# US 12,114,256 B2 · Wireless access node selection based on received signal strength (RSS) and access node co-location > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,114,256 B2 - Document ID: US12114256B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/529,058 - Filed: 2021-11-17 - Published: 2023-05-18 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2021-11-17 - Assignees: T-Mobile Innovations LLC - Applicants: T-Mobile Innovations LLC - Inventors: Deepak Nadh Tammana; Roopesh Kumar Polaganga - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12114256B2 ## CPC - H04W 48/20: Selecting an access point - H04W 48/16: Discovering, processing access restriction or access information - H04W 88/08: Access point devices - H04W 36/08: Reselecting an access point - H04W 36/326: {by proximity to another entity} - H04W 92/20: between access points - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A wireless communication network serves User Equipment (UE) based on co-location and Received Signal Strength (RSS). A serving wireless access node selects itself for an uplink and downlink when no candidate wireless access nodes are co-located with the serving node. The serving node selects a candidate node for the uplink and downlink when the candidate node is co-located with the serving node and has an RSS level that exceeds a first threshold. The serving node selects itself for the uplink and selects a candidate node for the downlink when the candidate node is co-located with the serving node and has an RSS between the first threshold and a second threshold. The UE may trigger access node selection by entering idle mode. The serving node may condition the selection of a candidate node on whether the candidate node supports a wireless network slice for the UE. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of operating a wireless communication network to serve a User Equipment (UE) based on co-location and Received Signal Strength (RSS) levels, the method comprising: a serving wireless access node selecting the serving wireless access node for an uplink and a downlink for the UE when candidate wireless access nodes are not co-located with the serving wireless access node, and in response, wirelessly exchanging user data with the UE over the uplink and the downlink; the serving wireless access node selecting one of the candidate wireless access nodes for the uplink and the downlink for the UE when the one of the candidate wireless access nodes is co-located with the serving wireless access node and has a highest one of the RSS levels that exceeds a first threshold; the one of the candidate wireless access nodes wirelessly exchanging the user data with the UE over the uplink and the downlink when the one of the candidate wireless access nodes is co-located with the serving wireless access node and has the highest one of the RSS levels that exceeds the first threshold; the serving wireless access node selecting the serving wireless access node for the uplink for the UE and selecting another one of the candidate wireless access nodes for the downlink for the UE when the other one of the candidate wireless access nodes has the highest one of the RSS levels that falls below the first threshold and that exceeds a second threshold, and wirelessly receiving an uplink portion of the user data from the UE over the uplink; and the other one of the candidate wireless access nodes wirelessly transferring a downlink portion of the user data to the UE over the downlink when the other one of the candidate wireless access nodes is co-located with the serving wireless access node and has the highest one of the RSS levels that falls below the first threshold and exceeds the second threshold. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein: the UE enters idle mode; the serving wireless access node selecting the one of the candidate wireless access nodes comprises selecting the one of the candidate wireless access nodes in response to the UE entering the idle mode; and the serving wireless access node selecting the other one of the candidate wireless access nodes comprises selecting the other one of the candidate wireless access nodes in response to the UE entering the idle mode. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein: the UE uses a wireless network slice and enters idle mode; and the serving wireless access node selecting the one of the candidate wireless access nodes comprises selecting the one of the candidate wireless access nodes in response to the UE entering the idle mode and based on the one of the candidate wireless access nodes supporting the wireless network slice; and the serving wireless access node selecting the other one of the candidate wireless access nodes comprises selecting the other one of the candidate wireless access nodes in response to the UE entering the idle mode and based on the other one of the candidate wireless access nodes supporting the wireless network slice. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein: the UE uses an Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communications (URLLC) network slice and enters idle mode; the serving wireless access node selecting the one of the candidate wireless access nodes comprises selecting the one of the candidate wireless access nodes in response to the UE entering the idle mode and based on the one of the candidate wireless access nodes supporting the URLLC network slice; and the serving wireless access node selecting the other one of the candidate wireless access nodes comprises selecting the other one of the candidate wireless access nodes in response to the UE entering the idle mode and based on the other one of the candidate wireless access nodes supporting the URLLC network slice. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein: the UE uses an enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) network slice and enters idle mode; the serving wireless access node selecting the one of the candidate wireless access nodes comprises selecting the one of the candidate wireless access nodes in response to the UE entering the idle mode and based on the one of the candidate wireless access nodes supporting the eMBB network slice; and the serving wireless access node selecting the other one of the candidate wireless access nodes comprises selecting the other one of the candidate wireless access nodes in response to the UE entering the idle mode and based on the other one of the candidate wireless access nodes supporting the eMBB network slice. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein: the UE uses a massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC) network slice and enters idle mode; the serving wireless access node selecting the one of the candidate wireless access nodes comprises selecting the one of the candidate wireless access nodes in response to the UE entering the idle mode and based on the one of the candidate wireless access nodes supporting the mMTC network slice; and the serving wireless access node selecting the other one of the candidate wireless access nodes comprises selecting the other one of the candidate wireless access nodes in response to the UE entering the idle mode and based on the other one of the candidate wireless access nodes supporting the mMTC network slice. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein: the UE uses Carrier Aggregation (CA) and enters idle mode; and the serving wireless access node selecting the one of the candidate wireless access nodes comprises selecting the one of the candidate wireless access nodes in response to the UE entering the idle mode and based on the one of the candidate wireless access nodes supporting the CA; and the serving wireless access node selecting the other one of the candidate wireless access nodes comprises selecting the other one of the candidate wireless access nodes in response to the UE entering the idle mode and based on the other one of the candidate wireless access nodes supporting the CA. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein: the serving wireless access node comprises a Long Term Evolution (LTE) access node; and at least some of the candidate wireless access nodes comprise Fifth Generation New Radio (5GNR) access nodes. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein: the serving wireless access node comprises a Fifth Generation New Radio (5GNR) access node; and at least some of the candidate wireless access nodes comprise Long Term Evolution (LTE) access nodes. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein: the serving wireless access node comprises a Fifth Generation New Radio (5GNR) access node; and at least some of the candidate wireless access nodes comprise Millimeter Wave (mmW) access nodes. ### Claim 11 A wireless communication network to serve a User Equipment (UE) based on co-location and Received Signal Strength (RSS) levels, the wireless communication network comprising: a serving wireless access node configured to select the serving wireless access node for an uplink and a downlink for the UE when candidate wireless access nodes are not co-located with the serving wireless access node, and in response, wirelessly exchange user data with the UE over the uplink and the downlink; the serving wireless access node configured to select one of the candidate wireless access nodes for the uplink and the downlink for the UE when the one of the candidate wireless access nodes is co-located with the serving wireless access node and has a highest one of the RSS levels that exceeds a first threshold; the one of the candidate wireless access nodes configured to wirelessly exchange the user data with the UE over the uplink and the downlink when the one of the candidate wireless access nodes is co-located with the serving wireless access node and has the highest one of the RSS levels that exceeds the first threshold; the serving wireless access node configured to select the serving wireless access node for the uplink for the UE and select another one of the candidate wireless access nodes for the downlink for the UE when the other one of the candidate wireless access nodes has the highest one of the RSS levels that falls below the first threshold and that exceeds a second threshold, and wirelessly receive an uplink portion of the user data from the UE over the uplink; and the other one of the candidate wireless access nodes configured to wirelessly transfer a downlink portion of the user data to the UE over the downlink when the other one of the candidate wireless access nodes is co-located with the serving wireless access node and has the highest one of the RSS levels that falls below the first threshold and exceeds the second threshold. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The wireless communication network of claim 11 wherein: the UE enters idle mode; the serving wireless access node is configured to select the one of the candidate wireless access nodes in response to the UE entering the idle mode to select the one of the candidate wireless access nodes; and the serving wireless access node is configured to select the other one of the candidate wireless access nodes in response to the UE entering the idle mode to select the other one of the candidate wireless access nodes. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The wireless communication network of claim 11 wherein: the UE uses a wireless network slice and enters idle mode; and the serving wireless access node is configured to select the one of the candidate wireless access nodes in response to the UE entering the idle mode and based on the one of the candidate wireless access nodes supporting the wireless network slice to select the one of the candidate wireless access nodes; and the serving wireless access node is configured to select the other one of the candidate wireless access nodes in response to the UE entering the idle mode and based on the other one of the candidate wireless access nodes supporting the wireless network slice to select the other one of the candidate wireless access nodes. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The wireless communication network of claim 11 wherein: the UE uses an Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communications (URLLC) network slice and enters idle mode; the serving wireless access node is configured to select the one of the candidate wireless access nodes in response to the UE entering the idle mode and based on the one of the candidate wireless access nodes supporting the URLLC network slice to select the one of the candidate wireless access nodes; and the serving wireless access node is configured to select the other one of the candidate wireless access nodes in response to the UE entering the idle mode and based on the other one of the candidate wireless access nodes supporting the URLLC network slice to select the other one of the candidate wireless access nodes. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The wireless communication network of claim 11 wherein: the UE uses an enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) network slice and enters idle mode; the serving wireless access node is configured to select the one of the candidate wireless access nodes in response to the UE entering the idle mode and based on the one of the candidate wireless access nodes supporting the eMBB network slice to select the one of the candidate wireless access nodes; and the serving wireless access node is configured to select the other one of the candidate wireless access nodes in response to the UE entering the idle mode and based on the other one of the candidate wireless access nodes supporting the eMBB network slice to select the other one of the candidate wireless access nodes. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The wireless communication network of claim 11 wherein: the UE uses a massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC) network slice and enters idle mode; the serving wireless access node is configured to select the one of the candidate wireless access nodes in response to the UE entering the idle mode and based on the one of the candidate wireless access nodes supporting the mMTC network slice to select the one of the candidate wireless access nodes; and the serving wireless access node is configured to select the other one of the candidate wireless access nodes in response to the UE entering the idle mode and based on the other one of the candidate wireless access nodes supporting the mMTC network slice to select the other one of the candidate wireless access nodes. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The wireless communication network of claim 11 wherein: the UE uses Carrier Aggregation (CA) and enters idle mode; and the serving wireless access node is configured to select the one of the candidate wireless access nodes in response to the UE entering the idle mode and based on the one of the candidate wireless access nodes supporting the CA to select the one of the candidate wireless access nodes; and the serving wireless access node is configured to select the other one of the candidate wireless access nodes in response to the UE entering the idle mode and based on the other one of the candidate wireless access nodes supporting the CA to select the other one of the candidate wireless access nodes. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The wireless communication network of claim 11 wherein: the serving wireless access node comprises a Long Term Evolution (LTE) access node; and at least some of the candidate wireless access nodes comprise Fifth Generation New Radio (5GNR) access nodes. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The wireless communication network of claim 11 wherein: the serving wireless access node comprises a Fifth Generation New Radio (5GNR) access node; and at least some of the candidate wireless access nodes comprise Long Term Evolution (LTE) access nodes. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The wireless communication network of claim 11 wherein: the serving wireless access node comprises a Fifth Generation New Radio (5GNR) access node; and at least some of the candidate wireless access nodes comprise Millimeter Wave (mmW) access nodes.