Methods for signaling and determining the time of the beginning of a measurement time interval, communication device and communication network element

1. A method for determining a time of a beginning of a measurement time interval for carrying out a radio measurement comprising:

receiving a first message via a radio communication channel, the first message including a counter value represented by one or more bits, the counter value having a first value to indicate that no measurement time interval is scheduled by the first message;

receiving a second message via the radio communication channel, the second message including a counter value represented by one or more bits, the counter value having a second value to indicate that the measurement time interval begins after a pre-determined time period from a time of transmission of the second message;

receiving a third message including a counter value having a third value to indicate that the second message is estimated to be transmitted after a first time period from a time of transmission of the third message; and

receiving a fourth message including a counter value having a fourth value to indicate that the second message is estimated to be transmitted after a second time period from a time of transmission of the fourth message, wherein the second time period is shorter than the first time period;

determining the time of the beginning of the measurement time interval based on the counter value of the second message and on the time of transmission of the second message; and

carrying out the radio measurement during the measurement time interval.

2. The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the second message is received by a radio communication device and the measurement time interval is defined as a transmission gap of a receiver of the communication device for carrying out measurements by the receiver.

3. The method according to claim 2 ,

wherein the second message is sent to the communication device by a radio communication network.

4. The method according to claim 3 ,

wherein the communication device is a mobile communication device and the radio communication network is a cellular mobile radio communication network.

5. The method according to claim 3 ,

wherein the second message comprises information indicating for which radio resources of the communication network the transmission gap applies.

6. The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the measurement is a measurement of the reception quality in a radio cell.

7. The method according to claim 6 ,

wherein the measurement is an inter frequency measurement or an inter RAT measurement.

8. The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the second message comprises information indicating a type of the radio measurement to be carried out.

9. A communication device, comprising:

a receiver to:

receive a first message via a radio communication channel, the first message including a counter value represented by a plurality of bits, the counter value having a first value to indicate that no measurement time interval is scheduled by the first message; and

receive a second message via the radio communication channel, the second message including a counter value represented by a plurality of bits, the counter value having a second value to indicate that a measurement time interval for carrying out a radio measurement begins after a pre-determined time period from a time of transmission of the second message;

receive a third message including a counter value having a third value to indicate that the second message is estimated to be transmitted after a first time period from a time of transmission of the third message; and

receive a fourth message including a counter value having a fourth value to indicate that the second message is estimated to be transmitted after a second time period from a time of transmission of the fourth message, wherein the second time period is shorter than the first time period

a determining circuit to determine a time of a beginning of the measurement time interval based on the counter value of the second message and on the time of transmission of the second message; and

a measurement circuit to carry out the radio measurement during the measurement time interval.

10. A method for signaling a time of a beginning of a measurement time interval for carrying out a radio measurement, the method comprising:

transmitting a first message to a communication device, the first message including a counter value represented by one or more bits, the counter value having a first value to indicate that no measurement time interval is scheduled by the first message;

selecting a transmission time of a second message;

transmitting a third message to the communication device, the third message including a counter value having a third value to indicate that the second message is estimated to be transmitted after a first time period from a time of transmission of the third message; and

transmitting a fourth message to the communication device, the fourth message including a counter value having a fourth value to indicate that the second message is estimated to be transmitted after a second time period from a time of transmission of the fourth message, wherein the second time period is shorter than the first time period;

generating the second message, the second message including one or more bits to represent a counter value, the counter value having a second value to indicate that the beginning of the measurement time interval occurs after a pre-determined time period from the transmission time of the second message; and

transmitting the second message at the selected transmission time via a radio communication channel to control the communication device to carry out the radio measurement during the measurement time interval.

11. The method according to claim 10 ,

wherein the second message is transmitted to the communication device and the measurement time interval is defined as a transmission gap of a receiver of the communication device for carrying out measurements by the receiver.

12. The method according to claim 11 ,

wherein the message is sent to the communication device by a radio communication network.

13. The method according to claim 12 ,

wherein the communication device is a mobile communication device and the radio communication network is a cellular mobile radio communication network.

14. The method according to claim 12 ,

wherein the second message comprises information indicating for which radio resources of the communication network the transmission gap applies.

15. The method according to claim 10 ,

wherein the measurement is a measurement of reception quality in a radio cell.

16. The method according to claim 15 ,

wherein the measurement is an inter frequency measurement or an inter RAT measurement.

17. The method according to claim 10 ,

wherein the second message comprises information indicating a type of the radio measurement to be carried out.

18. A communication network element, comprising:

a transmitter to transmit a first message to a communication device, the first message including one or more bits to represent a counter value, the counter value having a first value to indicate that no measurement time interval is scheduled by the first message; and

a selecting circuit to select a transmission time of a second message, wherein the second message includes one or more bits to represent a counter value, wherein the counter value of the second message has a second value to indicate that a beginning of a measurement time interval occurs after a pre-determined time period from the transmission time of the second message;

wherein the transmitter is further to:

transmit the second message at the selected transmission time via a radio communication channel to control the communication device to carry out the radio measurement during the measurement time interval;

transmit a third message to the communication device, the third message including a counter value having a third value to indicate that the second message is estimated to be transmitted after a first time period from a time of transmission of the third message; and

transmit a fourth message to the communication device, the fourth message including a counter value having a fourth value to indicate that the second message is estimated to be transmitted after a second time period from a time of transmission of the fourth message, wherein the second time period is shorter than the first time period.

19. A communication device, comprising:

a receiving means for:

receiving a first message via a radio communication channel, the first message including one or more bits to represent a counter value having a first value to indicate that no measurement time interval is scheduled by the first message;

receiving a second message via the radio communication channel, the second message including one or more bits to represent a counter value having a second value to indicate that a time of a beginning of a measurement time interval for carrying out a radio measurement occurs after a pre-determined time period from a time of transmission of the second message;

receiving a third message including a counter value having a third value to indicate that the second message is estimated to be transmitted after a first time period from a time of transmission of the third message; and

receiving a fourth message including a counter value having a fourth value to indicate that the second message is estimated to be transmitted after a second time period from a time of transmission of the fourth message, wherein the second time period is shorter than the first time period

a determining means for determining the time of the beginning of a measurement time interval based on the counter value of the second message and on the time of the transmission of the second message; and

a measurement means for carrying out the radio measurement during the measurement time interval.