System and method for cell search and selection in a wireless communication system

Abstract

Systems and methodologies are described herein that facilitate improved cell search and selection in a wireless communication system. For example, a terminal as described herein can utilize one or more Closed Subscriber Group (CSG)-specific offset and/or hysteresis parameters as described herein to increase the amount of time on which the terminal is allowed to camp on a desirable cell. Additionally, specialized reselection timing can be employed as described herein to increase a delay associated with selecting a Home Node B (HNB) or Home Evolved Node B (HeNB) cell, thereby reducing power consumption associated with rapid cell reselection operations in a densely populated network environment. Further, a two-step reselection process can be performed as described herein in the context of selecting a frequency for cell reselection, thereby mitigating the effects of rapid reselection between cells and/or frequencies due to CSG cell prioritization.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of wireless communications, comprising:
 identifying a candidate frequency for cell reselection within a wireless communication system;   identifying a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG) cell on the candidate frequency that is deemed desirable based on at least one of provided services or CSG whitelist membership; and   camping on the identified CSG cell on the candidate frequency upon determining that the identified CSG cell is a highest ranked cell on the candidate frequency.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the identifying a candidate frequency comprises identifying a frequency on which an observed signal strength from the identified CSG cell exceeds a predefined threshold. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising remaining on a current camped cell and a current frequency upon determining that the identified CSG cell is not the highest ranked cell on the candidate frequency. 
     
     
         4 . A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:
 a memory that stores data relating to a candidate frequency for reselection and a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG) whitelist; and   a processor configured to identify a CSG cell on the candidate frequency that is deemed desirable based on at least one of services provided by the CSG cell or membership of the CSG cell in the CSG whitelist, to identify a highest ranked cell on the candidate frequency, and to initiate camping on the CSG cell on the candidate frequency upon determining that the CSG cell is the highest ranked cell on the candidate frequency.   
     
     
         5 . The wireless communications apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the processor is further configured to identify the candidate frequency as a frequency on which an observed signal strength from the CSG cell exceeds a predefined threshold. 
     
     
         6 . The wireless communications apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the memory further stores data relating to a selected frequency and a camped cell; and   the processor is further configured to remain on the selected frequency and the camped cell upon determining that the CSG cell is not the highest ranked cell on the candidate frequency.   
     
     
         7 . A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:
 means for identifying a candidate frequency for cell reselection;   means for identifying a desirable Closed Subscriber Group (CSG) cell on the candidate frequency; and   means for camping on the desirable CSG cell on the candidate frequency upon determining that the desirable CSG cell is a highest ranked cell on the candidate frequency.   
     
     
         8 . The wireless communications apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the means for identifying a desirable CSG cell comprises means for identifying a CSG cell that is deemed desirable based on at least one of provided services or CSG whitelist membership. 
     
     
         9 . The wireless communications apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the means for identifying a candidate frequency comprises means for identifying a frequency on which an observed signal strength from the desirable CSG cell exceeds a predefined threshold. 
     
     
         10 . A computer program product for wireless communications, comprising:
 a non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising:
 code for causing a computer to identify a frequency associated with a cell reselection operation; 
 code for causing a computer to identify a desirable Closed Subscriber Group (CSG) cell on the identified frequency; and 
 code for causing a computer to camp on the desirable CSG cell on the identified frequency upon determining that the desirable CSG cell is a highest ranked cell on the identified frequency. 
   
     
     
         11 . The computer program product of  claim 10 , wherein the code for causing a computer to identify a desirable CSG cell comprises code for causing a computer to identify a CSG cell that is deemed desirable based on at least one of services provided by the CSG cell or CSG whitelist membership of the CSG cell. 
     
     
         12 . The computer program product of  claim 10 , wherein the code for causing a computer to identify a frequency comprises code for causing a computer to identify a frequency on which an observed signal strength from the desirable CSG cell exceeds a predefined threshold.