Method and Arrangement for Connection Re-Establishment in a Telecommunication System

Abstract

The invention relates to a method in a user equipment and a user equipment (700) for controlling connection re-establishment between said user equipment and a network. The method comprises the steps of receiving (501) a configuration message from the network defining at least one condition; upon detection of connectivity problems (503) towards the first cell, evaluating said at least one condition (504); if said at least one condition is fulfilled for a neighboring cell (B), applying at least one special criterion for initiating connection re-establishment to said neighboring cell (505), said at least one special criterion being different from at least one criterion that is applied if said at least one condition is not fulfilled. The invention furthermore relates to a method and an arrangement in a network node (800) for controlling connection re-establishment between the network and a user equipment (700).

1 - 41 . (canceled) 
     
     
         42 . A method in a user equipment (UE) for connection re-establishment with a network, the UE being served in a first cell, the method comprising:
 receiving a configuration message from the network, the configuration message including one or more conditions for applying a fast re-establishment procedure, wherein the one or more conditions are based on a quality of a received signal from a neighboring cell; and   upon detection of connectivity problems towards the first cell, applying the fast re-establishment procedure or a normal re-establishment procedure with respect to the neighboring cell depending on whether at least one condition of the one or more conditions are fulfilled for the neighboring cell, wherein the fast re-establishment procedure and the normal re-establishment procedure are each associated with one or more of a timer value and a counter value for performing re-establishment and one or more of the timer value and the counter value for the fast re-establishment procedure is less than the respective timer value and counter value associated with the normal re-establishment procedure.   
     
     
         43 . The method according to  claim 42 , wherein at least one condition of the one or more conditions is that the received signal from the neighboring cell indicates the UE is within coverage of the neighboring cell. 
     
     
         44 . The method according to  claim 42 , wherein at least one condition of the one or more conditions is that a measurement of the received signal from the neighboring cell is above a threshold value. 
     
     
         45 . The method according to  claim 42 , wherein at least one condition of the one or more conditions is that the received signal from the neighboring cell triggers a measurement event or measurement report for the neighboring cell. 
     
     
         46 . The method according to  claim 42 , comprising receiving a message from the network comprising an indication of at least one cell for which the one or more conditions apply. 
     
     
         47 . A method in a network node for connection re-establishment between a user equipment (UE) and a network, the UE being served in a first cell, the method comprising:
 sending a configuration message to the UE, the configuration message including one or more conditions for applying a fast re-establishment procedure, wherein the one or more conditions are based on a quality of a received signal from a neighboring cell; and   configuring the UE to apply the fast re-establishment procedure or a normal re-establishment procedure with respect to the neighboring cell depending on whether at least one condition of the one or more conditions are fulfilled for the neighboring cell, wherein the fast re-establishment procedure and the normal re-establishment procedure are each associated with one or more of a timer value and a counter value for performing re-establishment and one or more of the timer value and the counter value for the fast re-establishment procedure is less than the respective timer value and counter value associated with the normal re-establishment procedure.   
     
     
         48 . The method according to  claim 47 , wherein at least one condition of the one or more conditions is that the received signal from the neighboring cell indicates the UE is within coverage of the neighboring cell. 
     
     
         49 . The method according to  claim 47 , wherein at least one condition of the one or more conditions is that a measurement of the received signal from the neighboring cell is above a threshold value. 
     
     
         50 . The method according to  claim 47 , wherein at least one condition of the one or more conditions is that the received signal from the neighboring cell triggers a measurement event or measurement report for the neighboring cell. 
     
     
         51 . The method according to  claim 47 , comprising transmitting a message to the UE comprising an indication of at least one cell for which the one or more conditions apply. 
     
     
         52 . The method according to  claim 51 , wherein the indication of the at least one cell for which the one or more conditions apply is based on prior connectivity problems with the at least one cell. 
     
     
         53 . The method according to  claim 52 , further comprising transmitting an indication to the at least one cell to prepare for a connection re-establishment from the UE. 
     
     
         54 . A user equipment (UE) capable of connection re-establishment with a network, the UE being served in a first cell, the UE comprising processing circuitry operable to:
 receive a configuration message from the network, the configuration message including one or more conditions for applying a fast re-establishment procedure, wherein the one or more conditions are based on a quality of a received signal from a neighboring cell; and   upon detection of connectivity problems towards the first cell, applying the fast re-establishment procedure or a normal re-establishment procedure with respect to the neighboring cell depending on whether at least one condition of the one or more conditions are fulfilled for the neighboring cell, wherein the fast re-establishment procedure and the normal re-establishment procedure are each associated with one or more of a timer value and a counter value for performing re-establishment and one or more of the timer value and the counter value for the fast re-establishment procedure is less than the respective timer value and counter value associated with the normal re-establishment procedure.   
     
     
         55 . The user equipment according to  claim 54 , wherein at least one condition of the one or more conditions is that the received signal from the neighboring cell indicates the UE is within coverage of the neighboring cell. 
     
     
         56 . The user equipment according to  claim 54 , wherein at least one condition of the one or more conditions is that a measurement of the received signal from the neighboring cell is above a threshold value. 
     
     
         57 . The user equipment according to  claim 54 , wherein at least one condition of the one or more conditions is that the received signal from the neighboring cell triggers a measurement event or measurement report for the neighboring cell. 
     
     
         58 . The user equipment according to  claim 54 , the processing circuitry further operable to receive a message from the network comprising an indication of at least one cell for which the one or more conditions apply. 
     
     
         59 . A network node capable of connection re-establishment between a user equipment (UE) and a network, the UE being served in a first cell, the network node comprising processing circuitry operable to:
 send a configuration message to the UE, the configuration message including one or more conditions for applying a fast re-establishment procedure, wherein the one or more conditions are based on a quality of a received signal from a neighboring cell; and   configure the UE to apply the fast re-establishment procedure or a normal re-establishment procedure with respect to the neighboring cell depending on whether at least one condition of the one or more conditions are fulfilled for the neighboring cell, wherein the fast re-establishment procedure and the normal re-establishment procedure are each associated with one or more of a timer value and a counter value for performing re-establishment and one or more of the timer value and the counter value for the fast re-establishment procedure is less than the respective timer value and counter value associated with the normal re-establishment procedure.   
     
     
         60 . The network node according to  claim 59 , wherein at least one condition of the one or more conditions is that the received signal from the neighboring cell indicates the UE is within coverage of the neighboring cell. 
     
     
         61 . The network node according to  claim 59 , wherein at least one condition of the one or more conditions is that a measurement of the received signal from the neighboring cell is above a threshold value. 
     
     
         62 . The network node according to  claim 59 , wherein at least one condition of the one or more conditions is that the received signal from the neighboring cell triggers a measurement event or measurement report for the neighboring cell. 
     
     
         63 . The network node according to  claim 59 , the processing circuitry further operable to transmit a message to the UE comprising an indication of at least one cell for which the one or more conditions apply. 
     
     
         64 . The network node according to  claim 63 , wherein the indication of the at least one cell for which the one or more conditions apply is based on prior connectivity problems with the at least one cell. 
     
     
         65 . The network node according to  claim 64 , the processing circuitry further operable to transmit an indication to the at least one cell to prepare for a connection re-establishment from the UE.