Method and apparatus for distinguishing cells with the same physical cell identifier

1. A method comprising:

receiving a handover request message including target cell timing offset information at a potential target cell base station, the potential target cell base station having a physical cell identifier;

comparing, at the potential target base station, the received target cell timing offset information with stored timing offset information at the potential target cell base station; and

sending a handover request accept message when the received target cell timing offset information is similar to the stored timing offset information,

wherein the method further comprises:

determining that timing offset information is not stored at the potential target cell base station;

sending an additional cell identifier request message when the timing offset information is not stored at the potential target cell base station;

receiving an additional cell identifier in response to sending the additional cell identifier request message;

determining that the received additional cell identifier is equal to an additional cell identifier if the potential target cell base station; and

storing the received target cell timing offset information at the potential target cell base station when the received additional cell identifier is equal to the additional cell identifier of the potential target cell base station.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising sending a handover request reject message when the received target cell timing offset information is substantially different from the stored timing offset information.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

determining the received additional cell identifier is not equal to an additional cell identifier of the potential target cell base station; and

sending a handover request reject message when the received additional cell identifier is not equal to the additional cell identifier of the potential target cell base station.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the additional cell identifier comprises one of a closed subscriber group cell identifier and a global identifier cell identifier.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the potential target cell base station comprises a third generation partnership project home NodeB having the physical cell identifier.

6. A method in a wireless terminal comprising:

receiving a target cell physical cell identifier of a target cell;

determining a target cell timing offset of a radio frame of the target cell with respect to reference timing of a serving cell;

sending a measurement report including the target cell physical cell identifier and the target cell timing offset;

receiving, when the first target cell physical identifier and the target cell timing offset do not uniquely identify a cell, an additional cell identifier request message requesting acquisition of a second target cell physical identifier;

acquiring the second target cell physical identifier; and

reporting the second target cell physical identifier to the target cell,

wherein the method further comprises:

receiving an additional cell identifier request message timing offset information is not stored at a potential target cell base station; and

sending an additional cell identifier in respond to sending the additional cell identifier request message, where the target cell timing offset information is stored at the potential target cell base station when the sent additional cell identifier is equal to the additional cell identifier of the potential target cell base station.

7. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising receiving a handover command from a base station of the serving cell to initiate a handover from the serving cell to the target cell.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the handover command includes the target cell physical cell identifier and the target cell timing offset.

9. The method according to claim 6 , wherein determining the target cell timing offset includes measuring a timing of a radio frame from a first target cell target base station signal from the target cell to determine the timing offset with respect to the reference timing of the serving cell.

10. A base station comprising:

a base station housing;

a base station memory configured to store a physical cell identifier and store timing offset information;

a base station controller coupled to the base station housing and coupled to the base station memory, the base station controller configured to control operations of the base station;

at least one base station transceiver coupled to the base station controller, the at least one base station transceiver configured to receive a handover request message including target cell timing offset information; and

a timing offset comparison module coupled to the base station controller, the timing offset comparison module configured to compare the received target cell timing offset information with the stored timing offset information,

wherein the base station transceiver is configured to send a handover request accept message when the received target cell timing offset information is similar to the stored timing offset information,

wherein the base station controller is configured to determine that timing offset information has not been stored in the base station memory,

wherein the base station transceiver is configured to send an additional cell identifier request message when the timing offset information is not stored in the base station memory and configured to receive an additional cell identifier in response to sending the additional cell identifier request message, and

wherein the base station control is configured to determine that the received additional cell identifier is equal to an additional cell identifier of the base station and configured to store the received target cell timing offset information in the base station memory when the received additional cell identifier is equal to the additional cell identifier of the base station.

11. The base station according to claim 10 , wherein the base station transceiver is configured to send a handover request reject message when the received target cell timing offset information is substantially different from the stored timing offset information.

12. The base station according to claim 10 ,

wherein the base station controller is configured to determine the received additional cell identifier is not equal to an additional cell identifier of the base station, and

wherein the base station transceiver is configured to send a handover request reject message when the received additional cell identifier is not equal to the additional cell identifier of the base station.

13. The base station according to claim 10 , wherein the additional cell identifier comprises one of a closed subscriber group cell identifier and a global identifier cell identifier.

14. The base station according to claim 10 , wherein the base station comprises a third generation partnership project home NodeB having a physical cell identifier.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a wireless communication device housing;

a wireless communication device transceiver coupled to the wireless communication device housing, the wireless communication device transceiver configured to receive a first target cell physical cell identifier of a target cell;

a wireless communication device controller coupled to the transceiver, the wireless communication device controller configured to control operations of the apparatus;

a timing offset determination module coupled to the controller, the timing offset determination module configured to determine a target cell timing offset of a radio frame of the target cell with respect to a reference timing of a serving cell; and

a measurement report transmission module coupled to the controller, the measurement report transmission module configured to transmit a measurement report including the first target cell physical cell identifier and the target cell timing offset,

wherein the wireless communication device transceiver is configured to receive an additional cell identifier request message requesting acquisition of a second target cell physical identifier,

wherein the controller is configured to acquire the second target cell physical identifier and configured to report the second target cell physical identifier to the target cell,

wherein the transceiver is configured a handover command from a base station of the serving cell to initiate a handover from the serving cell to the target cell,

wherein the handover command includes the target cell physical cell identifier and the target cell timing offset,

wherein the transceiver is configured to receive an additional cell identifier request message when timing offset information is not stored at a potential target cell base station, and

wherein transceiver is configured to send an additional cell identifier in response to sending the additional cell identifier request message, where the target cell timing offset information is stored at the potential target cell base station when the sent additional cell identifier is equal to the additional cell identifier of the potential target cell base station.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the timing offset determination module is configured to determine the target cell timing offset by measuring a timing of a radio frame from a target cell base station signal from the target cell to determine the timing offset with respect to the reference timing of the serving cell.

17. The method according to claim 1 , comprising:

ascertaining timing offset information of transmitted radio frames of the potential target cell base station with respect to a second base station; and

storing the timing offset information of the transmitted radio frames of the potential target cell base station.

18. The base station according to claim 10 , wherein the base station controller is configured to determine timing offset information of transmitted radio frames of the base station with respect to a second base station and configured to store, in the base station memory, the timing offset information of the transmitted radio frames of the base station.