User equipment and access node and respective methods

1. A measuring method performed by a user equipment for which an analog beamforming scheme is applied, the method comprising:

transmitting, to a serving access node, a measurement request for measuring a neighbouring access node that is working at a same frequency as the user equipment;

receiving, from the serving access node, information related to a series of measurement time gaps; and

after a delay, performing a measurement to the neighbouring access node within the series of measurement time gaps, wherein within each of the series of measurement time gaps, the performing comprises:

suspending data communication with the serving access node,

adjusting a beamforming pattern of the user equipment, and

detecting a system signal of the neighbouring access node.

2. The measuring method according to claim 1 , further comprising: after the detecting,

re-adjusting the beamforming pattern of the user equipment; and

restoring the data communication with the serving access node.

3. The measuring method according to claim 1 , wherein the information comprises a length of the delay, a period of the series of measurement time gaps, and a length of each measurement time gap.

4. The measuring method according to claim 3 , wherein the period of the series of measurement time gaps is a multiple of a period of a system signal of the neighbouring access node, and the length of each measurement time gap is equal to a sum of an offset and a length of a transmitting time gap within which the system signal of the neighbouring access node is transmitted.

5. The measuring method according to claim 1 , further comprising: after another delay, performing measurement to another neighbouring access node within another series of measurement time gaps,

wherein the another neighbouring access node is working at the same frequency as the user equipment, and information related to the another series of measurement time gaps is included in the information related to the series of measurement time gaps.

6. The measuring method according to claim 5 , wherein the delay is different from the another delay and the series of measurement time gaps do not overlap the another series of measurement time gaps.

7. A method performed by an access node, the method comprising:

determining information related to a series of measurement time gaps in response to receiving from a served user equipment a measurement request for measuring a neighbouring access node that is working at a same frequency as the user equipment; and

transmitting the information to the served user equipment, wherein the transmitting includes causing the served user equipment, to perform, after a delay, a measurement of the neighbouring access node within the series of measurement time gaps, and wherein causing the served user equipment to perform includes causing the served user equipment to:

suspend data communication with the access node,

adjust a beamforming pattern of the user equipment, and

detect a system signal of the neighbouring access node.

8. The method according to claim 7 ,

wherein the information related to the series of measurement time gaps is determined at least based on a system signal of the neighbouring access node.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the information comprises: a delay, a period of the series of measurement time gaps, and a length of each measurement time gap.

10. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising:

determining information related to another series of measurement time gaps in response to receiving from the served user equipment a measurement request for measuring another neighbouring access node that is working at the same frequency as the user equipment, and the information related to the another series of measurement time gaps is included in the information related to the series of measurement time gaps.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the series of measurement time gaps do not overlap the another series of measurement time gaps.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein

if a transmitting time gap of a system signal of the neighbouring access node does not overlap that of a system signal of the another neighbouring access node,

a delay corresponding to the neighbouring access node is different from that corresponding to the another neighbouring access node, and a period of the series of measurement time gaps is a multiple of a period of the system signal of the neighbouring access node, and a period of the another series of measurement time gaps is a multiple of a period of the system signal of the another neighbouring access node.

13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein

if a transmitting time gap of a system signal of the neighbouring access node overlaps that of a system signal of the another neighbouring access node,

a delay corresponding to the neighbouring access node is different from that corresponding to the another neighbouring access node, and a period of the series of measurement time gaps is at least twice as long as a period of the system signal of the neighbouring access node, and a period of the another series of measurement time gaps is at least twice as long as a period of the system signal of the another neighbouring access node.

14. A user equipment for which an analog beamforming scheme is applied, the user equipment comprising:

a processor and a memory, the memory including instructions which when executed by the processor cause the user equipment to:

transmit, to a serving access node, a measurement request for measuring a neighbouring access node that is working at a same frequency as the user equipment;

receive, from the serving access node, information related to a series of measurement time gaps; and

after a delay, perform a measurement to the neighbouring access node within the series of measurement time gaps, wherein within each of the series of measurement time gaps, to perform the measurement includes:

to suspend data communication with the serving access node,

to adjust a beamforming pattern of the user equipment, and

to detect a system signal of the neighbouring access node.

15. The user equipment according to claim 14 , wherein the memory includes further instructions, which when executed by the processor cause the user equipment to:

re-adjust the beamforming pattern of the user equipment; and

restore the data communication with the serving access node.

16. The user equipment according to claim 14 , wherein the memory includes further instructions, which when executed by the processor cause the user equipment to:

after another delay, perform a measurement to another neighbouring access node within another series of measurement time gaps, wherein the another neighbouring access node is working at the same frequency as the user equipment, and information related to the another series of measurement time gaps is included in the information related to the series of measurement time gaps.

17. An access node comprising:

a processor and a memory, the memory including instructions which when executed by the processor cause the access node to:

determine information related to a series of measurement time gaps in response to receiving from a served user equipment a measurement request for measuring a neighbouring access node that is working at a same frequency as the user equipment; and

transmit the information to the served user equipment, wherein to transmit includes to cause the served user equipment, to perform, after a delay, a measurement of the neighbouring access node within the series of measurement time gaps, and wherein to cause the served user equipment to perform includes to cause the served user equipment to:

suspend data communication with the access node,

adjust a beamforming pattern of the user equipment, and

detect a system signal of the neighbouring access node.

18. The access node according to claim 17 , wherein the information includes a delay, a period of the series of measurement time gaps, and a length of each measurement time gap.

19. The access node according to claim 17 , wherein the memory includes further instructions, which when executed by the processor cause the access node to:

determine the information at least based on a system signal of the neighbouring access node.

20. The access node according to claim 17 , wherein the memory includes further instructions, which when executed by the processor cause the access node to:

determine information related to another series of measurement time gaps in response to receiving from the served user equipment a measurement request for measuring another neighbouring access node that is working at the same frequency as the user equipment; and

transmit, to the served user equipment, the information related to the another series of measurement time gaps.

21. A user equipment for which an analog beamforming scheme is applied, the user equipment comprising:

a transmitting unit to transmit, to a serving access node, a measurement request for measuring a neighbouring access node that is working at a same frequency as the user equipment;

a receiving unit to receive, from the serving access node, information related to a series of measurement time gaps; and

a performing unit to perform, after a delay, a measurement to the neighbouring access node within the series of measurement time gaps, wherein within each of the series of measurement time gaps, to perform comprises to:

suspend data communication with the serving access node,

adjust a beamforming pattern of the user equipment, and

detect a system signal of the neighbouring access node.

22. An access node comprising:

a determining unit to determine information related to a series of measurement time gaps in response to receiving from a served user equipment a measurement request for measuring a neighbouring access node that is working at a same frequency as the user equipment; and

a transmitting unit to transmit the information to the served user equipment, wherein to transmit includes to cause the served user equipment, to perform, after a delay, a measurement of the neighbouring access node within the series of measurement time gaps, and wherein to cause the served user equipment to perform includes to cause the served user equipment to:

suspend data communication with the access node,

adjust a beamforming pattern of the user equipment, and

detect a system signal of the neighbouring access node.