Apparatus and method for taking measurements in universal mobile telecommunications systems user equipment
View Patent ↗A method and apparatus for taking measurements in a mobile telecommunications system are disclosed, the system comprising a network of a plurality of cells and at least one user equipment device. The method comprises, at the user equipment device, receiving a measurement control set-up command and, in response the user equipment device, setting up the measurements. Then it monitors for a change in state of the UE and, in response to a change in state, issuing a measurement control pause command and, in response, the user equipment device stopping taking measurements, and maintains the measurement settings initialised previously. The device then monitors for a change in state of the UE and, in response to a change in state, issuing a measurement control resume command and, in response, the user equipment device resumes taking measurements with the maintained measurement settings.
1. A method for taking measurements in a user equipment (UE) device, the UE configurable for use in a mobile telecommunications system comprising a plurality of cells, the method comprising:
receiving a measurement control set-up command at a Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer;
in response initializing layer 1 to enable taking a measurement consistent with the measurement control set-up command;
monitoring for a change in state in the UE and, in response to a change in state, the RRC layer issuing a measurement control pause command to layer 1 ;
on receipt of the measurement control pause command by layer 1 , layer 1 stopping use of the measurement settings initialized previously;
monitoring for a next change in state in the UE and, in response to the next change in state, the RRC layer issuing a measurement control resume command to layer 1 ; and
enabling, upon receipt of the measurement control resume command by layer 1 , layer 1 to resume use of the maintained measurement settings.
2. The method of claim 1 where the UE is configurable for use with a UMTS compliant cellular system.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
taking measurements consistent with the measurement control set-up command by layer 1 after initialization; and
taking further measurements after receipt of the measurement control resume command by layer 1 and after layer 1 is enabled to resume use of the maintained measurement settings.
4. A user equipment (UE) apparatus configurable to take one or more measurements, the UE also configurable for use in a mobile telecommunications system comprising a plurality of cells, the apparatus comprising:
a microprocessor enabled to execute software stored on the UE such that the microprocessor, when executing the software, is enabled to
detect that a measurement control set-up (MCS) command has been received;
pass the MCS command to a Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer;
configure a layer 1 to take a measurement consistent with the MCS command;
monitor for a change in state in the UE and, in response to a change in state, enable the RRC layer to issue a measurement control pause command to layer 1 ;
on receipt of the measurement control pause command by layer 1 , have layer 1 stop further use of, and also maintain, the measurement settings initialized consistent with the MCS command previously received;
monitor for a next change in state in the UE and, in response to the next change in state, enable the RRC layer to issue a measurement control resume command to layer 1 ; and
on receipt of the measurement control resume command by layer 1 , configure layer 1 to resume use of the maintained measurement settings.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 where the UE is configurable for use with a UMTS compliant cellular system.
6. The apparatus of claim 4 where the microprocessor, when executing the software, directs the UE to take measurements consistent with the measurement control set-up command by layer 1 after initialization, and, directs the UE to take further measurements after receipt of the measurement control resume command by layer 1 and after layer 1 is enabled to resume use of the maintained measurement settings.