Background technology
In the LTE-Advanced network, adapt to the inhomogeneous scene of traffic densities in order to provide focus to cover, and enlarge cell coverage area so that more flexibly network design to be provided, introduced heterogeneous network.So-called heterogeneous network, it refers to dispose lower powered node in macro base station (Marco eNB) overlay area, thereby forms the heterogeneous network system that comprises different node types, and Fig. 1 shows the network configuration of existing heterogeneous network.Wherein, above-mentioned low power nodes comprises little base station (Pico eNB), Home eNodeB (Home eNB) and relay base station (Relay eNB).
As can be seen from Figure 1, heterogeneous network has changed the topological structure of legacy network, has introduced the network node with different transmission power and coverage, and this is so that network design is more flexible, can provide simultaneously the more reliably network coverage cost-effective.But the introducing of heterogeneous network has also brought some new challenges to system, such as the mobile management under the heterogeneous network.The macrocell radius size is similar in original homogeneous network, and the covering of residential quarter just has coincidence in edge.And in heterogeneous network, the radius size of all kinds residential quarter has very big-difference, and the covering of small-cell (being the residential quarter under the pico eNB/Home eNB/Relay eNB) may overlap with the covering of macrocell fully.Under the scene of heterogeneous network, there are a lot of problems in original mobile management meeting.In order to address these problems, 3GPP has passed through the research project verification (Study Item) of " heterogeneous network mobile management enhancing " in the 51st plenary session that hold in March, 2011.
Mobile management is a key issue in the cordless communication network, is mainly concerned with the processes such as measurement, residential quarter selection and gravity treatment, switching.The application pays close attention to is measurement problem in the heterogeneous network.In heterogeneous network, the resource of macrocell is limited usually, and an original intention introducing small-cell just provides focus and covers, thereby the load that can share macrocell also can be used in addition Extended Cell and cover.In order better to realize the load balancing from the macrocell to the small-cell, at first need user terminal (UE, User Equipment) can find small-cell, namely UE will be by finding and identify this small-cell to the measurement of small-cell.How so that UE finds small-cell more timely is current study hotspot.
Before describing UE discovery small-cell, the existing measurement mechanism of UE is described first.
In LTE, UE finds other residential quarters by measuring process.Under the RRC_CONNECTED state, eNB measures configuration by the IE in the RRC reconfiguration message " MeasConfig " to UE, and UE measures configuration according to this and carries out corresponding measuring process.It should be noted that UE can't constantly measure adjacent cell always, but only when meeting some requirements UE just can carry out measurement.ENB may be in IE " MeasConfig " configured threshold " s-Measure ", UE only just can carry out corresponding measuring process such as to the measurement of adjacent cell etc. when the thresholding that the RSRP of main Serving cell (PCell) is configured less than this, this is called to measure carries out criterion.Why introducing is measured is carried out criterion, purpose is for fear of unnecessary measurement, and when center of housing estate was regional, the Reference Signal Received Power of PCell (RSRP) was very high such as UE, this moment, UE can't switch, thereby also need not measure adjacent cell.
Above-mentioned IE " MeasConfig " can pass through following code definition:
The object that need to measure for the UE configuration among the IE " MeasObjectToAddModList " of eNB in the IE of above-mentioned definition " MeasConfig ".Wherein, IE " MeasObjectToAddModList " can pass through following code definition:
The example that is measured as with E-UTRAN, eNB is UE allocating and measuring object by IE " MeasObjectEUTRA ", the corresponding E-UTRAN carrier frequency of measuring object meeting, eNB can tabulate " Cell list " by allocating cell in a measuring object simultaneously, and this tabulation can be indicated the information such as PCI of each residential quarter.
Wherein, IE " MeasObjectEUTRA " can pass through following code definition:
So far, existing measurement mechanism is described.
But existing measurement mechanism is inapplicable in heterogeneous network, and concrete reason is: in heterogeneous network, adjacent cell not only comprises adjacent macrocell, also comprises the small-cell of macrocell inside.Because the coverage of small-cell is smaller, and be positioned at macrocell inside, therefore for grand UE, the RSRP of PCell is not easy to satisfy above-mentioned measurement and carries out criterion; And when satisfying measurement execution criterion and measuring to find small-cell, following possibility can occur: UE will leave the coverage of small-cell.
Therefore, a kind of UE method of measurement that is applied in the heterogeneous network is the current technical problem that needs to be resolved hurrily.
Embodiment
In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention clearer, describe the present invention below in conjunction with the drawings and specific embodiments.
Can find out that from background technology for grand UE, the RSRP of PCell is not easy to satisfy existing the measurement and carries out criterion; And when satisfying measurement execution criterion and measuring to find small-cell, following possibility can occur: UE will leave the coverage of small-cell.
If also want to reuse existing measurement mechanism, defects for a change then, can heighten having the threshold value of measuring the execution criterion now, so that criterion is carried out in the easier satisfied measurement of the RSRP of PCell, still, this following shortcoming can occur: the measurement for adjacent macro cell is more frequent, owing to this is measured frequently and causes too much unnecessary measurement, the electricity saving performance of infringement UE causes unnecessary measurement to report simultaneously, increases the signaling load of residential quarter.
And if existing measurement of reduction carried out the criterion threshold value, then to measure the execution criterion and more be difficult to satisfy, the discovery small-cell that grand UE can lag behind more can not carry out the load balancing from the macrocell to the small-cell timely.Along with the close small-cell of grand UE, if the execution that relatively lags behind this moment is measured, can cause the problem of switching in evening in addition.
Based on top description, in order to guarantee in heterogeneous network, UE can measure small-cell timely, thereby find that timely small-cell is to carry out load balancing and to avoid switch evening, simultaneously need not introduce unnecessary measurement for adjacent macro cell, the invention provides a kind of Novel measuring method, specifically referring to shown in Figure 2.
Referring to Fig. 2, the basic flow sheet that Fig. 2 provides for the embodiment of the invention.As shown in Figure 2, this flow process can may further comprise the steps:
Step 201, network equipment increases cell for residential quarter or measuring object, and indication is to user terminal.
Step 202, user terminal is determined corresponding residential quarter or measuring object according to the cell of described network equipment indication, and residential quarter or the measuring object determined are measured; Wherein, whether described definite residential quarter or measuring object are measured the restriction that is not subjected to existing measurement execution criterion.
In the above description, network equipment can be eNB, and user terminal can be UE.
In addition, for ease of distinguishing with the residential quarter or the measuring object that are subjected to existing measurement to carry out the criterion restriction, the present invention will not be subjected to the existing residential quarter of carrying out the criterion restriction or the measuring object measured referred to as particular cell or special measuring object, accordingly, will existing measure measurement that the residential quarter of carrying out the criterion restriction or measuring object carry out referred to as special measurement to not being subjected to.
The below is take network equipment as eNB, and user terminal is that UE is that example is described in detail flow process shown in Figure 2:
In the step 201 of describing in the above, eNB specifically can increase cell for residential quarter or measuring object by following three kinds of modes:
Mode 1:
Each residential quarter in the cell list in the configuration of eNB measuring object increases a cell (IE), is used to indicate the type information of this residential quarter.Wherein, the type information of this residential quarter comprises: whether described residential quarter is small-cell (smallcell/marcocell), the perhaps particular type of residential quarter (picocell/femtocell/relaycell/marcocell), the perhaps radius of residential quarter (verysmall/small/medium/large/...).
Take measuring object as the E-UTRAN carrier frequency as example, suppose that the IE that increases for the residential quarter is " cellType ", then,
If the IE that increases newly is used to indicate whether small-cell of this residential quarter, the IE " MeasObjectEUTRA " of this moment can pass through following code definition:
If the IE that increases newly is used to indicate concrete cell type, the IE " MeasObjectEUTRA " of this moment can pass through following code definition:
If the IE that increases newly is used to indicate concrete radius of society size, the IE " MeasObjectEUTRA " of this moment can pass through following code definition:
Preferably, in the manner 1, also can increase an IE for each small-cell in the cell list in the measuring object configuration, be used to indicate the type information of this small-cell, other non-small-cells no longer increase IE.
So far, finish the description of mode 1.
Mode 2:
Increase an IE for each residential quarter in the cell list in the measuring object configuration, be used to indicate and whether special measurement carried out in this residential quarter.Wherein, when the residential quarter is small-cell, need to carry out special measurement to this residential quarter, otherwise, special measurement is not carried out in this residential quarter.
Preferably, in the manner 2, also can increase an IE for each small-cell in the cell list in the measuring object configuration, be used to indicate this small-cell is carried out special measurement, and other residential quarters no longer increase IE.
Take measuring object as the E-UTRAN carrier frequency as example, suppose to be " measForSmallcell " for residential quarter or small-cell increase IE that then, the IE " MeasObjectEUTRA " of this moment passes through following code definition:
So far, finish the description of mode 2.
Aforesaid way 1 and mode 2 are applied in the scene of UTRAN or CDMA2000, and reason is: for all comprising cell list in the measuring object of UTRAN carrier frequency configuration " measObjectUTRA " and the measuring object configuration " measObjectCDMA2000 " for the CDMA2000 carrier frequency.
Based on aforesaid way 1 and mode 2, in the step 302, can determine in the following manner particular cell:
The IE that is increased according to the residential quarter of described network equipment indication determines small-cell, with the small-cell determined as described particular cell.Wherein, if it is small-cell that the IE that the residential quarter is increased indicates this cell type information, determine that then this residential quarter is described particular cell, if the particular type of the IE indicating cell that the residential quarter is increased is the type of small-cell, determine that then this residential quarter is described particular cell, if the radius of society of the IE that the residential quarter is increased indication is the radius of small-cell, determine that then this residential quarter is described particular cell, if the IE that the residential quarter is increased indication is carried out special measurement to the residential quarter, determine that then this residential quarter is described particular cell.
Mode 3:
Mode 1 all is to increase cell for the residential quarter in the cell list to indicate whether to need to carry out special measurement with mode 2, the manner 3 is different from mode 1 and mode 2, but in the measuring object configuration, increase an IE for this measuring object, be used to indicate for this measuring object whether need to carry out special measurement operation.Wherein, when measuring object corresponding with small-cell (also being to have comprised small-cell in its corresponding cell list), indicate this measuring object to measure and be not subjected to existing measurement to carry out the restriction of criterion, otherwise, indicate this measuring object measurement to be subjected to the existing restriction of carrying out criterion of measuring.
Preferably, in the manner 3, the measuring object that also only comprises small-cell in the cell list for correspondence increases an IE, is used to indicate to measure for this measuring object not to be subjected to the existing restriction of carrying out criterion of measuring.Other measuring object no longer additionally increases IE.
Take measuring object as the E-UTRAN carrier frequency as example, suppose that the IE that increases for measuring object is " measForSmallcell ", then the IE " MeasObjectEUTRA " of this moment passes through following code definition:
Need to prove, the manner 3 can be applicable in the scene of UTRAN, GERAN or CDMA2000, during specific implementation, only need respectively this optional IE of increase in for the measuring object configuration " measObjectUTRA " of UTRAN carrier frequency, for the measuring object configuration " measObjectGERAN " of GERAN carrier frequency, for the measuring object configuration " measObjectCDMA2000 " of CDMA2000 carrier frequency, be used to indicate and whether need to carry out special measurement for this measuring object.
So far, finish the description of aforesaid way 3.Based on mode 3, then in the step 302, can determine in the following manner special measuring object: if the IE that measuring object is increased indication is carried out special measurement to measuring object, determine that then this measuring object is special measuring object, otherwise, determine not to be special measuring object.
So far, 1 eNB increases cell for residential quarter or measuring object mode has been described to mode 3 by the way.
The below specifically can realize by following three kinds of schemes in the above-mentioned steps 302 residential quarter or the measuring object measurement of determining being described:
Scheme 1:
Because UE carries out the restriction that special measurement is not subjected to existing measurement execution criterion to particular cell or special measuring object, that is to say, even the RSRP of the PCell of UE carries out " s-Measure " thresholding that arranges in the criterion greater than existing the measurement, UE also will measure particular cell or special measuring object, that is to say that UE will ceaselessly measure particular cell or special measuring object in real time.Measurement for other residential quarters or other measuring objects then still will be subject to measuring the restriction of carrying out criterion, and namely only having the RSRP of PCell is that UE just can measure these residential quarters or measuring object less than " s-Measure " thresholding.
But scheme 1 then can have been introduced too much unnecessary measurement for particular cell or special measuring object owing to will measure particular cell or special measuring object in real time, can damage the electricity saving performance of UE.For improvement scheme 1, the application has proposed again scheme 2.
Scheme 2:
This programme 2 is introduced a new measurement execution criterion thresholding for particular cell or special measuring object.So, can exist two to measure execution criterion thresholding in this programme, one is used for particular cell or special measuring object (being designated as new thresholding), and one is used for other residential quarters or other measuring objects (being designated as former thresholding).Two thresholdings are diverse, and generally speaking, the value of new thresholding can be larger than former thresholding " s-Measure ", so that UE is easier particular cell and special measuring object measured.。
UE is subjected to the restriction of new thresholding to the measurement of particular cell or special measuring object, and namely as the RSRP of PCell during less than this new thresholding, UE can measure particular cell or special measuring object.UE still is subject to the restriction of former thresholding " s-Measure " to the measurement of other residential quarters or other measuring objects, and namely as the RSRP of PCell during less than former thresholding " s-Measure ", UE can measure other residential quarters or other measuring objects.
ENB can increase an IE in measuring configuration, be used for this new thresholding of configuration, and this IE is optional, and be specially: if disposed new thresholding, then UE is subjected to the restriction of new thresholding to the measurement of particular cell or special measuring object.If do not dispose new thresholding, then scheme 2 deteriorates to scheme 1.
Suppose that new thresholding is " s-MeasureForSmallcell ", IE this moment " MeasConfig " can pass through following code definition:
Scheme 3:
Criterion is carried out in new measurement of definition in the scheme 3.Existing measure that to carry out criterion be relatively RSRP and the thresholding " s-Measure " of PCell of UE, if the RSRP of PCell less than " s-Measure ", then UE carries out measurement.Carry out in the criterion in new measurement, UE is RSRQ and a new thresholding of PCell relatively, if the RSRQ of PCell less than this new thresholding, then UE carries out measurement.
UE only uses new measurement to carry out criterion for particular cell or special measuring object, and still uses existing the measurement to carry out criterion to other residential quarters or other measuring objects.
ENB can increase an IE in measuring configuration, be used for this new thresholding of configuration, and this IE is optional, is specially: if disposed new thresholding, then UE can use new measurement to carry out criterion.If do not dispose new thresholding, then scheme 3 deteriorates to scheme 1.
Suppose that new thresholding is " s-MeasureForRSRQ ", IE this moment " MeasConfig " is as follows:
So far, having described UE by such scheme 1 to scheme 3 measures residential quarter or the measuring object determined.
As a kind of expansion of the present invention shown in Figure 2, method provided by the invention can comprise: whether UE determines whether all adjacent cells or all measuring objects are measured less than the thresholding that sets in advance by the RSRQ of more main Serving cell; Wherein, whether described user terminal measures the restriction that is not subjected to have now existing measurement execution criterion in the measurement mechanism to residential quarter or measuring object, and only the RSRQ of acceptor's Serving cell limits with the comparative result of the thresholding that sets in advance.In the method for this expansion, do not need eNB to increase cell.The similar such scheme 3 of the method for this expansion, difference is: carry out criterion for the new measurement in all adjacent cells or all the measuring object operational versions 3.
So far, finish the description of the embodiment of the invention.
As can be seen from the above technical solutions, among the present invention, increase cell by network equipment for residential quarter or measuring object, and indication is to user terminal; User terminal is determined corresponding residential quarter or measuring object according to the cell that residential quarter or the measuring object of described network equipment indication is increased, residential quarter or the measuring object determined are measured, remaining residential quarter or measuring object are measured according to the existing execution criterion of measuring, can realize the measurement of UE in the heterogeneous network, and, by whether measuring the restriction that is not subjected to existing measurement execution criterion for some residential quarters or measuring object, can realize in time measuring for small-cell, thereby find in time small-cell, to carry out load balancing and to avoid switching delay, simultaneously, by measuring according to the existing measurement execution criterion in the existing measurement mechanism for other residential quarters or measuring object, can avoid introducing too much unnecessary measurement.
The above only is preferred embodiment of the present invention, and is in order to limit the present invention, within the spirit and principles in the present invention not all, any modification of making, is equal to replacement, improvement etc., all should be included within the scope of protection of the invention.