Handover of a Wireless Connection Based on Uplink and Downlink Signal Qualities

Abstract

The present disclosure describes techniques and systems for handing over a connection of a user device, within a wireless network, based on qualities of downlink signals and qualities of uplink signals. These techniques and systems include a base station and a neighboring base station negotiating handover parameters, based on the qualities of downlink signals as detected by a user device and the qualities of uplink signals as detected by the base station and the neighboring base station. The base station and neighboring base station negotiate the handover parameters via an interface connecting the base station to the neighboring base station.

1 . A method for handing over a wireless connection with a user device in a wireless network, the method comprising:
 receiving, by a first base station through which the user device is connected to the wireless network, a downlink-quality report, the downlink-quality report associated with one or more downlink signals transmitted from the first base station to the user device;   determining, by the first base station, an uplink-quality report, the determining based on evaluation of one or more uplink signals received by the first base station from the user device;   exchanging, with a second base station, the downlink-quality report and the uplink-quality report with respective second downlink-quality and second uplink-quality reports as received and determined by the second base station;   determining handover parameters, by the first base station, based, at least in part, on the received downlink-quality report, the determined uplink-quality report, and the second downlink-quality and second uplink-quality reports, wherein the handover parameters include a beamforming configuration that the user device is to use to directionally form uplink transmission beams when connecting to the wireless network through the second base station, and   transmitting, by the first base station and to the user device, a handover command that directs the user device to connect to the wireless network through the second base station by performing a handover in accordance with the determined handover parameters.   
     
     
         2 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the received downlink-quality report includes a Received Signal Strength Indicator metric, a Signal-to-Noise Ratio metric, a distortion measurement, a consistency metric, or an intermittency metric associated with each of the one or more downlink signals. 
     
     
         3 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more downlink signals is a Downlink Control Information signal, a Radio Resource Control signal, a Channel State Information-Resource Information signal, or a Synchronization Signal Block signal. 
     
     
         4 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more uplink signals is a Sounding Reference Signal. 
     
     
         5 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the downlink-quality report associates downlink signal qualities to each of a plurality of beams formed by the first base station, the plurality of beams being formed by the first base station for each of the one or more downlink signals as part of a beam-sweeping operation. 
     
     
         6 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the uplink-quality report associates uplink signal qualities to each of a plurality of beams formed by the user device, the plurality of beams being formed by the user device for each of the one or more uplink signals as part of a beam-sweeping operation. 
     
     
         7 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein determining the handover parameters further comprises:
 weighting portions of the respective downlink-quality and uplink-quality reports, or   evaluating histories of the respective downlink-quality and uplink-quality reports.   
     
     
         8 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the handover parameters include data representative of allocated resources of an air-interface resource for use during the handover of the wireless connection or a time for the handover of the wireless connection to be initiated. 
     
     
         9 . A user device comprising:
 a transceiver; and   a processor and computer-readable storage media comprising instructions to implement a handover manager application, the handover manager application configured to direct the user device to:
 transmit, via the transceiver, a first uplink signal to a first base station through which the user device connects to a wireless network; 
 transmit, via the transceiver, a second uplink signal to a second base station, the transmitting of the first uplink signal and the second uplink signal enabling the first base station to determine, based on a negotiation with the second base station, handover parameters that include a beamforming configuration that the user device is to use to directionally form uplink transmission beams when connecting to the wireless network through the second base station and that is based, at least in part, on the transmitted first and second uplink signals; and 
 receive, from the first base station and by transceiver, a handover command that directs the user device to connect to the wireless network through the second base station in accordance with the determined handover parameters. 
   
     
     
         10 . The user device as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the first uplink signal to the first base station is a Sounding Reference Signal. 
     
     
         11 . The user device as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the first uplink signal comprises multiple SRS uplink signals transmitted via a plurality of uplink beams formed by the user device as part of a beam-sweeping operation. 
     
     
         12 . The user device as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the second uplink signal to the second base station is a Sounding Reference Signal. 
     
     
         13 . The user device as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the second uplink signal comprises multiple SRS uplink signals transmitted via a plurality of uplink beams formed by the user device as part of a beam-sweeping operation. 
     
     
         14 . The user device as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the handover manager application is further configured to direct the user device to determine a downlink-quality report. 
     
     
         15 . The user device as recited in  claim 14 , wherein the handover manager application configured to direct the user device to:
 determine the downlink-quality report, based on one or more signals received from either or both of the first base station and the second base station, the one or more signals comprising:   a Downlink Control Information signal,   a Radio Resource Control signal,   a Channel State Information-Resource Information signal, or   a Synchronization Signal Block.   
     
     
         16 . A first base station comprising:
 a transceiver;   an interface to a second base station; and   a processor and computer-readable storage media comprising instructions to implement a handover manager application, the handover manager application configured to direct the first base station to:
 receive a downlink-quality report from a user device that is connected to the first base station, the downlink-quality report associated with one or more downlink signals transmitted from the first base station to the user device; 
 measure, via circuitry of the transceiver, a signal strength of an uplink received from the user device that is connected to a wireless network through the first base station; 
 determine an uplink-quality report based on the measured signal strength of the received uplink signal from the user device; 
 exchange, with a second base station, the downlink-quality report and the uplink-quality report with respective second downlink-quality and second uplink-quality reports as received and determined by the second base station; 
 determine handover parameters based, at least in part, on the received downlink quality report, the determined uplink-quality report, and the second downlink quality and second uplink quality reports, wherein the handover parameters include a beamforming configuration that the user device is to use to directionally form uplink transmission beams when connecting to the wireless network through the second base station; and 
 transmit, to the user device via the transceiver, a handover command that directs the user device to connect to the wireless network through the second base station by performing a handover in accordance with the determined handover parameters. 
   
     
     
         17 . The first base station as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the handover manager application is configured to direct the first base station to determine, as part of the handover parameters, at least one of:
 a time for the handover to be initiated; or   one or more air-interface resources for use during the handover.   
     
     
         18 . The first base station as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the handover manager application is configured to direct the first base station to:
 transmit, as the one or more one or more downlink signals, a plurality of downlink beams, each respective downlink beam including configuration data that indicates a respective configuration of the transceiver used to form the respective downlink beam.   
     
     
         19 . The first base station as recited in  claim 16 , further comprising a Multiple Input and Multiple Output antenna array. 
     
     
         20 . The first base station as recited in  claim 19 , wherein the MIMO antenna array is configurable for beamforming and beamsweeping.