furthermore, all or part of any aspect and / or embodiment may be used with all or part of other aspects and / or embodiments, unless otherwise stated.

The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and circuits described herein may be implemented or performed with a general purpose processor; Digital signal processor, DSP; Application specific integrated circuits, ASICs; Field programmable gate array, FPGA; Or other programmable logic device; Discrete gate or transistor logic; Discrete hardware components; Or a combination of those designed to implement these functions. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor; In an alternative embodiment, such a processor may be an existing processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as, for example, a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or a combination of such configurations. Also, at least one processor may include one or more modules operable to perform one or more of the operations and / or actions described above.

The steps and algorithms described in connection with the aspects of the invention disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two. The software modules include random access memory (RAM); Flash memory; A read only memory (ROM); An electrically programmable ROM (EPROM); Electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM); register; Hard disk; Portable disk; Compact disk ROM (CD-ROM); Or in any form of known storage media. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor such that the processor reads information from, and writes information to, the storage medium. Alternatively, the storage medium may be a component of the processor. Also, in some aspects, such a processor and storage medium are located in an ASIC. Also, the ASIC may be located at a user terminal. Alternatively, the processor and the storage medium may reside as separate components in a user terminal. Also, in some aspects, steps and / or operations of a method or algorithm may be performed on one or any of the codes and / or instructions on a computer readable medium and / or machine readable medium, Combinations, or sets.

In one or more exemplary aspects, the functions presented herein may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. When implemented in software, the functions may be stored on or transmitted via one or more instructions or code on a computer readable medium. Computer-readable media includes computer storage media and communication media including any medium for facilitating transfer of a computer program from one place to another. The storage medium may be a general purpose computer or any available medium that can be accessed by a special computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media can comprise any form of computer readable medium, such as RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage media, magnetic disk storage media or other magnetic storage devices, And may include, but is not limited to, a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a general purpose processor, or any other medium that can be accessed by a particular processor. In addition, any connection means may be considered as a computer-readable medium. For example, if the software is transmitted from a web site, server, or other remote source over wireless technologies such as coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or infrared radio, and microwave, Wireless technologies such as cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or infrared radio, and microwave may be included within the definition of such medium. The discs and discs used here include compact discs (CDs), laser discs, optical discs, DVDs, floppy discs, and Blu-ray discs where disc plays the data magnetically, As shown in FIG. The combinations may also be included within the scope of computer readable media.

Claims (28)

CLAIMS 1. A method for cell reselection in a wireless communication network,
Receiving, by the mobile device, a wireless communication service from a first access point;
Determining, by the mobile device, the type and signal strength of the second access point, wherein the type of the second access point is related to whether the second access point is included in a maintenance list of preferred access points;
Verifying, by the mobile device, the association with the second access point using the list;
Selecting, by the mobile device, an offset based at least in part on whether the second access point is included in a persistent list of preferred access points; And
Applying, by the mobile device, the selected offset to the signal strength of the second access point in ranking the second access point for cell reselection from the first access point
/ RTI >
A method for cell reselection. The method according to claim 1,
The second access point is included in a maintenance list of preferred access points, the offset is positive,
A method for cell reselection. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising applying a hysteresis value to the signal strength of the first access point based at least in part on the type of the first access point.
A method for cell reselection. The method of claim 3,
Wherein the type of the first access point is related to whether the first access point is included in a maintenance list of preferred access points,
A method for cell reselection. 4. The method of claim 3,
Further comprising receiving the hysteresis value from the first access point, the second access point, or a previously visited access point.
A method for cell reselection. The method of claim 3,
Performing cell reselection with the second access point if the signal strength of the second access point modified by the offset exceeds the signal strength of the first access point modified by the hysteresis value ≪ / RTI >
A method for cell reselection. The method according to claim 6,
Wherein the cell reselection is performed while in an idle communication mode for the wireless communication network,
A method for cell reselection. The method of claim 3,
Performing cell reselection with a third access point if the signal strength of the second access point modified by the offset exceeds the signal strength of the first access point modified by the hysteresis value, Further included,
A method for cell reselection. 9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the third access point is on a different frequency band than the second access point,
A method for cell reselection. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising receiving the offset from the first access point, the second access point, or a previously visited access point.
A method for cell reselection. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the determined type of the second access point comprises a femtocell or macrocell,
A method for cell reselection. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the determined type of the second access point includes whether the second access point implements a restricted association or an unrestricted association,
A method for cell reselection. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the signal strength of the second access point is determined by tune away from the first access point,
A method for cell reselection. 1. A wireless communication device,
At least one processor of the mobile device; And
A memory coupled to the at least one processor,
/ RTI >
Wherein the at least one processor comprises:
Receiving a wireless communication service from a first access point;
Determine a type and signal strength for each of the first access point and the second access point, the type of the second access point being related to whether the second access point is included in a maintenance list of preferred access points;
Verify the association with the second access point using the list;
Selecting an offset based at least in part on whether the second access point is included in the persistent list of preferred access points;
Applying the selected offset to the signal strength of the second access point in ranking the second access point for cell reselection from the first access point; And
Applying hysteresis to the signal strength of the first access point in ranking the second access point for reselection from the first access point, wherein the hysteresis is at least partially Selected based on -
Configured,
Wireless communication device. 1. A wireless communication device that facilitates performing cell reselection by one or more access points by a mobile device,
Means for receiving a service from a first access point;
Means for determining a type and a signal strength of a second access point, the type of the second access point being related to whether the second access point is included in a maintenance list of preferred access points;
Means for verifying an association with the second access point using the list;
Means for selecting an offset based at least in part on whether the second access point is included in a maintenance list of preferred access points; And
Means for applying the selected offset to the signal strength of the second access point in ranking the second access point for cell reselection from the first access point;
/ RTI >
Wireless communication device. A computer-readable storage medium of a mobile device,
Code for causing at least one computer to receive wireless communication services from a first access point;
Code for causing the at least one computer to determine a type and signal strength of a second access point, the type of the second access point being related to whether the second access point is included in a maintenance list of preferred access points -;
Code for causing the at least one computer to verify an association with the second access point using the list;
Code for causing the at least one computer to select an offset based at least in part on whether the second access point is included in a maintenance list of preferred access points; And
Code for causing the at least one computer to apply the selected offset to the signal strength of the second access point in ranking the second access point for cell reselection from the first access point
/ RTI >
Computer-readable storage medium of a mobile device. As an apparatus,
A sector parameter measurer of the mobile device for measuring a signal strength of one or more peripheral access points;
Determine a type of the one or more peripheral access points based at least in part on the presence of the one or more peripheral access points in a maintenance list of preferred access points or related groups, The access list controller of the mobile device;
Selecting an offset based at least in part on whether the one or more neighboring access points are included in a maintenance list of the preferred access points and applying the offset to the signal strength of the one or more neighboring access points; An offset specifier; And
The cell reselector of the mobile device establishing communication with the one or more neighbor access points based at least in part on the ranking of the offset applied signal strength for the current access point.
/ RTI >
Device. 18. The method of claim 17,
Wherein the one or more neighbor access points are included in a maintenance list of the preferred access points,
Device. 18. The method of claim 17,
Further comprising an access point hysteresis delimiter that applies a hysteresis value to the signal strength of the current access point based at least in part on the type of the current access point.
Device. 20. The method of claim 19,
Wherein the type of the current access point is related to whether the current access point is included in a maintenance list of preferred access points or related groups,
Device. 20. The method of claim 19,
Wherein the access point hysteresis regulator receives the hysteresis value from the current access point, the one or more neighbor access points, or a previously visited access point,
Device. 18. The method of claim 17,
Wherein the access point offset determiner is configured to receive the offset from the current access point, the one or more neighbor access points, or a previously visited access point,
Device. 18. The method of claim 17,
Wherein the cell reselector establishes communication with the one or more peripheral access points while in an idle communication mode with respect to the current access point,
Device. 18. The method of claim 17,
Wherein the cell reselector establishes communication with another distinct access point when the communication establishment is denied by the one or more neighbor access points.
Device. 25. The method of claim 24,
The other access point being on a different frequency band than the one or more neighbor access points,
Device. 18. The method of claim 17,
Wherein the type of the one or more neighbor access points comprises a femtocell or a macrocell.
Device. 18. The method of claim 17,
Wherein the type of the one or more neighboring access points includes whether the one or more neighboring access points have a limited association or an unrestricted association.
Device. 18. The method of claim 17,
Wherein the signal strength of the one or more neighbor access points is determined by tune-
Device.

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