Method and apparatus for utilizing synchronization information
View Patent ↗A communication method and system are provided that include providing synchronization information about a co-sited downlink carrier. This information may be transmitted to from a base station to a mobile device. The mobile device may receive this information and perform handover or measurements based on the received synchronization information.
1. A communications method comprising:
determining synchronization information indicating relative synchronization between a first co-sited downlink carrier in a core band and a second co-sited downlink carrier in an extension band;
transmitting said synchronization information from a base station to a plurality of mobile stations in the cell site served by the base station; and
performing an inter-band operation relating to one of said plurality of mobile stations based on the obtained synchronization information indicating relative synchronization between said first and second co-sited downlink carriers.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operation comprises a handover.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the handover comprises a blind handover from one band to another band.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operation comprises measurements by said one of said plurality of mobile stations.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the synchronization information is provided based on a status bit.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the status bit indicates chip synchronization.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the synchronization information is provided based on a plurality of bits.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inter-band operation comprises an inter-band handover.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the inter-band handover comprises a blind handover from one of the core band and the extension band to the other one of the core band and the extension band.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inter-band operation comprises measurements by said one of said plurality of mobile stations.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the synchronization information is provided based on a status bit.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the status bit indicates chip synchronization.
13. The method of claim 1 , where in the synchronization information is provided based on a plurality of bits.
14. A communications network comprising
at least one network controller device; and
a mobile device operatively connected to the communications network,
wherein the at least one network controller device determines synchronization information indicating relative synchronization between a first co-sited downlink carrier in a core band and a second co-sited downlink carrier in an extension band, and transmits said synchronization information to a plurality of mobile stations in the cell served by the base station; and
wherein the mobile device performs an inter-band operation based on the obtained synchronization information indicating relative synchronization between said first and second co-sited downlink carriers.
15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the operation comprises a handover.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the handover comprises a blind handover from one band to another band.
17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the operation comprises measurements by said one of said plurality of mobile stations.
18. The system of claim 14 , wherein the synchronization information is provided based on a status bit.
19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the status bit indicates chip synchronization.
20. The system of claim 18 , wherein the synchronization information is provided based on a plurality of bits.
21. The system of claim 14 , wherein the inter-band operation comprises an inter-band handover.
22. The system of claim 21 , wherein the inter-band handover comprises a blind handover from one of the core band and the extension band to the other one of the core band and the extension band.
23. The system of claim 14 , wherein the inter-band operation comprises measurements by said one of said plurality of mobile stations.
24. The system of claim 14 , wherein the synchronization information is provided based on a status bit.
25. The system of claim 24 , wherein the status bit indicates chip synchronization.
26. The system of claim 14 , where in the synchronization information is provided based on a plurality of bits.