Techniques for avoiding frequent handovers in small cells

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communication are described. A user equipment (UE) may avoid frequent handovers in a small cell by triggering a handover to a macro cell. The UE may determine that the UE has performed multiple handovers within a time period. The UE may determine to trigger a handover to the macro cell. The UE may identify the macro cell based on measuring the macro cell during the multiple handovers. The UE may determine to avoid indicating signal measurements of the small cell in a measurement report. Accordingly, the measurement report may include signal measurements of the macro cell and omit signal measurements of the small cell. The UE may send the measurement report to the small cell serving as the serving cell of the UE. Based on the measurement report, the UE may receive a message initiating a handover procedure to the macro cell.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The following generally relates to wireless communication, and more specifically, to techniques for avoiding frequent handovers in small cells. Background Art

[0002] Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content, such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcasting, and so on. These systems are capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). Examples of such multi-access systems include fourth-generation (4G) systems, such as Long-Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) systems, or LTE-A Pro systems, and fifth-generation (5G) systems that may be referred to as New Radio (NR) systems. These systems may employ techniques such as Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), or Discrete Fourier Transform Spread Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (DFT-S-OFDM). A wireless multi-access communication system may include one or more base stations or one or more network access nodes, each of which simultaneously supports communication of multiple communication devices, which may also be referred to as User Equipment (UE).

[0003] A base station may provide communication coverage via a cell. When a UE moves in an environment, a handover may be triggered to associate the UE with a cell. However, for some use cases, traditional handover techniques are defective. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The described technology relates to improved methods, systems, devices, and apparatuses that support techniques for avoiding frequent handovers in small cells. Generally, the described technology enables a user equipment (UE) to avoid frequent handovers in a small cell by triggering a handover to a macro cell. In the geographical area of the small cell, the macro cell may provide poorer communication coverage to the UE compared to the small cell, but the communication coverage of the macro cell is sufficient to serve as the serving cell of the UE. The UE may determine that the UE has performed multiple handovers within a time period. The UE may determine to trigger a handover to the macro cell instead of continuing to perform handovers to the small cell. The UE may identify the macro cell based on measuring the macro cell during the multiple handovers. Based on at least a threshold number of handovers that have occurred during the time period, the UE may determine to avoid indicating signal measurements of the small cell in a measurement report to trigger the network to handover the UE to the macro cell. Thus, the measurement report may include signal measurements of the macro cell and omit signal measurements of the small cell. The UE may send the measurement report to the small cell that serves as the serving cell of the UE. Based on the measurement report, the UE may receive a message initiating a handover process from the small cell to the macro cell. After performing the handover process, the UE may maintain a connection with the macro cell (e.g., for at least a defined amount of time), which may improve data transfer stability and power efficiency at the UE, among other benefits.

[0005] A method for wireless communication by a UE is described. The method may include: identifying the number of handovers that occur for the UE within a time period; detecting a macro cell based on measuring the macro cell during a set of handovers; generating a first signal measurement of the macro cell and a second signal measurement of a second cell; determining, based on the identification, to omit reporting the second signal measurement of the second cell in a measurement report; and sending, based on the determination, a measurement report indicating the first signal measurement of the macro cell.

[0006] An apparatus for wireless communication by a UE is described. The apparatus may include a processor, a memory coupled to the processor, and instructions stored in the memory. The instructions may be executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to: identify the number of handovers that occur for the UE within a time period, detect a macro cell based on measuring the macro cell during a set of handovers, generate a first signal measurement of the macro cell and a second signal measurement of a second cell, determine, based on the identification, to omit reporting the second signal measurement of the second cell in a measurement report, and send, based on the determination, a measurement report indicating the first signal measurement of the macro cell.

[0007] Another apparatus for wireless communication by a UE is described. The apparatus may include components for performing the following operations: identifying the number of handovers of the UE that occur during a time period, detecting a macro cell based on measuring the macro cell during a handover set, generating a first signal measurement of the macro cell and a second signal measurement of a second cell, determining, based on the identification, to omit reporting the second signal measurement of the second cell in a measurement report, and transmitting, based on the determination, a measurement report indicating the first signal measurement of the macro cell.

[0008] A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication by a UE is described. The code may include instructions executable by a processor to perform the following operations: identifying the number of handovers of the UE that occur during a time period, detecting a macro cell based on measuring the macro cell during a handover set, generating a first signal measurement of the macro cell and a second signal measurement of a second cell, determining, based on the identification, to omit reporting the second signal measurement of the second cell in a measurement report, and transmitting, based on the determination, a measurement report indicating the first signal measurement of the macro cell.

[0009] Some examples of the methods, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein may also include operations, features, components, or instructions for determining that the number of handovers that occur during the time period meets a handover threshold.

[0010] Some examples of the methods, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein may also include operations, features, components, or instructions for receiving control signaling indicating the handover threshold.

[0011] In some examples of the methods, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein, detecting the macro cell may include operations, features, components, or instructions for detecting the macro cell based on measuring the macro cell during a handover set that meets the handover threshold.

[0012] Some examples of the methods, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein may also include operations, features, components, or instructions for receiving a message based on transmitting the measurement report, and performing a handover procedure with the macro cell based on receiving the message.

[0013] In some examples of the methods, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein, performing the handover procedure may include operations, features, components, or instructions for establishing a link with the macro cell based on receiving the message.

[0014] In some examples of the methods, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein, the message includes a radio resource control reconfiguration message.

[0015] In some examples of the methods, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein, the handover process includes a random access process.

[0016] Some examples of the methods, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein may further include operations, features, components, or instructions for identifying a handover threshold, a duration of a time period, or both.

[0017] Some examples of the methods, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein may further include operations, features, components, or instructions for receiving control signaling indicating a handover threshold, a duration of a time period, or both.

[0018] Some examples of the methods, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein may further include operations, features, components, or instructions for: receiving a measurement configuration that indicates that a UE may measure a macro cell and a second cell, wherein first signal measurements and second signal measurements may be generated based on the measurement configuration.

[0019] Some examples of the methods, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein may further include operations, features, components, or instructions for: identifying a reporting periodicity indicated in the measurement configuration, wherein a measurement report may be sent based on the reporting periodicity.

[0020] Some examples of the methods, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein may further include operations, features, components, or instructions for: detecting an event, wherein a measurement report may be sent based on detecting the event.

[0021] Some examples of the methods, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein may further include operations, features, components, or instructions for: receiving control signaling indicating an event detection configuration, wherein the event may be detected based on the event detection configuration.

[0022] Some examples of the methods, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein may further include operations, features, components, or instructions for: receiving an aperiodic measurement report trigger, wherein a measurement report may be sent based on receiving the aperiodic measurement report trigger.

[0023] Some examples of the methods, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein may further include operations, features, components, or instructions for: determining, based on generating first signal measurements and second signal measurements, that at least one signal parameter associated with the macro cell may be less favorable than at least one corresponding signal parameter associated with the second cell.

[0024] Some examples of the methods, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein may also include operations, features, components, or instructions for: determining that at least one signal parameter associated with a macro cell meets a signal threshold, where determining to omit reporting of a second signal measurement of a second cell in a measurement report may be further based on determining that at least one signal parameter associated with the macro cell meets the signal threshold.

[0025] In some examples of the methods, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein, the first signal measurement or the second signal measurement includes a reference signal received power measurement, a signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio measurement, or both.

[0026] In some examples of the methods, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein, the second cell includes a small cell, a micro cell, or both. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Figure 1 and Figure 2 show examples of wireless communication systems supporting techniques for avoiding frequent handovers in small cells in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0028] Figure 3 show examples of process flows supporting techniques for avoiding frequent handovers in small cells in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0029] Figure 4 and Figure 5 show block diagrams of devices supporting techniques for avoiding frequent handovers in small cells in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0030] Figure 6 show block diagrams of communication managers supporting techniques for avoiding frequent handovers in small cells in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0031] Figure 7 show schematic diagrams of systems including devices supporting techniques for avoiding frequent handovers in small cells in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0032] Figures 8 to 10 show flowcharts illustrating methods supporting techniques for avoiding frequent handovers in small cells in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] Some wireless communication systems, such as the fifth generation (5G) systems that may be referred to as New Radio (NR) systems, can include user equipment (UE) that communicates with network nodes such as base stations. Each base station can provide communication coverage for the UE via one or more cells. For example, a macro cell can provide communication coverage for a relatively large geographical area, while a small cell (which may be referred to as a micro cell in some cases) can provide communication coverage for a smaller geographical area. Small cells can be widely deployed in the NR system. In some examples, the geographical area of a macro cell can overlap with the geographical areas of one or more small cells.

[0034] The UE can move from the geographical area of a first small cell to the geographical area of a second small cell, which can trigger a handover. The UE can generate one or more signal measurements of a cell, for example, based on a trigger received from the first small cell, which can act as the serving cell of the UE. The UE can send a measurement report indicating the signal measurements to the first small cell. Based on the measurement report, the first small cell can determine to instruct the UE to hand over to the second small cell. The first small cell can send a message (e.g., a Radio Resource Control (RRC) reconfiguration message) to initiate the handover process to the UE. The handover process can include establishing a link with the second small cell based on the message. Based on the established link, the second small cell can act as the serving cell of the UE.

[0035] In some examples, an area can include multiple small cells, which may result in frequent handovers when the UE moves in the area. Frequent handovers can increase the signaling overhead of the UE and the power consumption of the UE's battery. The signal measurements and measurement reports can also reduce the data rate of the UE, which may reduce the communication reliability and efficiency at the UE.

[0036] According to the techniques described herein, the UE can avoid frequent handovers in small cells by triggering a handover to a macro cell. In some cases, in the geographical area of a small cell, the macro cell may provide poorer communication coverage to the UE compared to the small cell, but the communication coverage of the macro cell can be sufficient to act as the serving cell of the UE. For example, the signal strength of the macro cell can meet a signal threshold. The UE can determine that the UE has performed multiple handovers within a time period. The UE can determine to trigger a handover to the macro cell instead of continuing to perform handovers to small cells. The UE can identify the macro cell based on measuring the macro cell during multiple handovers, rather than switching from one small cell to the next.

[0037] Based on at least a threshold number of handovers occurring within the time period, the UE can determine to avoid indicating signal measurements of the small cell in the measurement report to trigger the network to handover the UE to the macro cell. Thus, the measurement report can include signal measurements of the macro cell and omit signal measurements of the small cell. The UE can send the measurement report to the small cell serving as the serving cell of the UE. Based on the measurement report, the UE can receive a message initiating a handover procedure to the macro cell. After performing the handover procedure, the UE can maintain a connection with the macro cell (e.g., for at least a predetermined amount of time), which can improve data transfer stability and power efficiency at the UE, among other benefits.

[0038] Aspects of the present disclosure are initially described in the context of a wireless communication system. The aspects of the present disclosure are further illustrated and described with reference to process flows, block diagrams, system diagrams, and flowcharts related to techniques for avoiding frequent handovers in small cells.

[0039] Figure 1 An example of a wireless communication system 100 is shown that supports techniques for avoiding frequent handovers in small cells in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The wireless communication system 100 can include one or more base stations 105, one or more UEs 115, and a core network 130. In some examples, the wireless communication system 100 can be a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, an LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) network, an LTE-A Pro network, or a New Radio (NR) network. In some examples, the wireless communication system 100 can support enhanced broadband communication, ultra-reliable (e.g., mission-critical) communication, low-latency communication, communication with low-cost and low-complexity devices, or any combination thereof.

[0040] The base stations 105 can be dispersed throughout a geographical area to form the wireless communication system 100 and can be devices of different forms or having different capabilities. The base stations 105 and the UEs 115 can communicate wirelessly via one or more communication links 125. Each base station 105 can provide a coverage area 110 over which the UEs 115 and the base stations 105 can establish one or more communication links 125. The coverage area 110 can be an example of a geographical area over which the base stations 105 and the UEs 115 can support communication of signals according to one or more radio access technologies.

[0041] The UEs 115 can be dispersed throughout the coverage area 110 of the wireless communication system 100, and each UE 115 can be stationary, mobile, or both at different times. The UEs 115 can be devices of different forms or having different capabilities. Figure 1 Some example UEs 115 are shown. As Figure 1As shown, the UE 115 described herein is capable of communicating with various types of devices, such as other UEs 115, base stations 105, or network devices (e.g., core network nodes, relay devices, integrated access and backhaul (IAB) nodes, or other network devices).

[0042] The base stations 105 may communicate with the core network 130, or with each other, or with both. For example, the base stations 105 may interface with the core network 130 via one or more backhaul links 120 (e.g., via S1, N2, N3, or other interfaces). The base stations 105 may communicate with each other directly (e.g., directly between base stations 105) or indirectly (e.g., via the core network 130) or via both through the backhaul links 120 (e.g., via X2, Xn, or other interfaces). In some examples, the backhaul links 120 may be or include one or more wireless links.

[0043] One or more of the base stations 105 described herein may include or may be referred to by those of ordinary skill in the art as a base station transceiver, radio base station, access point, radio transceiver, NodeB, eNodeB (eNB), next-generation NodeB, or giga NodeB (any of which may be referred to as a gNB), home NodeB, home eNodeB, or other suitable terms.

[0044] The UE 115 may include or may be referred to as a mobile device, wireless device, remote device, handheld device, or subscriber device, or some other suitable term, where "device" may also be referred to as a unit, station, terminal, or client, etc. The UE 115 may also include or may be referred to as a personal electronic device, such as a cellular phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), tablet computer, laptop computer, or personal computer. In some examples, the UE 115 may include or be referred to as a wireless local loop (WLL) station, Internet of Things (IoT) device, Internet of Everything (IoE) device, or machine type communication (MTC) device, etc., which may be implemented in various objects such as appliances or vehicles, meters, etc.

[0045] The UE 115 described herein is capable of communicating with various types of devices, such as other UEs 115 that may sometimes act as relays, as well as base stations 105 and network devices, including macro eNBs or gNBs, small cell eNBs or gNBs, or relay base stations, etc., as Figure 1 shown.

[0046] UE 115 and base station 105 can communicate wirelessly with each other via one or more carriers over one or more communication links 125. The term "carrier" can refer to a set of radio spectrum resources having a defined physical layer structure for supporting communication link 125. For example, a carrier for communication link 125 can include a portion (e.g., bandwidth part (BWP)) of a radio spectrum band operating according to one or more physical layer channels of a given radio access technology (e.g., LTE, LTE-A, LTE-A Pro, NR). Each physical layer channel can carry acquisition signaling (e.g., synchronization signals, system information), control signaling for coordinating the operation of the carrier, user data, or other signaling. The wireless communication system 100 can use carrier aggregation or multi-carrier operation to support communication with UE 115. According to a carrier aggregation configuration, UE 115 can be configured with multiple downlink component carriers and one or more uplink component carriers. Carrier aggregation can be used with both frequency division duplex (FDD) and time division duplex (TDD) component carriers.

[0047] The signal waveform transmitted on a carrier can be composed of multiple subcarriers (e.g., using multi-carrier modulation (MCM) techniques such as orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) or discrete Fourier transform spread OFDM (DFT-S-OFDM)). In a system employing MCM techniques, a resource element can be composed of one symbol period (e.g., the duration of one modulation symbol) and one subcarrier, where the symbol period and subcarrier spacing are inversely related. The number of bits carried by each resource element can depend on the modulation scheme (e.g., the order of the modulation scheme, the coding rate of the modulation scheme, or both). Thus, the more resource elements received by UE 115 and the higher the order of the modulation scheme, the higher the data rate of UE 115. Wireless communication resources can refer to a combination of radio spectrum resources, time resources, and space resources (e.g., spatial layers or beams), and the use of multiple spatial layers can further increase the data rate or data integrity of communication with UE 115.

[0048] The time interval of base station 105 or UE 115 can be expressed as a multiple of a basic time unit, which can for example refer to T s = 1 / (Δf max ·N f ) seconds of sampling period, where Δf max can represent the maximum supported subcarrier spacing, and N f can represent the maximum supported discrete Fourier transform (DFT) size. The time intervals of communication resources can be organized according to radio frames, each radio frame having a specified duration (e.g., 10 milliseconds (ms)). Each radio frame can be identified by a system frame number (SFN) (e.g., ranging from 0 to 1023).

[0049] Each frame may include a plurality of consecutively numbered sub - frames or time slots, and each sub - frame or time slot may have the same duration. In some examples, a frame may be divided (e.g., in the time domain) into sub - frames, and each sub - frame may be further divided into a plurality of time slots. Alternatively, each frame may include a variable number of time slots, and the number of time slots may depend on the sub - carrier spacing. Each time slot may include a plurality of symbol periods (e.g., depending on the length of the cyclic prefix pre - added to each symbol period). In some wireless communication systems 100, a time slot may be further divided into a plurality of mini - slots each containing one or more symbols. In addition to the cyclic prefix, each symbol period may contain one or more (e.g., N f ) sampling periods. The duration of a symbol period may depend on the sub - carrier spacing or the operating frequency band.

[0050] A sub - frame, time slot, mini - slot or symbol may be the smallest scheduling unit (e.g., in the time domain) of the wireless communication system 100 and may be referred to as a transmission time interval (TTI). In some examples, the TTI duration (e.g., the number of symbol periods in a TTI) may be variable. Additionally or alternatively, the smallest scheduling unit of the wireless communication system 100 may be dynamically selected (e.g., in a burst of shortened TTIs (sTTIs)).

[0051] Physical channels may be multiplexed on a carrier according to various techniques. For example, one or more of time - division multiplexing (TDM) techniques, frequency - division multiplexing (FDM) techniques, or hybrid TDM - FDM techniques may be used to multiplex physical control channels and physical data channels on a downlink carrier. The control region of a physical control channel (e.g., a control resource set (CORESET)) may be defined by a plurality of symbol periods and may span the system bandwidth of the carrier or a subset of the system bandwidth. One or more control regions (e.g., CORESETs) may be configured for a set of UEs 115. For example, one or more of the UEs 115 may monitor or search for a control region for control information according to one or more search space sets, and each search space set may include one or more control channel candidates in one or more aggregation levels arranged in a cascaded manner. The aggregation level of a control channel candidate may refer to the number of control channel resources (e.g., control channel elements (CCEs)) associated with the encoded information of a control information format having a given payload size. The search space set may include a common search space set configured to send control information to a plurality of UEs 115 and a UE - specific search space set for sending control information to a particular UE 115.

[0052] Each base station 105 may provide communication coverage via one or more cells (e.g., macro cells, small cells, hotspots, or other types of cells, or any combination thereof). The term "cell" may refer to a logical communication entity used to communicate with base station 105 (e.g., via a carrier), and may be associated with an identifier (e.g., physical cell identifier (PCID), virtual cell identifier (VCID), etc.) used to distinguish adjacent cells. In some examples, a cell may also refer to a geographic coverage area 110 or a portion of the geographic coverage area 110 (e.g., a sector) over which the logical communication entity operates. Depending on various factors, such as the capabilities of base station 105, the ranges of these cells can vary from relatively small areas (e.g., a large structure, a subset of a large structure) to relatively large areas. For example, a cell may be or include a building, a subset of a building, or an external space between or overlapping with the geographic coverage area 110, and so on.

[0053] Macro cells typically cover relatively large geographic areas (e.g., with a radius of several kilometers) and may allow UEs 115 to access unrestrictedly by subscribing to services from a network provider that supports the macro cell. Compared with macro cells, small cells may be associated with base stations 105 with lower power, and small cells may operate in the same or different (e.g., licensed, unlicensed) frequency bands as macro cells. Small cells may provide unrestricted access to UEs 115 with a service subscription to the network provider, or may provide restricted access to UEs 115 associated with the small cell (e.g., UEs 115 in a closed subscriber group (CSG), UEs 115 associated with users in a home or office). Base station 105 may support one or more cells and may also use one or more component carriers to support communication over one or more cells.

[0054] In some examples, a carrier may support multiple cells, and different cells may be configured according to different protocol types (e.g., MTC, narrowband IoT (NB-IoT), enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB)) that may provide access for different types of devices.

[0055] In some examples, base station 105 may be movable, thus providing communication coverage for a mobile geographic coverage area 110. In some examples, different geographic coverage areas 110 associated with different technologies may overlap, but different geographic coverage areas 110 may be supported by the same base station 105. In other examples, overlapping geographic coverage areas 110 associated with different technologies may be supported by different base stations 105. The wireless communication system 100 may include, for example, a heterogeneous network in which different types of base stations 105 provide coverage for various geographic coverage areas 110 using the same or different radio access technologies.

[0056] The wireless communication system 100 may be configured to support ultra-reliable communication or low-latency communication, or various combinations thereof. For example, the wireless communication system 100 may be configured to support ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) or mission-critical communication. The UE 115 may be designed to support ultra-reliable, low-latency, or mission-critical functions (e.g., mission-critical functions). Ultra-reliable communication may include private communication or group communication and may be supported by one or more mission-critical services such as mission-critical push-to-talk (MCPTT), mission-critical video (MCVideo), or mission-critical data (MCData). Support for mission-critical functions may include prioritization of services, and mission-critical services may be used for public safety or general commercial applications. The terms ultra-reliable, low-latency, mission-critical, and ultra-reliable low-latency may be used interchangeably herein.

[0057] In some examples, the UE 115 is also capable of directly communicating with other UEs 115 via a device-to-device (D2D) communication link 135 (e.g., using a peer-to-peer (P2P) or D2D protocol). One or more UEs 115 utilizing D2D communication may be within the geographic coverage area 110 of the base station 105. Other UEs 115 in the group may be outside the geographic coverage area 110 of the base station 105 or otherwise unable to receive transmissions from the base station 105. In some examples, the group of UEs 115 communicating via D2D communication may utilize a one-to-many (1:M) system where each UE 115 transmits to each other UE 115 in the group. In some examples, the base station 105 facilitates scheduling of resources for D2D communication. In other cases, D2D communication is performed between UEs 115 without the participation of the base station 105.

[0058] The core network 130 may provide user authentication, access authentication, tracking, Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity, and other access, routing, or mobility functions. The core network 130 may be an evolved packet core (EPC) or a 5G core (5GC), which may include at least one control plane entity that manages access and mobility (e.g., a mobility management entity (MME), an access and mobility management function (AMF)) and at least one user plane entity that routes packets or interconnects to an external network (e.g., a serving gateway (S-GW), a packet data network (PDN) gateway (P-GW), or a user plane function (UPF)). The control plane entity may manage non-access stratum (NAS) functions of the UE 115 served by the base station 105 associated with the core network 130, such as mobility, authentication, and bearer management. User IP packets may be passed through the user plane entity, which may provide IP address allocation and other functions. The user plane entity may be connected to the network operator IP services 150. The operator IP services 150 may include access to the Internet, an intranet, an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS), or packet-switched streaming services.

[0059] Some network devices in the wireless communication system 100, such as the base station 105, may include sub-components, such as an access network entity 140, which may be an example of an access node controller (ANC). Each access network entity 140 may communicate with the UE 115 through one or more other access network transport entities 145, which may be referred to as radio heads, intelligent radio heads, or transmit / receive points (TRPs). Each access network transport entity 145 may include one or more antenna panels. In some configurations, the various functions of each access network entity 140 or the base station 105 may be distributed across various network devices (e.g., radio heads and ANCs) or consolidated into a single network device (e.g., the base station 105).

[0060] The wireless communication system 100 may operate using one or more frequency bands, typically in the range of 300 megahertz (MHz) to 300 gigahertz (GHz). Generally, the region from 300 MHz to 3 GHz is referred to as the ultra-high frequency (UHF) region or the decimeter band because the wavelength ranges from approximately 1 decimeter to 1 meter in length. UHF waves may be blocked or redirected by buildings and environmental features, but these waves may penetrate large buildings sufficiently to enable a macro cell to serve a UE 115 located indoors. Compared to transmissions using smaller frequencies and longer waves in the high frequency (HF) or very high frequency (VHF) portions of the spectrum below 300 MHz, UHF wave transmissions may be associated with smaller antennas and shorter ranges (e.g., less than 100 kilometers).

[0061] The wireless communication system 100 can utilize both licensed and unlicensed radio spectrum bands. For example, the wireless communication system 100 can employ licensed-assisted access (LAA), LTE-unlicensed (LTE-U) radio access technology, or NR technology in an unlicensed band such as the 5 GHz industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) band. When operating in an unlicensed radio spectrum band, devices such as the base station 105 and the UE 115 can employ carrier sensing for collision detection and avoidance. In some examples, operation in the unlicensed band can be based on a carrier aggregation configuration (e.g., LAA) that combines a component carrier operating in a licensed band. Operation in the unlicensed spectrum can include downlink transmission, uplink transmission, P2P transmission, or D2D transmission, etc.

[0062] The base station 105 or the UE 115 can be equipped with multiple antennas, which can be used to employ techniques such as transmit diversity, receive diversity, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication, or beamforming. The antennas of the base station 105 or the UE 115 can be located within one or more antenna arrays or antenna panels, which can support MIMO operation or transmit or receive beamforming. For example, one or more base station antennas or antenna arrays can be co-located at an antenna assembly, such as an antenna tower. In some examples, the antennas or antenna arrays associated with the base station 105 can be located at different geographical locations. The base station 105 can have an antenna array having multiple rows and columns of antenna ports, which the base station 105 can use to support beamforming for communication with the UE 115. Similarly, the UE 115 can have one or more antenna arrays, which can support various MIMO or beamforming operations. Additionally or alternatively, the antenna panel can support radio frequency beamforming of signals transmitted via the antenna ports.

[0063] The base station 105 or the UE 115 can use MIMO communication to utilize multipath signal propagation and improve spectral efficiency by transmitting or receiving multiple signals via different spatial layers. This technique can be referred to as spatial multiplexing. For example, multiple signals can be transmitted by a transmitting device via different antennas or different combinations of antennas. Similarly, a receiving device can receive multiple signals via different antennas or different combinations of antennas. Each of the multiple signals can be referred to as a separate spatial stream and can carry bits associated with the same data stream (e.g., the same codeword) or different data streams (e.g., different codewords). Different spatial layers can be associated with different antenna ports for channel measurement and reporting. MIMO techniques include single-user MIMO (SU-MIMO) and multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO), where in single-user MIMO, multiple spatial layers are transmitted to the same receiving device, and in multi-user MIMO, multiple spatial layers are transmitted to multiple devices.

[0064] Beamforming, which can also be referred to as spatial filtering, directional transmission, or directional reception, is a signal processing technique that can be used at a transmitting device or a receiving device (e.g., base station 105, UE 115) to shape or manipulate an antenna beam (e.g., a transmit beam, a receive beam) along a spatial path between the transmitting device and the receiving device. Beamforming can be achieved by combining signals transmitted via the antenna elements of an antenna array such that some signals propagating in a particular direction relative to the antenna array experience constructive interference, while other signals experience destructive interference. The adjustment of the signals transmitted via the antenna elements can include the transmitting device or the receiving device applying an amplitude offset, a phase offset, or both to the signals carried via the antenna elements associated with the device. The adjustment associated with each of the antenna elements can be defined by a set of beamforming weights associated with a particular direction (e.g., relative to the antenna array of the transmitting device or the receiving device, or relative to some other direction).

[0065] The wireless communication system 100 can be a packet-based network operating according to a layered protocol stack. In the user plane, the communication of the bearer or packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer can be IP-based. The radio link control (RLC) layer can perform packet segmentation and reassembly for communication over a logical channel. The media access control (MAC) layer can perform priority handling and multiplex logical channels into transport channels. The MAC layer can also use error detection techniques, error correction techniques, or both to support retransmission at the MAC layer to improve link efficiency. In the control plane, the radio resource control (RRC) protocol layer can provide the establishment, configuration, and maintenance of an RRC connection between the UE 115 and the base station 105 or the core network 130 that supports the radio bearers for user plane data. At the physical layer, the transport channels can be mapped to physical channels.

[0066] The UE 115 and the base station 105 can support retransmission of data to increase the likelihood of successful data reception. Hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback is a technique for increasing the likelihood of correctly receiving data over a communication link 125. HARQ can include a combination of error detection (e.g., using cyclic redundancy check (CRC)), forward error correction (FEC), and retransmission (e.g., automatic repeat request (ARQ)). Under poor radio conditions (e.g., low signal-to-noise ratio conditions), HARQ can improve the throughput of the MAC layer. In some examples, a device can support HARQ feedback in the same time slot, where the device can provide HARQ feedback for data received in previous symbols in the particular time slot. In other cases, the device can provide HARQ feedback in a subsequent time slot or according to some other time interval.

[0067] In accordance with the techniques described herein, the UE 115 can avoid frequent handovers in a small cell of the base station 105 by triggering a handover to the macro cell of the base station 105. In some examples, within the geographic coverage area 110 of the small cell, the macro cell may provide poorer communication coverage to the UE 115 compared to the small cell, but the communication coverage of the macro cell is sufficient to serve as the serving cell of the UE 115. For example, the signal strength of the macro cell may meet the signal threshold, but may be less than the signal strength of the small cell. The UE 115 can determine that the UE 115 has performed multiple handovers within a time period. The UE 115 can determine to trigger a handover to the macro cell instead of continuing to perform handovers to the small cell. The UE 115 can identify the macro cell based on measuring the macro cell during multiple handovers. Based on at least a threshold number of handovers that occurred within the time period, the UE 115 can determine to avoid indicating the signal measurement of the small cell in the measurement report to trigger the network to hand over the UE to the macro cell. Thus, the measurement report can include the signal measurement of the macro cell and omit the signal measurement of the small cell. The UE 115 can send the measurement report to the small cell that serves as the serving cell of the UE 115. Based on the measurement report, the UE 115 can receive a message to initiate a handover procedure to the macro cell. After performing the handover procedure, the UE 115 can maintain a connection with the macro cell (e.g., for at least a defined amount of time), which can improve data transfer stability and power efficiency at the UE 115, among other benefits.

[0068] Figure 2 FIG. shows an example of a wireless communication system 200 that supports techniques for avoiding frequent handovers in a small cell in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. In some examples, the wireless communication system 200 may implement aspects of the wireless communication system 100. For example, the wireless communication system 200 may include a base station 205 and a UE 215, which may be examples of the corresponding devices described with reference to Figure 1 In some examples, Figure 2 the set of base stations 205 shown may represent components of a single base station 205, or each base station 205 may represent a different device.

[0069] Each base station 205 may provide communication coverage for a geographic coverage area 210. As Figure 2 shown, the base station 205a may provide communication coverage for the geographic coverage area 210a via a macro cell, while additional base stations 205 may provide communication coverage for additional geographic coverage areas 210 via small cells. The geographic coverage area 210a may overlap with the geographic coverage area 210 of the small cell. In some examples, the signal strength of the macro cell may be less than the signal strength of the small cell (e.g., base station 205b) in the geographic coverage area 210 (e.g., geographic coverage area 210b).

[0070] As UE 215 moves through geographical coverage area 210, a handover may be triggered to maintain reliable service for UE 215. For example, when UE is in geographical coverage area 210b, the small cell of base station 205b may serve as the serving cell for UE 215. In some examples, UE 215 may have NR capabilities and may operate in stand-alone mode. As UE 215 enters geographical coverage area 210c, the signal strength of base station 205b may decrease. In some examples, UE 215 may detect an event (e.g., A2 event) based on determining that a signal parameter associated with the communication coverage provided by base station 205b is below a threshold. The signal parameter may include reference signal received power (RSRP), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR), another signal quality parameter, or any combination thereof.

[0071] UE 215 may generate signal measurements for one or more cells. For example, in geographical coverage area 210c, UE 215 may generate signal measurements for the macro cell of base station 205a and the small cell of base station 205c. In some examples, UE 215 may generate signal measurements based on detecting an event. Additionally or alternatively, UE 215 may be configured to periodically send measurement reports to the serving cell. In some examples, UE 215 may receive an aperiodic measurement report trigger or measurement configuration from its current serving base station 205 (e.g., base station 205b), which indicates that UE 215 should generate signal measurements, which base stations to measure, or both. UE 215 may send a measurement report to base station 205b indicating the signal measurements.

[0072] Based on the signal measurements, base station 205b may determine to hand over UE 215 to the small cell of base station 205c. Base station 205b may send a message to UE 215 initiating the handover process. In some examples, the message may be an RRC reconfiguration message. Based on the message, UE 215 may perform the handover process with base station 205c, which may include establishing a link with the small cell of base station 205c. In some examples, the handover process may include a random access process. Based on the established link, the small cell of base station 205c may serve as the serving cell for UE 215.

[0073] In some examples, when the UE 215 moves through the geographic coverage area 210 of the small cell, frequent handovers in the small cell can increase the signaling overhead of the UE 215, which can reduce the communication reliability and efficiency at the UE 215, as well as cause battery depletion. The UE 215 can determine to avoid frequent handovers by triggering a handover to the macro cell of the base station 205a. In some cases, within the geographic coverage area 210 of the small cell, the macro cell can provide inferior signal strength observed at the UE 215 compared to the small cell, but the macro cell 205b can be sufficient for the macro cell to serve as the serving cell for the UE 215. For example, the UE 215 can determine that the signal parameters associated with the communication coverage provided by the macro cell of the base station 205a meet a signal threshold (e.g., a signal strength threshold), even if other small cells are available. In some examples, the UE 215 can identify the macro cell of the base station 205a based on signal measurements of the macro cell generated during multiple handovers.

[0074] The UE 215 can determine that the UE 215 has performed multiple handovers within a time period (e.g., 60 seconds). In some examples, the UE 215 can determine that the number of handovers exceeds a handover threshold (e.g., 5 handovers within 60 seconds). In some examples, the UE 215 can receive control signaling indicating the duration of the time period, the number threshold of handovers (e.g., a counter threshold), or both. The UE 215 can generate signal measurements of the macro cell and the small cell. The UE 215 can determine to omit reporting the signal measurements of the small cell in the measurement report to trigger a handover to the macro cell instead of continuing to perform handovers to the small cell. Thus, the UE 215 can send a measurement report to the serving cell (e.g., the small cell of the base station 205), where the measurement report can indicate the signal measurements of the macro cell. Based on the measurement report, the UE 215 can receive a message initiating a handover procedure to the macro cell. After performing the handover procedure, the UE 215 can maintain a connection with the macro cell (e.g., for at least a defined amount of time), which can improve the data transmission stability and power efficiency at the UE 215, as well as other benefits.

[0075] Figure 3 An example of a process flow 300 that supports techniques for avoiding frequent handovers in a small cell in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown. In some examples, the processing flow 300 can implement aspects of the wireless communication systems 100 and 200. For example, the processing flow 300 can include example operations associated with one or more base stations 305 or UEs 315, which can be reference Figure 1 and Figure 2Examples of the corresponding devices described. In the following description of the process flow 300, the operations between the base station 305 and the UE 315 can be performed in an order different from the example order shown, or the operations performed by the base station 305 and the UE 315 can be performed in a different order or at different times. Some operations can also be omitted from the process flow 300, and other operations can be added to the process flow 300. The operations performed by the base station 305 and the UE 315 can support improvements to the handover operations of the UE 315, and in some examples, can facilitate improvements to the efficiency and reliability of the communication between the base station 305 and the UE 315, as well as other benefits.

[0076] In some examples, at 320, the base station 305a can send control signaling to the UE 315. The control signaling can indicate a handover threshold, the duration of a time period, an event detection configuration, or any combination thereof. In some examples, the base station 305a can provide communication coverage for the UE 315 via a first small cell. The first small cell can act as the serving cell of the UE 315.

[0077] At 325, the UE 315 can identify the number of handovers that occur within the time period (e.g., 60 seconds). In some examples, the UE 315 can determine that the number of handovers meets the handover threshold (e.g., 5 handovers within 60 seconds). In some examples, the UE 315 can determine the handover threshold, the duration of the time period, or both based on the control signaling. Frequent handovers can increase the signaling overhead of the UE 315. For example, signal measurements and measurement reports can reduce the data rate of the UE 315, which can reduce communication reliability and efficiency.

[0078] In some examples, at 330, the base station 305a can send a measurement configuration to the UE 315. The measurement configuration can indicate which cells the UE 315 is to measure. For example, the measurement configuration can indicate that the UE 315 is to measure the macro cell of the base station 305c and the second small cell of the base station 305b. In some examples, Figure 3 The set of base stations 305 shown can represent the components of a single base station 305, or each base station 305 can represent a different device. In some examples, the measurement configuration can include an aperiodic measurement report trigger for the UE 315. Additionally or alternatively, the measurement configuration can include the reporting periodicity of the UE 315, where the UE 315 can be configured to periodically measure cells and report the measurement results to the base station 305a.

[0079] In some examples, at 335, UE 315 may receive one or more reference signals transmitted by base stations 305b and 305c. In some examples, UE 315 may monitor the reference signals based on a measurement configuration or control signaling. For example, UE 315 may monitor the reference signals to trigger or report periodicity for measuring a macro cell and a second small cell based on an aperiodic measurement report.

[0080] At 340, UE 315 may detect the macro cell of base station 305c. UE 315 may detect the macro cell based on measuring the macro cell during some or all of the handovers within the time period. In some examples, during a previous handover, the signal parameters associated with the macro cell may not be as good as the signal parameters associated with another cell (e.g., the first small cell of base station 305a), so UE 315 did not perform a handover procedure with the macro cell. In some examples, UE 315 may detect the macro cell based on the received reference signals.

[0081] At 345, UE 315 may generate signal measurements of the macro cell and the second small cell, for example, based on the received reference signals. In some examples, UE 315 may generate signal measurements based on detecting an event according to an event detection configuration in the control signaling. Additionally or alternatively, UE 315 may generate signal measurements based on an aperiodic measurement report trigger or the reporting periodicity indicated in the measurement configuration. In some examples, UE 315 may measure one or more signal parameters associated with each of the macro cell and the second small cell. The signal parameters may include RSRP, RSRQ, SINR, or another signal quality parameter, or any combination thereof.

[0082] At 350, UE 315 may generate a measurement report based on the signal measurements. Based on identifying the number of handovers that occurred within the time period, UE 315 may determine to omit the signal measurements of the second small cell from the measurement report. In some examples, UE315 may determine that one or more signal parameters associated with the macro cell are not as good as the corresponding signal parameters associated with the second small cell. Additionally or alternatively, UE 315 may determine that the signal parameters associated with the macro cell satisfy a signal threshold. That is, UE 315 may determine that the communication coverage of the macro cell is sufficient for the macro cell to serve as the serving cell of UE 315. At 355, UE 315 may send the measurement report to base station 305a, where the measurement report may indicate the signal measurements of the macro cell.

[0083] In some examples, at 360, base station 305a may send a message to UE 315, where the message may indicate that UE 315 is to hand over to a macro cell. In some examples, at 365, UE 315 may perform a handover procedure to the macro cell based on receiving the message. The handover procedure may include establishing a link to the macro cell. In some examples, the handover procedure may include a random access procedure.

[0084] In some examples, at 370, after performing the handover procedure, UE 315 may communicate with the macro cell of base station 305c. Based on the established link, the macro cell may serve as the serving cell for UE 315. UE 315 may maintain a connection to the macro cell, which may improve data transfer stability and power efficiency at UE 315, among other benefits. In some examples, at a later time, UE 315 may determine to report a small cell to trigger a handover. For example, UE 315 may determine that the communication requires a higher data rate than that supported by the link to the macro cell. Accordingly, UE 315 may send a measurement report indicating signal measurements of the small cell to initiate a handover procedure.

[0085] Figure 4 Block diagram 400 illustrates a device 405 that supports techniques for avoiding frequent handovers in a small cell, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Device 405 may be an example of an aspect of UE 115 as described herein. Device 405 may include a receiver 410, a communication manager 415, and a transmitter 420. Device 405 may also include a processor. Each of these components may communicate with one another (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0086] Receiver 410 may receive information such as packets, user data, or control information associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, and information related to techniques for avoiding frequent handovers in a small cell, etc.). The information may be passed to other components of device 405. Receiver 410 may be an example of an aspect of transceiver 720 described Figure 7 herein. Receiver 410 may utilize a single antenna or an antenna array.

[0087] Communication manager 415 may identify the number of handovers of the UE that occur during a time period, detect a macro cell based on measuring the macro cell during a set of handovers, generate a first signal measurement of the macro cell and a second signal measurement of a second cell, determine to omit reporting the second signal measurement of the second cell in a measurement report based on the identification, and send a measurement report indicating the first signal measurement of the macro cell based on the determination.

[0088] The communication manager 415 described herein can be implemented to realize one or more potential advantages. One implementation can allow the device 405 to save power and increase battery life by communicating more efficiently with the base station 105 (as Figure 1 shown). For example, the device 405 can reduce the signaling load on the base station 105 by triggering a handover to a macro cell instead of continuing to perform a handover to a small cell. The communication manager 415 can be an example of an aspect of the communication manager 710 described herein.

[0089] The communication manager 415 or its sub-components can be implemented in hardware, code executed by a processor (e.g., software or firmware), or any combination thereof. If implemented in code executed by a processor, the functions of the communication manager 415 or its sub-components can be performed by a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described in this disclosure.

[0090] The communication manager 415 or its sub-components can be physically located in various positions, including being distributed such that some functions are implemented by one or more physical components in different physical locations. In some examples, in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure, the communication manager 415 or its sub-components can be separate and distinct components. In some examples, in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure, the communication manager 415 or its sub-components can be combined with one or more other hardware components, including but not limited to input / output (I / O) components, transceivers, network servers, another computing device, one or more other components described in this disclosure, or a combination thereof.

[0091] The transmitter 420 can transmit signals generated by other components of the device 405. In some examples, the transmitter 420 can be collocated with the receiver 410 in a transceiver module. For example, the transmitter 420 can be an example of an aspect of the transceiver 720 described with reference to Figure 7 description. The transmitter 420 can utilize a single antenna or an antenna array.

[0092] Figure 5 FIG. 500 is a block diagram showing a device 505 that supports techniques for avoiding frequent handovers in a small cell in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The device 505 can be an example of an aspect of the device 405 or the UE 115 as described herein. The device 505 can include a receiver 510, a communication manager 515, and a transmitter 545. The device 505 can also include a processor. Each of these components can communicate with each other (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0093] The receiver 510 may receive information such as packets, user data, or control information associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, and information related to techniques for avoiding frequent handovers in small cells, etc.). The information may be passed to other components of the device 505. The receiver 510 may be an example of an aspect of the transceiver 720 described with reference to Figure 7 FIG. The receiver 510 may utilize a single antenna or an antenna array.

[0094] The communication manager 515 may be an example of an aspect of the communication manager 415 described herein. The communication manager 515 may include a handover manager 520, a cell detection component 525, a signal measurement manager 530, a measurement report manager 535, and a reporting component 540. The communication manager 515 may be an example of an aspect of the communication manager 710 described herein.

[0095] The handover manager 520 may identify the number of UEs' handovers that occur during a time period. The cell detection component 525 may detect a macro cell based on measuring the macro cell during a handover set. The signal measurement manager 530 may generate a first signal measurement of the macro cell and a second signal measurement of a second cell. The measurement report manager 535 may determine to omit reporting the second signal measurement of the second cell in a measurement report based on the identification. Based on the determination, the reporting component 540 may send a measurement report indicating the first signal measurement of the macro cell.

[0096] The transmitter 545 may send signals generated by other components of the device 505. In some examples, the transmitter 545 may be collocated with the receiver 510 in a transceiver module. For example, the transmitter 545 may be an example of an aspect of the transceiver 720 described with reference to Figure 7 FIG. The transmitter 545 may utilize a single antenna or an antenna array.

[0097] Figure 6 FIG. 600 is a block diagram illustrating a communication manager 605 that supports techniques for avoiding frequent handovers in small cells in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The communication manager 605 may be an example of an aspect of the communication manager 415, the communication manager 515, or the communication manager 710 described herein. The communication manager 605 may include a handover manager 610, a cell detection component 615, a signal measurement manager 620, a measurement report manager 625, a reporting component 630, and a control signaling manager 635. Each of these modules may communicate directly or indirectly with each other (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0098] The handover manager 610 may identify the number of UEs' handovers that occur within a time period. In some examples, the handover manager 610 may determine that the number of handovers that occur within the time period meets a handover threshold. In some examples, the handover manager 610 may receive a message based on sending a measurement report. In some examples, the handover manager 610 may perform a handover procedure with a macro cell based on receiving the message. In some examples, the handover manager 610 may establish a link with the macro cell based on receiving the message. In some examples, the handover manager 610 may identify the handover threshold, the duration of the time period, or both. In some cases, the message includes a radio resource control reconfiguration message. In some cases, the handover procedure includes a random access procedure.

[0099] The cell detection component 615 may detect a macro cell based on measuring the macro cell during a handover set. In some examples, the cell detection component 615 may detect a macro cell based on measuring the macro cell during a handover set that meets a handover threshold. In some cases, the second cell includes a small cell, a micro cell, or both.

[0100] The signal measurement manager 620 may generate a first signal measurement of the macro cell and a second signal measurement of the second cell. In some examples, the signal measurement manager 620 may receive a measurement configuration that indicates the UE to measure the macro cell and the second cell, where the first signal measurement and the second signal measurement are generated based on the measurement configuration. In some examples, the signal measurement manager 620 may determine that at least one signal parameter associated with the macro cell is not as good as at least one corresponding signal parameter associated with the second cell based on generating the first signal measurement and the second signal measurement. In some examples, the signal measurement manager 620 may determine that at least one signal parameter associated with the macro cell meets a signal threshold, where determining to omit reporting the second signal measurement of the second cell in the measurement report is also based on determining that at least one signal parameter associated with the macro cell meets the signal threshold. In some cases, the first signal measurement or the second signal measurement includes a reference signal received power measurement, a signal-to-interference-and-noise ratio measurement, or both.

[0101] The measurement report manager 625 may determine to omit reporting the second signal measurement of the second cell in the measurement report based on the identification.

[0102] Based on this determination, the reporting component 630 may send a measurement report indicating a first signal measurement of the macro cell. In some examples, the reporting component 630 may identify a reporting periodicity indicated in a measurement configuration, and send the measurement report based on the reporting periodicity. In some examples, the reporting component 630 may detect an event, and send the measurement report based on the detected event. In some examples, the reporting component 630 may receive an aperiodic measurement report trigger, and send the measurement report based on receiving the aperiodic measurement report trigger.

[0103] In some examples, the control signaling manager 635 may receive control signaling indicating a handover threshold. In some examples, the control signaling manager 635 may receive control signaling indicating a handover threshold, a duration of a time period, or both. In some examples, the control signaling manager 635 may receive control signaling indicating an event detection configuration, and detect an event based on the event detection configuration.

[0104] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a system 700 is shown, the system 700 including a device 705 that supports techniques for avoiding frequent handovers in a small cell according to aspects of the present disclosure. The device 705 may be an example of or include components of the device 405, the device 505, or the UE 115 as described herein. The device 705 may include components for two-way voice and data communication, including components for sending and receiving communications, including a communication manager 710, an I / O controller 715, a transceiver 720, an antenna 725, a memory 730, and a processor 740. These components may communicate electronically via one or more buses (e.g., bus 745).

[0105] The communication manager 710 may identify the number of handovers of the UE that occur within a time period, detect a macro cell based on measuring the macro cell during a handover set, generate a first signal measurement of the macro cell and a second signal measurement of a second cell, determine a report omitting the second signal measurement of the second cell in a measurement report based on the identification, and send a measurement report indicating the first signal measurement of the macro cell based on the determination.

[0106] The I / O controller 715 may manage input and output signals of the device 705. The I / O controller 715 may also manage peripheral devices not integrated into the device 705. In some cases, the I / O controller 715 may represent a physical connection or port to an external peripheral device. In some cases, the I / O controller 715 may utilize an operating system, such as MS- MS- OS / or other known operating systems. In other cases, the I / O controller 715 may represent or interact with a modem, keyboard, mouse, touch screen, or similar device. In some cases, the I / O controller 715 may be implemented as part of a processor. In some cases, a user may interact with the device 705 via the I / O controller 715 or via a hardware component controlled by the I / O controller 715.

[0107] As described above, the transceiver 720 may communicate bi-directionally via one or more antennas, wired or wireless links. For example, the transceiver 720 may represent a wireless transceiver and may communicate bi-directionally with another wireless transceiver. The transceiver 720 may also include a modem to modulate packets and provide the modulated packets to the antenna for transmission, and to demodulate packets received from the antenna.

[0108] In some cases, the wireless device may include a single antenna 725. However, in some cases, the device may have more than one antenna 725 capable of simultaneously sending or receiving multiple wireless transmissions.

[0109] The memory 730 may include random access memory (RAM) and read-only memory (ROM). The memory 730 may store computer-readable, computer-executable code 735 that includes instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to perform the various functions described herein. In some cases, the memory 730 may contain, among other things, a basic input / output system (BIOS) that may control basic hardware or software operations, such as interactions with peripheral components or devices.

[0110] The processor 740 may include intelligent hardware devices (e.g., a general-purpose processor, a DSP, a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller, an ASIC, an FPGA, a programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic components, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof). In some cases, the processor 740 may be configured to operate a memory array using a memory controller. In other cases, the memory controller may be integrated into the processor 740. The processor 740 may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in a memory (e.g., the memory 730) to cause the device 705 to perform various functions (e.g., functions or tasks that support techniques for avoiding frequent handovers in small cells).

[0111] The processor 740 of device 705 (e.g., controlling receiver 410, transmitter 420, or transceiver 720) may reduce power consumption and improve communication efficiency based on triggering a handover to a macro cell. In some examples, the processor 740 of device 705 may reconfigure parameters for detecting handover conditions and generating signal measurements. For example, the processor 740 of device 705 may turn on one or more processing units for identifying frequent handovers, increase the processing clock, or similar mechanisms within device 705.

[0112] Code 735 may include instructions implementing aspects of the present disclosure, including instructions supporting wireless communication. Code 735 may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as system memory or other types of memory. In some cases, code 735 may not be directly executed by processor 740, but may cause a computer (e.g., when compiled and executed) to perform the functions described herein.

[0113] Figure 8 A flowchart illustrating a method 800 supporting techniques for avoiding frequent handovers in a small cell in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The operations of method 800 may be implemented by a UE 115 or its components as described herein. For example, the operations of method 800 may be performed by a communication manager described with reference to Figures 4 to 7 In some examples, the UE may execute an instruction set to control functional elements of the UE to perform the following functions. Additionally or alternatively, the UE may use dedicated hardware to perform aspects of the functions described below.

[0114] At 805, the UE may identify the number of handovers of the UE that occur within a time period. The operation of 805 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 805 may be performed by a handover manager described with reference to Figures 4 to 7 described.

[0115] At 810, the UE may detect a macro cell based on measuring the macro cell during a handover set. The operation of 810 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 810 may be performed by a cell detection component described with reference to Figures 4 to 7 described.

[0116] At 815, the UE may generate a first signal measurement of the macro cell and a second signal measurement of a second cell. The operation of 815 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 815 may be performed by a signal measurement manager described with reference to Figures 4 to 7 described.

[0117] At 820, the UE may determine, based on the identification, to omit reporting the second signal measurement of the second cell in a measurement report. The operations at 820 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations at 820 may be performed by a measurement report manager as described with reference to Figures 4 to 7 the measurement report described.

[0118] At 825, the UE may send a measurement report indicating a first signal measurement of a macro cell based on the determination. The operations at 825 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations at 825 may be performed by a report component as described with reference to Figures 4 to 7 the report described.

[0119] Figure 9 A flowchart of a method 900 is shown that illustrates techniques in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure to support techniques for avoiding frequent handovers in a small cell. The operations of method 900 may be implemented by a UE 115 or components thereof as described herein. For example, the operations of method 900 may be performed by a communication manager as described with reference to Figures 4 to 7 described. In some examples, the UE may execute an instruction set to control functional elements of the UE to perform the following functions. Additionally or alternatively, the UE may use dedicated hardware to perform aspects of the functions described below.

[0120] At 905, the UE may identify the number of handovers of the UE that occur during a time period. The operations at 905 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations at 905 may be performed by a handover manager as described with reference to Figures 4 to 7 described.

[0121] At 910, the UE may determine that the number of handovers that occur during the time period meets a handover threshold. The operations at 910 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations at 910 may be performed by a handover manager as described with reference to Figures 4 to 7 described.

[0122] At 915, the UE may detect a macro cell based on measuring the macro cell during a handover set. The operations at 915 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations at 915 may be performed by a cell detection component as described with reference to Figures 4 to 7 described.

[0123] At 920, the UE may generate a first signal measurement of the macro cell and a second signal measurement of a second cell. The operations at 920 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations at 920 may be performed by a signal measurement manager as described with reference to Figures 4 to 7 described.

[0124] At 925, the UE may determine to omit reporting of the second signal measurement of the second cell in the measurement report based on the identification. The operation of 925 may be performed according to the method described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 925 may be referred to as Figures 4 to 7 The measurement report manager described herein is used to perform the above operations.

[0125] At 930, the UE may send a measurement report indicating a first signal measurement of the macro cell based on the determination. The operations of 930 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 930 may be described with reference to Figures 4 to 7 The reporting component described is used to perform the

[0126] Figure 10 1 is a flow chart illustrating a method 1000 for supporting techniques for avoiding frequent handovers in a small cell according to aspects of the present disclosure. The operations of the method 1000 may be implemented by a UE 115 or a component thereof as described herein. For example, the operations of the method 1000 may be implemented by reference to Figures 4 to 7 In some examples, the UE may execute an instruction set to control the functional elements of the UE to perform the functions described below. Additionally or alternatively, the UE may use dedicated hardware to perform aspects of the functions described below.

[0127] At 1005, the UE may identify the number of UE handovers that occurred within a time period. The operations of 1005 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1005 may be described with reference to Figures 4 to 7 Describes the switch manager to perform.

[0128] At 1010, the UE may detect a macro cell based on measuring the macro cell during the handover set. The operations of 1010 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1010 may be described with reference to Figures 4 to 7 The cell detection component described is performed.

[0129] At 1015, the UE may generate a first signal measurement of the macro cell and a second signal measurement of the second cell. The operations of 1015 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1015 may be described with reference to Figures 4 to 7 The signal measurement manager described in this document is used to perform the following operations.

[0130] At 1020, the UE may determine to omit reporting of the second signal measurement of the second cell in the measurement report based on the identification. The operations of 1020 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1020 may be described with reference to Figures 4 to 7 The measurement report manager described herein is used to perform the above operations.

[0131] At 1025, the UE may send a measurement report indicating a first signal measurement of the macro cell based on this determination. The operations at 1025 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations at 1025 may be performed by the reporting component described with reference to Figures 4 to 7 the report components described.

[0132] At 1030, the UE may receive a message based on sending the measurement report. The operations at 1030 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations at 1030 may be performed by the handover manager referred to Figures 4 to 7 described.

[0133] At 1035, the UE may perform a handover procedure with the macro cell based on receiving the message. The operations at 1035 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations at 1035 may be performed by the handover manager referred to Figures 4 to 7 described.

[0134] It should be noted that the methods described herein describe possible implementations, and the operations and steps may be rearranged or modified, and other implementations are also possible. In addition, aspects of two or more of the methods in the method may be combined.

[0135] Although aspects of LTE, LTE-A, LTE-A Pro, or NR systems may be described for purposes of example, and LTE, LTE-A, LTE-A Pro, or NR terms may be used in most of the description, the techniques described herein apply beyond LTE, LTE-A, LTE-A Pro, or NR networks. For example, the described techniques may apply to various other wireless communication systems such as Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), IEEE 802.20, Flash-OFDM, and other systems and radio technologies not explicitly mentioned herein.

[0136] The information and signals described herein may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and methods. For example, the data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips referred to throughout the specification may be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

[0137] The various illustrative blocks and components described in connection with the present disclosure may be implemented or performed with a general purpose processor, a DSP, an ASIC, a CPU, an FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor may be any processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices (e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration).

[0138] The functions described herein may be implemented in hardware, software executed by a processor, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software executed by a processor, the functions may be stored or transmitted as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Other examples and implementations are within the scope of the present disclosure and the appended claims. For example, due to the nature of software, the functions described herein may be implemented using software executed by a processor, hardware, firmware, hardwiring, or any combination of these. The features implementing the functions may also be physically located at various positions, including being distributed such that portions of the functions are implemented at different physical locations.

[0139] Computer-readable media includes both non-transitory computer storage media and communication media including any medium that facilitates transfer of a computer program from one place to another. A non-transitory storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a general or special purpose computer. By way of example and not limitation, non-transitory computer-readable media may include RAM, ROM, electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, CD ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transitory medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code means in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a general or special purpose computer or a general or special purpose processor. Additionally, any connection is properly termed a computer-readable medium. For example, if software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using a coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, then the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included in the definition of computer-readable medium. Disk and disc as used herein includes CD, laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk, and Blu-ray disc where disks typically reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce data optically with lasers. Combinations of the above are also included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0140] As used herein, including in the claims, the term "or" as used in a list of items (e.g., a list of items prefaced by a phrase such as "at least one" or "one or more") indicates an inclusive list, such that a list of at least one of A, B, or C means A or B or C or AB or AC or BC or ABC (i.e., A and B and C). Further, as used herein, the phrase "based on" should not be construed to mean a closed set of conditions. For example, an example step described as "based on condition A" can be based on both condition A and condition B without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In other words, as used herein, the phrase "based on" should be interpreted in the same manner as the phrase "at least partially based on".

[0141] In the drawings, like parts or features may have the same reference numerals. Additionally, various parts of the same type can be distinguished by following the reference numeral with a dash and a second numeral, the second numeral being used to distinguish like parts. If only the first reference numeral is used in the specification, the description applies to any one of the similar parts having the same first reference numeral, regardless of the second reference numeral or any other subsequent reference numerals.

[0142] The description set forth herein, in connection with the accompanying drawings, describes example configurations and does not represent all examples that can be implemented or that are within the scope of the claims. The term "example" as used herein means "serving as an example, instance, or illustration" and not "preferred" or "better than other examples". The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing an understanding of the described techniques. However, the techniques may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form to avoid obscuring the concepts of the described examples.

[0143] The description provided herein is to enable a person of ordinary skill in the art to make or use the present disclosure. Various modifications to the present disclosure will be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other variations without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Thus, the present disclosure is not limited to the examples and designs described herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication by a user equipment (UE), comprising: Identifying the number of handovers of the UE that occur during a time period; Detecting a macro cell at least in part based on measuring the macro cell during a plurality of handovers; Generating a first signal measurement of the macro cell and a second signal measurement of a second cell; Determining to omit reporting the second signal measurement of the second cell in a measurement report at least in part based on the identification and the first signal measurement of the macro cell satisfying a signal strength threshold; And Transmitting a measurement report indicating the first signal measurement of the macro cell at least in part based on the determination.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Determining that the number of handovers that occur during the time period satisfies a handover threshold.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising: Receiving control signaling indicating the handover threshold.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein Detecting the macro cell includes: Detecting the macro cell at least in part based on measuring the macro cell during a plurality of handovers that satisfy the handover threshold.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Receiving a message at least in part based on transmitting the measurement report; And Performing a handover procedure with the macro cell at least in part based on receiving the message.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein, Performing the handover procedure includes: Establishing a link with the macro cell at least in part based on receiving the message.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein The message includes a radio resource control reconfiguration message.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein The handover procedure includes a random access procedure.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Identifying the handover threshold, the duration of the time period, or both.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising: Receiving control signaling indicating the handover threshold, the duration of the time period, or both.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Receiving a measurement configuration indicating that the UE measures the macro cell and the second cell, wherein the first signal measurement and the second signal measurement are generated at least in part based on the measurement configuration.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising: Identifying a reporting periodicity indicated in the measurement configuration, wherein the measurement report is transmitted at least in part based on the reporting periodicity.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Detecting an event, wherein the measurement report is transmitted at least in part based on detecting the event.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising: Receiving control signaling indicating an event detection configuration, wherein the event is detected at least in part based on the event detection configuration.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Receiving an aperiodic measurement report trigger, wherein the measurement report is transmitted at least in part based on receiving the aperiodic measurement report trigger.

16. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Determining that at least one signal parameter associated with the macro cell is not as good as at least one corresponding signal parameter associated with the second cell at least in part based on generating the first signal measurement and the second signal measurement.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein The first signal measurement or the second signal measurement includes a reference signal received power measurement, a signal-to-interference-and-noise ratio measurement, or both.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein The second cell includes a small cell, a micro cell, or both.

19. An apparatus for wireless communication by a user equipment UE, comprising: one or more processors, one or more memories coupled to the one or more processors; and instructions stored in the one or more memories and executable by the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to: identify the number of handovers of the UE that occur during a time period; detect a macro cell at least in part based on measuring the macro cell during multiple handovers; generate a first signal measurement of the macro cell and a second signal measurement of a second cell; determine to omit reporting the second signal measurement of the second cell in a measurement report at least in part based on the identification and the first signal measurement of the macro cell satisfying a signal strength threshold; and send a measurement report indicating the first signal measurement of the macro cell at least in part based on the determination.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein, The instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to: determine that the number of handovers that occur during the time period satisfies a handover threshold.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein, The instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to: receive control signaling indicating the handover threshold.

22. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein, The instructions for detecting the macro cell are executable by the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to: detect a macro cell at least in part based on measuring the macro cell during multiple handovers that satisfy the handover threshold.

23. The device according to claim 19, wherein, The instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to: receive a message at least in part based on sending the measurement report; and perform a handover procedure with the macro cell at least in part based on receiving the message.

24. The device according to claim 23, wherein, The instructions for performing the handover procedure are executable by the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to: establish a link with the macro cell at least in part based on receiving the message.

25. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein The message includes a radio resource control reconfiguration message.

26. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein, The handover procedure includes a random access procedure.

27. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein, The instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to: identify the handover threshold, the duration of the time period, or both.

28. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein, The instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to: receive control signaling indicating the handover threshold, the duration of the time period, or both.

29. The device according to claim 19, wherein, The instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to: receive a measurement configuration indicating that the UE measures the macro cell and the second cell, wherein the first signal measurement and the second signal measurement are generated at least in part based on the measurement configuration.

30. The apparatus according to claim 29, wherein The instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to: identify a reporting periodicity indicated in the measurement configuration, wherein the measurement report is sent at least in part based on the reporting period.

31. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein, The instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to: detect an event, wherein the measurement report is sent at least in part based on detecting the event.

32. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein, The instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to: receive control signaling indicating an event detection configuration, wherein the event is detected at least in part based on the event detection configuration.

33. An apparatus for wireless communication by a user equipment UE, comprising: A component for identifying the number of handovers of a UE that occur within a time period; A component for detecting a macro cell based at least in part on measuring the macro cell during multiple handovers; A component for generating a first signal measurement of the macro cell and a second signal measurement of a second cell; A component for determining to omit reporting the second signal measurement of the second cell in a measurement report based at least in part on the identification and the first signal measurement of the macro cell meeting a signal strength threshold; And A component for transmitting a measurement report indicating the first signal measurement of the macro cell based at least in part on the determination.

34. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication by a user equipment UE, the code including instructions executable by a processor to perform the following operations: Identify the number of handovers of the UE that occur within a time period; Detect a macro cell based at least in part on measuring the macro cell during multiple handovers; Generate a first signal measurement of the macro cell and a second signal measurement of a second cell; Determine to omit reporting the second signal measurement of the second cell in a measurement report based at least in part on the identification and the first signal measurement of the macro cell meeting a signal strength threshold; And Transmit a measurement report indicating the first signal measurement of the macro cell based at least in part on the determination.

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