Method and apparatus for cell handoff

Abstract

A method for handoff between cells in a communication system includes the network sends a cell individual offset preset for a cell in the active set relative to each of its neighboring cells respectively to a terminal; after measuring the cell in the active set and its neighboring cells, the terminal evaluates the measurement in accordance with the measurement result and the cell individual offset for the cell in the active set relative to its each neighboring cell; the terminal then submits a measurement report to the network in accordance with the measurement evaluation result; the network instructs the terminal to perform a handoff between cells in accordance with the measurement report. The invention also discloses a network controller and a terminal corresponding to the method. With the invention, the cell individual offset for a cell is set relative to its each neighboring cell so that the handoff between cells can be more accurate. As a result, user of the terminal can obtain better experience.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a continuation of International Patent Application No. PCT / CN2007 / 001742, filed May 31, 2007, which claims the benefit and priority of Chinese Patent Application No. 200610100263.5, filed with the Chinese Patent Office on Jul. 5, 2006 and entitled “Method For Realizing Handoff Between Cells Based on Cell Individual Offset”, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to the field of mobile telecommunications, and in particular, to a method and apparatus for handoff between cells in a mobile telecommunication system.DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART[0003]In a cellular mobile communication system, when a terminal, e.g., a User Equipment (UE) moves from one cell to another, the terminal needs to be handed off from the cell it originally resided in to the cell it newly enters. Through the handoff, the location of the terminal and the resource the...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0022]Embodiments of the present invention provide methods and apparatus for handoff between cells so that the evaluation on handoff events during handoff can be more accurate.

[0037]In embodiments of the present invention, the cell individual offset is configured based on adjacent relationship between two cells, contrast to that one unique cell individual offset is set with respective to a cell per se in the prior art. The cell individual offset is set for each adjacent of a cell relative to the cell, instead of the configured unique offset for the cell itself in the prior. A terminal measures the cell and its adjacent cells, evaluates the measurement in accordance with corresponding cell individual offset, and submits a measurement report to the network in accordance with the measurement evaluation result. The network instructs the terminal to perform a handoff between cells according to the measurement report. Therefore, the handoff between cells can be more accurate and the handoff can be triggered in time and thus avoids unnecessary handoff. As a result, users can obtain a better experience.

Problems solved by technology

This unique offset, however, can result in such a problem that the unique cell individual offset for a cell does not apply to all adjacent cells of this cell.

The unchanged unique cell individual offset for these unchanged cells, however, may be unsuitable for the added adjacent cells.

Furthermore, the unchanged cell individual offset cannot reflect the actual change of a cell.

Therefore, a handoff event evaluation is not accurate enough in the prior art.

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