Patent ID: 8249007
Filing Date: 2012-08-21
Classification: H04J,H04L,H04W

Abstract:
1. A method of operating a network unit of an own cell in a radio communication system that utilizes a radio interface that includes a radio frame, each radio frame comprising a plurality of sub-frames, the own cell serving one or more user equipments, the method comprising: obtaining information about a scheduling of Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS) Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) data transmissions in one or more neighboring cells; using the information about the scheduling of MBSFN data transmissions in the one or more neighboring cells to generate an information signal that, for a given sub-frame, enables the one or more user equipments to determine whether neighboring cell measurements can be performed by means of a unicast measurement mode of operation or by means of an MBSFN measurement mode of operation; and transmitting the information signal to the one or more user equipments, wherein: the unicast measurement mode of operation is adapted to base measurements on cell-specific reference symbols contained in a unicast sub-frame; the MBSFN measurement mode of operation is adapted to base measurements on cell-specific reference symbols contained in an MBSFN sub-frame; the cell-specific reference symbols contained in the unicast sub-frame are an extended set compared to the set of cell-specific reference symbols in the MBSFN sub-frame; and obtaining the information about the scheduling of MBSFN data transmissions in one or more neighboring cells comprises obtaining the information about the scheduling of MBSFN data transmissions in one or more neighboring cells from a radio base station of a neighboring cell.