Method for operation an enhanced coverage wireless communication device in a cellular network

1. Method for operating a wireless communication device in a cellular network, the cellular network comprising a plurality of base nodes, and the wireless communication device is operating in enhanced coverage mode with a first base node of the plurality of base nodes,

wherein the method comprises the steps of:

measuring signaling from at least one second base node of said plurality of base nodes,

determining an indication relating to the camping priority of said second base node,

in case the second base node has a higher camping priority than the first base node, and for said camping priority the second base node does not support enhanced coverage mode and said measured signalling indicates insufficient suitability of the second base node to serve the wireless communication device in normal coverage mode:

suspending measurement of signaling of the second base node,

measuring signaling from at least a third base node of said plurality of base nodes providing the same camping priority as the first base node.

2. Method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the step of suspending is carried out under the condition that at least one of the steps of measuring signaling and determining camping priority is repeated until a termination condition is met.

3. Method according to claim 1

comprising the step of

starting the step of suspending the measurements with a first timer, and

finishing the suspension once the first timer expired.

4. Method according to claim 1 ,

comprising finishing the suspension of measurements upon occurrence of at least one event out of the group of:

a reselection to another base node,

a switch to connected mode,

a switch from connected mode to idle mode,

a registration at the base node, or

an indication received from the cellular network about a change of cellular network topology,

a restart of the wireless communication device.

5. Method according to claim 1 ,

wherein said third base node is supporting enhanced coverage, and the method further comprising the step of determining the repetition rate sufficient for decoding the signals from the third base node,

executing a reselection to the third base node under the condition that said repetition rate is lower by a preconfigured threshold than the repetition rate sufficient for decoding the first base node.

6. Method according to claim 5 ,

further comprising the step of stopping measurements of signals of a third base node when the detected repetition rate for said third base node is above the repetition rate required for reselection.

7. Method according to claim 3 ,

comprising the step of starting a second timer in case no suitable base node is detected and restarting measuring base nodes once the second timer expired.

8. Method according to claim 7 ,

wherein the first and/or second timer is set in dependency of said repetition rate sufficient for decoding the first base node.

9. Method according to claim 1 ,

comprising, prior to the step of determining camping priority, the step of determining if the wireless communication device is operated stationary,

and the step of determining camping priority of the second base node is only carried out under the condition that the wireless communication device is operated stationary.

10. Wireless communication device operating in a cellular network comprising a plurality of base nodes, by operating in enhanced coverage mode with a first base node of the plurality of base nodes,

wherein the wireless communication device is configured to:

measure signaling from at least one second base node of said plurality of base nodes,

determine an indication relating to the camping priority of said second base node,

in case the second base node has a higher camping priority than the first base node, and for said camping priority the second base node is not supporting enhanced coverage mode, and said measured signaling indicates insufficient suitability of the second base node to serve the wireless communication device in normal coverage mode:

suspend measurement of signaling of the second base node,

measure signaling from at least a third base node of said plurality of base nodes providing the same camping priority as the first base node.

11. Wireless communication device according to claim 10 ,

wherein the wireless communication device is configured to suspend measurements under the condition that at least one of said signaling measurement and camping priority determination is repeated until a termination condition is met.

12. Wireless communication device according to claim 10 ,

wherein the wireless communication device is further configured to finish suspension of measurement upon occurrence of at least one event out of the group of:

a reselection to another base node,

a switch to connected mode,

a switch from connected mode to idle mode,

a registration at the base node, or

an indication received from the cellular network about a change of cellular network topology,

a restart of the wireless communication device,

expiry of a first timer, started with the start of said suspension of measurements.

13. Wireless communication device according to claim 10 ,

wherein said third node is supporting enhanced coverage, and the wireless communication device is further configured to:

determine the repletion rate sufficient for decoding the signals from the third base node, and

execute a reselection to the third base node under the condition that said repetition rate is lower by a preconfigured threshold than the repetition rate sufficient for decoding the first base node.

14. Wireless communication device according to claim 10 ,

further configured to start a timer in case no suitable base node is detected and to restart measuring base nodes once the timer expired.

15. Wireless communication device according to claim 10 ,

further configured to determine, prior to the determination of camping priority, if the wireless communication device is operated stationary,

and to carry out the determination of camping priority only under the condition that the wireless communication device is operated stationary.