METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR BROADCASTING SYSTEM INFORMATION IN A CELLULAR COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK

摘要

In a cellular telecommunications system or network, tags are associated with one or more system control parameters. For example, a given tag value may be indicative of particular values for one or more system information parameter s. In each cell, a base station (BS) transmits or braodcasts currently valid ta g values. System information blocks including the system information parameter s themselves (which correspond to particular tag(s)) are also broadcast by bas e stations. A mobile station receiving a valid tag value from a base station determines whether or not it has to read system information block(s) corresponding to that tag depending upon whether the base station has alread y stored or cached such block(s) corresponding to the tag value. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, different embodiments of the instan t invention may result in the mobile station not having to re-read identical system information each time it changes cells, or while moving in the same cell. This may conserve radio resources and reduce battery consumption, thereby improving standby time of the mobile station.