# US 2017/0257907 A1 · Handover in lte-a-heterogeneous network > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0257907 A1 - Document ID: US20170257907A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/506,662 - Filed: 2014-12-05 - Published: 2017-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2014-08-26 - Assignees: Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy - Applicants: Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy - Inventors: Ling Yu; Vinh Van Phan; Kari Veikko Horneman - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170257907A1 ## CPC - H04W 8/005: {Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals} - H04W 36/0033: {with transfer of context information} - H04W 36/0085: {Hand-off measurements} - H04W 36/026: {Multicasting of data during hand-off} - H04W 48/16: Discovering, processing access restriction or access information - H04W 72/30: Resource management for broadcast services - H04W 76/14: Direct-mode setup - H04W 76/40: for selective distribution or broadcast - H04W 84/04: Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks - H04W 36/0022: {for transferring data sessions between adjacent core network technologies} - H04W 36/0072: {of resource information of target access point} - H04W 36/008375: {based on historical data} - H04W 36/24: Reselection being triggered by specific parameters - H04W 36/249: {according to timing information} - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract There is provided a method, comprising: configuring, by a network node controlling a macro cell of a cellular communication system, at least one handover trigger related signalling configuration for at least one terminal device of the cellular communication system; receiving, by the network node controlling the macro cell, as a result of said signalling configuration, an uplink message broadcasted by the at least one terminal device via a local area access node; recognizing the local area access node as an edge node located at an edge of a coverage area of the macro cell; and initiating a handover of the terminal device between the macro cell and a neighbouring macro cell. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-35. (canceled) ### Claim 36 A method, comprising: obtaining, by a terminal device, at least one handover trigger related signalling configuration for the terminal device to trigger at least one uplink broadcast transmission when the terminal device is in a coverage area of a local area access node operating on edge of a coverage area of a macro cell network node; and causing an uplink broadcast transmission from the terminal device to the macro cell network node via the local area access node according to the handover trigger related signalling configuration. ### Claim 37 (depends on 36) The method of claim 36, wherein the handover trigger related signalling configuration comprises at least one of: at least one uplink broadcast transmission configuration and at least one criterion to trigger the uplink broadcast transmission. ### Claim 38 (depends on 37) The method of claim 37, wherein the at least one criterion comprises one of: receiving, by the terminal device, an indication message from the local access node to trigger the uplink broadcast transmission; and a downlink reference signal being lower than a configured threshold and/or timing advance being higher than a configured threshold. ### Claim 39 (depends on 36) The method of claim 36, wherein the uplink broadcast transmission from the terminal device to the network node via the local area access node comprises at least one of: user data, at least one neighbouring cell measurement report and dummy data. ### Claim 40 (depends on 36) The method of claim 36, further comprising: receiving, by the terminal device, a handover command message transmitted by a downlink transmission from the macro cell network node or a target macro cell network node in a handover of the terminal device to the target macro cell network node causing an uplink broadcast transmission from the terminal device to the target macro cell network node through the local area access node; or receiving, by the terminal device, in response to the uplink broadcast transmission from the terminal device to the target macro cell network node through the local area access node, a configuration message transmitted by a downlink transmission from the target macro cell network node in a handover of the terminal device to the target macro cell network node. ### Claim 41 (depends on 36) The method of claim 36, further comprising: receiving, by the terminal device, a handover command message transmitted by a downlink transmission from the macro cell network node or a target macro cell network node in a handover of the terminal device to the target macro cell network node causing an uplink broadcast transmission from the terminal device to the target macro cell network node through the local area access node; or receiving, by the terminal device, in response to the uplink broadcast transmission from the terminal device to the target macro cell network node through the local area access node, a configuration message transmitted by a downlink transmission from the target macro cell network node in a handover of the terminal device to the target macro cell network node, wherein the uplink broadcast transmission from the terminal device to the target macro cell network node through the local area access node comprises at least one of: an identification of a network node serving the terminal device and an identification of the terminal device that the serving network node allocates. ### Claim 42 (depends on 36) The method of claim 36, wherein the uplink broadcast transmission is triggered within a configured time period after applying the handover trigger related signalling configuration. ### Claim 43 An apparatus, comprising: at least one processor and at least one memory including a computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause a network node controlling a macro cell of a cellular communication system to: configure at least one handover trigger related signaling configuration for at least one terminal device of the cellular communication system; receive as a result of said signalling configuration, an uplink message broadcasted by the at least one terminal device via a local area access node; recognize the local area access node as an edge node located on edge of a coverage area of the macro cell; and initiate a handover of the terminal device between the macro cell and a neighbouring macro cell. ### Claim 44 (depends on 43) The apparatus claim 43, further comprising causing the network node to: configure at least one trigger for transmission of at least one indication message for at least one local area access node of the cellular communication system. ### Claim 45 (depends on 43) The apparatus of claim 43, further comprising causing the network node to: configure, by the handover trigger related signaling configuration, a terminal device to carry out the uplink broadcast transmission according to the configuration in a coverage area of the local area accessnode according to at least one criterion. ### Claim 46 (depends on 43) The apparatus of claim 43, further comprising causing the network node to: in pursuance of a handover of another terminal device from another macro cell to the macro cell of the network node: receive a handover request message from another network node operating in the other macro cell; receive an uplink message broadcasted by the another terminal device via the local area access node; send a configuration message based on the uplink message to the another terminal device; and complete the handover after the another terminal device has been configured. ### Claim 47 (depends on 41) The apparatus of claim 41, further comprising causing the network node to : in pursuance of a handover of another terminal device from another macro cell to the macro cell of the network node: receive an uplink message broadcasted by the another terminal device via the local area access node; in response to the uplink message, cause transmission of a handover request message to another network node operating the another macro cell; in response to the handover response message sent by the another network node, send a configuration message to the another terminal device; and complete the handover after the other terminal device has been configured. ### Claim 48 An apparatus, comprising: at least one processor and at least one memory including a computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause a terminal device to: obtain at least one handover trigger related signalling configuration for the terminal device to trigger at least one uplink broadcast transmission when the terminal device is in a coverage area of a local area access node operating on edge of a coverage area of the macro cell network node; and cause an uplink broadcast transmission from the terminal device to the network node via the local area access node according to the handover trigger related signalling configuration. ### Claim 49 (depends on 48) The apparatus of claim 48, wherein the handover trigger related signalling configuration comprises at least one of: the uplink broadcast transmission configuration and at least one criterion to trigger the uplink broadcast transmission. ### Claim 50 (depends on 48) The apparatus of claim 48, wherein the at least one criterion comprises one of: receive, by the terminal device, an indication message from the local access node to trigger the uplink broadcast transmission; and a downlink reference signal being lower than a configured threshold and/or timing advance being higher than a configured threshold. ### Claim 51 (depends on 48) The apparatus of claim 48, wherein the uplink broadcast transmission from the terminal device to the network node via the local area access node comprises at least one of: user data, at least one neighbouring cell measurement report and dummy data. ### Claim 52 (depends on 48) The apparatus of claim 48, further comprising causing the terminal device to: receive a handover command message transmitted by a downlink transmission from the macro cell network node or a target macro cell network node in a handover of the terminal device to the target macro cell network node causing an uplink broadcast transmission from the terminal device to the target macro cell network node through the local area access node; or receive in response to the uplink broadcast transmission from the terminal device to the target macro cell network node through the local area access node a configuration message transmitted by a downlink transmission from the target macro cell network node in a handover of the terminal device to the target macro cell network node. ### Claim 53 (depends on 48) The apparatus of claim 48, further comprising causing the terminal device to: receive a handover command message transmitted by a downlink transmission from the macro cell network node or a target macro cell network node in a handover of the terminal device to the target macro cell network node causing an uplink broadcast transmission from the terminal device to the target macro cell network node through the local area access node; or receive in response to the uplink broadcast transmission from the terminal device to the target macro cell network node through the local area access node a configuration message transmitted by a downlink transmission from the target macro cell network node in a handover of the terminal device to the target macro cell network node, wherein the uplink broadcast transmission from the terminal device to the target macro cell network node through the local area access node comprises an identification of a network node serving the terminal device and/or an identification of the terminal device that the serving network node allocates. ### Claim 54 (depends on 53) The apparatus of claim 53, wherein the configuration message comprises at least one of: an identification of the target network node serving the terminal device, an identification of the terminal device that the serving target network node allocates and a radio bearer-related configuration. ### Claim 55 (depends on 48) The apparatus of claims 48, wherein the uplink broadcast transmission is triggered within a configured time period after applying the handover trigger related signalling configuration.