IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,550,031
Granted Patent B2
US 12,550,031 · App. 18/369,959 · Granted Feb 10, 2026

NR cell prioritization based on carrier bandwidth

Inventors: Vijayant Kumar (Munich, DE); Prasad P. Ashtekar (Haar, DE); Munish Jindal (Munich, DE)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
H04W36/302H04W36/0072
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,550,031
App. No.
18/369,959
Granted
Feb 10, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for NR cell prioritization based on carrier bandwidths. An embodiment operates by storing a plurality of neighboring cell frequencies and respective carrier bandwidths of the plurality of neighboring cell frequencies. The embodiment determines whether a carrier bandwidth corresponding to a neighboring cell frequency of the plurality of neighboring cell frequencies is less than a serving cell carrier bandwidth. In response to a determination that the carrier bandwidth corresponding to the neighboring cell frequency is less than the serving cell carrier bandwidth, the embodiment determines a biased signal strength measurement by adding an offset to a signal strength measurement corresponding to the neighboring cell frequency, where the offset is determined based at least in part on a data throughput requirement of the UE. The embodiment evaluates a signal strength criteria of the neighboring cell frequency using the biased signal strength measurement corresponding to the neighboring cell frequency.

Claims (40)

1 . An apparatus, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, and configured to:

store a plurality of neighboring cell frequencies and respective carrier bandwidths of the plurality of neighboring cell frequencies;

determine whether a carrier bandwidth corresponding to a neighboring cell frequency of the plurality of neighboring cell frequencies is less than a serving cell carrier bandwidth;

in response to a determination that the carrier bandwidth corresponding to the neighboring cell frequency is less than the serving cell carrier bandwidth, determine a biased signal strength measurement by adding an offset to a signal strength measurement corresponding to the neighboring cell frequency, wherein the offset is determined based at least in part on a data throughput requirement of a user equipment (UE); and

evaluate a signal strength criteria of the neighboring cell frequency using the biased signal strength measurement corresponding to the neighboring cell frequency.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the UE has a low data throughput requirement and the offset is configured to be a positive value.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the UE has a high data throughput requirement and the offset is configured to be a negative value.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , the processor is further configured to:

in response to a determination that the carrier bandwidth corresponding to a second neighboring cell frequency is greater than the serving cell carrier bandwidth, determine a second biased signal strength measurement by adding a second offset to the signal strength measurement corresponding to the second neighboring cell frequency, wherein the second offset is determined based at least in part on the data throughput requirement of the UE; and

evaluate the signal strength criteria of the second neighboring cell frequency using the second biased signal strength measurement corresponding to the second neighboring cell frequency.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the UE has a low data throughput requirement and the offset is configured to be a negative value.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the UE has a high data throughput requirement and the offset is configured to be a positive value.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the signal strength criteria is a cell reselection criteria of the neighboring cell frequency.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the signal strength criteria is an event A3, event A4, or event A5 criteria.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the offset is determined based at least in part on a difference between the carrier bandwidth corresponding to the neighboring cell and the serving cell carrier bandwidth.

10 . A method of operating a user equipment (UE), comprising:

storing a plurality of neighboring cell frequencies and respective carrier bandwidths of the plurality of neighboring cell frequencies;

determining whether a carrier bandwidth corresponding to a neighboring cell frequency of the plurality of neighboring cell frequencies is less than a serving cell carrier bandwidth;

in response to a determination that the carrier bandwidth corresponding to the neighboring cell frequency is less the serving cell carrier bandwidth, determining a biased signal strength measurement by adding an offset to a signal strength measurement corresponding to the neighboring cell frequency, wherein the offset is determined based at least in part on a data throughput requirement of the UE; and

evaluating a signal strength criteria of the neighboring cell frequency using the biased signal strength measurement corresponding to the neighboring cell frequency.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the UE has a low data throughput requirement and the offset is configured to be a positive value.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the UE has a high data throughput requirement and the offset is configured to be a negative value.

13 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

in response to a determination that the carrier bandwidth corresponding to a second neighboring cell frequency is greater than the serving cell carrier bandwidth, computing a second biased signal strength measurement by adding a second offset to the signal strength measurement corresponding to the second neighboring cell frequency, wherein the second offset is determined based at least in part on the data throughput requirement of the UE; and

evaluating the signal strength criteria of the second neighboring cell frequency using the second biased signal strength measurement corresponding to the second neighboring cell frequency.

14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the UE has a low data throughput requirement and the offset is configured to be a negative value.

15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the UE has a high data throughput requirement and the offset is configured to be a positive value.

16 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium (CRM) having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor of a user equipment (UE), causes the UE to perform operations comprising:

storing a plurality of neighboring cell frequencies and respective carrier bandwidths of the plurality of neighboring cell frequencies;

determining whether a carrier bandwidth corresponding to a neighboring cell frequency of the plurality of neighboring cell frequencies is less than a serving cell carrier bandwidth;

in response to a determination that the carrier bandwidth corresponding to the neighboring cell frequency is less the serving cell carrier bandwidth, determining a biased signal strength measurement by adding an offset to a signal strength measurement corresponding to the neighboring cell frequency, wherein the offset is determined based at least in part on a data throughput requirement of the UE; and

evaluating a signal strength criteria of the neighboring cell frequency using the biased signal strength measurement corresponding to the neighboring cell frequency.

17 . The non-transitory CRM of claim 16 , wherein the UE has a low data throughput requirement and the offset is configured to be a positive value.

18 . The non-transitory CRM of claim 16 , wherein the UE has a high data throughput requirement and the offset is configured to be a negative value.

19 . The non-transitory CRM of claim 16 , the operations further comprising:

in response to a determination that the carrier bandwidth corresponding to a second neighboring cell frequency is greater than the serving cell carrier bandwidth, determining a second biased signal strength measurement by adding a second offset to the signal strength measurement corresponding to the second neighboring cell frequency; and

evaluating the signal strength criteria of the second neighboring cell frequency using the second biased signal strength measurement corresponding to the second neighboring cell frequency.

20 . The non-transitory CRM of claim 19 , wherein based on the UE having a low throughput requirement, the offset is configured to be a negative value; and wherein based on the UE having a high throughput requirement, the offset is configured to be a positive value.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 19, 2023
From: KUMAR, VIJAYANT; ASHTEKAR, PRASAD P.; JINDAL, MUNISH
To: APPLE INC.
Reel/Frame 064950/0295 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63409566 · Sep 23, 2022
Related Publication 20240114418A1 · Apr 4, 2024
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