Self configuration and optimization of cell neighbours in wireless telecommunications

Abstract

A mobile terminal assists in the updating of a neighbor cell list associated with a first cell of a wireless telecommunications network. The list comprises elements that identify other cells that have a neighbor cell relationship with the first cell. The mobile terminal comprises a radio transceiver; and a controller coupled to the radio transceiver.

1 . A method in a node serving a first communications cell in a wireless telecommunications system which comprises a plurality of communications cells, the method comprising:
 communicating with a mobile terminal operating in the first communications cell;   requesting the mobile terminal to obtain a unique cell identity of a second communications cell, the second communications cell being a communications cell in which the unique cell identity and a non-unique cell identity of the second communications cell are transmitted, the unique cell identity being obtained at a less frequent interval than the non-unique cell identity;   receiving the unique cell identity of the second communications cell from the mobile terminal; and,   mapping the unique cell identity of the second communications cell to a network address of a realizing node of the second communications cell.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving from the mobile terminal a non-unique cell identify of the second communications cell; instructing the terminal to obtain the unique cell identity of the second cell after determining that the identity ambiguity exists.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the non-unique identity is a layer one identity, and unique identity is a network layer identity. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising updating a neighbor cell list associated with a first cell served by said base station, said list containing elements that identify other cells that have a neighbor cell relationship with the first cell. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising defining a neighbor cell list as a handover candidate cell list for the mobile terminal, the handover candidate cell list including the second communications cell. 
     
     
         6 . A node serving a first communications cell in a wireless telecommunications system which comprises a plurality of communications cells, the node comprising:
 a transceiver configured to communicate with a mobile terminal operating in the first communications cell;   a controller operative to:
 request the mobile terminal to obtain:
 a unique cell identity of a second communications cell, the second communications cell being a communications cell in which the unique cell identity; and 
 a non-unique cell identity of the second communications cell, the unique cell identity being obtained at a less frequent interval than the non-unique cell identity; 
 
 receive the unique cell identity of the second communications cell from the mobile terminal; and, 
 map the unique cell identity of the second communications cell to a network address of a realizing node of the second communications cell. 
   
     
     
         7 . The node of  claim 6 , wherein the controller is further operative to:
 receiving from the mobile terminal a non-unique cell identify of the second communications cell;   determining if an identity ambiguity exists after receiving the non-unique identity of the second cell; instruct the terminal to obtain the unique cell identity of the second cell after determining that the identity ambiguity exists.   
     
     
         8 . The node of  claim 6 , wherein the non-unique identity is a layer one identity, and unique identity is a network layer identity. 
     
     
         9 . The node of  claim 6  wherein the controller is further operative to update a neighbor cell list associated with a first cell served by said base station, said list containing elements that identify other cells that have a neighbor cell relationship with the first cell. 
     
     
         10 . The node of  claim 9 , wherein the controller is further operative to define a neighbor cell list as a handover candidate cell list for the mobile terminal, the handover candidate cell list including the second communications cell.