Method of improving cooperation between entities during call handover
AssigneeAlcatel
InventorsSTEPHANE SAADA, MICHAEL ROBERTS
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of improving co-operation between entities in a cellular mobile radiocommunications network, during inter-cell call handover, during which a “new server cell” is chosen from a set of “candidate cells” as being a candidate cell to which a requested handover is possible, candidate cells to which a requested handover is not possible being referred to as “rejected cells”, wherein, during “external” call handover, namely when handing over a call from a “current server cell” controlled by a “current server entity” to a “new server cell” controlled by a “new server entity” which is distinct from said current server entity, said new server entity is informed of any previously rejected cells.
Claims7
1/ A method of improving co-operation between entities in a cellular mobile radiocommunications network, during inter-cell call handover, during which a “new server cell” is chosen from a set of “candidate cells” as being a candidate cell to which a requested handover is possible, candidate cells to which a requested handover is not possible being referred to as “rejected cells”, wherein, during “external” call handover, namely when handing over a call from a “current server cell” controlled by a “current server entity” to a “new server cell” controlled by a “new server entity” which is distinct from said current server entity, said new server entity is informed of any previously rejected cells.
2/ A method according to claim 1, wherein said information as to any previously-rejected cells further includes an indication as to the reason for which the cells were rejected, or as to a lapse of time after which a handover to said previously-rejected cells can, if necessary, be requested again.
3/ A method according to claim 1, wherein, with a candidate cell to which handover is requested being referred to as the “target cell”, with the entity for controlling a target cell being referred to as the “target entity”, and with each target entity potentially becoming said new server entity if the requested handover to said target cell is possible, each target entity is informed, during a request for handover to said target cell, of any previously-rejected cells.
4/ A method according to claim 3, wherein said information as to any previously-rejected cells is transmitted by the current server entity to the target entity via a “higher-level entity” of the network, which entity provides the link between the server entity and the target entity.
5/ A cell control entity for a cellular mobile radiocommunications network, for implementing the method according to claim 1, wherein, for the case when the controlled cell is constituted by a new server cell, said entity includes means for receiving information as to any previously-rejected cells.
6/ A cell control entity for a cellular mobile radiocommunications network, for implementing the method according to claim 3, wherein:
- for the case when the controlled cell is constituted by a new server cell, said entity includes means for receiving information as to any previously-rejected cells;
- for the case when the controlled cell is constituted by a server cell, said entity includes means for transmitting information as to any previously-rejected cells;
- for the case when the controlled cell is constituted by a target cell, said entity includes means for receiving information as to any previously-rejected cells;
- and
- for the case when the controlled cell is constituted by a cell that is successively a target cell and then a server cell, said entity includes means for preventing transmission of requests for handover to previously-rejected cells.
7/ A cell control entity for a cellular mobile radiocommunications network, for implementing the method according to claim 2, wherein:
- for the case when the controlled cell is constituted by a new server cell, said entity includes means for receiving information as to any previously-rejected cells;
- for the case when the controlled cell is constituted by a server cell, said entity includes means for transmitting information as to any previously-rejected cells;
- for the case when the controlled cell is constituted by a target cell, said entity includes means for receiving information as to any previously-rejected cells;
- for the case when the controlled cell is constituted by a cell that is successively a target cell and then a server cell, said entity includes means for preventing transmission of requests for handover to previously-rejected cells;
- and
- for the case when the controlled cell is constituted by a cell that is successively a target cell and then a server cell, said entity further includes means for authorizing transmission of a request for handover to a previously-rejected cell after said lapse of time, or after a lapse of time that is a function of the reason for rejecting said previously-rejected cell.