Method and apparatus for determining a mobility of a mobile station in a wireless communication system

1. A method for determining a mobility of a mobile station in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of measurement reports from a mobile station, wherein each measurement report of the plurality of the multiple measurement reports comprises one or more values associated with measurements of a parameter associated with a received signal and wherein each signal parameter measurement value is associated with a wireless access node sourcing the corresponding signal;

for each received measurement report, storing values corresponding to the received signal parameter measurement values, wherein each stored value is stored in association with the wireless access node sourcing the corresponding signal;

for each of one or more pairings of measurement reports of the plurality of measurement reports, determining a signal parameter measurement change value corresponding to change from signal parameter measurements associated with a first measurement report of the pairing of measurement reports to the signal parameter measurements associated of a second measurement report of the pairing of measurement reports based on the signal parameter measurement values stored in association with the first measurement report and the signal parameter measurement values stored in association with the second measurement report and wherein determining a signal parameter measurement change value for a pairing of measurement reports comprises determining a Euclidean distance between the signal parameter measurement values stored in association with a first measurement report of the pairing of measurement reports and the signal parameter measurement values stored in association with a second measurement report of the pairing of measurement reports;

determining an average signal parameter measurement change value based on the signal parameter measurement change value determined for each of the one or more pairings of measurement reports; and

determining a mobility of the mobile station based on the average signal parameter measurement change value.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining a mobility of the mobile station based on the average signal parameter measurement change value comprises:

comparing the average signal strength change value to a threshold to produce a comparison; and

determining whether the mobile station is mobile or stationary based on the comparison.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein storing values corresponding to the received signal parameter measurement values comprises storing values corresponding to the received signal parameter measurement values in a table, wherein each stored value is stored in association with one or more of an access node and a coverage area.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the table is a first table and wherein storing values corresponding to the received signal parameter measurement values comprises storing the values in a second table in a reformatted form.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining an average signal parameter measurement change value comprises determining an average Euclidean distance.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein determining a mobility of the mobile station based on the average signal parameter measurement change value comprises:

comparing the average Euclidean distance to a threshold to produce a comparison; and

determining whether the mobile station is mobile or stationary based on the comparison.

7. An access node that implements the method of claim 1 .

8. An access network controller that implements the method of claim 1 .

9. A mobility determination module that determines a mobility of a mobile station, the mobility determination module comprising:

at least one memory device; and

a processor associated with the at least one memory device that is configured to:

receive a plurality of measurement reports from the mobile station, wherein each measurement report of the plurality of measurement reports comprises one or more values associated with measurements of a parameter associated with a received signal values and wherein each signal parameter measurement value is associated with a wireless access node sourcing the corresponding signal;

for each received measurement report, store values corresponding to the received signal parameter measurement values in the at least one memory device, wherein each stored value is stored in association with the wireless access node sourcing the corresponding signal;

for each of one or more pairings of measurement reports of the plurality of measurement reports, determine a signal parameter measurement change value corresponding to change from the signal parameter measurements associated with a first measurement report of the pairing of measurement reports to the signal parameter measurements associated of a second measurement report of the pairing of measurement reports based on the signal parameter measurement values stored in association with the first measurement report and the signal parameter measurement values stored in association with the second measurement report and wherein determining a signal parameter measurement change value for a pairing of measurement reports comprises determining a Euclidean distance between the signal parameter measurement values stored in association with a first measurement report of the pairing of measurement reports and the signal parameter measurement values stored in association with a second measurement report of the pairing of measurement reports;

determine an average signal parameter measurement change value based on the signal parameter measurement change value determined for each of the one or more pairings of measurement reports; and

determine a mobility of the mobile station based on the average signal parameter measurement change value.

10. The mobility determination module of claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to determine a mobility of the mobile station based on the average signal parameter measurement change value by comparing the average signal parameter measurement change value to a threshold to produce a comparison and determining whether the mobile station is mobile or stationary based on the comparison.

11. The mobility determination module of claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to store values corresponding to the received signal parameter measurement values by storing values corresponding to the received signal parameter measurement values in a table, wherein each stored value is stored in association with one or more of an access node and a coverage area.

12. The mobility determination module of claim 11 , wherein the table is a first table and wherein the processor is configured to store values corresponding to the received signal parameter measurement values by storing the values in a second table in a reformatted form.

13. The mobility determination module of claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to determine an average signal parameter measurement change value by determining an average Euclidean distance.

14. The mobility determination module of claim 13 , wherein the processor is configured to determine a mobility of the mobile station based on the average signal parameter measurement change value by comparing the average Euclidean distance to a threshold to produce a comparison and determining whether the mobile station is mobile or stationary based on the comparison.

15. An access node comprising the mobility determination module of claim 9 .

16. An access network controller comprising the mobility determination module of claim 9 .

17. A method for determining a mobility of a mobile station in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of measurement reports from a mobile station, wherein each measurement report of the plurality of the multiple measurement reports comprises one or more values associated with measurements of a parameter associated with a received signal and wherein each signal parameter measurement value is associated with a wireless access node sourcing the corresponding signal;

for each received measurement report, storing values corresponding to the received signal parameter measurement values, wherein each stored value is stored in association with the wireless access node sourcing the corresponding signal;

for each of one or more pairings of measurement reports of the plurality of measurement reports, determining a signal parameter measurement change value corresponding to change from signal parameter measurements associated with a first measurement report of the pairing of measurement reports to the signal parameter measurements associated of a second measurement report of the pairing of measurement reports based on the signal parameter measurement values stored in association with the first measurement report and the signal parameter measurement values stored in association with the second measurement report;

determining an average signal parameter measurement change value based on the signal parameter measurement change value determined for each of the one or more pairings of measurement reports; and

determining a mobility of the mobile station based on the average signal parameter measurement change value and wherein determining the mobility of the mobile station comprises comparing the average signal strength change value to a threshold to produce a comparison and determining whether the mobile station is mobile or stationary based on the comparison.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein determining a signal parameter measurement change value for a pairing of measurement reports comprises determining a Euclidean distance between the signal parameter measurement values stored in association with a first measurement report of the pairing of measurement reports and the signal parameter measurement values stored in association with a second measurement report of the pairing of measurement reports.

19. A mobility determination module that determines a mobility of a mobile station, the mobility determination module comprising:

at least one memory device; and

a processor associated with the at least one memory device that is configured to:

receive a plurality of measurement reports from the mobile station, wherein each measurement report of the plurality of measurement reports comprises one or more values associated with measurements of a parameter associated with a received signal values and wherein each signal parameter measurement value is associated with a wireless access node sourcing the corresponding signal;

for each received measurement report, store values corresponding to the received signal parameter measurement values in the at least one memory device, wherein each stored value is stored in association with the wireless access node sourcing the corresponding signal;

for each of one or more pairings of measurement reports of the plurality of measurement reports, determine a signal parameter measurement change value corresponding to change from the signal parameter measurements associated with a first measurement report of the pairing of measurement reports to the signal parameter measurements associated of a second measurement report of the pairing of measurement reports based on the signal parameter measurement values stored in association with the first measurement report and the signal parameter measurement values stored in association with the second measurement report;

determine an average signal parameter measurement change value based on the signal parameter measurement change value determined for each of the one or more pairings of measurement reports; and

determine a mobility of the mobile station based on the average signal parameter measurement change value wherein determining the mobility of the mobile station by comparing the average signal parameter measurement change value to a threshold to produce a comparison and determining whether the mobile station is mobile or stationary based on the comparison.

20. The mobility determination module of claim 13 , wherein the processor is configured to determine a mobility of the mobile station based on the average signal parameter measurement change value by comparing the average Euclidean distance to a threshold to produce a comparison and determining whether the mobile station is mobile or stationary based on the comparison.