# US 12,604,240 B2 · Neighbor relations for disproportional/dissimilar bandwidth/carrier allocation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,604,240 B2 - Document ID: US12604240B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/195,682 - Filed: 2023-05-10 - Published: 2024-11-14 - Granted: 2026-04-14 - Earliest claimed: 2023-05-10 - Assignees: Charter Communications Operating, LLC - Applicants: Charter Communications Operating, LLC - Inventors: Saran Khalid; Mohammedyusuf Shaikh; Perwaiz Akhtar; Syed M. Abid - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12604240B2 ## CPC - H04W 36/0061: {of neighbour cell information} - H04W 72/0453: Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Methods and apparatus for supporting handover via efficiently updating neighbor tables in response to a detected dissimilar channel assignment, e.g., a temporary PAL channel assignment to one or more cells in a network, are described. In various cases the newly assigned temporary PAL channel has a different bandwidth and/or a different carrier frequency than the original PAL channel. The content of neighbor tables is supplemented to reflect the temporary dissimilar assignment. After the temporary assignment ends the original neighbor tables are restored. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of supporting spectrum allocations in a communications system, the method comprising: receiving first channel assignment information indicating a first channel assignment to a first cell, said first channel assignment being an assignment to a new channel; checking the first channel assignment information to determine if the first channel assignment is a dissimilar channel assignment which differs from a previous channel assignment in at least one of bandwidth or carrier frequency; in response to said checking determining that the first channel assignment is a dissimilar channel assignment, requesting existing neighbor list information corresponding to the first cell with the dissimilar channel assignment; receiving neighbor list information, said neighbor list information including at least a neighbor list of a first neighbor of said first cell; and generating updated neighbor list information for one or more cells, said step of generating updated neighbor list information for one or more cells including generating at least some neighbor list supplemental information for the neighbor list of the first neighbor of the first cell. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said neighbor list supplemental information for the neighbor list of the first neighbor of the first cell is in a form of a new channel neighbor column, said new channel neighbor column including an entry identifying the first cell as using the new channel. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said neighbor list supplemental information is in a form of first virtual cell information, with said new channel being assigned to a first virtual cell. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said received neighbor list information further includes a neighbor list of a second neighbor of said first cell. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein said step of generating updated neighbor list information for one or more cells includes generating at least some neighbor list supplemental information for the neighbor list of the second neighbor of the first cell. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, further comprising: communicating at least some generated supplemental neighbor list information to an operations support systems (OSS). ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising: detecting a channel assignment to the first cell which assigns a previously assigned channel, use of which was suspended, to the first cell; determining that one or more original neighbor lists which were supplemented by neighbor list supplemental information should be restored; and signaling to the OSS that temporary neighbor list information is to be purged and the one or more original neighbor lists are to be restored. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising: operating the OSS to control first and second base stations to purge temporary neighbor list information relating to the first cell and to return to using previously used original neighbor lists. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising: operating the first cell to use a new neighbor list of the first cell to identify neighbor cells which are suitable handoff targets for user equipment (UE) using the new channel; and operating the first cell to handoff the UE using the new channel from the first cell to another cell in the new neighbor list, said another cell using the new channel. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein said neighbor list supplemental information is in the form of first virtual cell information, with said new channel being assigned to a first virtual cell. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein said first cell and said first virtual cell correspond to the same base station, said first cell information being superseded by said first virtual cell information and being used during a period of time in which use of a previously assigned PAL channel corresponding to the first cell has been temporarily suspended. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein said received neighbor list information further includes a neighbor list of a second neighbor of said first cell. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein said received neighbor list information further includes a neighbor list of the said first cell. ### Claim 14 A communications system comprising: a first device including: a first receiver; and a first processor configured to: operate the first device to receive first channel assignment information indicating a first channel assignment to a first cell, said first channel assignment being an assignment to a new channel; check the first channel assignment information to determine if the first channel assignment is a dissimilar channel assignment which differs from a previous channel assignment in at least one of bandwidth or carrier frequency; operate the first device to request existing neighbor list information corresponding to the first cell with the dissimilar channel assignment in response to said checking determining that the first channel assignment is a dissimilar channel assignment; operate the first device to receive neighbor list information, said neighbor list information including at least a neighbor list of a first neighbor of said first cell; and generate updated neighbor list information for one or more cells, said step of generating updated neighbor list information for one or more cells including generating at least some neighbor list supplemental information for the neighbor list of the first neighbor of the first cell. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The communications system of claim 14, wherein said neighbor list supplemental information for the neighbor list of the first neighbor of the first cell is in a form of a new channel neighbor column, said new channel neighbor column including an entry identifying the first cell as using the new channel. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The communications system of claim 14, wherein said neighbor list supplemental information is in a form of first virtual cell information, with said new channel being assigned to a first virtual cell. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The communications system of claim 14, wherein said received neighbor list information further includes a neighbor list of a second neighbor of said first cell. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The communications system of claim 17, wherein said first processor is configured to generate at least some neighbor list supplemental information for the neighbor list of the second neighbor of the first cell, as part of being configured to generate updated neighbor list information for one or more cells. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The communications system of claim 17, wherein said first processor is further configured to operate the first device to: communicate at least some generated supplemental neighbor list information to an operations support systems (OSS). ### Claim 20 A non-transitory computer readable medium including machine executable instruction which when executed by a processor of a first device, control the first device to perform the steps of: receiving first channel assignment information indicating a first channel assignment to a first cell, said first channel assignment being an assignment to a new channel; checking the first channel assignment information to determine if the first channel assignment is a dissimilar channel assignment which differs from a previous channel assignment in at least one of bandwidth or carrier frequency; in response to said checking determining that the first channel assignment is a dissimilar channel assignment, requesting existing neighbor list information corresponding to the first cell with the dissimilar channel assignment; receiving neighbor list information, said neighbor list information including at least a neighbor list of a first neighbor of said first cell; and generating updated neighbor list information for one or more cells, said step of generating updated neighbor list information for one or more cells including generating at least some neighbor list supplemental information for the neighbor list of the first neighbor of the first cell.