Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/JP3933696B2/en
Timestamp: 2019-12-13 03:55:05
Document Index: 489530251

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application No. 08', 'Application No. 08', 'Application No. 08', 'Application No. 08', 'Application No. 08', 'Application No. 08', 'Application No. 08']

JP3933696B2 - Method and apparatus for hard handoff in a CDMA system - Google Patents
Method and apparatus for hard handoff in a CDMA system Download PDF
JP3933696B2
JP3933696B2 JP54298797A JP54298797A JP3933696B2 JP 3933696 B2 JP3933696 B2 JP 3933696B2 JP 54298797 A JP54298797 A JP 54298797A JP 54298797 A JP54298797 A JP 54298797A JP 3933696 B2 JP3933696 B2 JP 3933696B2
JP54298797A
JP2000511380A5 (en
JP2000511380A (en
ウェーバー、リンゼイ・エー・ジュニア
カーミ、ガディ
グリホーセン、クライン・エス
ズィブ、ノーム・エー
パドバーニ、ロバート
マンシンガー、デイビッド・ビー
1996-05-23 Priority to US08/652,742 priority Critical patent/US5848063A/en
1996-05-23 Priority to US652,742 priority
1997-05-23 Application filed by クゥアルコム・インコーポレイテッド filed Critical クゥアルコム・インコーポレイテッド
1997-05-23 Priority to PCT/US1997/009305 priority patent/WO1997044984A2/en
2000-08-29 Publication of JP2000511380A publication Critical patent/JP2000511380A/en
2005-01-13 Publication of JP2000511380A5 publication Critical patent/JP2000511380A5/ja
2007-06-20 Publication of JP3933696B2 publication Critical patent/JP3933696B2/en
The present invention relates generally to cellular communication systems in which multiple base stations are deployed, and more particularly to an improved and improved technique for handing off communications between base stations of different cellular systems.
2. Related technology description
Techniques that use code division multiple access (CDMA) modulation are one technique that facilitates communications in which a large number of system users exist. While other techniques are known, such as time division multiple access (TDMA) and frequency division multiple access (FDMA), CDMA has significant advantages over these other techniques. The use of CDMA in a multiple access communication system is described in commonly assigned US Pat. No. 4,901,307, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
The above-mentioned U.S. Patent Specification (hereinafter abbreviated as 121) discloses a multiple access technique in which a number of car telephone systems each having a transceiver (also known as a remote device). A user communicates using a CDMA spread spectrum communication signal via a satellite repeater or a terrestrial base station (also known as a base station or cellular location). In the use of CDMA communication, the frequency spectrum can be reused many times. The use of CDMA technology provides much higher frequency spectrum efficiency than can be obtained using other multiple access technologies, thus allowing for increased system user capacity.
The normal FM cellular telephone system used in the United States is usually called Advanced Mobile Phone Service (AMPS) and is described in the Electronic Industry Association standars EIA / TIA-553 “Mobile Station-Land Starion Compatibility Specification”. Yes. In such a conventional FM cellular telephone system, the available frequency band is typically divided into channels with a bandwidth of 30 kHz. The service area of this system is geographically divided into base station coverage areas, which may vary in size. The available frequency channels are divided into frequency sets. The frequency set is assigned to the coverage area to minimize the possibility of common channel interference. For example, consider a system where there are seven frequency sets and the coverage area is a hexagon of equal size. The frequency set used in one cover area is not used in the six nearest adjacent cover areas.
In a typical cellular system, the handoff scheme is used to keep the communication connection continuous as the remote unit crosses the boundary between the coverage areas of two different base stations. In an AMPS system, a handoff from one base station to another base station is a receiver in the active base station that handles the call that the received signal strength from the remote unit has dropped below the parameter threshold. Start when notified. A low signal strength indication means that the remote device must be near the coverage area boundary of the base station. When the signal level drops below the parameter threshold, the active base station instructs the system controller to determine whether the adjacent base station receives a remote device signal with better signal strength than the current base station. Request.
In response to the active base station request, the system controller sends a handoff request message to the adjacent base station. Each base station adjacent to the active base station uses a special scanning receiver that monitors the signal from the remote device on the channel it is operating on. If one of the neighboring base stations reports that it is a suitable signal to the system controller, a handoff is attempted for that neighboring base station and that neighboring base station is labeled as the target base station. It is done. A handoff is then initiated by selecting one idle channel from the channel offset used at the target base station. A control message is sent to the remote device, instructing it to switch from the current channel to a new channel supported by the target base station. At the same time, the system controller switches the call connection from the active base station to the target base station. This process is called hard handoff. The term hard is used to characterize the handoff characteristic “break before make”.
In a typical system, the call connection is dropped (ie, blocked) if the handoff to the target base station is unsuccessful. Hard handoff failures occur for many reasons. For example, the handoff is not successful if there is no idle channel available at the target base station. The handoff is also unsuccessful if it reports that adjacent base stations are receiving different remote device signals that use the same channel to communicate with a distant base station. This reporting error results in a bad base station performing a call connection transition, typically when the signal strength from the actual remote device is insufficient to maintain communication. In addition, the handoff fails if the remote device fails to receive a command to switch channels. In actual operational experience, it has been recognized that unsuccessful handoffs often occur and impair the reliability of the system.
A problem in another normal AMPS telephone system occurs when the remote device is located for a long time near the boundary between the two coverage areas. In this state, the signal level will vary for each base station when the remote device changes position, or when other reflective or attenuating objects in the coverage area change its position. A ping-pong condition occurs as a result of signal level fluctuations, and call handoffs are repeated between the two base stations. Such additional unnecessary handoffs increase the likelihood that a call will be accidentally dropped. Furthermore, even if successful, repetitive handoffs adversely affect signal quality.
Applicant's US Pat. No. 5,101,501, issued March 31, 1992, describes a method and system for communicating with a remote device through one or more base stations during a CDMA call handoff. It is disclosed. Using this type of handoff, communication within the cellular system is not interrupted by handing off from the active base station to the target base station. This type of handoff is considered a “soft” handoff, in which communication with the target base station, which becomes the second active base station, is set at the same time before communication with the first active base station is completed. The
An improved soft handoff technique is disclosed in commonly assigned US Pat. No. 5,267,261, issued Nov. 30, 1993 (hereinafter referred to as the '261 specification). In this' 261 specification system, the soft handoff process measures the signal strength of the “pilot” signal transmitted by each base station in the system at the remote unit.On the basis of theBe controlled. These pilot signal strength measurements aid the soft handoff process by facilitating identification of various base station handoff candidates.
In particular, in the system described in the '261 specification, the remote unit monitors the signal strength of pilot signals from adjacent base stations. The coverage area of the adjacent base station need not actually touch the coverage area of the base station where active communication is set. When the measured signal strength of the pilot signal from one adjacent base station exceeds a predetermined threshold, the remote device sends a signal strength message to the system controller via the active base station. The system controller commands the target base station to set up communication with the remote device, sets up simultaneous communication through the target base station via the active base station, while maintaining communication with the active base station Instruct the remote device to
When the remote device detects that the pilot signal strength corresponding to one of the base stations with which the remote device is communicating has dropped below the parameter level, the remote device measures the base station corresponding to the system controller via the active base station. Report signal strength. The system controller sends a command message to the identified base station and the remote device to terminate communication through the identified base station while maintaining communication through other active base stations or base stations.
Although the techniques described above are well suited for call forwarding between base stations in the same cellular system controlled by the same system controller, the remote device is serviced by a base station from another cellular system. Difficulties arise from moving into the covered area. One complex factor in such an “intersystem” handoff is that each system is controlled by a different system controller, typically between the base station of the first system and the system controller of the second system. Alternatively, there is no direct link between the base station of the second system and the system controller of the first system. The two systems are thereby prevented from communicating simultaneously with the remote device through one or more bases during the handoff process. Even when an intersystem link exists between two systems and is utilized to facilitate intersystem soft handoff, the different characteristics of the two systems often complicate the soft handoff process.
When resources are not available to perform an intersystem soft handoff, performing a “hard handoff” of a call connection from one system to another is critical if an uninterrupted service must be maintained. Become. Intersystem handoffs must occur at times and locations where the transfer of call connections between systems is likely to be successful. As a result, handoff can only be attempted in the following cases, for example.
(I) An idle channel is available at the target base station.
(Ii) The remote device is within range of the target base station and the active base station.
(Iii) The remote device is in a reliable position to receive a command to switch channels.
Ideally, such an intersystem hard handoff should be done in a manner that minimizes the potential for "ping-pong" handoff requests between base stations of different systems.
These and other shortcomings of existing intersystem handoff techniques are expected to degrade the quality of cellular communications and further degrade performance as cellular systems continue to compete. Therefore, there is a need for an intersystem handoff technique that can perform call handoff between base stations of different systems with high reliability.
The present invention provides two different techniques to facilitate hard handoff from a first base station controlled by a first system controller to a second base station controlled by a second system controller. Is used. The detection rule triggers a handoff when a remote device located within the coverage area of a designated base station reports the detection of a trigger pilot signal. The action performed depends on the coverage area where the remote device is located and the trigger pilot signal it senses. The hand-down rule includes that the active set of the remote device contains only one base station, the base station is designated as the reference base station, and the round trip transmission delay between the remote device and the reference base station exceeds a certain threshold Sometimes trigger a handoff.
Detection and hand-down rules are used in conjunction with physical coverage area configurations that provide a spatial history both within and between systems. This rule can also be combined with other network planning schemes to provide maximum benefits such as the use of CDMA and CDMA different frequency handoffs.
The features, objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is an exemplary illustration of a cellular WLL, PCS or wireless PBX system.
FIG. 2 shows a cellular communication network composed of first and second cellular systems controlled by first (MSC-I) and second (MSC-II) mobile radio switching centers, respectively.
FIG. 3 shows a cellular communication system juxtaposed with a point-to-point microwave link between two directional microwave antennas.
FIG. 4A is a highly idealized schematic diagram of a hard handoff of an FM system.
FIG. 4B is a highly idealized schematic diagram of hard and soft handoff in a CDMA system.
FIG. 4C is a highly idealized schematic of the handoff region corresponding to different frequency handoffs from CDMA to another CDMA.
FIG. 5 shows a set of internal, transition, and second system base stations and is used to illustrate the functionality of the remote device measurement device commanded by the hard handoff table.
FIG. 6 shows an antenna pattern for three sectorized base stations.
FIG. 7 illustrates the use of detection rules in the same frequency handoff from CDMA to CDMA.
FIG. 8 illustrates the use of detection rules in different frequency handoffs from CDMA to CDMA.
FIG. 9 shows two juxtaposed base stations in a configuration with different frequency handoff from CDMA to CDMA.
FIG. 10 illustrates a handoff from a CDMA system to a system that provides services using different technologies.
FIG. 11 shows another form of performing different frequency handoffs from one CDMA to CDMA using a single multi-sector base station.
FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a prior art base station including receive diversity.
FIG. 13 is a block diagram of a boundary base station with transmit diversity to generate path diversity.
FIG. 14 is an illustration of the use of base stations in the same position for performing a hard handoff.
FIG. 15 is an illustration of the use of a closely located base station having the majority of the overlapping cover area to perform a hard handoff. FIG. 16 is an illustration of the use of “Cone of Silence” in an intersecting CDMA system with point-to-point microwave links.
FIG. 17 is an illustration of the use of “Cone of Silence” in an intersecting CDMA system with point-to-point microwave links, where the cone of silence coverage area and microwave link cover The areas are substantially the same.
FIG. 1 shows an example of a cellular telephone system, a wireless private branch exchange (PBX) system wireless local loop (WLL), a personal communication system (PCS) system or other similar wireless communication system. In another embodiment, the base station of FIG. 1 may be satellite-based. The system shown in FIG. 1 may use various multiple access modulation techniques to facilitate communication between multiple remote devices and multiple base stations. Numerous multiple access communication system technologies such as time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), code division multiple access (CDMA), and amplitude modulation such as amplitude companding signal single sideband The (AM) method is known in the art. However, CDMA spread spectrum modulation techniques have much greater advantages for multiple access communication systems than these modulation techniques. The use of CDMA technology in a multiple access communication system isAssigned to the applicantNo. 4,901,307 ("SPREAD SPECTRUM MULTIPLE ACCESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM USING SATELLITE OR TERRESTRIAL REPEATERS", issued February 13, 1990). Although the preferred embodiment shown herein has been described with reference to a CDMA system, many of the ideas described herein can be used in various communication technologies.
The above-referenced U.S. Pat. No. 4,901,307 describes a multiple access technique in which a large number of mobile telephone system users each use a CDMA spread spectrum communication signal to perform transceiver communication with a satellite repeater or ground base station. . When using CDMA communication, the same frequency spectrum can be reused many times to transmit multiple different communication signals. As a result of using CDMA, the spectral efficiency can be much higher than can be achieved using other multiple access techniques, thereby increasing system user capacity.
In a typical CDMA system, each base station transmits a unique pilot signal. In a preferred embodiment, the pilot signal is an unmodulated direct sequence spread spectrum signal transmitted continuously by each base station using a common pseudo-random noise (PN) spreading code. Each base station or base station sector transmits a common pilot sequence that is offset in time from another base station. The remote device can identify the base station based on the code phase offset of the pilot signal it received from the base station. This pilot signal is also the phase reference for coherent demodulation and the signal strength measurement used in handoff decisions.
Referring again to FIG. 1, a system controller and switch 10, also referred to as a mobile radio switching center (MSC), generally includes an interface and processing circuitry for providing system control (signals) to a base station. Controller 10 also controls the routing of telephone calls from the public switched telephone network (PSTN) to the appropriate base station for transmission to the appropriate remote device. The controller 10 also controls the routing of calls from the remote device to the PSTN via at least one base station. Controller 10 can direct calls between the remote devices via an appropriate base station.
A typical wireless communication system includes a number of base stations having a number of sectors. The base station divided into multiple sectors includes a number of independent transmission / reception antennas and a number of independent processing circuits. The present invention is equally suitable for each sector of a partitioned base station and a single sector independent base station. The term base station may be considered to refer to either a base station sector or a single sector base station.
The controller 10 may be coupled to the base station by various means such as dedicated telephone lines, fiber optic links, or by microwave communication links. FIG. 1 shows an exemplary base station 12, 14, 16 and an exemplary remote device 18. The remote device 18 may be a vehicle-based telephone, a handheld portable device, a PCS device, or a fixed position wireless local loop device, or a voice or data communication device according to any other convention. Arrows 20A and 20B indicate possible communication links between base station 12 and remote device 18. Arrows 22A and 22B indicate possible communication links between the base station 14 and the remote device 18. Similarly, arrows 24A and 24B indicate possible communication links between base station 16 and remote device 18.
The base station locations are designed to service remote devices located within their coverage area. When the remote device is idle, i.e., no call is made, the remote device continually monitors the pilot signal transmissions from each nearby base station. As shown in FIG. 1, pilot signals are sent by base stations 12, 14 and 16 to remote unit 18 through communication links 20B, 22B and 24B, respectively. Generally speaking, the term forward link refers to a connection from a base station to a remote device, and the term reverse link refers to a connection from a remote device to a base station.
In the example shown in FIG. 1, the remote device 18 may be considered to be in the coverage area of the base station 16. Thus, this remote unit 18 tends to receive pilot signals from the base station 16 at a higher level than any other pilot signal it is monitoring. A control message is sent to the base station 16 when the remote device 18 initiates a traffic channel communication (ie, a telephone call). When this base station 16 receives the call request message, it notifies the control device 10 by a signal and transfers the called telephone number. The controller 10 then connects the call through the PSTN to the intended receiving end.
If the call is initiated from the PSTN, the controller 10 sends the call information to a set of base stations located near the location where the remote device recently registered its presence. The base station broadcasts a paging message in response. When the intended remote device receives the paging message, it responds with a control message sent to the nearest base station. This control message informs the controller 10 that this particular base station is communicating with the remote device. The controller 10 first sends a call through this base station to the remote device.
If remote device 18 moves outside the coverage area of the first base station, eg, base station 16, the communication is forwarded to another base station. The process of transferring communication to another base station is called handoff. In the preferred embodiment, the remote device initiates and supports the handoff process.
According to TIA / EIA / IS-95 ("Mobile Station-Base Station Compatibility Standard for Dual-Mode Wideband Spread Spectrum Cellular System"), commonly referred to simply as IS-95, "remote device support" handoff is It may be initiated by the device itself. In addition to performing other functions, the remote unit includes a search receiver that is used to scan the transmission of pilot signals of adjacent base stations. If it is found that the pilot signal of one of the neighboring base stations, eg, base station 12, is stronger than a predetermined threshold, remote device 18 sends a message to current base station 16. This information is transmitted to the control device 10 via the base station 16. The control device 10 may initiate a connection between the remote device 18 and the base station 12 when receiving this information. The controller 10 requests that the base station 12 allocate resources for the call. In the preferred embodiment, base station 12 assigns channel elements that process calls and report such assignments to controller 10. The controller 10 notifies the remote unit 18 through the base station 16 to search for a signal from the base station 12 and also notifies the base station 12 of the remote unit traffic channel parameters. Remote device 18 communicates through both base stations 12 and 16. During this process, the remote device continually identifies and measures the signal strength of the pilot signal it receives. In this way, remote device assisted handoff is performed.
The above process may also be considered a “soft” handoff in that a remote device communicates simultaneously via two or more base stations. During soft handoff, the MSC can combine or select between signals received from each base station with which the remote unit is communicating. The MSC relays signals from the PSTN to each base station with which the remote device is communicating. The remote device combines the signals it receives from each base station to produce a combined result.
When reviewing the soft handoff process, it is clear that the MSC has central control of the process. Remote device assisted handoffs tend to be more complicated if a remote device happens to be located in the coverage area of two or more base stations that are not in the same cellular system, i.e. not controlled by the same MSC.
FIG. 2 shows a cellular communication network 30 including first and second cellular systems under the control of first and second mobile radio switching centers MSC-I and MSC-II. MSC-I and MSC-II are respectively coupled to the base stations of the first and second cellular systems by various means such as dedicated telephone lines, fiber optic links, or by microwave communication links. FIG. 2 shows the coverage area C of the first system.1AThru C1EFive such exemplary base stations B each provided within1AThru B1EAnd the coverage area C of the second cellular system2AThru C2EFive such exemplary base stations B each provided within2AThru B2EIt is shown.
For convenience of explanation, the cover area C in FIG.1AThru C1EAnd C2AThru C2E, As well as the subsequently introduced cover region of FIG. 3, is shown as circular or hexagonal and is highly idealized. In an actual communication environment, the size and shape of the coverage area of the base station may change. The coverage area of the base station tends to overlap with the coverage area boundary defining the shape of the coverage area different from the ideal circle or hexagon. Further, as is well known in the art, the base station may also be partitioned into sectors such as three sectors.
Hereinafter, cover area C1CThru C1EAnd C2CThru C2ESince they are close to the boundary between the first and second cellular systems, they may be referred to as the boundary cover area or transition cover area. The remaining cover area in each system is called the inner or inner cover area.
A quick look at FIG. 2 clearly shows that MSC-II is the base station B.1AThru B1EMSC-I does not communicate directly with the base station B2ATo B2EThere is no direct access and communication. As shown in FIG. 2, MSC-I and MSC-II can communicate with each other. For example, EIA / TIA / IS-41 ("Cellular Radio Telecommunication Intersystem Operations") and its revised version set standards for communications between switches in different operating areas as indicated by intersystem data link 34 in FIG. Yes. Base station B1CThru B1EAnd base station B2CTo CB2EA large amount of call signals and power control information must be exchanged between MSC-I and MSC-II in order to perform a soft handoff with one of the two. The protracted nature of the connection between switches and the large amount of call signal and power control information can cause excessive delay and can sacrifice a large number of resources. Another problem when performing a soft handoff is that the architecture of systems controlled by MSC-I and systems controlled by MSC-II are likely to be very different. Also, the power control methods used by the two systems are quite different. The present invention thus relates to a means for providing a mechanism for hard handoff between two systems to avoid complications and loss of soft handoff between systems.
The hard handoff mechanism can be used in several situations. For example, a system controlled by MSC-II may not use CDMA to communicate signals, but instead use FM, TDMA, or other schemes. In such a case, a hard handoff is required even if a mechanism for intersystem soft handoff is provided in the system controlled by MSC-I. This is because software handoff is possible only when both systems operate using CDMA. Thus, the present invention can be used to hand off a remote device between two systems using different air interfaces. The second system needs to be modified to send a pilot signal or other CDMA beacon to help initiate the hard handoff process. Systems that use pilot beaconsUS Patent Application No. 08 / 413,306 ("METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING MOBILE UNIT ASSISTED HARD HANDOFF FROM A CDMA COMMUNICATION SYSTEM TO AN ALTERNATIVE ACCESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM") which is the current US Patent No. 5,594,718 (issued January 14, 1997) , Filed March 30, 1995)Are described in detail in the specification. Another system isUS Patent Application No. 08 / 522,469 ("TIME DIVISION DUPLEX REPEATER FOR USE IN A CDMA SYSTEM", filed August 31, 1995), currently US Patent No. 6,108,364 (issued August 22, 2000)Are described in detail in the specification. A system that may use a pilot beacon device is US Patent Application No. 08 / 322,817 ("METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HANDOFF BETWEEN DIFFERENT CELLULAR COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS"), currently US Patent No. 5,697,055 (issued December 9, 1997) ", Filed on Oct. 13, 1995) in detail.
Another situation where hard handoff is available is when the remote device must change the frequency at which it operates. For example, within the PCS band, point-to-point microwave links may exist and operate with a CDMA communication system. In FIG. 3, a point-to-point microwave link 140 is shown between the directional microwave antenna 130 and the directional microwave antenna 135. Base stations 40, 100 and 110 may need to avoid using the frequency band used by point-to-point microwave link 140, thereby avoiding interference between the two systems. Since the directional microwave antenna 130 and the directional microwave antenna 135 are highly directional, the field of the point-to-point microwave link 140 is very narrow. In such cases, other base stations such as base stations 115 and 120 and sectors 50 and 70 may operate without interfering with the point-to-point microwave link 140. Accordingly, remote device 125 may be operating on a CDMA channel in the same frequency band as point-to-point microwave link 140. If the remote unit 125 moves toward a base station 110 that does not support communication at the frequency at which the remote unit 125 is currently operating, it is impossible to achieve a soft handoff from the base station 115 to the base station 110. is there. Instead, base station 115 may instruct remote device 125 to perform a hard handoff to another frequency band supported by base station 110.
Another situation where a hard handoff can be used is when the remote device has to change the frequency at which it operates to distribute the load more evenly. For example, in the PCS band, the CDMA has a frequency band f.1And f2In such a plurality of frequency bands, communication is performed using traffic channel signals. Frequency band f2Is the frequency band f1When heavily loaded with active communication signals, the frequency band f2To frequency band f1It may be useful to offload some active communication signals. To perform load sharing, the frequency band f2One or more remote devices operating in the frequency band f by performing an intrasystem handoff2You are commanded to start working with.
The most reliable way to perform a hard handoff is to have the base station 115 perform a hard handoff to another frequency within itself. Thereby, at some point when the remote unit 125 is receiving a fairly large and reliable signal from the base station 115, the base station 115 may have the remote unit 125 operate to operate at different frequencies that it supports. Command. This base station 115 will begin transmission and will attempt to receive remote device transmission signals at the new frequency. Alternatively, a hard handoff can be performed between the first frequency of the base station 115 and the second frequency of the base station 110. No intersystem communication is required for either of the two types of hard handoff.
Referring again to FIG. 2, the first mobile radio switching center (MSC-I) sends the appropriate base station B from the PSTN to transmit to the designated remote device.1AThru B1EControl the routing of telephone calls to The MSC-I also controls the routing of calls from remote devices within the coverage area to the PSTN via at least one base station. MSC-II has PSTN and base station B2AThru B2EBase station B to route calls to and from2AThru B2EIt operates in the same way to manage the operation. Control messages or the like may be communicated between MSC-I and MSC-II by intersystem data link 34 using industry standards such as IS-41 or subsequent revision standards.
If the remote device is located within the coverage area of the internal base station, the remote device is programmed to monitor pilot signal transmissions from a set of adjacent base stations. Remote device covers area C1DIs located in the cover area C2DConsider the case of approaching. In this example, the remote device is base station B.2DIt is possible to start receiving available signal levels from this base station B2DThen base station B1DTo other base stations with which the remote unit is currently communicating. The time that the available signal level is received by the remote device is one or more quantitative parameters (eg, signal strength, signal-to-noise ratio, frame error rate, frame erasure rate, bit error rate, and relative time delay). May be determined by measuring at least one). In a preferred embodiment, the measurement is based on the pilot signal strength received by the remote device. Base station B using such detection of available signal levels received at the remote device and signal strength or quality message1DAfter that report to base station B1DTo base station B2DThe same frequency remote device assisted hard handoff to can proceed as follows:
(I) Base station B1DIs base station B2DRelays the reported signal level of the remote device received from MSC-I. This MSC-I is the base station B2DKnows that is controlled by MSC-II;
(Ii) MSC-I transmits base station B to MSC-II via intersystem data link 34.2DRequesting channel resources and intersystem trunk equipment between two systems in
(Iii) The MSC-II responds to this request by supplying information to the MSC-I via the intersystem data link 34, which includes the channel on which the communication takes place and the Identify other information. In addition, the control unit transmits the designated channel for communication with the remote unit and the trunk resource to the base station B.2DHold within
(Iv) MSC-I sends new channel information to base station B1DTo the remote unit via the base station B2DSpecify the time to start communicating with
(V) Remote unit and base station B at specified time2DCommunication is done by a hard handoff with
(Vi) MSC-II notifies MSC-I of the successful transfer of the remote device to the system.
One problem with this method is that the MSC-I has the base station B at a level sufficient to allow the signal from the remote device to support the current communication.2DIt is not known whether it was received by MSC-I is base station B2DCommand the remote device to set up communication with. Similarly, base station B2DMay not have received an available signal level from the remote device. As a result, the call connection may be dropped during the process of transferring control to the MSC-II. If the call connection is dropped, an error message will be sent from MSC-II to MSC-I instead of an acceptance notification.
Another problem in performing hard handoff is the nature of the coverage area boundary of a CDMA system. In FM systems such as AMPS, the overlap area of the cover area is quite wide. A coverage area overlap area is an area where communication between a remote device and only one of two different base stations can be supported. In an FM system, the overlap area of such a cover area must be large. This is because the hard handoff is successful only when the remote device is located in the overlap area of the cover area. For example, FIG. 4A shows a highly idealized FM system. Base station 150 and base station 165 are capable of forward and reverse link FM communications with remote devices. (The forward link refers to the connection from the base station to the remote unit, and the reverse link refers to the connection from the remote unit to the base station.) Within region 160, signal strength from both base station 150 and base station 165. Is at a level sufficient to support communication with remote device 155. Note that due to the nature of the FM system, base stations 150 and 165 cannot communicate with remote device 155 at the same time. Used between base station 150 and remote device 155 for communication between base station 165 and remote device 155 if a hard handoff from base station 150 to base station 165 occurred in region 160 A new frequency is used instead. Base station 165 does not transmit at the frequency used by base station 150, and therefore base station 165 nominally does not interfere with communication between base station 150 and the remote device with which it is communicating. A boundary line 182 indicates a position where communication from the base station 165 to the remote device 155 becomes impossible. Similarly, boundary line 188 indicates a location where communication from base station 150 to remote device 155 is not possible. Obviously, FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C are not drawn to scale, and in practice the coverage area overlap area is relatively narrow compared to the total coverage area of each base station.
With respect to CDMA soft handoff, the presence of a coverage area overlap area that can fully support communication with only one of the two base stations is not critical. In a region where soft handoff occurs, it is sufficient to maintain reliable communication when communication is set simultaneously by two or more base stations. In a CDMA system, an active base station and an adjacent base station generally operate at the same frequency. Thus, as the remote unit approaches the coverage area of the adjacent base station, the signal level from the active base station decreases and the interference level from the adjacent base station increases. If soft handoff is not done due to increased interference from neighboring base stations, the connection between the active base station and the remote device is compromised. Connections are especially abandoned when the signal is attenuated with respect to the active base station and not with respect to the adjacent base station.
FIG. 4B shows a highly idealized CDMA system. CDMA base station 200 and CDMA base station 205 are capable of forward and reverse link CDMA communication with remote unit 155. Within the darkest area 170, signal strength from both base station 200 and base station 205 supports communication with remote device 155, even when communication with only one of base station 200 or base station 205 is set up It is a sufficient level to do. Beyond the boundary line 184, communication with only the base station 205 becomes unreliable. Similarly, beyond the boundary line 186, communication with only the base station 200 is unreliable.
Regions 175A, 170, and 175B represent areas where the remote device is performing a soft handoff between base stations 200 and 205. By communicating through both base stations 200 and 205, the overall reliability of the system, even if it is not possible to rely on a communication link with a remote device in region 175A to base station 205 to support communication alone. Is enhanced. Beyond the boundary line 180, the signal level from the base station 205 is insufficient to support communication with the remote device 155 even in soft handoff. Beyond the boundary line 190, the signal level from the base station 200 is insufficient to support communication with the remote device 155 even in soft handoff.
Note that FIGS. 4A and 4B are drawn with reference to each other. The reference signs used to indicate the boundaries 180, 182, 184, 186, 188 and 190 increase in value with increasing distance from the base station 150 and base station 200. Therefore, the software handoff area between boundaries 180 and 190 is the widest area. The FM cover area overlap area between the boundary lines 182 and 188 exists in the CDMA software handoff area. The CDMA “hard handoff” region is the narrowest region between the boundaries 184 and 186.
Note that base station 200 and base station 205 cannot communicate with remote device 155 simultaneously if base station 200 belongs to the first system and base station 205 belongs to the second system. . Thus, when communication needs to be transferred from base station 200 to base station 205, a hard handoff from base station 200 to base station 205 needs to be performed. Note that in order to succeed with a high probability, the remote device must be located in the CDMA hard handoff region between boundaries 184 and 186 in region 170 for hard handoff. The problem is that the hard handoff area 170 is likely to be strictly narrow and the time it takes for the remote device 155 to enter and exit the hard handoff area 170 is a problem. Furthermore, it is difficult to recognize whether the remote device 155 is located in the hard handoff region 170. If it is determined that the remote device 155 is located in the hard handoff area 170, it must be determined whether a hard handoff is generated and for what base station it occurs. The present invention solves these problems.
The first feature of the present invention is to determine the area within the coverage area where a hard handoff is required and where it is likely to be successful, and to which base station that hard handoff is attempted. System and method for determining The hexagonal tile arrangement of FIG. 3 is highly idealized. When the system is actually deployed, the resulting cover area will be shaped quite differently. FIG. 5 more realistically represents a set of base stations. Base station T1Thru TThreeAnd base station I1Thru IThreeIs part of the first communication system controlled by the control device 212 of the system 1. Base station I1Thru IThreeIs an internal base station that contacts only other base stations of the same system. Base station T1Thru TThreeIs a transition or boundary base station having a coverage area that touches the coverage area of a base station belonging to a different operating system. Base station S1Thru SThreeIs part of a second system controlled by the controller 214 of system 2. Base station SThree, Base station I1To IThree, Base station T2And TThreeThe outermost bold circle surrounding the base station indicates the ideal coverage area of the base station that can set up communication with the corresponding base station. Base station S1And S2And base station T1The outermost bold wavy line surrounding each indicates a more ideal coverage area of the corresponding base station. For example, the wavy line 228 represents the base station S.1The cover area is shown. The shape of the cover area depends on the terrain on which the base station is located, such as the height, number, reflectivity and height of the building in the cover area where the antenna is mounted, and the trees in the cover area. Greatly affected by hills and other obstacles. The actual coverage area for each base station is not shown to simplify the drawing.
In an actual system, some of the base stations are divided into sectors such as 3 sectors. FIG. 6 shows an antenna pattern of a base station divided into three sectors. The base station divided into three sectors is not shown in FIG. 5 for the sake of simplicity. The inventive concept is perfectly compatible with a sector base station.
In FIG. 6, the cover area 300A is represented by the thinnest line. The cover region 300B is represented by a medium thickness line. The cover area 300C is represented by the thickest line. The shape of the three cover areas shown in FIG. 6 is the shape generated by a standard directional dipole antenna. The edge of the coverage area can be thought of as the location where the remote device receives the minimum signal level required to support communication through that sector. As the remote device moves into the sector, the signal strength sensed by the remote device received from the base station increases. The remote device at point 302 may communicate via sector 300A. The remote device at point 303 may communicate via sectors 300A and 300B. The remote device at point 304 communicates via sector 300B. If a remote device crosses a sector boundary, communication by that sector may be degraded. A remote device operating in soft handoff mode between the base station of FIG. 6 and an adjacent base station not shown is probably located near one boundary of the sector.
The base station 60 in FIG. 3 represents a base station further divided into three idealized sectors. The base station 60 has three sectors each covering a base station cover area of 120 ° or more. The sector 50 having the cover area indicated by the solid line 55 overlaps the cover area of the sector 70 having the cover area indicated by the rough dashed line 75. Sector 50 also overlaps sector 80 having a coverage area indicated by fine dashed lines 85. For example, the position 90 indicated by X is located in both the cover areas of the sector 50 and the sector 70.
In general, base stations are partitioned into sectors to reduce the total interference power for remote devices located within the coverage area of the base station while increasing the number of remote devices that can communicate with the base station. For example, sector 80 does not transmit the intended signal to the remote device at location 90 and is therefore significantly disturbed by the remote device communicating with the base station 60 of the remote device at location 90 located in sector 80. There is nothing.
For a remote device located at location 90, the overall interference includes effects from sectors 50 and 70 and base stations 115 and 120. The remote device at location 90 may be in soft handoff with sectors 50 and 70. The remote device at location 90 may be in soft handoff simultaneously with one or both of base stations 115 and 120.
Remote device assisted handoff operates based on the pilot signal strengths of multiple sets of base stations measured by the remote device. The active set is a set of base stations for which active communication is set. A neighbor set is a set of base stations that surround an active base station that includes a base station that has a high probability of having a sufficient level of signal strength to set up communications. The candidate set is a set of base stations with pilot signal strengths at signal levels sufficient to set up communications.
When communication is initially set up, the remote unit communicates via the first base station, and the archive set includes only the first base station. The remote unit monitors the pilot signal strengths of the active set, candidate set and neighbor set base stations. If the base station pilot signal in the adjacent set exceeds a predetermined threshold, the base station is added to the candidate set and removed from the adjacent set at the remote unit. The remote device notifies the first base station of a message identifying the new base station. The system controller determines whether communication should be set up between the new base station and the remote device. If the system controller decides to do so, it sends a message to the new base station with identifying information about the remote device and a command to set up communication with it. The message is also sent to the remote device through the first base station. This message identifies a new active set that includes the first base station and the new base station. The remote device searches for a transmission identification signal for the new base station and sets up communication with the new base station without terminating communication with the first base station. This process can continue with additional base stations.
When a remote device is communicating via multiple base stations, it continuously monitors the signal strength of the active set, candidate set and neighboring set base stations. If the signal strength corresponding to the active set's base station falls below a predetermined threshold for a predetermined period of time, the remote unit generates and transmits a message reporting the event. The system controller receives this message via at least one base station with which the remote device is communicating. The system controller may determine the end of communication by the base station having a weak pilot signal strength.
Upon determining to end communication by the base station, the system controller generates a message identifying the new active set of the base station. This new active set does not include the base station from which communication will be terminated. The base station to which communication is set up sends a message to the remote device. The system controller also communicates information to terminate the communication with the remote device to the base station. In this way, remote device communications are only sent by the base station identified in the new active set.
When the remote device is in soft handoff, the system controller receives a decoded packet from each base station that is a member of the active set. From that signal set, the system controller must generate a single signal for transmission to the PSTN. Within each base station, signals received from a common remote device are combined before they are decoded, thereby making full use of the multiple signals received. The decoded result from each base station is supplied to the system controller. Once decoded, the signals cannot be easily and effectively “coupled” to each other. In a preferred embodiment, the system controller must make a selection between a plurality of decoded signals that correspond one-to-one to the base station with which the communication has been established. The most effective decoded signal is selected from the set of signals from the base station and the other signals are simply discarded.
In addition to soft handoffs, the system may also use “softer” handoffs. This softer handoff generally indicates a handoff between sectors of a common base station. Because common base station sectors are much more closely connected, handoffs between common base station sectors are not performed by selecting decoded data, but by combining undecoded data. Can be The present invention is equally suitable regardless of whether soft handoff is used in any system. The softer handoff process is based on US Patent Application No. 08 / 405,611 (“METHOD OF APPARATUS FOR”), which is a continuation of US Patent Application No. 08 / 144,903 (filed October 10, 1993), which is now waived. PERFORMING HANDOFF BETWEEN SECTORS OF A COMMON BASE STATION "Applied March 13, 1995)Currently, US Patent No. 5,625,876 (issued April 29, 1997)It is described in the specification. These rights are assigned to the applicant of the present invention.
In the preferred embodiment, the selection process is performed in the selector bank system (SBS) by the system controller. This SBS is composed of a set of selectors. The selector handles active communication for one remote device. At the end of the call connection, the selector can be assigned to another active remote device. The selector provides all manner of control functions to both the remote device and the base station. The selector sends messages and receives messages from the base station. An example of such a message is a message sent by the base station whenever the round trip delay between the base station and the remote device changes by a threshold amount. The selector can also instruct the base station to send a message to the remote device. An example of such a message is a message sent to the base station that instructs the base station to instruct the remote unit to provide a pilot strength measurement message (PSMM). In the following, the use of both these signals will be described in more detail. In the most general embodiment, it is not necessary for the selector to control the handoff process, and the functions delegated to the selector in the preferred embodiment can be performed by any method of the communication controller.
When the remote device sets up communication with the base station, the base station can measure the round trip delay (RTD) associated with the remote device. The base station assigns its transmission time to the remote device based on the universal time. The signal is transmitted from the base station to the remote device over a wireless air link. The transmitted signal requires some time to be transmitted from the base station to the remote device. The remote device uses the signal received from the base station to align the transmissions sent back to the base station. By comparing the time alignment of the signal received by the base station from the remote device and the time alignment of the signal sent by the base station to the remote device, the base station can determine and determine the round trip delay. The round trip delay is used to estimate the distance between the base station and the remote device. In the preferred embodiment, the base station reports its round trip delay to the selector whenever a round trip delay change greater than a predetermined amount occurs.
According to one aspect of the invention, a round trip delay between the active set and a remote device that is a member of the candidate set and the base station is used to identify the location of the remote device. Obtaining the round trip delay between a remote device that is a member of the candidate set and the base station is slightly more complicated than determining the round trip delay of the members of the active set. This is because the base station that is a member of the candidate set does not demodulate the signal from the remote device, so the round trip delay cannot be measured directly by the candidate base station.
A message sent to the base station from a remote unit that contains pilot signal information of candidate set and active set members is called a pilot strength measurement message (PSMM). The PSMM is configured to meet the demand from the base station, or because the signal strength of the adjacent set of base stations exceeds the threshold, or the base station signal strength in the candidate set is reduced to one signal strength of the active set base station. Sent by the remote device either because it has exceeded a predetermined amount or due to the expiration of the handoff drop timer.
Four parameters control the handoff process. First, the pilot detection threshold value T_ADD specifies the level that must be exceeded for the pilot signal strength of a base station that is a member of an adjacent set to be classified as a member of a candidate set. The pilot drop threshold T_DROP specifies the level at which the pilot signal strength of a base station that is a member of the active or candidate set drops to trigger a timer. The duration of the triggered timer is specified by T_TDROP. If the pilot signal strength is still below the T_DROP level after the time specified by T_TDROP, the remote unit begins removing the corresponding base station from the currently belonging set. The active set vs. candidate set comparison threshold T_COMP sets the amount that the pilot signal strength of a member of the candidate set must exceed the pilot signal strength of the member of the active set in order to trigger the PSMM. These four parameters are stored in the remote device. Each of these four parameters can be programmed to a new value by a message sent from the base station.
The PSMM contains two pieces of information relevant to the present invention. The PSMM includes a recording device for each pilot signal corresponding to a base station that is a member of an active or candidate set. First, the PSMM includes a signal strength measurement device. Second, the PSMM is equipped with a pilot signal phase measuring device. The remote unit measures the pilot signal phase of each pilot signal in the candidate set. The pilot signal phase is determined by the remote unit by comparing the phase of the earliest available multipath component of the candidate pilot signal with the phase of the earliest available multipath component of the active set member. Measured. The pilot signal phase may be measured with a relative PN chip. The base station pilot signal in the active set that gives the earliest arriving signal is called the reference pilot signal.
The system controller can convert the pilot signal phase to a round trip delay estimate using the following equation:
RTDcan1= RTDref+
2 * (pilot phasecan1-Channel offsetcan1* Pilot increment) Equation 1
RTDcan1= A calculated estimate of the round trip delay of a base station that has an entry in the candidate set;
RTDref= Reported round trip delay of the reference pilot signal,
Pilot phasecan1= Phase with respect to universal time perceived by the remote unit reported in the PSMM of the unit of the PN chip,
Channel offsetcan1= Channel offset of the candidate base station that is a unitless number,
Pilot increment = Increment of the system wide pilot sequence offset index in PN chip units per channel.
Reported round trip delay RTD of the reference pilot signalrefIs given to the sector by the corresponding base station. The round trip delay of the reference pilot signal serves as a basis for evaluating the round trip delay between the remote unit and the base station that is a member of the candidate set. Note that in the preferred embodiment, each base station transmits the same pilot sequence offset in time so that the remote unit can identify the base station based on the code phase offset of the pilot signal. The pilot sequence offset index increment, i.e., pilot increment, is the code phase offset increment, by which the base station pilot signal is offset. Channel offset, ie channel offset of the candidate base stationcan1Indicates the code phase assigned to the candidate base station. The relative phase of the candidate base station, ie the pilot phasecan1Is the code phase offset of the candidate base station as measured by the remote unit compared to the reference pilot signal of the unit of PN chip. Pilot phasecan1Is reported to the PSMM base station. Channel offsetcan1And the pilot increment is known to the selector.
If there is no delay in the transmission of the system, the phase of the candidate base station is the channel offset, ie the channel offsetcan1And the increment of the system wide pilot sequence offset index, ie, the pilot increment. Because there is a transmission delay in the system, the remote unit recognizes both the reference pilot signal and the candidate base station pilot signal with different variable delays. System induced PN offset (= channel offset)can1PN offset (= pilot phase)can1) To obtain a relative offset between the reference pilot signal and the pilot signal of the candidate base station. If this difference is negative, the RTD between the reference base station and the remote device is greater than the RTD between the candidate base station and the remote device. The difference perceived by the remote device reflects only the relative delay of the forward link. The relative delay of the forward link is doubled to account for the entire round trip delay.
For illustration purposes, assume that the system wide pilot sequence offset index increment is 64 PN chips and the following information is used based on round trip delay measurements.
Pilot phaseref= 0 RTD = 137 (base station Id = 12)
Pilot phase14= 948 RTD = 244 (base station Id = 14, relative offset 52PN)
Pilot phase16= 1009 (base station Id = 16, relative offset −15PN)
In the preferred embodiment, each base station or base station sector transmits the same pilot sequence offset in time, so the base station identification is considered as the channel PN offset used by the base station, thereby transmitting the pilot signal . In addition, base stations 12, 14 (which are also assumed to mean the base stations shown in FIG. 1) are members of the active set, and RTD measurements are 137 and 137 when measured by base stations 12, 14, respectively. It is assumed that it is reported as 244 chips.
Noting the right side of the pilot phase, the round trip delay data for the base station 14 is the calculated relative offset. The measured pilot phase of base station 14 is 948 PN chips. The fixed offset of base station 14 is equal to base station ID (14) × pilot sequence offset increment (64), which is equal to 896 PN chips. The difference between the measured pilot phase and the base station pilot phase offset is the relative offset between the base station and the remote unit, in this case 52PN chips (= 948-896). Since base station 14 directly makes round trip delay measurements and base station 14 is a member of the active set, it is not necessary to use these numbers to calculate round trip delay between base station 14 and the remote device. Absent.
However, since base station 16 is a member of the candidate set, round trip delay measurements by base station 16 are not made directly, and Equation 1 above must be used to determine round trip delay. For base station 16, the parameter is
RTDref= 137PN chip,
Pilot phasecan1= 1009 PN chip,
Channel offsetcan1= 16,
Pilot increment = 64 PN chips per channel.
Substituting these numbers directly into Equation 1 yields 107 PN chips as a round trip delay between the remote unit and the base station 16. As previously mentioned, the channel offset is used to find the absolute offset of the candidate base station.can1And the pilot increment is the pilot phasecan1-15PN chips are obtained in this case. It is interesting to note that the round trip delay between the base station 16 and the remote unit is less than the round trip delay between the base station 12.
The first method of identifying the location of the remote device relies on the use of special remote device measurements that lead to hard handoff (MDHO) conditions. In order to minimize the processing impact, the system enters the MDHO state only when any member of the active set is marked as a conversion base station. In an alternative embodiment, the system enters the MDHO state only when all members of the active set are conversion base stations. Furthermore, in the third embodiment, the system enters the MDHO state only when there is one base station in the active set and the base station is a conversion base station. In the fourth embodiment, there are sufficient processing resources so that the MDHO state is always active. In the MDHO state, the selector monitors the round trip delay of the members of the active set and calculates the round trip delay of the members of the candidate set. After the state that triggers the MDHO state changes, the MDHO state may be terminated.
The MDHO state is based on the use of the MDHO table. In the MDHO table, each row represents a portion of the area of the cover area that is the overlap area of the cover area. As previously limited, the overlap area of the coverage area is the area where communication is supported between the remote device and one of the two different base stations. Each row contains a list of pairs of base station identification numbers and round trip delay ranges. The round trip delay range is specified by the minimum and maximum round trip delay.
In order to use the MDHO table, one of the network planning tools or experimental data is used to identify a set of regions and the corresponding appropriate action for each region. Alternatively, basic rules or expert systems can be used to generate the MDHO table. As mentioned above, FIG. 5 shows a set of internal, conversion, second system base stations and hard handoffs.(MDHO)Used to show the remote device measurement function leading table. The shaded line around the base station indicates the round trip delay measurement threshold. For example, base station S2The shaded line 222 surrounding the base station S2The direct path from the remote device to the remote device on the shaded line 222 represents the position showing a round trip delay of 200 PN chips. Base station S2The shaded line 220 surrounding the base station S2Represents the position where the direct path from to the remote device on the shaded line 222 showed a round trip delay of 220 PN chips. Therefore, a remote device located between shaded line 220 and shaded line 222 exhibits a PN chip round trip delay in the range of 200-220.
Similarly, base station T1The shadow line 226 surrounding the base station T1The direct path from to the remote device on shaded line 226 represents the position showing a round trip delay of 160 PN chips. Base station T1The shaded line 224 that surrounds the base station T1The direct path from the remote device to the remote device on the shaded line 224 represents the position showing a 180 PN chip round trip delay. Therefore, the remote device located between shaded line 224 and shaded line 226 exhibits a PN chip round trip delay between 160 and 180.
Also, base station S1The shaded line 232 that surrounds the base station S1The direct path from to the remote device on the shaded line 232 represents the position showing a round trip delay of 170 PN chips. Base station S1The shaded line 230 surrounding the base station S1The direct path from the remote device to the remote device on the shaded line 230 represents a position showing a round trip delay of 180 PN chips. Therefore, the remote device located between the shaded line 230 and the shaded line 232 is the base station S1Shows the round trip delay of the PN chip between 170 and 180.
As previously described, multipath signals that do not take a direct path between the remote unit and the base station are generated by the reflective elements in the environment. If the signal does not take a direct path, the round trip delay is increased. The earliest arriving signal is the signal that takes the shortest path between the remote unit and the base station. The earliest arriving signal is measured with the present invention to assess round trip delay.
Note that a particular area can be identified by the round trip delay between the various base stations. For example, the cover areas 240 and 242 may include remote devices and base stations T1Is a PN chip with a round trip delay between 160 and 180, and the remote unit and base station S2Can be identified by the fact that the round trip delay between and is PN chips between 200 and 220. Cover area 242 is the base station S1The pilot signal from can be recognized at any round trip delayCan notIt is further limited by the fact that. Current base station T located in region 2401The proper operation of the remote device in communication with the CDMA base station S2Is to perform a hard handoff of the same frequency. Furthermore, in region 242, the total interference is so high that only the alternative is the base station S.1It is assumed that a hard handoff is performed for an AMPS system supported by.
Table 1 shows a portion of an exemplary MDHO table. The first column shows the overlap area of the cover area corresponding to the row of the MDHO table. For example, the cover area 242 corresponds to the cover area N in Table 1, and the cover area 240 corresponds to the cover area N + 1 in Table 1. Note that the remote device located in the cover area 242 matches the parameters given for the cover area 240. In the illustrated embodiment, the MDHO table is arranged in numerical order, and the first way that a given set of parameters is compared to zone N + 1 is selected, so that zone N + 1 is selected. It is already deleted as a possible position. The second column contains the first base station ID. The third column contains the round trip delay range corresponding to the coverage area indicated by the row. The fourth and fifth columns show the second base station ID and the round trip delay pair, and the sixth and seventh columns are the same. More columns indicating base station ID and round trip delay pairs may be added when needed.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the MDHO table is stored in the subsystem controller (SBSC) of the selector bank. The SBSC already stores a pilot database, which provides neighbor lists, pilot offsets, and other data necessary for standard operation. In the preferred embodiment, the sector requests that the SBSC access the MDHO table whenever a new PSMM is received and whenever the RTD measurement for the active base station has changed by a significant amount.
The column named Action describes the action to be taken when the remote device's location maps to one of the coverage areas. There are several exemplary types of operations as follows.
Hard handoff from intersystem base station CDMA to AMPS;
Hard handoff from in-system base station CDMA to AMPS;
Hard handoff from in-system base station CDMA to CDMA;
Hard handoff from inter-system CDMA to different frequency CDMA;
Hard handoff from intersystem CDMA to same frequency CDMA
If more round trip delay information is needed to identify the location of the remote device, the T_ADD and T_DROP thresholds can be changed when the remote device is in the MDHO state. By reducing both the T_DROP and T_ADD thresholds, the lower pilot signal strength empowers the corresponding base station as a candidate and member of the active set, and the lower pilot signal strength is Remain in the active set. As the number of base stations listed in the candidate set and active set increases, the base station increases the number of round trip delay data points that can be used for positioning the remote unit. Decreasing T_ADD and T_DROP throughout the system has a negative effect in that each remote device in the handoff uses system resources from two base stations. It is desirable to minimize the number of remote devices in the handoff to protect each base station's resources and maximize capacity. Therefore, in the preferred embodiment, T_ADD and T_DROP only decrease the value at the conversion base station. Also, the length of time indicated by T_TDROP can be increased, thereby increasing the amount of time that the base station remains in the active set after dropping below T_DROP.
In a preferred embodiment, if the second system has not yet transmitted a CDMA pilot signal from the boundary base station at the frequency used in the first system, the second system transmits a pilot signal or other CDMA beacon. Is changed toCurrently US Pat. No. 5,594,718U.S. Patent Application No. 08 / 413,306, andCurrently US Pat. No. 6,108,364Helps initiate the hard handoff process as described in detail in US patent application Ser. No. 08 / 522,469. In an alternative embodiment, the boundary base station of the second system does not generate a pilot signal even though the system has not yet transmitted a CDMA pilot signal from the boundary base station, and the base station ID column in the MDHO table is base. Bureau S1~ SThreeThere is no entry corresponding to. The pilot beacon device is connected to the internal base station by a microwave linkAffectedIt can also be used to identify regions.
In some situations, it is possible to eliminate the use of candidate base stations as a means of identifying the location of a remote device, thus leaving only active base station information to determine the remote location. For example, with sensible network planning, the overlap area of the coverage area can be effectively identified using only the round trip delay of the members of the active set.
As mentioned above, sectorized base stations are not shown in FIG. 5 for the sake of clarity. In reality, the presence of sectorization performs the positioning process by narrowing the area where the remote device can be located. For example, note the shape of the base station 60 of FIG. Before the round trip delay is taken into account, the coverage area of the base station 60 is covered by six different areas: the area covered only by sector 50, the area covered by sector 50 and sector 70, and only sector 70. Are divided into an area covered by sector 70 and sector 80, an area covered only by sector 80, and an area covered by sector 80 and sector 50. If network planning is used to direct three sectorized base stations along the boundary between the two systems, use of the system 2 boundary base station pilot beacons and round trips of candidate base stations It would be possible to eliminate the use of delay determination.
Each base station in the system is first calibrated so that the sum of unloaded receiver path noise measured in decibels and the desired pilot power measured in decibels equals some constant. Calibration constants are consistent throughout the base station system. When the system is loaded (i.e., when the remote unit starts communicating with the base station), the reverse link handoff boundary effectively approaches the direction of the base station. Therefore, to mimic the same effect on the forward link, the compensation network is transmitted from the base station with the reverse link power received at the base station by reducing the pilot power when the load increases. Maintain a constant relationship with the pilot power. The process of balancing the forward link handoff boundary with the reverse link handoff boundary is called base station breathing,US Pat. No. 5,548,812 and US Pat. No. 5,722,044 (both subject of invention)“METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR BALANCING THE FORWARD LINK HANDOFF BOUNDARY TO THE REVERSE LINK HANDOFF BOUNDARY IN A CELLULAR COMMUNICATION SYSTEM”(Issued August 20, 1996 and February 24, 1998)Are described in detail in the specification.
The breathing process adversely affects operation in the MDHO state. Referring back to FIG. 4B, if the power transmitted by the base station 200 is reduced compared to the power transmitted by the base station 205, the overlap boundary of the coverage area approaches the base station 200 and the base Move away from station 205. The signal level does not affect the round trip delay between the remote unit at any one location and the base station. Therefore, the MDHO table continues to identify the same location that is appropriate for handoff when the actual boundary changes.
There are several ways to deal with the problem of breathing. The first is to sufficiently narrow the limited coverage area overlap area when stored in the MDHO table, thereby leaving the coverage area overlap area effective independently of the current breathing condition.
A second way to address the problem of base station breathing is to disable or limit breathing at the boundary base station. The breathing mechanism operates on the forward link signal, thereby mimicking the natural response to the load level of the reverse link signal in the forward link performance. Therefore, the removal of breathing does not eliminate the risk of boundary changes due to loads on the reverse link, so load remains a factor even if the system does not use breathing.
A third method to deal with the problem of base station breathing is by network planning. If the boundary base station of the second system does not transmit a communication channel signal (ie a special signal of the active remote device) at the frequency used by the boundary base station of the first system, the breathing effect is minimized. . If the boundary base station transmits a pilot signal from the pilot beacon device, no communication channel signal is generated when the pilot beacon device is used, so that the influence of breathing is also minimized. The power output by the pilot beacon device is constant over time.
A fourth way to address the breathing problem is to use a rule-based system. If the boundary base station is breathing, the breathing parameters are transmitted from each base station to the system controller. The system controller updates the MDHO table based on the current value of breathing. Typically, the system controller increases the round trip delay value in the MDHO table to reflect the effects of breathing.
The effect of breathing is not a problem at all in most situations. Since these border areas have so far been a source of technical and business problems, network planning typically attempts to place a border between two systems in a low communication area. Low traffic corresponds to a smaller effect of breathing.
In some cases it is desirable to avoid storing and accessing the MDHO table. In such cases, other methods can be used to trigger the handoff. For example, in another embodiment, two means are used to trigger a handoff. The first method is called a detection rule. A base station (or base station sector) is denoted as a reference base station R. The remote device is within the coverage area of the reference base station, which triggers the pilot signal PBIf the selector reports the detection of the data set (R, PBTrigger the handoff by the target base station determined by The detection rules are typical, but are not always used in pilot beacon devices.
The second method is called a hand-down rule. Some base stations are marked as boundary base stations. If the remote device's active set contains only one base station, that base station is a boundary base station, and the round trip delay of the reference pilot signal exceeds the threshold, the selector triggers a handoff. Instead, if the remote device's active set includes only base stations that are boundary base stations, the selector triggers a handoff if the round trip delay of the reference pilot signal exceeds a threshold. Typically, the threshold varies between base stations and is independent of the rest of the active set. The hand down operation is determined by the current reference pilot. Handdown rules are the first set of rules for measurements that lead to handoffs."boundary"It should be noted that a base station designated as a base station need not have a coverage area adjacent to the coverage area of another system's base station. Handdown rules can be used for both intersystem handoff and intrasystem handoff.
Both detection rules and hand-down rules may depend on the physical characteristics of the system. Use of these two rules places a burden on the network design, such as base station placement, sector orientation within the multi-sector base station, and antenna physical placement.
If the remote device or base station attempts to initiate a call at the boundary base station, the remote device and base station exchange start messages on the access channel. In a preferred embodiment, an overhead channel manager is present at the base station and controls the access channel. The overhead channel manager checks the round trip delay estimate calculated from the start message. If the round trip delay exceeds the threshold, the overhead channel manager notifies the mobile radio switching center, and the mobile radio switching center instructs its base station to send a service redirect message to the remote device. The service redirect message may direct an AMPS capable remote device to an AMPS system or another CDMA frequency or system. The redirect message also depends on the type of service requested by the remote device. If a data connection is requested rather than a voice connection, the AMPS system cannot support the connection. For this reason, the actions performed must usually depend on the capabilities and status of the remote device. Typically, each remote device in the system has a class designation that specifies its capabilities. The current state of the remote device may be queried by the base station and a decision is made based on the information returned.
FIG. 7 illustrates the use of decision rules in the same frequency handoff from CDMA to CDMA. Remote device is C1A/ C2System S in the area1To S2Suppose you have moved to Remote device is C2As it approaches, it begins to perceive the pilot signal transmitted thereby. Using detection rules, C1ASector is the coverage area C1ARequest a handoff to an AMPS base station located at the same location. As described above, hard handoff from one FM AMPS system to another FM AMPS system is implemented over a much larger physical area than hard handoff from one CDMA system to another CDMA system operating at the same frequency. It should be noted that there must be a substantial overlap in the boundary base station from one to the other mapping, or at least between the coverage area of the CDMA base station and the coverage area of the AMPS base station. When switching to FM AMPS operation, there is a high probability of proper intersystem hard handoff between FM systems.
FIG. 8 illustrates the use of decision rules in different frequency handoffs from CDMA to CDMA. In FIG. 8, system S2Is the frequency f2Is communicating with the communication channel signal of the frequency f1System S to indicate that it is not communicating with the communication channel signal of2The area corresponding to is shaded. In FIG. 8, system S1Is the frequency f1Is communicating with the communication channel signal of the frequency f2System S to indicate that it is not communicating with the communication channel signal of1The area corresponding to is not shaded. System S1Or system S2Alternatively, there may or may not be a pilot beacon device that operates at both boundary base stations. If a pilot beacon device is present, a detection rule can be used. Instead, C1A, C1BIf is the only base station in the active set, a hand-down rule can be applied when the round trip delay measurement exceeds a threshold. In either case, C1AOr C1BHandoff is performed for AMPS base stations that are co-located within.
The structure of FIG. 8 has significant advantages over the structure of FIG. FIG. 4C illustrates the benefits of handoff using two different CDMA frequencies. FIG. 4C displays a highly idealized handoff area using two different CDMA frequencies according to the same format as FIGS. 4A and 4B. In FIG. 4C, the base station 205 does not transmit a communication channel signal at the same frequency as the base station 200, as indicated by the dashed transmission arrows emanating from the base station 205 and the remote device 155. Boundary 189 indicates that reliable communication is at frequency f1Represents a point that can be provided between the remote device 155 and the base station 200. Area 176 between boundary 180 and boundary 189 represents an area where remote device 155 can detect a pilot signal from base station 205 when a pilot beacon device is attached to base station 205 and communicates through base station 200. Yes.
By comparing FIGS. 4B and 4C, the advantages of different frequency handoffs are evident. If base station 205 is not transmitting a pilot signal, there is no interference from base station 205 to the signal between base station 200 and remote device 155. If the base station 205 is transmitting a pilot signal, the amount of interference caused by the pilot signal from the base station 205 to the signal between the base station 200 and the remote device 155 indicates that the base station 205 is transmitting a communication channel signal. It is much less than the interference that occurs in some cases. Therefore, boundary 189 is much closer to base station 205 than boundary 186.
The boundary 181 indicates that reliable communication is performed at the frequency f.2Represents a point that can be provided between the remote device 155 and the base station 205. The area 178 between the boundary 181 and the boundary 190 is in the base station 200.Frequency f 1 This represents an area where the remote device 155 can detect the pilot signal from the base station 200 when the pilot beacon device operating at is installed and communicates through the base station 205. Again, note that boundary 181 is much closer to base station 200 than boundary 184. The area 174 between the boundary 181 and the boundary 189 has a frequency f1Base station 200 to frequency f2Represents an area in which a handoff of communication to the base station 205 or vice versa can be realized. Note that region 174 is much larger than region 170 of FIG. 4B. Large size region 174 has significant advantages over the hard handoff process. For the same frequency or different frequencies, the transfer of communications has a hard handoff characteristic that “breaks before connecting”, so the use of two different frequencies does not significantly affect the hard handoff process. A slight disadvantage when the frequencies are different is that the remote device requires some amount of time to switch operation from the first frequency to the second frequency.
In the preferred embodiment, both the base station and the remote device use different frequencies to transmit rather than receive. In FIG. 4C and other drawings and contexts illustrating handoff between two different CDMA operating frequencies, one frequency (in order to illustrate the use of a set of transmit and receive frequencies for purposes of brevity of the drawings and context) Frequency f1), It is assumed that both the transmit and receive frequencies are different.
Referring again to FIG.2Every base station has a frequency f1It is not necessary to suppress the operation in All you need is a boundary base station, and perhaps system S2The next layer of the internal base station of1It is only to suppress the operation at. System S2The internal base station of the CDMA or FM or TDMA or point-to-point microwave link or any other function f1May be used.
FIG. 9 shows another alternative embodiment of the transition region between the two systems. The configuration of FIG. 9 requires the cooperation between the service providers of the first and second systems, and is most applicable when the two systems belong to the same service provider. FIG. 9 shows two juxtaposed or substantially juxtaposed base stations B performing different frequency handoffs from CDMA to CDMA.1, B2Is shown. Base station B1And base station B2Both are base stations divided into two sectors covering the coverage area 310. System S1Base station B1Is the frequency f in both sector α and sector β.1CDMA service in the system S2Base station B2Is the frequency f in both sector α and sector β.2A CDMA service is provided.
Note that the cover area 310 is intersected by the highway 312. Remote device has frequency f1System S using1When moving from coverage area 310 to coverage area 310, soft handoffs within the standard system control call control to base station B.1, Used to transfer to sector β. When the remote device continues to move further along the highway 312Soft handoff or softer handoffBase station B1, Sector β to base station B1, Used to transfer communications to sector α. Base station B1When the sector a becomes the only sector in the active set, the hand-down rule ishardHandoff trigger frequency f2Base station B2System S2Apply to sector β.
System S2To System S1Handoff for remote equipment moving to base station B2Sector α and base station B1Is performed in the same manner as for the sector β. Base station B1Sector α is base station B2Of the base station B2Sector α is base station B1In either case, the hard handoff can be properly completed without fear of the remote device being in the coverage area of the target base station.
The configuration of FIG. 9 has several advantages. System S1To System S2The region where the handoff to is performed is the system S2To System S1The probability of a ping-pong state is minimized because it is different from the region where the handoff to is performed. For example, system S1To System S2The region where the handoff to is performed is the system S2To System S1A remote device that enters the handoff region and stops moving or moves within the area is handed off continuously to one system and back to the other system if it is substantially the same as the region where the handoff to is performed. . The configuration of FIG. 9 introduces spatial hysteresis. The remote device is the system S in the lower half of the cover area 3101To System S2Once control is transferred to the base station B, the direction is changed and the upper half of the cover area 310 is entered again2As long as the sector α of the remote device is not the only member of the remote device's active set, the remote device1Does not return control to
Like the configuration of FIG. 8, the configuration of FIG.2Every base station has a frequency f1There is no need to suppress the use of. All you need is a boundary base station, and perhaps system S2The next layer of the internal base station of1It is only to suppress the use of. System S2The internal base station of the CDMA or FM or TDMA or point-to-point microwave link or any other function to transmit the frequency f1May be used. Also in FIG. 9, the base station does not need to use exactly two sectors, but can use multiple sectors.
FIG. 10 shows a situation where a CDMA system demarcates the system and provides services using different technologies. This situation can be managed in a manner similar to FIG. FIG. 10 shows the special topography of Detroit, Michigan, USA. Detroit touches Canada on one side. A river limits the border between Detroit and Canada. Several bridges cross the river to connect the two countries.
On the US side of the river, CDMA System S1Is deployed. On the Canadian side of the river, TDMA System S2Is deployed. Both the US side and the Canadian side operate the AMPS system in addition to the selected digital technology. Remote devices moving on the Detroit side of the system are likely in the CDMA coverage area continuously, possibly with soft and softer handoffs. However, the remote device will not cover area CASector α or cover area CCOnce the round trip delay exceeds a predetermined threshold once it is found to be exclusive in the coverage area of sector α, a hand-down rule is used to each deployed AMPS base station. A handoff is triggered. The remote device on the water is present or absent in the CDMA coverage area depending on the selected RTD threshold. Network planning is called when the base station is positioned so that the antenna is properly oriented and the AMPS base station is specifically determined based on the transition sector, and these sectors become single sectors in the active set. Must ensure that is not dropped.
FIG. 14 shows an embodiment of the present invention in which the carrier is operating with two systems allowing two base stations to be deployed together. FIG. 14 is a graphical representation. Cover area C1AIs the frequency f1System S running on1Corresponds to the internal base station. Cover area C1BIs the frequency f1System S running on1Corresponds to the transition base station in. Pilot beacon P1Covers area C2AFrequency f placed together with1Is a pilot beacon device operating in Cover area C2AIs the frequency f2System S running on2Corresponds to the internal base station. Cover area C2BIs the frequency f2System S running on2Corresponds to the transition base station in. Pilot beacon P2Covers area C1AFrequency f placed together with2Pilot beacon operating in
In the configuration of FIG. 14, the base station C1BAnd base station C2BThe hard handoff between the remote device and the system S1And system S2Must be done when moving between. Since the internal base station is not transmitting traffic channel signals at the frequency at which hard handoff takes place, the frequency f1Base station C1BAnd cover area C1BAnd C2BThe reliability of communication with remote devices located inside is high. Similarly, the frequency f2Base station C2BAnd cover area C1BAnd C2BThe reliability of communication with a remote device located in the area is also high.
One problem with the configuration of FIG.1BAnd C2BAre placed together. Arranging base stations together typically requires some coordination between the operators of the two systems. If the two systems are operated with different carriers, the carriers will not share physical equipment. Also, co-arrangement can cause adjustment problems. FIG. 15 shows the cover area C.1BAnd C2BAre similar to FIG. 14 except that they are not located at the exact same location. The principle of this embodiment applies when the coverage areas of the two base stations are substantially overlapping. The spatial hysteresis area is approximately reduced by the amount that the two cover areas are offset from each other.
14 and 15, the operation is the same and is very simple. System S1In system S2The remote device moving toward the1Using cover area1ACommunicate with. When the remote device approaches two co-located cover areas, the cover area C1BFrequency f to transfer communication to1Soft handoff is used. Remote device is system S2As the device continues to move towards the pilot beacon P1Start detecting the pilot signal from Active set covers area C1BIncludes only base stations corresponding to and / or pilot signal P1If the pilot signal strength of the1BCover area C from base station corresponding to2BA hard handoff to the base station corresponding to is performed. Remote device is system S2Continue to move toward the cover area C2BBase station and cover area C corresponding to2ASoft handoff is used for the transfer of communication with the base station corresponding to. System S2To System S1The reverse operation is used to complete the handoff to.
The configuration of FIGS. 14 and 15 is similar to the configuration of FIG. 9 in that they introduce several measures of spatial hysteresis. For example, system S1To System S2The connection of the remote device moving to is represented by the dashed line 356. Until the remote device reaches the position indicated by arrow 350, it will cover area C1BThe frequency f by the base station corresponding to1In system S1It should be noted that it remains serviced by. Similarly, system S2To System S1The connection of the remote device moving to is represented by the dashed line 354. Until the remote device reaches the position indicated by arrow 352, it will cover area C2BNote that it remains serviced by the base station corresponding to. Therefore, the service providing communication to the remote device between arrows 350 and 352 depends on which system is providing communication when the remote device enters the area. The remote device may move within the area between arrows 350 and 352 without handing off between the two systems.
Referring again to FIG. 4B, another solution to the hard handoff dilemma is to increase the size of the hard handoff area 170. One reason for the very small area is the effect of fading. Remote devices located in the hard handoff area 170 can only set up communication with either the base station 200 or the base station 105, so the signal fades with respect to the active base station and does not fade with respect to the inactive base station If this is the case, the interference from inactive base stations will be large. One way to increase the size of a region as well as the reliability of communications within that region is to minimize the amount of fading experienced by remote devices in this region. Diversity is one way to mitigate the detrimental effects of fading. There are three main types of diversity: time diversity, frequency diversity, and spatial diversity. Time diversity and frequency diversity are inherent in spread spectrum CDMA systems.
Spatial diversity, also called path diversity, is generated by multiple signal paths of common signals. Path diversity may be effectively utilized in spread spectrum by separately receiving and processing signals that arrive with different propagation delays. Examples of the use of aisle diversity are US Pat. No. 5,101,501 “SOFT HANDOFF IN A CDMA CELLULAR TELEPHONE SYSTEM” (issued Mar. 31, 1992) and US Pat. No. 5,109,390 assigned to the assignee of the present invention. It is described in the book “DIVERSITY RECEIVER IN A CELLULAR TELEPHONE SYSTEM” (issued on April 28, 1992).
The presence of a multipath environment can provide path diversity for wideband CDMA systems. When two or more paths with a differential path delay greater than one chip period are generated, the two or more receivers are configured to receive signals separately at a single base station or a single remote unit receiver. Can be used. (The required one-chip path delay difference is a function of the means by which time tracking is achieved in the receiver.) After the signals are received separately, they can be diversity combined prior to the decoding process. it can. Thus, the entire combined energy from the multiple paths is used for the decoding process, thereby increasing the energy and accuracy of the decoding process. Multipath signals typically show independence in fading, ie, different multipath signals usually do not fade together. Thus, if the outputs of the two receivers can be diversity combined, a significant loss in operation will only occur when both multipath signals fade simultaneously.
Referring again to FIG. 4B, the base station 200 is an active base station. If there are two signal components received by the remote device 155 that are different from the base station 200, the two different signals fade independently or nearly independently. Therefore, all signals from base station 200 are not subject to the deep fade that occurs when only one signal is received. As a result, the signal from base station 205 is less likely to dominate the signal from base station 200 to remote device 155.
Rather than relying on a naturally statistically developed multipath signal, the multipath signal can be artificially introduced. A typical base station has two receive antennas and one transmit antenna. Often the transmit antenna is the same as one of the receive antennas. The structure of such a base station is shown in FIG.
In FIG. 12, transmitter 330 provides a transmission signal to diplexer 332 which in turn provides a signal to antenna 334. The antenna 334 supplies the first received signal to port 1 of the receiver 338, and the antenna 336 supplies the second received signal to port 2 of the receiver 338. Within receiver 338, port 1 and port 2 receive signals separately, after which they are combined prior to decoding for maximum effectiveness. Antenna 334 and antenna 336 are configured so that the signal received from each antenna fades independently from the signal received from another antenna. Since the received signals from antennas 334 and 336 are supplied to different receivers and are not combined until after the signals are demodulated in receiver 338, the signals received on antenna 334 are on antenna 336 by at least one PN chip direction. It is not important to be offset from the signal received at.
To introduce diversity into the system of FIG. 12, a second diplexer can be used to couple the transmitted signal to an antenna that was previously only receiving through the delay line. Such an arrangement is shown in FIG.
In FIG. 13, the transmitter 330 supplies the transmission signal to the diplexer 332, and the diplexer 332 supplies the signal to the antenna 334. In addition, transmitter 330 provides a transmission signal (in most basic embodiments, which includes the same signal as the original transmission signal) to delay line 340, diplexer 342 and antenna 336. As shown in FIG. 12, antenna 334 and antenna 336 are configured such that the signals received from each antenna at the remote device are faded independently. In addition to being independent in fading, both signals are received through a single antenna at the remote device, so the two signals are sufficient in time so that the remote device can distinguish the signals separately. Must be separated. Sufficient delay is added by the delay line so that the signal radiated by the antenna 36 reaches the remote device with a delay greater than one chip with respect to the signal from the antenna 334, so that the remote device distinguishes the signal, They can be separately received and demodulated. In the preferred embodiment, the diversity base station configuration of FIG. 13 is used only at the boundary base station.
In another embodiment, the delay line 340 includes a gain adjustment element. The gain adjustment element can be used to adjust the level of the signal transmitted by antenna 336 relative to the signal transmitted by antenna 334. The advantage of this configuration is that the signal from antenna 336 does not significantly interfere with other signals in the system. However, the level of the signal from antenna 336 with respect to the level of the signal from antenna 334 becomes significant when the signal from antenna 334 fades. Thus, in a preferred embodiment, if the signal from antenna 334 undergoes a deep fade with respect to the remote device, the signal from antenna 336 is long enough to provide reliable communication during the fade.
It is useful to provide a signal from antenna 336 only when at least one remote device is located in the hard handoff region. This technique can also be applied to any of the following alternative embodiments.
Yet another embodiment creates separate signal paths that carry different sets of signals for transmission through antenna 336. In this embodiment, the base station determines which remote devices need diversity (ie, which remote devices are located in the hard handoff region). The set of signals transmitted by antenna 336 has only traffic channel signals and pilot signals for remote devices in the hard handoff region. Alternatively, paging and tuning channel transmissions can also be included. As described above, it is useful to provide pilot and other signals from antenna 336 only when at least one remote device is located in the hard handoff region. A remote device in need of diversity can be identified, for example, by detecting a remote device that requires more transmit power than a certain threshold, or based on round trip delay. The use of two transmitters reduces the net amount of transmitted power, thereby reducing interference in the system, including interference to remote devices in hard handoff region 170 communicating with base station 205. In FIG. 13, the dashed line 348 shows a second embodiment in which two separate signal paths carrying a different set of signals are used. It is assumed that any delay between the two required signals is introduced in transmitter 330.
It should also be noted that the second radiating element need not be placed together with the base station. It can be separated by a large distance and may be located near the hard handoff boundary. Instead, instead of using an antenna that was previously only receiving to transmit the diversity signal, the signal can be transmitted from another antenna. This alternative antenna may be a highly directional spot antenna that focuses energy on the hard handoff region.
A particularly advantageous configuration is achieved by using separate signal paths in conjunction with separate antennas. In this case, by assigning signals transmitted by different antennas to different PN offsets, more diversity is achieved than the PN offset normally assigned to transmitter 330. In this manner, the base station performs a softer handoff when the remote device enters a different antenna coverage area. The use of different PN offsets is useful in identification when the remote device is located in the hard handoff area. The above-described embodiments can be implemented with a variety of different topologies to achieve the same result.
It is also noted that there are several ways to introduce diversity into the system. For example, the effects of fading can also be minimized by signal phase variations from the diversity antenna. Phase variations disrupt the amplitude and phase alignment of multipath signals that can produce deep fades in the channel. An example of such a system is described in detail in US Pat. No. 5,437,055 “ANTENNA SYSTEM FOR MULTIPATH DIVERSITY IN AN INDOOR MICROCELLULAR COMMUNICATION SYSTEM” (issued July 25, 1996) assigned to the present applicant. Yes.
The detrimental effects of fading can be further controlled to some extent in CDMA systems by controlling transmit power. A fade that reduces the power received by the remote unit from the base station can be compensated by increasing the power transmitted by the base station. The power control function operates according to a time constant. Depending on the time constant of the power control loop and the duration of the fade, the system can also compensate for the fade by increasing the base station transmit power. The nominal power level transmitted from the base station to the remote device is increased when the remote device is in the area where the hard handoff takes place. Also, remote devices in need of increased power can be identified based on round trip delay or by reporting a pilot signal that exceeds a threshold. By increasing the power transmitted to the remote device that is needed, the net amount of power transmitted is reduced, thereby reducing the overall interference in the system.
As described above in connection with FIG. 3, a situation where a hard handoff is required to occur is a situation where the remote device must change the frequency at which it operates within a single system. For example, such a handoff may be performed to prevent interference to the microwave link between points operating and present with a CDMA communication system, or to transfer all traffic channel signals to a single frequency, Thus, different frequency handoffs between CDMA and CDMA can be performed at the system boundary. In FIG. 3, a microwave link 140 between the points is shown between the directional microwave antenna 130 and the directional microwave antenna 135. Since the directional microwave antenna 130 and the directional microwave antenna 135 have high directivity, the microwave link 140 between the points has a very narrow field. Thus, other base stations and sectors 50, 70, 80 of the system, such as base stations 115, 120, operate without interfering with the point-to-point link 140.
In the preferred embodiment, CDMA signals are transmitted at microwave frequencies, so the link between points intersecting the system will only interfere when operating at microwave frequencies. The point-to-point links in most common embodiments may operate at higher or lower frequencies than those typically designed for microwave frequencies.
The techniques described earlier in this specification can be applied to hard handoffs, typically a hard handoff in a system is controlled by the same controller with two base stations where the handoff is complete. In this respect, it has advantages over hard handoff between systems. In FIG. 11, another configuration for performing different frequency handoff between CDMA and CDMA using a single multi-sector base station is shown. Base station B1AAnd B1BBoth have two directional sectors called sectors α and β. Base station B1A, Sectors α and β have frequency f1Works with. Base station B1B, Sectors α and β have frequency f2Works with. Base station B1AAnd B1BBoth have one omnidirectional sector γ and operate at a frequency different from that of the directional sector in the base station. For example, base station B1ASector γ has frequency f2And base station B1BSector γ has frequency f1Works with.
FIG. 11 uses hand-down rules. The omni-directional sector γ is marked as a boundary sector with a round trip delay threshold of 0, ie, any of the γ sectors is the only base station in the active set and what the round trip delay is This means that the handoff is triggered immediately. It is noted that the gamma sector is not actually a boundary sector between the two systems, but is similar when viewed from a remote device of action taken. Remote device has frequency f1In system S1Base station B from adjacent coverage area in1AWhen moving to base station B1ASoft handoff is used to set up communication with sector α of base station B1AA soft or softer handoff is used to move the connection to the sector β. Next, the soft handoff is a base station B marked as a boundary base station.1BUsed to move the connection to the next sector γ. Base station B1BAs soon as sector γ becomes a member of the active set, base station B1BSector B from base station B1BHard handoff to sector β is performed.
It is noted that this configuration also introduces spatial hysteresis, where once the operation is at frequency f2To base station B to the extent that the remote unit becomes the only member of the active set.1AUnless it falls within the coverage area of sector γ1I will not return. The choice to use three different sectors is also made when most multi-sector base stations consist of three sectors, and thus the base station equipment typically supports three sectors. It is noted that. Therefore, a design using three sectors makes practical sense. Of course, more or fewer sectors can be used.
There are two different types of situations where a configuration as described above is used. The configuration of FIG. 11 can be used where all traffic must change frequency. In such a case, base station B1AThe base station on the left side of2Without using base station B1BThe base station on the right side of1Do not use. In such a case, all remote devices that enter from one side and exit from the other side must transfer frequency. In another situation, base station B1BThe base station on the right side of2Only the frequency f in that region, for example by a microwave link1This is because the use of is prohibited. However, base station B1AThe base station on the left side of1Or frequency f2Either of these can work. In such a case, base station B1BTo base station B1AAll or some of the remote devices moving to the frequency f2To frequency f1May or may not transfer any remote device.
In FIG. 16, a second completely different way of handling point-to-point microwave links or other areas where the spectrum needs to be defect-free is shown. In FIG. 16, as indicated by beams 364 and 366, a “no signal cone” is formed around the microwave link 140 between the points. The no-signal cone is a pilot signal that serves as a reference signal for a remote device that detects the pilot signal. When the remote unit reports the detection of a pilot signal corresponding to a no-signal cone, the system controller shall indicate that the pilot signal is an indication of a no-signal cone rather than being a viable candidate pilot signal. know. The system controller uses the reception of the pilot signal corresponding to the no signal cone as a stimulus to initiate a hard handoff. Typically, the handoff performed is a different frequency handoff between CDMA-CDMA in the system, but other types of handoff may be performed.
An interesting feature of the no signal cone is that the no signal cone pilot signal is not associated with any particular base station. Typically, the no-signal cone pilot signal is generated by a pilot beacon device juxtaposed with directional microwave antennas 130 and 135. There are two different no-signal cone topologies that can be used. In the first topology shown in FIG. 16, beams 364 and 366 are actually a narrow transmission band protecting either side of the point-to-point microwave link 140. In the second topology shown in FIG. 17, beams 360 and 362 define the edge of the pilot signal transmission coverage area. In FIG. 17, the coverage area of the pilot signal and the coverage area of the point-to-point microwave link 140 actually extend over the same area. Typically, beams 364 and 366 are generated by two separate antennas that are different from the microwave antenna. Beams 360 and 362 are generated by the same antenna as the microwave signal, different but the same antenna, or an antenna that defines a slightly wider coverage area than the microwave antenna.
The first topology of FIG. 16 has the advantage that the point-to-point microwave link does not interfere with the point-to-point microwave link even when operating at the same frequency as the pilot signal in the no-signal cone. The first topology is that the connection is dropped or the connection is continued point-to-point if the remote unit passes the beam of pilot signal in a no-signal cone without detecting the signal and changing the frequency. It has the disadvantage of creating a crown saving for microwave links. Also, if power is applied to the remote unit, while it is located in beams 364 and 366, the remote unit may not detect the pilot signal, thereby causing interference to the microwave link. .
Microwave links may be bidirectional, and two CDMA frequency channels may be required for operation of such links. In some embodiments, the two CDMA reverse link channels are cleared to fit the point-to-point microwave link. Two different forward link no signal cone pilot signals are transmitted in the no signal cone coverage area corresponding to each of the two opposite link channels cleared for the point-to-point microwave link. The In this way, the two pilot signals can cover the coverage area of the point-to-point microwave link without interfering with the actual communication between the two directional antennas due to frequency diversity.
Furthermore, in the third embodiment, the pilot signal can coexist with the point-to-point microwave link at the same frequency without causing a significant amount of interference to the point-to-point microwave link. The CDMA pilot signal is a broadband, low power spread spectrum signal. This type of signal is perceived as simply Gaussian noise for other types of communication systems. Inherent CDMA signal characteristics allow it to coexist uniquely with another communication system without inducing significant interference.
The distance between two point-to-point microwave link antennas may be significantly greater than the distance between a typical base station and the edge of the coverage area that it defines. Therefore, the delay for the remote unit to perceive a no-signal cone pilot signal is typically significantly longer than the delay associated with cellular systems. Therefore, the pilot signal in the no-signal cone needs to be recognized as one of a set of consecutive pilot signal offsets. For example, the delay induced in the no-signal cone pilot signal is greater than the normal offset between pilot signals that causes the recognized pilot signal offset to be mapped to the offset of the next successive pilot signal. This type of operation is typically not a problem because typical systems only use PN offsets every 7 or 8 times. The set of offsets at which no-signal cone pilot signals are predicted may be added to the neighboring set so that the remote unit searches for these signals in the same way as it searches for another neighboring list entry. To do.
In detecting the pilot signal in the no-signal cone area, the operation performed depends on the base station to which the active communication is set. Since the same signalless cone pilot signal traverses the coverage area of multiple base stations, the pilot signal itself provides a very small amount of information, such as relating to the location of the remote device or the action that needs to be performed. The base station and frequency at which the handoff is performed is based on the members of the active set when the pilot signal is perceived. Also, the action taken can be determined by members of the active and candidate set. Furthermore, the action taken is based on the perceived PN offset of the pilot signal in the no-signal cone. It is also advantageous to postpone the operation until the signal strength of the pilot signal in the no-signal cone area exceeds the second high threshold. Since no-signal cone pilot signals provide little information, the same pilot signal offset is used throughout the system to protect multiple different point-to-point microwave links. In FIG. 16, all of the beams 364 and 366 operate with the same PN offset or four different PN offsets.
The distance between the two point-to-point microwave link antennasEnoughIf long, it may be necessary to use a repeater to extend the coverage area of the pilot signal. A method and apparatus for providing a repeater in a CDMA system was assigned to the assignee of the present invention.US Patent Application No. 08 / 522,469 ("TIME DIVISION DUPLEX REPEATER FOR USE IN A CDMA SYSTEM", filed August 31, 1995), currently US Patent No. 6,108,364 (issued August 22, 2000)Are described in detail in the specification.
Instead, a series of antennas providing pilot sequences of the same or different offsets can be installed along the micro-wavelength path in order to define the no-signal cone region more narrowly and accurately.
Many concepts of the present invention can be combined. For example, detection and hand-down rules can be used in connection with physical coverage area configurations that provide both intra-system and inter-system spatial hysteresis. The rules can also be combined with other network planning configurations to provide maximum benefits such as using different frequency handoffs between CDMA-CDMA. Parameters that control the soft handoff process may be increased to increase the number of candidate and active set members. Base station breathing may also be increased. Hard handoff(MDHO)The remote device measurement that led to the concept of can be combined with a physical coverage structure that provides both intra-system and inter-system spatial hysteresis. It can also be combined with other network planning configurations to provide maximum benefits such as using different frequency handoffs between CDMA-CDMA.
The above description of preferred embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles described herein may be applied to other embodiments without using inventive power. Accordingly, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein,Defined by the claimsFollow the broadest technical scope.
A network user communicates with another user by a remote device via one or more base stations and includes a first mobile switching center that controls communication through a first set of base stations including the first base station. A method for managing communication between the remote device and the first base station in a communication network comprising:
Storing, in the remote unit, a list of active base stations including entries corresponding to each base station to which active communication is set up, wherein the first base station has an entry on the list of active base stations When,
Measuring a round trip delay of a first active communication signal between the first base station and the remote unit at the first base station;
If the round trip delay of the first active communication signal exceeds a threshold, if the first base station is designated as a boundary base station, a handoff of the first active communication signal is initiated. A communication management method including steps.
The step of initiating a handoff is performed when the list of active base stations includes a single entry, the single entry corresponding to one of a set of boundary base stations, 2. Each base station of a boundary base station is controlled by the first mobile switching center and has a cover area in contact with a cover area corresponding to the base station controlled by the second mobile switching center. the method of.
The step of initiating a handoff is performed when each entry on the list of active base stations corresponds to a set of boundary base stations, wherein each base station of the set of boundary base stations 2. A method according to claim 1, comprising a cover area which is controlled by a second mobile switching center and which contacts a cover area corresponding to a base station controlled by a second mobile switching center.
The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining by an active communication controller the type of handoff that must be attempted in the step of initiating the handoff.
The type of handoff that must be attempted is operating using another modulation technique from the first base station that is communicating with the remote unit using code division multiple access (CDMA). The method of claim 4, wherein the handoff is to a second base station.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the another modulation technique is frequency modulation (FM).
The method of claim 5, wherein the another modulation technique is time division multiple access (TDMA).
The type of handoff that must be attempted is a second using CDMA from the first base station communicating on the first frequency with the remote unit using code division multiple access (CDMA). 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the handoff is to a second base station communicating at a frequency of.
The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining a type of handoff that should be performed in the step of initiating the handoff based on the list of active base stations.
The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a type of handoff that should be performed in the step of initiating the handoff based on the list of active base stations and a list of candidate base stations.
The network further comprises a second mobile switching center that controls a second set of base stations including a second base station;
Transmitting a communication signal at a first frequency from an α sector of the first base station defining a first base station α coverage area, wherein the α sector of the first base station is designated as a boundary base station When,
Transmitting a communication signal at the first frequency from a beta sector of the first base station defining a beta cover area of the first base station;
A communication signal is transmitted at a second frequency from an α sector cover area of the second base station defining an α cover area of a second base station, and the α cover area of the second base station is the first base station Substantially overlapping with the beta coverage area of the station, the alpha sector of the second base station being designated as a boundary base station;
A communication signal is transmitted at the second frequency from the β sector of the second base station that defines a β cover region of the second base station, and the β cover region of the second base station is the first base station The method of claim 1, further comprising: substantially overlapping the α-covering region of
Transmitting a communication signal at a first frequency from an α sector of the first base station defining a first base station α coverage area;
A communication signal is transmitted at a second frequency from a γ sector of the first base station that defines a γ cover area of the first base station, and the γ cover area of the first base station is the same as that of the first base station. substantially overlapping an α cover area and a β cover area of the first base station, wherein the γ sector of the first base station is designated as a boundary base station;
Transmitting a communication signal at the second frequency from the alpha sector of the second base station defining an alpha coverage area of a second base station;
A communication signal is transmitted at the second frequency from the β sector of the second base station that defines a β cover region of the second base station, and the β cover region of the second base station is the first base station A step in contact with the γ cover region of
A communication signal is transmitted at the first frequency from the γ sector of the second base station defining a γ cover area of the second base station, and the γ cover area of the second base station is the second base station 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of: substantially overlapping an α coverage area of the second base station and a β coverage area of the second base station, wherein the γ sector of the second base station is designated as a boundary base station. .
A network user communicates with another user by a remote device via one or more base stations and includes a first mobile switching center that controls communication through a first set of base stations including the first base station. In a method for managing communication between the remote device and the first base station and communication to a second base station in a communication network comprising:
In the remote device, a list of active base stations including entries corresponding to each base station with which active communication is set is stored, the first base station having an entry on the list of active base stations The first base station is a reference base station;
Storing a list of candidate base stations at the remote device, including entries corresponding to each base station through which active communication may be established;
If the pilot signal of the second base station on the list of candidate base stations corresponds to a trigger pilot signal, the active communication signal from the first base station to the second base station Initiating a handoff.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein initiating the handoff is performed when the list of active base stations includes a single entry corresponding to a reference base station.
The method of claim 13, wherein initiating the handoff is performed when each entry in the list of active base stations corresponds to a reference base station.
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of determining, by an active communication controller, the type of handoff that must be attempted in initiating the handoff.
The type of handoff that must be attempted is operating using another modulation technique from the first base station that is communicating with the remote unit using code division multiple access (CDMA). The method of claim 16, wherein the handoff is to the second base station.
The method of claim 17, wherein the another modulation technique is frequency modulation (FM).
The method of claim 17, wherein the other modulation technique is time division multiple access (TDMA).
The type of handoff that must be attempted is a second using CDMA from the first base station that is communicating with the remote device on a first frequency using code division multiple access (CDMA). 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the handoff is to the second base station communicating at a frequency of.
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining a type of handoff that must be performed in the step of initiating the handoff based on the list of active base stations.
The method of claim 13, further comprising determining a type of handoff that must be performed in the step of initiating the handoff based on the list of active base stations and the trigger pilot signal.
A communication signal is transmitted at a first frequency from an α sector of the first base station that defines an α cover area of the first base station, and the α sector of the first base station is designated as a reference base station. Steps,
A communication signal is transmitted at a second frequency from an α sector of the second base station that defines an α cover area of a second base station, and the α cover area of the second base station is the same as that of the first base station. substantially overlapping the β-covering area, wherein the α sector of the second base station is designated as a reference base station;
A communication signal is transmitted at the second frequency from the β sector of the second base station that defines a β cover region of the second base station, and the β cover region of the second base station is the first base station 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of substantially overlapping the alpha-covering region.
Transmitting a communication signal at a first frequency from an alpha sector of the first base station defining an alpha coverage area of the first base station;
A communication signal is transmitted at a second frequency from a γ sector of the first base station that defines a γ cover area of the first base station, and the γ cover area of the first base station is the same as that of the first base station. substantially overlapping the α cover area and the β cover area of the first base station;
A communication signal is transmitted at a second frequency from a beta sector of the second base station that defines a beta cover area of a second base station, and the beta cover area of the second base station is the same as that of the first base station. contacting the γ cover area;
A communication signal is transmitted at the first frequency from the γ sector of the second base station defining a γ cover area of the second base station, and the γ cover area of the second base station is the second base station 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: substantially overlapping the α cover area of the second base station and the β cover area of the second base station.
JP54298797A 1996-05-23 1997-05-23 Method and apparatus for hard handoff in a CDMA system Expired - Fee Related JP3933696B2 (en)
US08/652,742 US5848063A (en) 1996-05-23 1996-05-23 Method and apparatus for hard handoff in a CDMA system
US652,742 1996-05-23
PCT/US1997/009305 WO1997044984A2 (en) 1996-05-23 1997-05-23 Method and apparatus for hard handoff in a cdma system
JP2000511380A JP2000511380A (en) 2000-08-29
JP2000511380A5 JP2000511380A5 (en) 2005-01-13
JP3933696B2 true JP3933696B2 (en) 2007-06-20
ID=24617975
JP54298797A Expired - Fee Related JP3933696B2 (en) 1996-05-23 1997-05-23 Method and apparatus for hard handoff in a CDMA system
US (1) US5848063A (en)
EP (2) EP1492373B1 (en)
JP (1) JP3933696B2 (en)
CN (3) CN1297175C (en)
AT (2) AT384410T (en)
AU (1) AU717479B2 (en)
BR (1) BR9712089A (en)
CA (1) CA2256425A1 (en)
DE (2) DE69738471T2 (en)
ES (1) ES2299185T3 (en)
FI (1) FI982520A (en)
HK (1) HK1023676A1 (en)
IL (1) IL127199D0 (en)
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1996-05-23 US US08/652,742 patent/US5848063A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
1997-05-23 CA CA002256425A patent/CA2256425A1/en not_active Abandoned
1997-05-23 CN CNB2004100696584A patent/CN1297175C/en not_active IP Right Cessation
1997-05-23 AT AT97929732T patent/AT384410T/en not_active IP Right Cessation
1997-05-23 ES ES97929732T patent/ES2299185T3/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
1997-05-23 EP EP04016332A patent/EP1492373B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
1997-05-23 DE DE69738471T patent/DE69738471T2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
1997-05-23 CN CNB971961646A patent/CN1215736C/en not_active IP Right Cessation
1997-05-23 AU AU33722/97A patent/AU717479B2/en not_active Ceased
1997-05-23 IL IL12719997A patent/IL127199D0/en unknown
1997-05-23 DE DE69738471A patent/DE69738471D1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
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1997-05-23 EP EP97929732A patent/EP0951793B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
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1997-05-23 JP JP54298797A patent/JP3933696B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
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BR9712089A (en) 1999-08-31
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US5848063A (en) 1998-12-08
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AU717479B2 (en) 2000-03-30
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IL127199D0 (en) 1999-09-22
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RU98123191A (en) 2000-09-27
US6836661B2 (en) 2004-12-28 Soft hand-off in cellular mobile communications networks
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