Modified Measurement Procedures for User Equipments

Abstract

A network sends to a user equipment UE downlink signaling indicating at least one frequency which is subject to special handling. In response the UE measures and reports neighbor cells operating on any of that/those frequencies without regard to a threshold signal strength of a serving cell which is configured for reporting neighbor cells. In more specific examples, if the neighbor cells operating on any of that/those frequencies is considered a first set of neighbor cells, then the network also sends a second set of neighbor cells in other downlink signaling. Measuring and reporting on the first set of neighbor cells is less frequent than for the second set of neighbor cells, when measurements of the second set is required. Measuring and reporting on the second set is dependent on measured signal strength of a serving cell being greater than the configured threshold signal strength of the serving cell.

We claim: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for communicating, comprising:
 at least one processor; and   a memory storing a set of computer instructions,   
       in which the at least one processor is arranged with the memory storing the instructions to cause the apparatus to perform:
 arranging neighbor cells into a first list for offloading traffic and a second list for maintaining coverage; 
 providing downlink signaling to indicate special handling for measuring and reporting neighbor cells in the first list, and a threshold signal strength upon which measuring and reporting neighbor cells in the second list is conditional. 
 
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , in which the special handling comprises measuring and reporting neighbor cells in the first list without regard to the threshold signal strength, in which the threshold signal strength is of a serving cell. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the threshold signal strength of the serving cell is a non-zero value for a parameter s-Measure or s-Measure1. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , in which the special handling further comprises measuring and reporting neighbor cells in the first list less frequently than measuring and reporting neighbor cells in the second list, when measurements of the second set is required. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , in which the downlink signaling comprises a Measurement Configuration information element and a Measurement Object information element. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 5 , in which the threshold signal strength of the serving cell comprises a parameter s-Measure whose value is indicated in the Measurement Configuration information element. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , in which the Measurement Object information element comprises a flag indicating capacity-based measurement reports for at least one frequency referred to by the measurement object. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , in which the apparatus comprises a network access node. 
     
     
         9 . A computer readable memory tangibly storing a set of instructions which, when executed on a communicating apparatus causes the apparatus to perform at least:
 arranging neighbor cells into a first list for offloading traffic and a second list for maintaining coverage;   providing downlink signaling to indicate special handling for measuring and reporting neighbor cells in the first list, and a threshold signal strength upon which measuring and reporting neighbor cells in the second list is conditional.   
     
     
         10 . The computer readable memory according to  claim 9 , in which the special handling comprises measuring and reporting neighbor cells in the first list without regard to the threshold signal strength, in which the threshold signal strength is of a serving cell. 
     
     
         11 . The computer readable memory according to  claim 10 , wherein the threshold signal strength of the serving cell is a non-zero value for a parameter s-Measure or s-Measure1. 
     
     
         12 . The computer readable memory according to  claim 10 , in which the special handling further comprises measuring and reporting neighbor cells in the first list less frequently than measuring and reporting neighbor cells in the second list, when measurements of the second set is required. 
     
     
         13 . The computer readable memory according to  claim 9 , in which the downlink signaling comprises a Measurement Configuration information element and a Measurement Object information element. 
     
     
         14 . The computer readable memory according to  claim 13 , in which the threshold signal strength of the serving cell comprises a parameter s-Measure or s-Measure1 whose value is indicated in the Measurement Configuration information element. 
     
     
         15 . The computer readable memory according to  claim 14 , in which the Measurement Object information element comprises a flag indicating capacity-based measurement reports for at least one frequency referred to by the measurement object. 
     
     
         16 . The computer readable memory according to  claim 9 , in which the communicating apparatus comprises a network access node. 
     
     
         17 . A method for operating a network access node, the method comprising:
 compiling a plurality of information elements, each information element indicating for a respective neighbor cell one or more frequencies used by the respective neighbor cell, such that the plurality of information elements distinguish frequencies for offloading traffic from frequencies for maintaining coverage;   signaling to user equipments in a cell the plurality of information elements and a signal strength parameter, the signal strength parameter for use by the user equipments as a condition for measuring and reporting the frequencies for maintaining coverage but not for measuring and reporting the frequencies for offloading traffic.   
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein each of the information elements is a Measurement Object information element, and the information elements having frequencies for offloading traffic are signaled separately from the information elements having frequencies for maintaining coverage. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the signal strength parameter is a non-zero value for s-Measure or s-Measure1, and the information elements having frequencies for offloading traffic are distinguished from the information elements having frequencies for maintaining coverage by presence or absence of a flag. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the network access node is a macro eNodeB operating in a heterogeneous network, and for each of the flags that is present the flag is a single bit per frequency and/or a single bit per information element.