Mobility enhancement for real time service over high speed downlink packet access (HSDPA)

1. A method for enhancing service over a downlink packet access service in a cellular communication network, the method comprising the steps of:

informing a communication device of the cells in an active subset of cells;

selecting a target best cell for switching by the device;

sending a request for handover to the target best cell to an associated controller by the device;

sending the device an acknowledgment without waiting for the completeness of network configurations in the controller and the targeted best cell;

re-routing data to the targeted best cell by the controller, and

switching to the targeted best cell by the device;

wherein the controller is a radio network controller (RNC) operable to communication with user equipment (UE) using high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA), the method further comprising:

defining an HSDPA active subset of cells from an active set of cells; and

pre-configuring a user equipment (UE) operable on an HSDPA active subset and pre-configuring of a cell in the HSDPA active subset.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the controller is a radio network controller (RNC) operable to communication with user equipment (UE) using high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA), the method further comprising the steps of:

determining whether the best cell is an intra-node B cell or inter-node B cell with a current serving cell by the UE, wherein:

if the best cell is an intra-node B cell, then:

sending a request for handover to the node B by the UE;

sending the UE an acknowledgment, and switching the data to the best cell internally in the node B; and

reporting the switch to an associated RNC of the node B, and completing the switching to the best cell by the RNC.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein if the best cell is an intra-node B cell, further comprising the step of the UE responding to the node B with a handover complete acknowledgement, and wherein if the best cell is an inter-node B cell, further comprising the step of the UE responding to the RNC with a handover complete acknowledgement.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the pre-configuring step includes pre-configuring of cells using Node B Application Part/Radio Network Subsystem Application Part signalling.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the pre-configuring step includes pre-configuring with HSDPA related configurations.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the informing step includes specifically identifying whether a cell in the HSDPA active subset belongs to a serving Node B.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of signalling to the UE a time to switch cells.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising at least one of the steps of:

applying the most conservative MCS state to handover messages;

applying fast layer 1 repeat transmissions for handover messages; and

giving handover messages the highest priority for transmission.

9. A method for enhancing service over a high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA) service in a cellular communication network, the method comprising the steps of:

defining an HSDPA active subset of cells from an active set of cells;

pre-configuring a user equipment (UE) operable on the HSDPA active subset and pre-configuring of a cell in the HSDPA active subset;

informing the UE of the cells in the HSDPA active subset;

selecting a target best cell for switching by the UE; and

determining whether the best cell is an intra-node B cell or inter-node B cell with a current serving cell by the UE, wherein:

if the best cell is an intra-node B cell, then:

signalling the node B of the best cell by the UE;

sending the UE an acknowledgment, and switching the data to the best cell internally in the node B; and

reporting the switch to an associated RNC of the node B, and completing the switching to the best cell by the RNC; and

if the best cell is an inter-node B cell, then:

signalling the best cell to an associated radio network controller (RNC) by the UE;

sending the UE an acknowledgment without waiting for the completeness of network configurations in the RNC and the target cell;

re-routing data to the best cell by the RNC; and

switching to the best cell by the UE.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein pre-configuring includes pre-configuring of cells using Node B Application Part/Radio Network Subsystem Application Part signalling so as to pre-configure with HSDPA related configurations.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein informing includes specifically identifying whether a cell in the HSDPA active subset belongs to a serving Node B.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of signalling to the UE a time to switch cells.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein if the best cell is an intra-node B cell, further comprising the step of the UE responding to the intra-node B with a handover complete acknowledgement, and wherein if the best cell is an inter-node B cell, further comprising the step of the UE responding to the RNC with a handover complete acknowledgement.

14. A cellular communication system comprising a controller, at least one cell, and a communication device, the cellular communication system comprising:

the communication device operable to receive information of the cells in an downlink packet access active subset of cells, select a target best cell for switching, and send a request for handover to the best cell to the associated controller; and

the controller operable to receive the request from the device, send the device an acknowledgment without waiting for the completeness of network configurations in the controller and the targeted best cell, and re-route data to the best cell; wherein the device is operable to switch to the best cell;

wherein the controller is a radio network controller (RNC) operable to communicate with user equipment (UE) using high-speed downlink packet access, and wherein the communication device is operable to determine whether the best cell is an intra-node B cell or inter-node B cell with a current serving cell, wherein if the best cell is an intra-node B cell the UE sends a request for handover to the node B of the best cell, whereupon the node B sends the UE an acknowledgment, switches the data to the best cell internally, reports the switch to an associated RNC of the node B; whereupon the RNC completes the switching to the target best cell.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the controller is a radio network controller (RNC) operable to communication with user equipment (UE) using high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA), and wherein the system defines an HSDPA active subset of cells from an active set of cells, pre-configures the user equipment for operation on the HSDPA active subset, and pre-configures the cells in the HSDPA active subset.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the controller is a radio network controller (RNC) operable to communication with user equipment (UE) using high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA), and wherein the system specifically identifies whether a cell of the HSDPA active subset belongs to a serving Node B.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the system is operable to signal to the UE a time to switch cells.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein if the best cell is an intra-node B cell, the UE responds to the intra-node B with a handover complete acknowledgement, and wherein if the best cell is an inter-node B cell, the UE responds to the RNC with a handover complete acknowledgement.