Mobile Terminal Handover via Selective Data Interruption

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Solution Overview

Problem

In mobile communications networks, especially in LTE systems, ongoing data reception or transmission often prevents mobile terminals from decoding unique cell identifiers necessary for handover, particularly in scenarios like VoIP or CSG environments where discontinuous reception occurs, leading to failed handovers.

Innovation Solution

A method in mobile terminals to assess if ongoing data reception or transmission allows for the determination of a unique cell identifier for handover, where necessary, by selectively halting data activities to receive and decode the identifier, and then resuming operations, allowing for the transmission of this identifier to the serving base station.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the mobile terminal continuously receives data (e.g., VoIP packets) without interruption, then data service continuity is maintained, but the terminal cannot decode the unique cell identifier from system information, preventing handover to candidate cells

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehandover reliabilityVSAvoiddata reception continuity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The terminal performs preliminary assessment of whether ongoing data reception allows for unique cell identifier decoding. If not, it proactively halts data reception before the handover opportunity is lost, ensuring the identifier can be decoded in time for handover execution

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The terminal dynamically adjusts its reception behavior by selectively halting and resuming data reception based on the decoded unique cell identifier status and handover requirements, transitioning between data reception and system information decoding modes as needed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If the mobile terminal halts data reception to decode the unique cell identifier, then handover to candidate cells becomes possible, but data service experience deteriorates due to interruptions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehandover capabilityVSAvoiddata service continuity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The terminal changes the operational parameter of data reception by temporarily suspending it only when necessary for unique cell identifier decoding, and resuming it immediately after decoding completes, thus minimizing service disruption while enabling handover

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The terminal uses feedback from the decoding process (whether unique cell identifier was successfully decoded) to control the resumption of data reception, creating a closed-loop system that balances handover requirements with service continuity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Productivity

If the mobile terminal uses only non-unique cell identifiers for handover, then data reception can continue without interruption, but handover fails when the identifier is insufficient to identify the candidate cell uniquely

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata reception efficiencyVSAvoidhandover success rate

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The terminal performs partial data reception halting only for the duration needed to decode the unique cell identifier, which is excessive only in the minimal sense of interrupting service temporarily, but ensures complete handover capability by obtaining the necessary identifier information

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

4Measurement precision

If the mobile terminal waits for system information broadcast to decode the unique cell identifier, then accurate cell identification is achieved, but time is lost which may prevent timely handover

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecell identifier accuracyVSAvoidhandover timing

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The terminal performs preliminary halting of data reception to create a time window for decoding the unique cell identifier from system information broadcast, ensuring both accurate identification and timely handover by planning the interruption in advance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS8693321B2Mobile assisted handover in mobile communications networks

Publication Date: 2014.04.08 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)

AI summary

The invention relates to a technique for mobile assisted handover in mobile communications networks, e.g. Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks, in a situation of an ongoing data reception or data transmission of a mobile terminal which hinders reception of system information from a candidate cell for handover. A method embodiment of such technique is performed in a mobile terminal and comprises the steps of accepting information related to an ongoing data reception/transmission from at least one data reception/transmission component of the mobile terminal; establishing if the ongoing data reception/transmission enables a reception of a unique cell identifier indicating a candidate cell for handover; selectively halting the ongoing data reception/transmission, receiving the unique cell identifier of the candidate cell, and resuming afterwards the data reception/transmission.