Systems and methods for selecting an access node and/or cell sector for handover of a wireless device
Systems and methods are described for performing handover of a wireless device to a target Access Node (AN) sector. Beam-form capable sectors of one or more target ANs may be selected from a pool of candidate sectors. At least one of the selected sectors may be prioritized (e.g., over the other sectors) based on an open beam-form seat. Handover of the wireless device from a first AN to the prioritized sector may be performed.
1. A method for handover of at least one wireless device, the method comprising:
verifying that one or more sectors offer beamforming;
generating a list of prioritized sectors based on the verification, the sectors being prioritized based on an open beamforming seat;
calculating a beam-form load for each of the sectors; and
selecting the sector having a beam-form load meeting a set criteria for handover of the at least one wireless device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set criteria is a sector having a greatest number of open beam-form seats as compared to other prioritized sectors.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the prioritized sectors are within a radio range of the at least one wireless device.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein handover of the at least one wireless device is triggered at a first sector in response to the beam-form load meeting the set criteria.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the criteria is a number of beam-form wireless devices supported at the first sector as a function of an Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) period.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the selected the first sector instructs the at least one wireless device to report an availability of uplink (UL) air-interface Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) resources at the first sector.
7. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
instructing the at least one wireless device to measure detectable signal properties of the one or more sectors, wherein the signal properties include at least one of a Channel Quality Indicator (CQI), Received Signal Strength Indicator (RS SI), and Signal-to-Interference-Plus-Noise Ratio (SINR).
8. A system for handover of at least one wireless device, the system comprising:
a memory; and
a processor configured to:
verify that one or more sectors offer beamforming;
generate a list of prioritized sectors based on the verification, the sectors being prioritized based on an open beamforming seat;
calculate a beam-form load for each of the sectors; and
select the sector having a beam-form load meeting a set criteria for handover of the at least one wireless device.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the set criteria is a sector having a greatest number of open beam-form seats as compared to other prioritized sectors.
10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the prioritized sectors are within a radio range of the at least one wireless device.
11. The system of claim 8 , wherein handover of the at least one wireless device is triggered at a first sector in response to the beam-form load meeting the set criteria.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the criteria is a number of beam-form wireless devices supported at the first sector as a function of an Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) period.
13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first sector is configured to instruct the at least one wireless device to report an availability of uplink (UL) air-interface Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) resources at the first sector.
14. The system of claim 11 , where in the processor is further configured to:
instruct the at least one wireless device to measure detectable signal properties of the one or more sectors, wherein the signal properties include at least one of a Channel Quality Indicator (CQI), Received Signal Strength Indicator (RS SI), and Signal-to-Interference-Plus-Noise Ratio (SINR).
15. A processing node for performing handover of at least one wireless device, the processing node comprising:
a processor; and
a memory storing instructions for the processor, the instructions comprising:
verifying that one or more sectors offer beamforming;
generating a list of prioritized sectors based on the verification, the sectors being prioritized based on an open beamforming seat;
calculating a beam-form load for each of the sectors; and
selecting the sector having a beam-form load meeting a set criteria for handover of the at least one wireless device.
16. The processing node of claim 15 , wherein the set criteria is a sector having a greatest number of open beam-form seats as compared to other prioritized sectors.
17. The processing node of claim 15 , wherein handover of the at least one wireless device is triggered at a first sector in response to the beam-form load meeting the set criteria.
18. The processing node of claim 17 , wherein the criteria is a number of beam-form wireless devices supported at the first sector as a function of an Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) period.
19. The processing node of claim 17 , wherein the first sector instructs the at least one wireless device to report an availability of uplink (UL) air-interface Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) resources at the first sector.
20. The processing node of claim 17 , wherein the instructions further comprise:
instructing the at least one wireless device to measure detectable signal properties of the one or more sectors, wherein the signal properties include at least one of a Channel Quality Indicator (CQI), Received Signal Strength Indicator (RS SI), and Signal-to-Interference-Plus-Noise Ratio (SINR).