Method for measuring and reporting channel quality in a broadband wireless access communication system

A Mobile Subscriber Station (MSS) in a communication system, comprising:

• a receiver for receiving, from an active Base Station (BS), channel quality measurement information for the MSS to measure channel qualities of the active BS and a plurality of neighbor BSs, and channel quality report information defining a report mode for the MSS to report measured channel qualities of the active BS and the neighbor BSs;
• a processor for measuring the channel qualities of the active BS and the plurality of neighbor BSs according to the channel quality measurement information;
• and
• a transmitter for reporting the measured channel qualities of the active BS and the plurality of neighbor BSs to the active BS according to the channel quality report information,
• wherein the receiver receives reference channel signals from the active BS and the plurality of neighbor BSs,
• wherein the processor measures Signal to Interference and Noise Ratios (SINRs) of the reference channel signals from the active BS and the plurality of neighbor BSs,
• wherein the report mode includes information on a time at which the measured channel qualities of the active BS and the plurality of neighbor BSs are reported, the channel quality report time being a specific time during which an SINR of a reference channel signal received from the active BS is determined to be less than one of the SINRs of the reference channel signals received from the plurality of neighbor BSs, such that a determined state is maintained during a predetermined time, and
• wherein the channel quality measurement information includes a measurement start time at which a channel quality measurement operation begins, and a measurement duration for executing the channel quality measurement operation.

A Mobile Subscriber Station (MSS) in a communication system, comprising:

• a receiver for receiving, from an active BS (Base Station), a message requesting the MSS to scan and measure at least one channel quality of the active BS and at least one neighbor BS, the message defining reporting parameters for the MSS to report the at least one channel quality to the active BS;
• a processor for measuring the at least one channel quality of the active BS and the at least one neighbor BS according to the message;
• and
• a transmitter for reporting the at least one channel quality of the active BS and the at least one neighbor BS to the active BS according to the reporting parameters,
• wherein the reporting parameters include a report mode selected from among a first report mode, a second report mode, and a third report mode,
• wherein the first report mode, the second report mode, and the third report mode include information on a time at which measured channel qualities of the active BS and the neighbor BSs are reported,
• wherein the channel quality report time of the first report mode is a period indicated in the message,
• wherein the channel quality report time of the second report mode identifies a specific time at which a magnitude order of Signal to Interference and Noise Ratios (SINRs) of individual reference channel signals measured is different from a magnitude order of SINRs of reference channel signals of the active BS and the neighbor BSs previously measured,
• wherein the channel quality report time of the third report mode is a specific time during which an SINR of a reference channel signal received from the active BS is determined to be lower than one of the SINRs of the reference channel signals received from the neighbor BSs, such that a determined state is maintained during a predetermined time, and
• wherein the message includes a measurement start time at which measuring the at least one channel quality begins, and a measurement duration for measuring the at least one channel quality.

An active Base Station (BS) in a communication system, comprising:

• a transmitter for transmitting, to a Mobile Subscriber Station (MSS), channel quality measurement information for the MSS to measure channel qualities of the active BS and a plurality of neighbor BSs, and channel quality report information defining a report mode for the MSS to report measured channel qualities of the active BS and the plurality of neighbor BSs;
• and
• a receiver for receiving, from the MSS, the measured channel qualities of the active BS and the plurality of neighbor BSs,
• wherein the measured channel qualities of the active BS and the plurality of neighbor BSs are generated by measuring, by the MSS, channel qualities of the active BS and the plurality of neighbor BSs using the channel quality measurement information,
• wherein the report mode includes one of a first report mode and a second report mode,
• wherein the first report mode and the second report mode include information on a time at which the measured channel qualities of the active BS and the plurality of neighbor BSs are reported,
• wherein the channel quality report time of the first report mode is a period indicated in the channel quality report information,
• wherein the channel quality report time of the second report mode identifies a specific time at which a magnitude order of Signal to Interference and Noise Ratios (SINRs) of individual reference channel signals measured is different from a magnitude order of SINRs of reference channel signals of the active BS and the plurality of neighbor BSs previously measured, and
• wherein the channel quality measurement information includes a measurement start time at which a channel quality measurement operation begins, and a measurement duration for executing the channel quality measurement operation.

An active Base Station (BS) in a communication system, comprising:

• a transmitter for transmitting, to a Mobile Subscriber Station (MSS), channel quality measurement information for the MSS to measure channel qualities of the active BS and a plurality of neighbor BSs, and channel quality report information defining a report mode for the MSS to report measured channel qualities of the active BS and the plurality of neighbor BSs;
• and
• a receiver for receiving, from the MSS, the measured channel qualities of the active BS and the plurality of neighbor BSs,
• wherein the measured channel qualities of the active BS and the plurality of neighbor BSs are generated by receiving, by the MSS, reference channel signals received from the active BS and the plurality of neighbor BSs, and measuring, by the MSS, Signal to Interference and Noise Ratios (SINRs) of the reference channel signals from the active BS and the plurality of neighbor BSs,
• wherein the report mode includes information on a time at which the measured channel qualities of the active BS and the plurality of neighbor BSs are reported, the channel quality report time being a specific time during which an SINR of a reference channel signal received from the active BS is determined to be less than one of the SINRs of the reference channel signals received from the plurality of neighbor BSs, such that a determined state is maintained during a predetermined time, and
• wherein the channel quality measurement information includes a measurement start time at which a channel quality measurement operation begins, and a measurement duration for executing the channel quality measurement operation.

An active Base Station (BS) in a communication system, comprising:

• a transmitter for transmitting, to a Mobile Subscriber Station (MSS), a message requesting the MSS to scan and measure at least one channel quality of the active BS and at least one neighbor BS, the message defining reporting parameters for the MSS to report the at least one channel quality to the active BS;
• and
• a receiver for receiving, from the MSS, the at least one channel quality of the active BS and of the at least one neighbor BS,
• wherein the at least one channel quality of the active BS and the at least one neighbor BS is measured according to the message,
• wherein the reporting parameters include a report mode selected from a first report mode, a second report mode, and a third report mode,
• wherein the first report mode, the second report mode, and the third report mode each include information on a time at which measured channel qualities of the active BS and the at least one neighbor BS are reported,
• wherein the time of the first report mode is a period indicated in the message,
• wherein the time of the second report mode identifies a specific time at which a magnitude order of Signal to Interference and Noise Ratios (SINRs) of individual reference channel signals measured is different from a magnitude order of SINRs of reference channel signals of the active BS and the at least one neighbor BS previously measured,
• wherein the time of the third report mode is a specific time during which an SINR of a reference channel signal received from the active BS is determined to be lower than either an SINR of a reference channel signal received from the at least one neighbor BS, such that a determined state is maintained during a predetermined time, and
• wherein the message includes a measurement start time at which measuring the at least one channel quality begins, and a measurement duration for measuring the at least one channel quality.

A Mobile Subscriber Station (MSS) in a communication system, comprising:

• a receiver for receiving, from an active Base Station (BS), channel quality measurement information for the MSS to measure channel qualities of the active BS and a plurality of neighbor BSs, and channel quality report information defining a report mode for the MSS to report the channel qualities of the active BS and the plurality of neighbor BSs;
• a processor for measuring channel qualities of the active BS and the plurality of neighbor BSs using the channel quality measurement information;
• and
• a transmitter for reporting measured channel qualities of the active BS and the plurality of neighbor BSs to the active BS using the channel quality report information,
• wherein the report mode includes one of plurality of report modes, and the plurality of report modes include information on a channel quality report time at which the measured channel qualities of the active BS and the plurality of neighbor BSs are reported,
• wherein the channel quality report time of a first report mode among the plurality of report modes is a period,
• wherein the channel quality report time of a second report mode among the plurality of report modes identifies a specific time at which a trigger condition is met,
• wherein the trigger condition is met when a value order of the measured channel qualities is different from a value order of channel qualities of the active BS and the plurality of neighbor BSs previously measured,
• wherein the trigger condition includes at least one of a first condition and a second condition,
• wherein the first condition is met when a channel quality of at least one neighbor BS from among the plurality of neighbor BSs is greater than a channel quality of the active BS,
• wherein the second condition is met when a channel quality of at least one neighbor BS is less than a channel quality of the active BS, and
• wherein the channel quality measurement information includes a measurement start time at which a channel quality measurement operation begins, and a measurement duration for executing the channel quality measurement operation.

An active Base Station (BS) in a communication system, comprising:

• a transmitter for transmitting, to a Mobile Subscriber Station (MSS), channel quality measurement information for the MSS to measure channel qualities of the active BS and a plurality of neighbor BSs, and channel quality report information defining a report mode for the MSS to report the channel qualities of the active BS and the plurality of neighbor BSs;
• and
• a receiver for receiving, from the MSS, measured channel qualities of the active BS and the plurality of neighbor BSs using the channel quality report information,
• wherein the measured channel qualities of the active BS and the plurality of neighbor BSs are generated by measuring, by the MSS, the channel qualities of the active BS and the plurality of neighbor BSs using the channel quality measurement information,
• wherein the report mode includes one of a plurality of report modes,
• wherein the plurality of report modes include information on a channel quality report time at which the measured channel qualities of the active BS and the plurality of neighbor BSs are reported,
• wherein the channel quality report time of a first report mode from among the plurality of report modes is a period,
• wherein the channel quality report time of a second report mode from among the plurality of report modes identifies a specific time at which a trigger condition is met,
• wherein the trigger condition is met when a value order of the measured channel qualities is different from a value order of channel qualities of the active BS and the plurality of neighbor BSs previously measured,
• wherein the trigger condition includes at least one of a first condition and a second condition,
• wherein the first condition is met when a channel quality of at least one neighbor BS from among the plurality of neighbor BSs is greater than a channel quality of the active BS,
• wherein the second condition is met when a channel quality of at least one neighbor BS from among the plurality of neighbor BSs is less than a channel quality of the active BS, and
• wherein the channel quality measurement information includes a measurement start time at which a channel quality measurement operation begins, and a measurement duration for executing the channel quality measurement operation.