Method and system for allowing low priority UEs to connect to a femtocell operating in a mixed mode based on path loss

Abstract

A method for processing user equipment (UE) connection under a mixed mode and a femtocell system are provided. The method for processing UE connection is used in a femtocell for processing the connection of a UE. The method includes the following steps. A connection request is received from a low priority UE under a mixed mode. Whether the measurement results corresponding to the femtocell satisfy threshold settings is determined in response to the connection request, wherein the measurement results include a path loss corresponding to the femtocell. If the measurement results satisfy the threshold settings, then the low priority UE is allowed to be connected to the femtocell. In one embodiment, suitable resource allocation, such as the allocation of power and code resource, is provided after the low priority UE is connected to the femtocell under the mixed mode.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for processing user equipment (UE) connection under a mixed mode, for use in a femtocell, the method comprising:
 receiving a connection request from a low priority UE under the mixed mode wherein the femtocell adopts signal quality as a criterion for determining whether to allow the connection request of the low priority UE; 
 determining, in response to the connection request, whether measurement results corresponding to the femtocell satisfy threshold settings, wherein the measurement results include a path loss corresponding to the femtocell, the criterion of the signal quality also includes the path loss; and 
 allowing the low priority UE to be connected to the femtocell and controlling an upper limit of transmission power for the femtocell to be a maximum downlink power determined based on a maximum allowed path loss for the low priority UE if the measurement results satisfy the threshold settings, 
 wherein under the mixed mode, a first set of high priority UEs are capable of being connected to the femtocell and a second set of low priority UEs are capable of being connected to the femtocell at a priority lower than that of the first set of high priority UEs, 
 wherein if the path loss is greater than a path loss threshold, then the connection request of the low priority UE is rejected, 
 wherein the maximum downlink power is set to be a sum consisting of a maximum allowed path loss for the low priority UE plus a received total wideband power offset plus a UE optimized uplink reception level. 
 
     
     
       2. The method for processing UE connection under a mixed mode according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 sending a message to inform the low priority UE that the connection request is rejected if the measurement results do not satisfy the threshold settings. 
 
     
     
       3. The method for processing UE connection under a mixed mode according to  claim 2 , wherein the connection request carries the measurement results corresponding to the femtocell. 
     
     
       4. The method for processing UE connection under a mixed mode according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 sending a message to inform the low priority UE that the connection request is rejected if the path loss does not satisfy the path loss threshold of the threshold settings. 
 
     
     
       5. The method for processing UE connection under a mixed mode according to  claim 4 , wherein when the connection request does not carry the measurement results corresponding to the femtocell, a measurement control request is sent, and the path loss corresponding to the femtocell is obtained from the low priority UE. 
     
     
       6. The method for processing UE connection under a mixed mode according to  claim 1 , wherein the maximum downlink power is determined according to the maximum allowed path loss for the low priority UE, a received total wideband power offset, and a UE optimized uplink reception level, wherein the maximum downlink power is positively correlated to the received total wideband power offset and the UE optimized uplink reception level. 
     
     
       7. The method for processing UE connection under a mixed mode according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 after the low priority UE is connected to the femtocell, sending a message to inform the low priority UE to set a maximum allowed uplink transmission power for the low priority UE, wherein the maximum allowed uplink transmission power is determined based on a maximum allowed path loss for low priority UE. 
 
     
     
       8. The method for processing UE connection under a mixed mode according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 controlling an upper limit of transmission power for the low priority UE to be the maximum allowed uplink transmission power, wherein the maximum allowed uplink transmission power is positively correlated to the maximum allowed path loss for the low priority UE, a received total wideband power offset, and a femtocell optimized uplink reception level. 
 
     
     
       9. The method for processing UE connection under a mixed mode according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 controlling the femtocell to allocate an uplink bearer and a downlink bearer to the low priority UE according to a version of the mobile communication technology supported by the low priority UE with respect to packet service after the low priority UE is connected to the femtocell. 
 
     
     
       10. A femtocell system for processing user equipment connection, comprising:
 a mobile communication unit, the mobile communication unit comprising an antenna, a power amplification unit, and a mobile transceiver; and a processing unit, coupled to the mobile communication unit for controlling the mobile communication unit to operate under at least one mobile communication mode, wherein the processing unit is at least one of a micro-control unit (MCU) or a system on chip (SoC), under a mixed mode, the processing unit is configured to receive a connection request from a low priority UE; the processing unit is configured to, in response to the connection request, determine whether measurement results corresponding to the femtocell system satisfy a plurality of threshold settings, wherein the measurement results include a path loss corresponding to the femtocell system, and if the measurement results satisfy the threshold settings, then the processing unit is configured to control the mobile communication unit to allow the low priority UE to be connected to the femtocell system and to establish an upper limit of transmission power for the femtocell system to be a maximum downlink power determined based on a maximum allowed path loss for the low priority UE, wherein under the mixed mode, a first set of high priority UEs are capable of being connected to the femtocell system and a second set of low priority UEs are capable of being connected to the femtocell system at a priority lower than that of the first set of high priority UEs,
 wherein the maximum downlink power is set to be a sum consisting of a maximum allowed path loss for the low priority UE plus a received total wideband power offset plus a UE optimized uplink reception level. 
 
 
     
     
       11. The femtocell system according to  claim 10 , wherein if the measurement results do not satisfy the threshold settings, the femtocell is configured to resect the connection request of the low priority UE. 
     
     
       12. The femtocell system according to  claim 11 , wherein the connection request carries the measurement results corresponding to the femtocell system. 
     
     
       13. The femtocell system according to  claim 10 , wherein if the path loss is greater than a path loss threshold of the threshold settings, then the processing unit is configured to control the mobile communication unit to send a message to inform the low priority UE that the connection request is rejected. 
     
     
       14. The femtocell system according to  claim 13 , wherein when the connection request does not carry the measurement results corresponding to the femtocell system, the processing unit is configured to control the mobile communication unit to send a measurement control request and obtain the path loss corresponding to the femtocell system from the low priority UE. 
     
     
       15. The femtocell system according to  claim 10 , wherein the processing unit is configured to determine the maximum downlink power according to the maximum allowed path loss for the low priority UE, a received total wideband power offset, and a UE optimized uplink reception level, wherein the maximum downlink power is positively correlated to the received total wideband power offset and the UE optimized uplink reception level. 
     
     
       16. The femtocell system according to  claim 10 , wherein after the low priority UE is connected to the femtocell system, the processing unit is configured to control the mobile communication unit to send a message to inform the low priority UE to set a maximum allowed uplink transmission power for the low priority UE, wherein the maximum allowed uplink transmission power is determined according to a maximum allowed path loss for low priority UE. 
     
     
       17. The femtocell system according to  claim 16 , wherein the processing unit is configured to control an upper limit of transmission power for the low priority UE to be the maximum allowed uplink transmission power that is positively correlated to the maximum allowed path loss for the low priority UE, a received total wideband power offset, and a femtocell optimized uplink reception level. 
     
     
       18. The femtocell system according to  claim 10 , wherein the processing unit, according to a version of the mobile communication technology supported by the low priority UE, is configured to control the mobile communication unit to provide an uplink bearer and a downlink bearer, with respect to packet service, to the low priority UE after the low priority UE is connected to the femtocell system. 
     
     
       19. The method for processing user equipment (UE) connection under the mixed mode according to  claim 1 , wherein the user equipments (UEs) include the first set of high priority UEs and the second set of low priority UEs, the first set of high priority UEs are the UEs with higher priority than the low priority UEs, and the second set of low priority UEs are the UEs with lower priority than the high priority UEs. 
     
     
       20. The method for processing UE connection under the mixed mode according to  claim 6 , wherein the maximum downlink power (MAX_DL_Power) is expressed in a formula of the maximum allowed path loss for the low priority UE (MAX_Pathloss), the received total wideband power offset (RTWP_offset), and the UE optimized uplink reception level (UE_optimized_UL_RX_Level):
   MAX —   DL _Power=MAX_Pathloss+ RTWP _offset+ UE _optimized —   UL   —   RX _Level. 
 
     
     
       21. The femtocell system according to  claim 15 , wherein the maximum downlink power (MAX_DL_Power) is expressed in a formula of the maximum allowed path loss for the low priority UE (MAX_Pathloss), the received total wideband power offset (RTWP_offset), and the UE optimized uplink reception level (UE_optimized_UL_RX_Level):
   MAX —   DL _Power=MAX_Pathloss+ RTWP _offset+ UE _optimized —   UL   —   RX _Level.