Handover in a base station
AssigneeNokia Networks Oy
InventorsPetri Patronen, Jari Ryynänen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Provided is a method and system for performing a handover of a terminal subscriber between sub-cells in a cellular radio network base station. In the method and system, signals from antenna units corresponding to each of the sub-cells are added together to form a combined signal. A signal power of the combined signal and the signal power a signal from a serving sub-cell are measured in a transceiver of the base station. The measurement results are compared. If the signal power of the combined signal is greater than the signal power of the signal from the serving sub-cell, a handover of the terminal subscriber is performed.
Claims10
A method for performing a handover between sub-cells in a cellular radio network base station applying dynamic channel allocation, the base station comprising at least two sub-cells, the at least two sub-cells including a servicing sub-cell and one other sub-cell, each including an antenna unit having a fixed connection to the base station, the method comprising:
- establishing a radio connection between the serving sub-cell and a subscriber terminal via the antenna unit of a base station transceiver;
- receiving in the transceiver a first signal sent by the subscriber terminal through the radio connection;
- measuring the power of the received first signal in the transceiver;
- receiving in the transceiver a combined signal, the combined signal including (i) the first signal and (ii) a second signal sent by the subscriber terminal via the antenna unit of the other sub-cell;
- measuring the power of the received combined signal in the transceiver;
- comparing the measured power of the received first signal with the measured power of the received combined signal;
- and
- performing a handover from the antenna unit of the serving sub-cell to the antenna unit of the other sub-cell if the measured power of the received combined signal is greater than the measured power of the received first signal.
A cellular radio network base station structured and arranged to dynamically allocate channels, the base station comprising:
- at least two sub-cells including a serving sub-cell and one other sub-cell, each having an antenna unit configured to (i) facilitate a radio connection to a subscriber terminal positioned within at least one of the at least two sub-cells and (ii) transfer first and second radio connection signals, the first and second radio connection signals respectively corresponding to a radio connection with the serving sub-cell and the other sub-cell;
- at least one transceiver configured to (i) receive the first and second radio connection signals transferred from the corresponding antenna units and (ii) measure a signal power thereof;
- a switching field having a fixed connection with each of the antenna units and comprising at least one switch configured to combine the first and second radio connection signals to produce a combined signal, the switching field being configured to provide the combined signal to the at least one transceiver;
- and
- a control unit configured to control the switching field and communicate with the at least one transceiver;
- wherein the control unit is structured and arranged to perform a handover from the antenna unit of the serving sub-cell to the antenna unit of the other sub-cell when the signal power of the combined signal is higher than the signal power of the first radio connection signal based upon a signal power comparison.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.