Multi-stage handover
Systems and methods for enabling a handover decision are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method is disclosed comprising configuring a UE with a first offset and a second offset, the second offset greater than the first offset; instructing the UE to enter a handover decision state upon receiving a first measurement report from a UE indicating that a neighbor cell has a better received signal strength than the serving cell by the first offset; instructing the UE to send periodic measurement reports with signal strength of the serving cell and the neighbor cell; delaying handover decision by remaining in the handover decision state until receiving a second measurement report from the UE; and instructing the UE to hand over to the neighbor cell when the neighbor cell has a better received signal strength than the serving cell than the second offset.
1. A base station enabling a handover decision, comprising:
a processor performing instructions;
a first radio interface in communication with a user equipment (UE) and coupled to the processor;
a backhaul connection in communication with an operator core network and coupled to the processor; and
a memory containing the instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the base station to:
configure a UE with a first offset for a first cell and a second offset for the first cell, the second offset greater than the first offset;
instruct the UE to enter a handover decision state upon receiving a first measurement report from a UE indicating that a neighbor cell has a better received signal strength than the serving cell by the first offset;
instruct the UE to send periodic measurement reports with signal strength of the serving cell and the neighbor cell;
delay a handover decision by remaining in the handover decision state until a second measurement report from the UE is received;
instruct the UE to hand over to the neighbor cell when the neighbor cell has a better received signal strength than the serving cell by the second offset; and
configure the UE to accelerate handover from a macro cell to a small cell by using a small offset enabling traffic offload, and to reduce handover from a small cell to a macro cell by using a large offset thereby providing improvements in handover performance based in part on cell type.
2. The base station of claim 1 , wherein the base station configures the UE with a first hysteresis and a second hysteresis.
3. The base station of claim 1 , wherein the base station configures the UE with a per-cell first offset and a per-cell second offset.
4. The base station of claim 1 , wherein the base station instructs a second UE to exit the handover decision state when the second measurement report indicates that the neighbor cell no longer has a better received signal strength than the serving cell by the first offset.
5. A base station enabling a handover decision, comprising:
a processor performing instructions;
a first radio interface in communication with a user equipment (UE) and coupled to the processor;
a backhaul connection in communication with an operator core network and coupled to the processor; and
a memory containing the instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the base station to:
configure a UE with a first offset for a first cell and a second offset for the first cell, the second offset greater than the first offset;
instruct the UE to enter a handover decision state upon receiving a first measurement report from a UE indicating that a neighbor cell has a better received signal strength than the serving cell by the first offset;
instruct the UE to send periodic measurement reports with signal strength of the serving cell and the neighbor cell;
delay a handover decision by remaining in the handover decision state until a second measurement report from the UE is received;
instruct the UE to exit the handover decision state when the second measurement report indicates that the neighbor cell no longer has a better received signal strength than the serving cell by the first offset; and
configure the UE to accelerate handover from a macro cell to a small cell by using a small offset enabling traffic offload, and to reduce handover from a small cell to a macro cell by using a large offset thereby providing improvements in handover performance based in part on cell type.
6. The base station of claim 5 , wherein the base station configures the UE with a first hysteresis and a second hysteresis.
7. The base station of claim 5 , wherein the base station configures the UE with a per-cell first offset and a per-cell second offset.
8. The base station of claim 5 , wherein the base station instructs a second UE to hand over to the neighbor cell when the neighbor cell has a better received signal strength than the serving cell than the second offset.