Self configuration and optimization of cell neighbors in wireless telecommunications

1. A mobile terminal for assisting in the updating of a neighbor cell list associated with a first cell of a wireless telecommunications network, said list containing elements that identify other cells that have a neighbor cell relationship with the first cell, the mobile terminal comprising:

a radio transceiver; and

a controller coupled to the radio transceiver and configured to, via the radio transceiver:

engage in communication with a radio base station serving the first cell;

while in communication with the serving radio base station, identify a non-unique cell identity based on signals broadcast by a radio base station in a second cell;

measure a signal quality of signals broadcast in the second cell;

report, to the serving radio base station, the identified non-unique cell identity and the signal quality;

receive, from the serving radio base station, an instruction to detect the unique cell identity of the second cell;

in response to the instruction, receive further signals broadcast in the second cell;

identify the unique cell identity based on the further signals broadcast in the second cell; and

report the unique cell identity to the serving radio base station.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein receiving the further signals broadcast by the second cell comprises interrupting the communication with the serving radio base station.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the further signals comprise data broadcast in the second cell, and the controller is configured to identify the unique cell identity by receiving and decoding the data.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the unique cell identity is broadcast less frequently than the non-unique cell identity in the second cell.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein:

identifying the non-unique cell identity based on signals broadcast in the second cell requires the mobile terminal to detect the signals for a first time period;

identifying the unique cell identity based on the further signals broadcast in the second cell requires the mobile terminal to detect the further signals for a second time period; and

the second time period is longer than the first time period.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the controller includes a cell identity (CID) detector for identifying the non-unique cell identity.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the controller includes a unique CID (UCID) detector for identifying the unique cell identity.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the non-unique cell identity is detected in a first layer carrying physical information.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 8 , wherein the unique cell identity is detected in a second layer higher than the first layer.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 9 , wherein the second layer is a network layer.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the signal quality comprises one or more of a signal strength measurement, a signal quality measurement, and timing information.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the reported unique cell identity of the second cell enables the serving radio base station to look up an IP address of a second radio base station that serves the second cell.

13. A mobile terminal for assisting in the updating of a neighbor cell list associated with a first cell of a wireless telecommunications network, said list containing elements that identify other cells that have a neighbor cell relationship with the first cell, the mobile terminal comprising:

a radio transceiver; and

a controller coupled to the radio transceiver and configured to, via the radio transceiver:

engage in communication with a radio base station serving the first cell;

while in communication with the serving radio base station, identify a non-unique cell identity in a physical layer of signals broadcast by a radio base station in a second cell;

measure a signal quality of signals broadcast in the second cell;

report, to the serving radio base station, the identified non-unique cell identity and the signal quality;

receive, from the serving radio base station, an instruction to detect the unique cell identity of the second cell;

in response to the instruction, receive further signals broadcast in the second cell by interrupting the communication with the serving radio base station;

identify the unique cell identity in a network layer of the further signals broadcast in the second cell; and

report the unique cell identity to the serving radio base station.

14. A method in a mobile terminal for facilitating the updating of a neighbor cell list associated with a first cell of a wireless telecommunications network, said list containing elements that identify other cells that have a neighbor cell relationship with the first cell, the method comprising:

engaging in communication with a radio base station serving the first cell;

while in communication with the serving radio base station, identifying a non-unique cell identity based on signals broadcast by a radio base station in a second cell;

measuring a signal quality of signals broadcast in the second cell;

reporting, to the serving radio base station, the identified non-unique cell identity and the signal quality;

receiving, from the serving radio base station, an instruction to detect the unique cell identity of the second cell;

in response to the instruction, receiving further signals broadcast in the second cell;

identifying the unique cell identity based on the further signals broadcast in the second cell; and

reporting the unique cell identity to the serving radio base station.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein receiving the further signals broadcast by the second cell comprises interrupting the communication with the serving radio base station.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the further signals comprise data broadcast in the second cell, and identifying the unique cell identity comprises receiving and decoding the data.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the unique cell identity is broadcast less frequently than the non-unique cell identity in the second cell.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein:

identifying the non-unique cell identity based on signals broadcast in the second cell requires the mobile terminal to detect the signals for a first time period;

identifying the unique cell identity based on the further signals broadcast in the second cell requires the mobile terminal to detect the further signals for a second time period; and

the second time period is longer than the first time period.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein:

the non-unique cell identity is detected in a first layer carrying physical information; and

the unique cell identity is detected in a network layer.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the signal quality comprises one or more of a signal strength measurement, a signal quality measurement, and timing information.