Handover control method and apparatus for high speed mobility user equipment

摘要

A handover control method and apparatus for limiting handover of a User Equipment (UE) from a macrocell to an underlying small cell when the UE is operating in a High Speed Mobility (HSM) mode in a radio access network. The UE receives an HSM pilot strength threshold offset parameter from the network and initiates handover from a macrocell to an underlying small cell using a first pilot strength threshold value when the UE is operating in a standard mode. The UE initiates the handover using a second pilot strength threshold value when the UE is operating in HSM mode. The second pilot strength threshold value is equal to the first pilot strength threshold value modified by the HSM pilot strength threshold offset parameter.

主权项

1. A handover control apparatus in a hierarchical radio access network, the network having a plurality of macrocells overlying a plurality of small cells, wherein a User Equipment (UE) operating in the network connects to either a small cell or an overlying macrocell, the apparatus comprising:
a transmitter configured to transmit a message to the UE operating within the radio access network; a processor-controlled message-populating unit configured to populate the message with High Speed Mobility (HSM)-related parameters, wherein the HSM-related parameters include:
an HSM indicator parameter indicating that the message includes the HSM-related parameters; andan HSM pilot strength threshold offset parameter for controlling handover of the UE from the overlying macrocell to the small cell when a speed of the UE causes the UE to operate in an HSM mode, wherein the HSM pilot strength threshold offset parameter is utilized in addition to a normal pilot strength threshold offset parameter to limit handover of the UE to the small cell when the UE is operating in the HSM mode.