Reporting communication link information

Abstract

A method for reporting link information in a communication system including a communication terminal and a plurality of transceivers with each of which the communication terminal can communicate over a respective communication link; the method comprising: the communication terminal determining link information for each of the communication links; and the communication terminal periodically transmitting link messages, each link message containing link information for a first set of the communication links, and the link messages being formatted such that groups of successive link messages collectively contain link information for a larger set of the communication links.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A method for reporting link information in a communication system including a communication terminal and a plurality of transceivers with each of which the communication terminal can communicate over a respective communication link; the method comprising:
 the communication terminal determining link information for each of at least a first subset of the communication links; and the communication terminal periodically transmitting link message, each link message containing link information for a first  set of the communication links selected from said first subset of the communication links, and the link messages being formatted such that groups of successive link messages collectively contain link information for a larger set of the communication links contained in the first subset of the communication links.  
 
     
     
       2. A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein link information for at least one of the communication links is contained in each of successive link messages. 
     
     
       3. A method as claimed in  claim 2 , comprising the step of determining a subset of the communication links having the best link according to a selected measure, and wherein link information for the communication links of that subset is contained in each of successive link messages. 
     
     
       4. A method as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the subset consists of two communication links. 
     
     
       5. A method as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein periodically link messages contain link information for the same ones of the communication links. 
     
     
       6. A method as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the communication terminal is capable of transmitting the link information in a plurality of schemes according to which link information is distributed between successive link messages. 
     
     
       7. A method as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the communication system includes a control unit coupled to the transceivers, and the method comprises the step of causing at least one of the transceivers to transmit a scheme selection signal to the communication terminal indicative of the one of the plurality of schemes to be used by the communication terminal. 
     
     
       8. A method as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the scheme selection signal is transmitted on a broadcast channel. 
     
     
       9. A method as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the scheme selection signal is transmitted as part of a system information message. 
     
     
       10. A method as claimed in  claim 7 , comprising the step of operating the communication terminal in response to the scheme selection signal so as to use the scheme indicated by the scheme selection signal. 
     
     
       11. A method as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein one of the schemes involves transmitting link information for a set of the communication links in alternate link messages. 
     
     
       12. A method as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein one of the schemes involves transmitting link information for a set of the communication links in every third link message. 
     
     
       13. A method as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the link messages are transmitted over at least one of the said communication links. 
     
     
       14. A method as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein each link message is sent in a respective multiframe of communications over the said communication links. 
     
     
       15. A method as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein each link message contains link information of six of the communication links. 
     
     
       16. A method as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the link information for a communication link is indicative of the quality of communications over that link. 
     
     
       17. A method as claimed in  claim 16 , comprising the steps of receiving the link information and making a handover decision for the communication terminal on the basis of the link information. 
     
     
       18. A method as claimed in  claim 17 , comprising the step of the communication terminal signaling that it is capable of operating so as to transmit successive link messages containing link information for different ones of the communication links. 
     
     
       19. A method as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the step of the communication terminal signaling that is capable of operating so as to transmit successive link messages containing link information for different ones of the communication links is performed on establishments by the communication terminal of a connection with the system, and
   wherein the communication terminal is a radio telephone.    
 
     
     
       20. A method as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the communication terminal is a radio telephone. 
     
     
       21. A method as claimed in claim  20    19 , wherein each transceiver is a base station transceiver of a radio telephone system. 
     
     
       22. A communication system comprising:
 a communication terminal;  
 a plurality of transceivers with each of which the communication terminal can communicate over a respective communication link;  
 the communication terminal comprising link measurement means for measuring link information for each of at least a subset of the communication links;  
 transmission means for periodically transmitting link messages, each link message containing link information for a first  set of the communication links selected from the subset of the communication links; and  
 link message forming means for forming the link messages such that groups of successive link messages collectively contain link information for a larger set of the communication links of the subset of the communication links.  
 
     
     
       23. A communication terminal for operation in a radio telecommunications system, the terminal comprising:
 communication means for communicating with one or more of a plurality of radio transceivers over a set of respective communication links;  
 measurement means for measuring, for each of at least a subset of the transceivers, a quality of signals received from each of the said transceivers  a transceiver over a respective one of the communication links; and  
 measurement message generation means for generating measurement messages for transmission by the communication means, each measurement message containing measured quality information for a first  subset of the communication links;  
 the measurement message generation means being capable of generating a series of measurements  measurement messages, wherein groups of successive measurement messages collectively contain measured quality information for a larger subset of the communication links.  
 
     
     
       24. A control unit for operating in a communication system, the communication system including a communication terminal and a plurality of transceivers with each of which the communication terminal can communicate over a respective communication link, the communication system being arranged to perform a method of reporting link information comprising:
 the communication terminal determining link information for each of the communication links; and  
 the communication terminal periodically transmitting link messages, each link message containing link information for a first set of the communication links, and the link messages being formatted in accordance with a predetermined scheme such that groups of successive link messages collectively contain link information for a set of communication links larger than the first set of communication links;  
 the control unit being coupled to the transceivers and being arranged to cause at least one of the transceivers to transmit a scheme selection signal to the communication terminal indicative of the one of the plurality of schemes to be used by the communication terminal.  
 
     
     
       25. A method for reporting link information in a communication system including a communication terminal and a plurality of transceivers with each of which the communication terminal can communicate over a respective communication link; the method comprising:
   the communication terminal determining link information for each of at least a first subset of the communication links; and        the communication terminal periodically transmitting link messages, each link message containing link information for a set of the communication links selected from said first subset of the communication links, and the link messages being formatted such that groups of successive link messages collectively contain link information for a larger set of the communication links contained in the first subset of the communication links,        wherein the transceiver receives a scheme selection signal from a control unit, the scheme selection signal indicating one of a plurality of schemes to be used for transmitting the link messages.      
     
     
       26. A communication terminal for operation in a radio telecommunications system, the terminal comprising:
   a terminal transceiver unit to communicate with one or more of a plurality of radio transceivers over a set of respective communication links;        a measurement unit to measure, for each of at least a subset of the radio transceivers, a quality of signals received from a radio transceiver over a respective one of the communication links; and        a terminal control unit to generate measurement messages for transmission by the terminal transceiver unit, each measurement message containing measured quality information for a subset of the communication links; the terminal control unit to generate a series of measurement messages, wherein groups of successive measurement messages collectively contain measured quality information for a larger subset of the communication links.      
     
     
       27. A processor- readable medium containing software code that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to implement a method for reporting link information in a communication system including a plurality of transceivers with each of which the processor can communicate over a respective communication link, the method comprising:      determining link information for each of at least a first subset of the communication links; and        periodically transmitting link messages, each link message containing link information for a set of the communication links selected from said first subset of the communication links, and the link messages being formatted such that groups of successive link messages collectively contain link information for a larger set of the communication links contained in the first subset of the communication links.      
     
     
       28. A communication terminal comprising a processor to execute software, wherein the software, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to implement a method for reporting link information in a communication system including a plurality of transceivers with each of which the communication terminal can communicate over a respective communication link, the method comprising:
   determining link information for each of at least a first subset of the communication links; and        periodically transmitting link messages, each link message containing link information for a set of the communication links selected from said first subset of the communication links, and the link messages being formatted such that groups of successive link messages collectively contain link information for a larger set of the communication links contained in the first subset of the communication links.      
     
     
       29. A communication terminal comprising a processor and software to be executed by the processor, wherein when executed, the software causes the processor to implement a set of modules comprising:
   a terminal transceiver unit to communicate with one or more of a plurality of radio transceivers over a set of respective communication links;        a measurement unit to measure, for each of at least a subset of the radio transceivers, a quality of signals received from a radio transceiver over a respective one of the communication links; and        a terminal control unit to generate measurement messages for transmission by the terminal transceiver unit, each measurement message containing measured quality information for a subset of the communication links; the terminal control unit to generate a series of measurement messages, wherein groups of successive measurement messages collectively contain measured quality information for a larger subset of the communication links.