Communication system and communication method
During a period of parallel-like radio communication with two or more first base stations, the first base station designates a second base station correlated with one of the two or more first base stations, and temporarily suspends the radio communication in accordance with a first communications standard to issue, to a mobile station, a request of measurement for the designated second base station. The first base station receives a result of the measurement for the designated second base station. The first base station notifies the mobile station of a handover from the first communications standard to a second communications standard, and also notifies the mobile station of a request for starting a coordination mode in which the two or more second base stations including the designated second base station establish communication with the mobile station in coordination with each other.
1. A communication system comprising:
a plurality of first base stations for establishing radio communication with a mobile station in accordance with a first communications procedure;
a plurality of second base stations for establishing radio communication with the mobile station in accordance with a second communications procedure, the plurality of second base stations being arranged while being correlated with the plurality of first base stations, respectively, and in each set of the first base station and the second base station correlated with each other, being substantially identical with a cell range of the second base station;
wherein the mobile station is configured to start multipoint radio communication with two or more of the first base stations;
wherein the first base station is configured to:
when the multipoint radio communication with the two or more first base stations is established,
designate, for the mobile station, the second base station correlated with one of the two or more first base stations, and
request the mobile station temporarily suspend the radio communication in accordance with the first communications procedure and to perform measurement only for the designated second base station; and
wherein the first base station is further configured to
determine, based on a result of the measurement for the designated second base station, whether or not a handover from the first communications procedure to the second communications procedure is possible and whether or not a coordination mode in which the two or more second base stations including the designated second base station establish communication with the mobile station in coordination with each other is validated, and
when it is determined that the handover is possible and that the coordination mode is validated, notify the mobile station of a request for activating the coordination mode as well as the request for starting the handover,
when it is determined that the handover is possible but the coordination mode cannot be validated, notify the mobile station of a request for starting the handover.
2. The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein
the request for starting the coordination mode includes information of a method of reporting, to the second base station, a result of measurement for the two or more second base stations.
3. The communication system according to claim 2 , wherein
the information of the method of reporting to the second base station includes designation of a communication method for transmitting information of each channel measured by the mobile station.
4. The communication system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first base station is further configured to select any one of a plurality of modes in which the two or more second base stations are capable of establishing communication in coordination with each other, on the basis of the result of the measurement for the two or more second base stations.
5. The communication system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first base station is further configured to, when the multipoint radio communication with the two or more first base stations is established, determine whether or not the handover from the first communications procedure to the second communications procedure is required, on the basis of a result of measurement for the two or more first base stations measured by the mobile station.
6. The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein
when the mobile station receives the notification of the handover from the first communications procedure to the second communications procedure, the mobile station terminates the operation of temporarily suspending the radio communication in accordance with the first communications procedure.
7. The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein
the second base station correlated with the first base station which is a serving cell in the multipoint radio communication with the two or more first base stations is designated.
8. A communication method in a communication system that includes a plurality of first base stations for establishing radio communication with a mobile station in accordance with a first communications procedure and a plurality of second base stations for establishing radio communication with the mobile station in accordance with a second communications procedure, wherein the plurality of second base stations is arranged while being correlated with the plurality of first base stations, and in each set of the first base station and the second base station correlated with each other, a cell range of the first base station being substantially identical with a cell range of the second base station,
the communication method comprising:
a step of starting multipoint radio communication between the mobile station and two or more of the first base stations;
a step of designating by the first base station, for the mobile station, the second base station correlated with one of the two or more first base stations, and requesting the mobile station to temporarily suspend the radio communication in accordance with the first communications procedure and to perform measurement only for the designated second base station, when the multipoint radio communication with the two or more first base stations is established;
a step of receiving at the first base station a result of the measurement for the designated second base station;
a step of determining at the first base station, based on a result of the measurement for the designated second base station, whether or not a handover from the first communications procedure to the second communications procedure is possible and whether or not a coordination mode in which the two or more second base stations including the designated second base station establish communication with the mobile station in coordination with each other is validated, and
a step of, when it is determined that the handover is possible and that the coordination mode is validated, notifying the mobile station of a request for activating the coordination mode as well as the request for starting the handover,
a step of, when it is determined that the handover is possible but the coordination mode cannot be validated, notify the mobile station of a request for starting the handover.
9. The communication method according to claim 8 , wherein
the request for starting the coordination mode includes information of a method of reporting, to the second base station, a result of measurement for the two or more second base stations.
10. The communication method according to claim 9 , wherein
the information of the method of reporting to the second base station includes designation of a communication method for transmitting information of each channel measured by the mobile station.
11. The communication method according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a step of selecting any one of a plurality of modes in which the two or more second base stations are capable of establishing communication in coordination with each other, on the basis of the result of the measurement for the two or more second base stations.
12. The communication method according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a step of determining whether or not the handover from the first communications procedure to the second communications procedure is required, on the basis of a result of measurement for the two or more first base stations measured by the mobile station, when the multipoint radio communication with the two or more first base stations is established.
13. The communication method according to claim 8 , wherein
when the mobile station receives the notification of the handover from the first communications procedure to the second communications procedure, the mobile station terminates the operation of temporarily suspending the radio communication in accordance with the first communications procedure.
14. The communication method according to claim 8 , wherein
the second base station correlated with the first base station which is a serving cell in the multipoint radio communication with the two or more first base stations is designated.