Handover in relation to cell identity ambiguity

摘要

The invention relates to handover of a mobile station (12) from a source cell to a target cell when the identity of the target cell in a wireless communication network (10, 11) is ambiguous, a source base station (14) defining the source cell receives an event from the mobile station comprising a cell identifier, investigates if there are more cells in the neighborhood sharing the same cell identifier and sends a handover instruction to the mobile station comprising an identity ambiguity indicator if there are more cells sharing the same cell identifier. The mobile station autonomously initiates establishment of a connection to a target base station defining the target cell based on the identity ambiguity indicator in order to effect handover.

主权项

1. A method performed by a handover handling node for handing over a mobile station from a source cell to a target cell in a wireless communication network when the identity of the target cell is ambiguous, the method comprising:
receiving from a mobile station a measurement report that includes a cell identifier associated with a cell that is a prospective target for handover, determining, based on said report, that the mobile station is to be handed over to said cell as the target cell, investigating whether or not other cells neighboring said target cell share said cell identifier with said target cell, if other cells neighboring said target cell share said cell identifier with said target cell, generating an identity ambiguity indicator that indicates the target cell is not uniquely identified and that will trigger the mobile station to autonomously initiate establishment of a connection to a target base station defining said target cell responsive to failure of handover to a candidate base station defining a cell that shares said cell identifier with said target cell, and sending a handover instruction to the mobile station that includes the identity ambiguity indicator, wherein the handover instruction comprises a handover command from the candidate base station, and the identity ambiguity indicator triggers the mobile station to initiate establishment of a connection to the target base station irrespective of whether the mobile station receives a handover command from the target base station.