Patent ID: 9025476
Filing Date: 2015-05-05
Classification: H04W,Y02D

Abstract:
1. A method at a user equipment operating in a heterogeneous wireless network having a plurality of access nodes comprising a first access node and at least one low power access node, Wherein the user equipment is configured to receive stronger downlink signals from the first access node than from the at least one low power access node, the method comprising: determining, by the user equipment, whether a low power access node is better for uplink data transmission than the first access node, the low power access node having lower transmit power than the first access node and being within the coverage area of the first access node; identifying, by the user equipment, one random access preamble out of a plurality of sets of random access preambles, wherein the plurality of sets includes a first set of random access preambles used for sending to the first access node, and a second set of random access preambles used for sending to the low power access node; and if the low power access node is better for uplink data transmission, sending from the user equipment to the low power access node, a random access preamble belonging to the first set of random access preambles for sending to the first access node.