Access terminal assisted node identifier confusion resolution using a time gap

Confusion Elimination of Access Terminal Auxiliary Node Identifier Using Time Gap

Claim priority based on patent law

This patent application claims to enjoy the rights and priority of the following joint applications: US Provisional Patent Application No. 61/074114 filed on June 19, 2008, with the designated agent case number 081869P1; filed on August 8, 2008 US Provisional Patent Application No. 61/087592 with the designated agent case number 082374P1; and the United States Provisional Patent Application No. 61/156805 filed on March 2, 2009 with the designated agent case number 091556P1; The disclosure of each application is incorporated herein by reference.

Cross references to related applications

This application is related to the U.S. Patent Application No. 12/486,658 filed at the same time and jointly named ``ACCESS TERMINAL ASSISTED NODE IDENTIFIER CONFUSION RESOLUTION'' (ACCESS TERMINAL ASSISTED NODE IDENTIFIER CONFUSION RESOLUTION) and the designated agent case number is 082374U2. , The disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

This application relates to communication in general, and more specifically but not exclusively to the elimination of confusion associated with communication nodes.

Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication (for example, voice, data, multimedia services, etc.) to multiple users. With the rapid growth in demand for high-speed multimedia data services, there is a challenge to implement an efficient and robust communication system with enhanced performance.

In order to supplement the conventional mobile phone network base station, a base station with a small coverage area (for example, installed in a user's home) can be deployed to provide a more robust indoor wireless coverage for the mobile unit. Such a small coverage base station is generally called an access point base station, local node B, local eNodeB, pico cell service area or femto cell service area base station. Typically, such a small coverage base station is connected to the Internet and the mobile service provider's network via a DSL router or cable modem.

In practice, a larger number of small coverage base stations (for example, femtocell service area) can be deployed in a given area (for example, within the coverage area of a given macro cell service area). Therefore, two or more base stations close to each other may be assigned the same identifier, because the number of available identifiers is usually limited (for example, the physical layer identifier may be only 10 bits long). Therefore, when a node in the network (such as an access terminal) reports to its serving base station (such as a handover source) that it is receiving a signal from a base station with a given identifier, it is about which base station it refers to (such as handover). Target) may be confused. In addition, due to this confusion, the switching source may not know whether the access terminal has access permission at the target, because the switching source does not know the complete identity of the switching target. Therefore, effective technology is needed to identify the base station so that other nodes in the network can communicate with the base station efficiently.

The following is an overview of the various example aspects disclosed. It should be understood that any reference to the term "aspect" in the text can refer to one or more aspects that are disclosed.

The present disclosure involves in some aspects the elimination of confusion associated with node identifiers. For example, it is possible to define a limited number of node identifiers within the network, so that more than one node (such as an access point) in the network is assigned the same identifier. Therefore, when the access terminal is switched from the service node (for example, the source access point) to the target node (for example, the target access point), confusion about the identity of the target node may occur. This article describes a variety of techniques used to eliminate this confusion.

In some aspects, the access terminal that wants to switch to the target node can help eliminate confusion related to the target node by obtaining a unique identifier associated with the target node. Here, for example, a unique identifier can be defined as a globally unique identifier, a unique identifier in the network, or an identifier that is more unique than another node identifier (for example, an identifier with more bits than other node identifiers). Identifier, but it does not have to be completely unique within the network or globally, etc.). In order to facilitate the access terminal to obtain the unique identifier, the network can provide a time gap during which the access terminal can temporarily stop monitoring transmissions from the source node, so that the access terminal can receive transmissions from potential target nodes. In some cases, the access terminal sends a unique identifier to the service node, which can then use the unique identifier to initiate the handover operation. In some cases, the access terminal uses a unique identifier to initiate the switching operation.

In some aspects, the present disclosure relates to a service node that sends an indication of an asynchronous time gap (such as a measurement gap or intermittent transmission indication) to an access terminal served by the service node. The asynchronous time gap may not start and end at the defined time. For example, an asynchronous time gap can start when the access terminal just receives a message indicating the time gap. Moreover, the asynchronous time gap can end just when the access terminal receives the unique identifier from the target node. Therefore, the non-synchronized time gap may not have a defined duration.

In some embodiments, the signal threshold may be assigned to a set of identifiers that have been identified as likely to be assigned to nodes affected by confusion. This threshold can then be used to trigger the access terminal to obtain a unique identifier and/or to trigger a confusion judgment operation at the service node. For example, if the access terminal detects a signal from an access point assigned one of these identifiers, and if the detected signal exceeds a threshold, the access terminal can automatically obtain the unique identifier or access point of the access point. The terminal can report the reception of the signal to its service access point. In the latter case, the service access point can then determine whether the access terminal should try to obtain a unique identifier.

In some aspects, the present disclosure relates to an access terminal that starts a switching operation at the target node after determining whether to allow the access terminal to access the target node. For example, after obtaining the unique identifier of the target node, the access terminal can determine whether to allow it to access the target node (for example, using the permission list). If access is allowed, the access terminal can switch before the target node starts.

In some aspects, the present disclosure relates to a service node. If there is a confusion of node identifiers, the service node prepares multiple target nodes for potential handover. For example, after receiving an indication that the access terminal has detected a signal from a target node assigned a given identifier, the serving node can determine whether there is or may be confusion. To this end, the serving node identifies multiple potential target nodes assigned this same identifier. The serving node can then prepare some or all of these potential target nodes for potential switching of the access terminal.

In some embodiments, the serving node may send information related to the preparation of the potential target node to the access terminal. The access terminal can then determine whether the target node monitored by the access terminal is one of the prepared target nodes. If so, the access terminal uses the corresponding handover preparation information received from the source node to complete the handover to the target node.

Various aspects of the disclosure are described below. Obviously, the teaching of this text can be realized in many forms, and any specific structure and function disclosed in this text are only representative. Based on the teachings herein, those skilled in the art should realize that the aspects disclosed herein can be implemented independently of any other aspects, and two or more of these aspects can be combined in various ways. For example, any number of aspects set forth herein can be used to implement a device or method of practice. In addition, in addition to one or more of the aspects described herein, other structures, functions, or structures and functions may be utilized to implement this device or practice this method. In addition, one aspect may include at least one element of the requested item.

Figure 1 shows multiple nodes in an example communication system 100 (e.g., part of a communication network). For illustrative purposes, various aspects of the present disclosure will be described in the context of one or more access terminals, access points, and network nodes that communicate with each other. However, it should be recognized that the teachings herein can be applied to other types of devices described using other terms or other similar devices. For example, in various embodiments, the access point may be referred to as or implemented as a base station or eNodeB, and the access terminal may be referred to as or implemented as a user equipment or a mobile device.

The access point in the system 100 provides one or more services (such as network connection) for one or more wireless terminals (such as the access terminal 102). The wireless terminals can be installed in the relevant geographic area or can be located in the relevant geographic area. Roaming within. For example, at different points in time, the access terminal 102 can be connected to any one of the access point 104, a set of access points 1-N (indicated by the access points 106 and 108 and the related ellipsis), or the access point 110. Each of the access points 104-110 can communicate with one or more network nodes (represented by the network node 112 for convenience) to facilitate wide area network connection. Such network nodes can take various forms, such as one or more radio and/or core network entities (e.g., configuration managers, mobility management entities, or some other appropriate network entities).

Each access point in the system 100 may be assigned a first type identifier, which is referred to herein as a node identifier. In various embodiments, such an identifier may include, for example, a physical cell service area identifier ("PCID"), a virtual random number ("PN") offset, or an acquisition guide frequency. Typically, a fixed number (e.g., 504) of node identifiers are defined in a given system. In this case, when a large number of access points are in the same neighboring area, because multiple access points may end up using the same identifier, identifier confusion often occurs.

Figure 1 shows a simple example in which both the access point 106 and the access point 110 are assigned "identifier 1". When the access terminal 102 is roaming within the system 100, the access terminal 102 can switch from the source access point (ie, the service access point to which the access terminal is currently connected, such as the access point 104) to the target access point (For example, access point 110). The decision to switch the access terminal 102 to the target access point may be based on whether the access terminal 102 is receiving a particularly strong signal (e.g., pilot frequency signal) from the target.

In the example of FIG. 1, the access terminal 102 (e.g., the identifier controller 114) recognizes the signal from the potential target access point through the node identifier associated with the signal (e.g., embedded in it). Upon receiving a signal from a potential target, the access terminal 102 may send a message including an identifier (such as a measurement report) to its current service access point. If it is decided to perform the handover, the service access point (that is, the source access point of the switch) can communicate with the destination access point to reserve resources for the access terminal. For example, the environment information maintained by the service access point may be transmitted to the target access point and/or the environment information maintained by the target access point may be sent to the access terminal 102. If there is no confusion, the node identifier ("Identifier 1") associated with the target access point can be mapped to the unique identifier associated with the target access point, thereby using the unique identifier to establish and The communication of the target access point. However, when there is confusion as in the example of FIG. 1, the source access point may not be able to determine which access point is the desired target access point (for example, the access point 104 may not be able to determine whether it is communicating with the access point 106 or with The access point 110 communicates to reserve resources for the access terminal).

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, in order to eliminate this confusion, the access terminal 102 (for example, the identifier controller 114) may be configured to obtain the second type identifier associated with the potential target. In some aspects, the second type identifier may include a unique identifier broadcast by the potential target. For example, compared to the first type identifier, the second type identifier may be unique in a larger area. In some embodiments, the second type identifier may be unique in the entire service provider's network. In some embodiments, the second type identifier may only be more unique than other node identifiers (eg, PCID). For example, the second type identifier may have more bits than other node identifiers (for example, 16 bits versus 10 bits). In this way, the possibility of identifier confusion can be reduced (for example, from 10 targets to 2 targets). Therefore, in this case, the second-type identifier may not necessarily be completely unique among the network, the whole world, and so on. In various embodiments, this unique identifier may include, for example, a global cell service area identifier ("GCI"), an access node identifier ("ANID"), a sector identifier, an Internet protocol address, or a unique identifier. Some other identifiers of the access point 110 within the network. By using such an identifier, it is possible to uniquely identify the desired target access point for the handover operation.

The access terminal 102 can start monitoring the second identifier automatically or in response to a message from the service access point. For example, in some cases, the access terminal 102 may start acquiring the second identifier based on the signal strength of the first identifier. In some cases, upon receiving a measurement report with a confused identifier from the access terminal 102, the access point 104 may instruct the access terminal 102 to obtain the second identifier.

In some cases, upon receiving a measurement report with a confused identifier, the access point 104 (for example, the time gap controller 116) may send a message including a time gap indication. During this time gap, the access terminal 102 can temporarily stop monitoring the transmission from the access point 104, so that the access terminal 102 can obtain the second identifier of the target access point. As described in more detail below, in some aspects, this time gap may include an asynchronous time gap that has no synchronization start time (for example, synchronized with the system clock).

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, if the access terminal determines that it can access the target access point, the access terminal can initiate connection re-establishment at the target access point. In some cases, the accessibility can be determined by comparing the identifier obtained from the target access point with a list identifying the access points that the access terminal is allowed to access . For example, the access terminal 102 may maintain a list of closed user groups (corresponding to a collection of one or more member access points) that the access terminal is allowed to access. Therefore, when the closed user group identifier ("CSG ID") of the potential target access point is obtained, the access terminal 102 (for example, the switching controller 118) can use the permitted CSG list to determine whether to allow access to the terminal 102 access the target access point. If allowed, the access terminal 102 can perform random access at the potential target to initiate connection re-establishment. Therefore, according to the disclosed aspect, contrary to the conventional re-establishment initiated due to a radio link failure, the access terminal can initiate the connection re-establishment based on whether the access terminal is allowed to access.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, in the presence of confusion, the access point can prepare multiple potential targets for handover. For example, upon receiving a measurement report with a confused identifier, the access point 104 (e.g., the switching controller 120) may identify a set of possible target candidates (e.g., a set of access points using the same identifier). The access point 104 may then prepare each of these access points for the switching of the access terminal 102.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the access point can send handover preparation information for the set of prepared targets to the access terminal to be handed over. For example, when receiving switching preparation information from the access point 104 (for example, the switching controller 120), the access terminal 102 (for example, the switching controller 118) can determine whether the access point 104 has been prepared for switching by the access point 104. The target access point identified by the second identifier obtained by the terminal 102 is taken. If so, the access terminal 102 can perform random access at the potential target to complete the handover.

Identifier confusion can generally occur in networks such as the following: some access points provide macro coverage and other access points provide less coverage. For example, in the network 200 shown in FIG. 2, the macro coverage area 204 (for example, areas 204A and 204B) may be provided by the macro access point of a large area cellular network such as a 3G network. The road is usually called a macro cellular network or a wide area network ("WAN"). In addition, smaller coverage areas 206 (such as areas 206A and 206B) can be provided by access points such as residence-based or building-based network environments, which are often referred to as local area networks ("LAN") . When the access terminal moves through this kind of network, in some locations the access terminal can be served by the access point that provides macro coverage, while in other locations, the access terminal can be served by the access point that provides a smaller area coverage. Access point to serve. In some aspects, smaller area coverage access points can be used to provide capacity growth, in-building coverage, and different services, all of which result in a more robust user experience.

In the description of this article, a node that provides coverage on a larger area (such as an access point) can be referred to as a macro node, and a node that provides coverage on a smaller area (such as a residence) can be referred to as a macro node. Pico node. It should be appreciated that the teachings herein can be applied to nodes associated with other types of coverage areas. For example, a pico node may provide coverage in an area smaller than the macro area but larger than the femto area (e.g., coverage within a commercial building). In various applications, other terms can be used to refer to macro nodes, femto nodes, or other access point types of nodes. For example, a macro node can be configured or referred to as an access node, base station, access point, eNodeB, macro cell service area, and so on. Moreover, the femto node can be configured or referred to as a local node B, a local eNodeB, an access point base station, a femto cell service area, and so on. In some embodiments, a node may be associated with one or more cell service areas or sectors (e.g., be divided into one or more cell service areas or sectors). The cell service area or sector associated with a macro node, a femto node, or a pico node may be referred to as a macro cell service area, a femto cell service area, or a pico cell service area, respectively.

In the example of FIG. 2, multiple tracking areas 202 (or routing areas or location areas) are defined, and each tracking area includes multiple large coverage areas 204. Here, the coverage areas associated with the tracking areas 202A, 202B, and 202C are drawn with thick lines, and the macro coverage area 204 is represented by a larger hexagon. As mentioned above, the tracking area 202 may also include a femto coverage area 206. In this example, each femto coverage area 206 (e.g., femto coverage area 206C) is depicted within one or more macro coverage areas 204 (e.g., macro coverage area 204B). However, it should be appreciated that some or all of the femto coverage area 206 may not be within the macro coverage area 204. Moreover, one or more pico coverage areas (not shown) may be defined within a given tracking area 202 or macro coverage area 204.

In deployments where a large number of access points such as femto and pico nodes are located within a given area (for example, dense urban deployment), two or more of these access points may be assigned the same node identifier . For example, in the macro coverage area 204A, the same identifier may be assigned to the femto coverage areas 206A and 206D. In this case, node identifier confusion (for example, PCID confusion) may occur because multiple adjacent nodes near the service access point of the access terminal advertise the same node identifier. For example, in FIG. 1, the access points 106 and 110 may include femto nodes or pico nodes that advertise "Identifier 1" via corresponding broadcast pilot signals. In addition, these access points may all be near the access point 104 (for example, a macro access point) currently serving the access terminal 102. In this case, the access point 104 can be aware of the access points 106 and 110, and therefore, confusion may occur when instructing to switch to the access point identified by "identifier 1".

Generally, the obfuscation techniques described herein can be applied to any kind of nodes. However, in many deployments, macro access points in a given area will be planned so that there will be no confusion associated with switching to macro access points. In this case, the obfuscation technology taught in this article can be applied to any non-macro node in the network. Such non-macro nodes may include, for example, nodes deployed in an unplanned manner. As described above, such non-macro nodes may include femto nodes (for example, deployed by individuals) and low-power pico nodes deployed by service providers. Moreover, as will be discussed in more detail below, nodes can be restricted in certain ways (e.g. restricted access). Therefore, the obfuscation technology taught herein can be applied to restricted nodes (for example, nodes associated with closed user groups).

In view of the above overview, various techniques that can eliminate confusion according to the teachings herein will be described with reference to FIGS. 3-8C. Simply put, Figure 3 shows a number of components that can be used in an access point or an access terminal, and the flowcharts in Figures 4A-8C relate to various techniques for eliminating confusion.

For illustrative purposes, the operations of FIGS. 4A-8C (or any other operations discussed or taught herein) may be described as being performed by specific components (such as components of system 100 and/or components shown in FIG. 3). However, it should be recognized that these operations can be performed by other types of components and can be performed with a different number of components. It should also be recognized that one or more operations described herein may not be employed in a given implementation.

Figure 3 shows a number of exemplary components that may be incorporated into nodes such as access terminal 102 and access point 104 to perform obfuscation operations as taught herein. The components can also be incorporated into other nodes in the communication system. For example, other nodes in the system may include components similar to those described for the access terminal 102 and the access point 104 to provide similar functions. A given node may contain one or more of these components. For example, the access terminal may include multiple transceiver components, which enable the access terminal to operate on multiple frequencies and/or communicate via different technologies.

As shown in FIG. 3, the access terminal 102 and the access point 104 may respectively include transceivers 302 and 304 for communicating with other nodes. The transceiver 302 includes a transmitter 306 for transmitting a signal (e.g., a message) and a receiver 308 for receiving a signal (e.g., including a pilot frequency signal search). Similarly, the transceiver 304 includes a transmitter 310 for transmitting signals and a receiver 312 for receiving signals.

The access terminal 102 and the access point 104 also include other components, which can be used in conjunction with the obfuscation operations as taught herein. For example, the access terminal 102 and the access point 104 may include communication controllers 314 and 316, respectively, for managing communication with other nodes (for example, sending and receiving messages/instructions) and for providing other related functions as taught herein. In addition, the access terminal 102 and the access point 104 may respectively include switching controllers 318 and 320 (for example, corresponding to the switching controllers 118 and 120 in FIG. 1) for performing switching-related operations and for providing operations as described herein. Other related functions taught. The access terminal 102 and the access point 104 may include identifier controllers 322 (for example, corresponding to the identifier controller 114) and 324, respectively, for managing (for example, selecting, acquiring, requesting, etc.) node identifiers and for providing information such as Other related functions taught. The access terminal 102 may include an access controller 326 for determining whether the access terminal 102 is allowed to access the node and for providing other related functions as taught herein. The access point 104 may include a time gap controller 328 (for example, corresponding to the time gap controller 116) for providing a time gap indication for the access terminal 102 (for example, sending a time gap indication in a message) and for providing as described herein Other related functions for teaching. The access point 104 may include an obfuscation controller 330 for performing operations related to obfuscation and for providing other related functions as taught herein. For example, the confusion controller 330 may automatically detect actual or potential confusion, or upon receiving an indication of confusion from the access terminal 102, the confusion controller 320 may further determine whether there is confusion or may simply try to eliminate the confusion. In any of these cases, once the confusion is detected, the confusion controller 320 may perform or initiate various operations to eliminate the confusion (for example, request the access terminal 102 to obtain a unique identifier, provide a time gap, identify and prepare targets, etc.). Other example operations of the components of FIG. 3 are described below.

For convenience, the access terminal 102 and the access point 104 are shown in FIG. 3 as including components that can be used in the various examples described below in conjunction with FIGS. 4A-8C. In practice, one or more of the illustrated components may not be used in a given example. For example, in some embodiments, the access terminal 102 may not include the switching controller 318, and in some embodiments, the access point 104 may not include the time gap controller 328.

Figures 4A and 4B describe a scheme in which the access terminal uses the time slot configured by the network to obtain the second identifier of the potential target (for example, a unique identifier such as GCI). This solution will be described for the case where the access terminal automatically determines whether to obtain the obfuscation program of the second identifier. For example, the access terminal may compare the signal strength of the signal associated with the first identifier of the node with a threshold value to determine whether to acquire the second identifier. Therefore, the access terminal can acquire the second identifier without being requested by another node (for example, a service access point).

As shown in block 402, at some point in time, the network (such as the network node 120, such as an MME or a service access point) may configure a time gap for the access terminal. For example, in some cases, the network can configure a synchronous measurement gap, which defines the specific start time of the measurement gap, the duration of the measurement gap, and the period of the measurement gap. The network can then send an indication of the defined measurement gap to the access terminal. In some cases, the time gap can be provided by specifying that discontinuous reception ("DRX") will be used.

Referring now to block 404, in some embodiments, a set of identifiers in the node identifier space (eg, PCID space) may be reserved for non-macro nodes to simplify confusion elimination. By using such a defined set of identifiers, nodes that receive signals including identifiers from the set can easily determine that identifier confusion may occur. For example, it can be assumed or determined that certain femto nodes may be confused. Therefore, these femto nodes can be assigned the identifiers in the set, so that any node that receives the identifier broadcast by one of these femto nodes can easily determine that the second identifier should be acquired to ensure that no confusion occurs . In some embodiments, the set includes a set of designated values associated with access points designated as non-obfuscation exemptions. In some embodiments, the set includes a set of designated values associated with a closed user group (e.g., described below). In some embodiments, the set includes a set of specified values associated with at least one access point of a specified type (eg, node type). This type of designation may involve, for example, one or more of transmit power, coverage area, or relay capacity.

Therefore, at block 404, the access terminal may receive a defined set of first type identifiers. This list may include, for example, the set of node identifiers described above. In some embodiments, this list may be received from the service access point (e.g., the identifier controller 324 of the access point 104). For example, the service access point can identify all PCIDs that are obfuscated or possibly obfuscated, and provide the access terminal with a list of these identifiers. In some implementations, the set may be received from a configuration manager (e.g., network node 112), which keeps track of the reserved set of nodes to which the identifiers in the set are assigned. In some embodiments, the group may be generated based on information received from nodes in the system. For example, the target access point or some other access points may advertise that the second type of identifier (for example, GCI) must be used when accessing the target access point (for example, through neighbor list information).

As represented by block 406, the access terminal may receive a threshold value associated with the defined set of identifiers. For example, this threshold may specify the threshold signal strength value of the received signal that triggers the access terminal to obtain the second type identifier. This threshold may be defined and/or provided by the service access point or some other nodes. In some embodiments, this threshold may be defined as lower than the received signal strength threshold (for example, several dB lower) that triggers the switching operation. In some embodiments, the threshold may be specified as a relative offset from the signal strength of the target access point, or as an absolute threshold of the carrier-to-interference ratio ("C/I") from the target access point. In some cases, this threshold can be defined as equal to the signal strength of the signal from the current service access point plus an offset.

As represented by block 408, at some point in time, the access terminal will receive a signal associated with the first type identifier (e.g., including the first type identifier). For example, this signal can be acquired when an access terminal connected to a macro access point initiates a search for a neighboring femto node (such as a local eNodeB). When the access terminal detects the signal from the femto node, the access terminal can obtain the first type identifier (for example, PCID, PN offset, pilot frequency ID, sector ID, etc.) from the signal.

As shown in block 410, the access terminal may then determine whether the received identifier is in the list of identifiers obtained at block 404. In addition, the access terminal may determine whether the received signal strength of the signal received at block 410 is greater than or equal to the threshold value obtained at block 406.

As shown in blocks 412 and 414, if the criteria of block 410 are not met, the access terminal can continue to monitor signals from neighboring access points.

As shown in block 416 of FIG. 4B, if the criteria of block 410 are met, the access terminal (for example, the identifier controller 322) obtains the second type identifier (for example, GCI) associated with the identifier received at block 408 . Here, obtaining the second identifier may include monitoring other signals from the target access point containing the second identifier. For example, the target access point may broadcast the system information including the second identifier at a time interval whose frequency is lower than the frequency of the time interval during which the target access point broadcasts the first identifier (for example, PCID).

In some aspects, the access terminal uses the time slot configured by the network to obtain the second identifier (for example, by monitoring the signal from the target access point during the next available time slot). For example, in some embodiments, the GCI is sent every 20 ms via the system information block (such as SIB1). Furthermore, in some embodiments, each measurement gap is shorter than 20 ms (e.g., 6 ms). Therefore, in some cases, the first measurement gap instance may not overlap with SIB1. By making the length of the measurement period not a multiple of 20 ms, the subsequent measurement gap can be consistent with the target SIB transmission. Therefore, it is desirable that the network appropriately configure the period of the measurement gap (for example, 86 ms) so that the access terminal can effectively obtain the second identifier.

As shown in block 418, the access terminal (e.g., the identifier controller 322) sends a message to the source access point, the message including the identifier obtained at blocks 408 and 416 and the associated signal (e.g., the signal received at block 416) The received signal strength. This message can be sent just after the second identifier is obtained at block 416, or at other times. In some embodiments, this information is sent in the measurement report. For example, this report can be sent as soon as the received signal strength of the received signal (such as the pilot frequency from the target access point) exceeds the switching threshold.

As shown in block 420, when any potential confusion associated with the first identifier obtained at block 408 is eliminated by obtaining the second identifier, the access point (such as the switching controller 320) provides based on the message The second identifier and the received signal strength are used to determine whether to initiate a switching operation. If the switching operation is instructed, the access point will use the second identifier to prepare the target access point (for example, by sending a switching preparation message). In addition, the access point sends a handover command (such as an RRC reconfiguration message) to the access terminal. The access terminal can then communicate with the target and complete the handover (RRC reconfiguration complete).

In some aspects, the schemes of Figures 4A and 4B can show advantages in highly mobile environments. For example, this solution can achieve faster switching because the GCI can be read before the signal strength of the target access point is strong enough for the required switching. In addition, compared with other technologies, the number of measurement reports generated by the access terminal in the system can be reduced, because the measurement report can be issued only after the corresponding reporting threshold (for example, the RRC reporting threshold) is exceeded.

As mentioned above, some operations described herein may not be adopted in every implementation. For example, in some embodiments, the set of identifiers may not be provided to the access terminal at block 404 (e.g., the range of the PCID is obfuscated). In this case, the access terminal can report all the identifiers of the first type that it has overheard. In some cases, making such reports may still be subject to threshold constraints (e.g., only report those signals that exceed the threshold).

Figures 5A to 5C describe a scheme in which the access terminal uses an asynchronous time gap to obtain the second identifier (for example, a unique identifier, such as GCI) of a potential target. This solution will be described for a case where the access terminal reports to the access point that it has received a signal exceeding a threshold (for example, the GCI cancellation threshold) of the confusion elimination procedure. The access point then determines whether confusion has occurred or may occur, and if so, instructs the access terminal to obtain a second identifier (for example, GCI). Here, the operations of the blocks 502-512 may be similar to the operations of the blocks 404-414 of FIG. 4, respectively. Therefore, these operations will not be described again.

At block 514 of FIG. 5A, if the received identifier is in the list and the received signal strength exceeds the threshold (at block 510), the access terminal sends a message to the access point, the message including the identifier obtained at block 506 And the received signal strength of the associated signal. This message can be sent just after the identifier is obtained at block 506, or at other times. In some embodiments, this information is sent in the measurement report.

As shown in block 516 of FIG. 5B, the access point (e.g., the identifier controller 324) receives a message from the access terminal. The access terminal (such as the confusion controller 330) then determines whether multiple nodes may use the same identifier (ie, determines whether the received identifier can be used to identify at least one node other than the target access point). For example, this can be determined by comparing the identifier with a list that indicates which identifiers have been or may be assigned to different access points in the network (for example, the list is kept at the access point or elsewhere) ; By judging whether the identifier belongs to a defined set of identifiers (for example, a set of obfuscated identifiers provided in block 502); or by other means. Therefore, by determining whether there is confusion associated with the use of the received identifier (for example, whether or not confusion occurs or may occur), the access point can provide identifier confusion detection based on the received information. Here, confusion detection may be based on whether multiple nodes are actually using the same identifier or whether it is possible (for example, with high probability) that multiple nodes will use the same identifier. In addition, the aforementioned determination may optionally be based on the received signal strength of any detected signal associated with the identifier.

As shown in blocks 518 and 520, if confusion is not detected, the access point can proceed with standard operations. For example, the access point may determine whether the handover is permitted, and if so, determine the second identifier of the target based on the first type identifier received via the measurement report.

Conversely, as shown in block 522, if confusion is detected, the access point will send one or more messages to the access terminal. For example, the access terminal may send a request to request the access terminal to obtain a second identifier (e.g., CGI) associated with the received identifier. In addition, the access terminal (for example, the time gap controller 328) may send an asynchronous time gap indication to the access terminal, so that the access terminal can temporarily stop monitoring the transmission performed by the access terminal. This will allow the access terminal to more effectively monitor the transmission from the target access point during the time gap to obtain the second identifier.

As mentioned above, the non-synchronized time slot does not have synchronized timing. For example, in contrast to conventional measurement gaps, non-synchronized time gaps do not have a definite period (for example, they start at certain periodically occurring signal frame numbers). Therefore, the asynchronous time gap may not have a definite start time (for example, a start time synchronized with the system clock). As a specific example, in some cases, it may be defined that the asynchronous time gap starts when the access terminal receives the indication of the time gap. In addition, the non-synchronized time gap may not have a definite end time (for example, a designated time synchronized with the system clock). For example, in some cases, it may be defined that the asynchronous time gap ends when the access terminal obtains the second identifier. Therefore, using the non-synchronized time gap, the access terminal can automatically exit the time gap configured by the network. Therefore, the non-synchronized time gap may not have a definite duration. However, in some cases, a maximum limit (for example, 4-5 seconds) can be defined, after which the monitoring of the second identifier is terminated.

The time gap can be defined in various ways. In some embodiments, the time gap can be implemented as a measurement gap. In some embodiments, intermittent reception may be used to implement the time gap.

The access point can send an indication of the time gap to the access terminal in various ways. In some cases, the access point may send the indication along with the request for the second identifier (for example, in the same MAC frame as the request). In some cases, the access point uses measurement gaps or DRX configuration to send RRC reconfiguration messages.

As represented by block 524, the access terminal (e.g., the identifier controller 322) receives the request including the indication. In addition, the access terminal (e.g., the communication controller 314 that determines when to send and receive) receives the time gap indication. Advantageously, in this case, when the message is received, the next time slot for reading the second identifier can be immediately available. Therefore, as shown in block 526, the access terminal (e.g., receiver 308) can immediately monitor the transmission from the target access point in order to obtain the second identifier as described below. The time gap can then be terminated as shown in block 528 of Figure 5C (e.g., once the second identifier is obtained). As shown in block 530, the access terminal (e.g., the identifier controller 322) responds to the request of block 522 by sending a message (e.g., measurement report) including the second identifier to the access point.

As shown in block 532, the access point receives the message so that the access point can eliminate confusion. Here, the access point receiving message can be used as an indication to the access point, which indicates that the time gap has ended.

As shown in block 534, the access point (e.g., switch controller 320) may determine whether to initiate the switch based on the second identifier and the received signal strength (e.g., as described herein). If the switch is instructed, the access point will use the second identifier to prepare the target access point (for example, by sending a switch preparation message). The access point sends a switching command to the access terminal, and the access terminal communicates with the target to complete the switching.

One or more of the operations described above may not be used in a given implementation. For example, in some embodiments, the set of identifiers may not be provided to the access terminal at block 502 (e.g., the range of the PCID is obfuscated). In this case, the access terminal can report all the identifiers of the first type that it has overheard. In some cases, making such reports may still be subject to threshold constraints.

In some embodiments, the threshold test can also be omitted. For example, the access terminal may instead simply report every identifier of the first type it has overheard. Upon receiving these reports, the access point can determine whether there is or possible confusion for each identifier (for example, at block 516). If confusion is detected here, the access point may send a request for the second identifier to the access terminal along with the time gap indication (e.g., at block 522). The access terminal can then return the report of the second identifier, and if permitted, can start the handover operation as described above.

Figures 6A-6D show a scheme in which if the access terminal determines that it is allowed to access the target, the access terminal initiates the connection re-establishment at the target. This scheme will be described for the following obfuscation procedure: in which if the associated signal exceeds the threshold, the access terminal reports the first identifier to the access point, and obtains it when an indication of an asynchronous time gap is received from the access point The second identifier (for example, GCI). However, it should be recognized that the disclosure of FIGS. 6A-6D can be applied to other obfuscation procedures that do not include all the operations described below. For example, in some embodiments, asynchronous time gaps may not be used.

As shown in block 602, at some point in time, the access terminal will receive a signal (e.g., pilot channel) from the potential target and obtain a first identifier (e.g., PCID) associated with the potential target. Therefore, the operation of block 602 may be similar to the operation of block 408 described above.

As shown in block 604, in some embodiments, the access terminal (e.g., the access controller 326) may determine whether it may be in the vicinity of a potential target access point that the access terminal may be allowed to access (e.g., the access Click the cell service area). The access terminal can use various techniques to determine whether it is likely to be near such a potential target (for example, the local eNodeB). For example, in some cases, the judgment may be based on automatic search. In some cases, the access terminal can use global positioning system technology to determine its geographic location and associate the location with the known location of the potential target or other nodes near the potential target. In some cases, the access terminal may determine whether it is near a given access point based on signals received from other nodes near the potential target (for example, based on the phase delay of the received signal).

Based on the above judgment, the access terminal (for example, the access controller 326) can generate a corresponding indication (for example, a possibility indication called permission). For example, the indication may indicate the probability of whether the access terminal is close to the potential target.

As shown in block 606, the access terminal (e.g., the identifier controller 322) determines whether to report the reception of the signal received in block 602. This judgment can be based on one or more criteria.

In some cases, the determination of block 606 is based on whether the signal strength of the received signal is greater than or equal to a threshold. For example, as described at block 406, this threshold may be defined as equal to the signal strength of the signal from the current service access point plus the offset.

In some cases, the determination of block 606 is based on the permission likelihood indication. For example, if the indication meets or exceeds the defined probability, the access terminal may allow the reception of the report signal.

As shown in blocks 608 and 610, if the criteria of block 606 are not met, the access terminal can continue to monitor signals from neighboring access points.

As shown in block 612, if the criteria of block 606 are met, the access terminal (such as the identifier controller 322) sends a report message (such as a measurement report) to its service access point. This report message may include the identifier obtained in block 602 and the received signal strength of the associated signal. In some embodiments, the report message also includes an indication of the possibility of permission.

As shown in block 614 of FIG. 6B, the access point (e.g., the identifier controller 324) receives a message from the access terminal. The access terminal then determines whether to initiate operations related to the handover or maintain the access terminal service. In some aspects, the determination may be based on a determination of whether multiple nodes may use the reported identifier (for example, a determination made by the confusion controller 330). For example, this operation may be performed as described at block 516.

In some cases, the determination of block 614 is based on the permission possibility indication received from the access terminal. For example, if the indication indicates a low probability (e.g., below a threshold), the access point may not initiate switching. Conversely, if the indication indicates a high probability (e.g., reaching or above the threshold), the access point can initiate a handover (e.g., under conditions that other handover criteria are met).

As shown in blocks 616 and 618, if it is determined not to perform the handover, the access point can continue normal operation (for example, continue to serve the access terminal).

As shown in block 620, if it is decided to perform a handover and confusion is detected, the access point sends one or more messages to the access terminal. For example, the asynchronous time gap indication as described above at block 522 may be sent to enable the access terminal to obtain the second identifier. In addition, in some embodiments, the access point may send an indication whether to allow the access terminal to initiate connection re-establishment.

As shown in block 622 of FIG. 6C, the access terminal (such as the communication controller 314) receives the time gap indication and (in some cases) the rebuild indication. As described above, the time gap for reading the second identifier can be started when the time gap indication is received.

As represented by block 624, the access terminal may monitor transmissions from the target access point during the time gap. Therefore, the access terminal (e.g., instructing controller 324) may obtain the second identifier as described at block 526. In addition, in some embodiments, the access terminal (e.g., the identifier controller 322) may obtain another identifier associated with the target access point. For example, the access terminal may obtain an indication of the group (for example, a closed user group) to which the target broadcast by the target belongs. The time gap may then be terminated as indicated by block 626 (e.g., once the identifier is obtained).

Referring now to block 628, as described above, in some embodiments, the access terminal may be conditionally allowed to initiate connection re-establishment. For example, the access terminal may only be allowed to initiate connection re-establishment when it receives authorization (for example, by receiving a corresponding instruction from the service access point or some other node).

Therefore, as shown in blocks 628 and 630, the access terminal (e.g., the switching controller 318) determines whether it is allowed to initiate connection re-establishment (e.g., determining whether it receives an instruction at block 620). If not allowed, as shown in block 632, the access terminal may only send a message (such as a measurement report) including the second identifier to the access point. The access terminal can then wait for the access point to determine whether to permit the switch. If the access terminal is allowed to initiate connection re-establishment, the operation flow instead proceeds to block 634 in FIG. 6D.

As shown in block 634, the access terminal (e.g., access controller 326) determines whether it is allowed to access the target access point. For example, as discussed in detail below, some access points (such as a local eNodeB) may only provide access to a selected group of access terminals (such as access terminals belonging to a certain user).

The determination at block 634 can be implemented in various ways. In some cases, the access terminal maintains a list of access points that the access terminal is allowed to access (this can be referred to as a permission list).

In some embodiments, the permission list may include a list of access points (e.g., identified by a unique identifier such as GCI) that the access terminal is allowed to access. In this case, when the second identifier that uniquely identifies the potential target is acquired, the access terminal 102 can use the list to determine whether the access terminal 102 is allowed to access the potential target.

In some embodiments, the permission list may include a list of one or more groups (e.g., identified by a group identifier such as a CSG ID) that the access terminal is allowed to access. In this case, the access terminal 102 can compare the corresponding identifier (for example, CSG ID) received from the target access point with the identifier in the permission list to determine whether to allow access.

As shown in blocks 636 and 638, if access is not allowed, the access terminal can continue to monitor signals from neighboring access points.

As shown in block 640, if access is allowed, the access terminal (such as the switching controller 318) attempts to reestablish the current connection at the target access point. To this end, the access terminal can perform random access at the target access point and send a reconstruction request to the target.

As shown in block 642, the target access point can then initiate the forward handover by initiating a backhaul signal with the source access point to complete the handover. The target access point and the access terminal then exchange messages to complete the reconstruction, and release the source access point to complete the switch (block 644). In this case, the beginning of the forward handoff can serve as an indication to the access point to indicate that the time gap has ended.

Figures 7A-7D describe a scheme in which if confusion is detected, the access point prepares multiple target nodes for handover. In some aspects, this approach can reduce the time it takes to switch the access terminal to the desired target. 7A-7D are also described for the following obfuscation procedures: if the associated signal exceeds the threshold, the access terminal reports the first identifier to the access point, and then when an indication of an asynchronous time gap is received from the access point Acquire a second identifier (for example, GCI), and then initiate connection re-establishment at the target that broadcasts the second identifier. Likewise, it should be recognized that the disclosure of FIGS. 7A-7D can be applied to other obfuscation procedures that do not include all the operations described below.

The operations of blocks 702-720 may be similar to the operations of blocks 602-620 of FIG. 6, respectively. Therefore, these operations will not be described again.

As shown in block 722 of FIG. 7B, along with providing a time gap to enable the access terminal to obtain the second identifier (block 720), the access point (for example, the switching controller 320) can identify one or more target access points To prepare for the switch. That is, in the case where the confusion of the identifier (for example, PCID) is detected, multiple potential targets can be prepared for the handover, so as to increase the possibility of preparing the desired target to process the reconstruction request from the access terminal. In this way, compared with the procedures of FIGS. 6A-6D (in which the source and target exchange messages related to the switching command after the reconstruction request is issued), once the reconstruction message is received, the switching can be completed more quickly.

Access points can use various schemes to identify potential targets in preparation for handover. In some cases, the access point may prepare all access points that it knows will use the same identifier as the reported identifier. In some cases, the access point may choose to prepare only a part of these access points. The following are a few examples of criteria that can be used to select the access point to be prepared for handover.

In some embodiments, the access points known to allow the access terminal are prioritized for handover preparation. For example, based on the CSG ID of the access point that appears in the permitted CSG list of the access terminal, it can be known that the access terminal is allowed at the access point. It can be known that the access terminal is allowed at the access point based on the access point that is the unrestricted CSG access point or the hybrid CSG access point. It can be known from the access point that is the open access point that the access terminal is allowed at the access point. On the contrary, it is not necessary to prepare an access point known to not allow access to the terminal for the handover. Therefore, the access terminal (for example, the switching controller 320) can receive an instruction about whether to allow the access terminal to access an access point, and distinguish the priority order of the identification of the block 722 based on the instruction.

In some embodiments, the access point near the current location of the access terminal is preferentially used for handover preparation. For example, the access terminal can send an indication of its location to its service access point. The service access point can determine whether the access terminal is near the access point using the confused identifier based on the location indication. If so, the serving access point can give higher priority to preparing the access point for handover. In some cases, the location of the access terminal can be known based on GPS reports. In some cases, the location of the access terminal can be known based on other access points (including non-macro access points) that the access terminal has visited in the past. In these cases, the source can prepare these neighboring and/or previously visited access points, and optionally the neighboring access points of the previously visited access points. Therefore, in some cases, the access terminal (for example, the switching controller 320) may receive an indication as to whether the access terminal is near the access point, and distinguish the priority order of the identification of the block 722 based on the indication. Moreover, in some cases, the access terminal (for example, the switching controller 320) may receive an indication as to whether the access terminal has previously accessed the access point, and distinguish the priority order of the identification of the block 722 based on the indication. Here, for example, access points or other network nodes (for example, each access point that maintains a list of access terminals that have been accessed; or which access points have been accessed by which access terminals The recorded centralized network node) receives the instruction.

Referring to block 724 of FIG. 7C, once potential targets are identified, the access point (eg, switching controller 320) prepares each of the potential targets for switching. For example, the access point can send a handover request message to each of these potential targets and receive a corresponding response. Together with this operation, the access point can prepare or obtain handover preparation information for each potential target. The information may include, for example, temporary identifiers (such as C-RNTI) allocated on the service area of each target cell, security information, and other configuration information commonly used for handover.

The operations of blocks 726-744 may be similar to the operations of blocks 622-640 of FIG. 6, respectively. Therefore, the description of these operations will not be repeated.

As shown in block 746 of FIG. 7D, in the case where the desired target is one of the potential targets prepared by the source access point, switching can be quickly completed by exchanging reconstruction messages between the target and the access terminal. After the source access point is released, the switch is completed. In this case, the release of the source access point can act as an indication to the access point that the time gap has ended.

In the event that the source access point has not prepared the correct target for the handover, the handover procedure may return to the procedure of blocks 642-644 of FIG. 6. That is, upon receiving a re-establishment request from the access terminal, the unprepared target can initiate the forward handover.

Figures 8A-8D describe a scheme in which the access point sends handover preparation information related to preparing one or more target nodes for handover to the access terminal. In this case, the access terminal can determine whether to allow it to access the target based on the handover preparation information. This solution will be described for the following obfuscation procedure: if the associated signal exceeds the threshold, the access terminal reports the first identifier to the access point, and then obtains the first identifier when receiving an indication of an asynchronous time gap from the access point. Second identifier (for example, GCI), and then send a reconfiguration complete message to the target broadcasting the second identifier. Likewise, it should be recognized that the disclosure of FIGS. 8A-8D can be applied to other obfuscation procedures that do not include all the operations described below.

The operations of blocks 802-818, 820, and 822 may be similar to the operations of blocks 702-718, 722, and 724 of FIG. 7, respectively. Therefore, the description of these operations will not be repeated.

As shown in block 824 of FIG. 8C, in addition to sending a time gap indication and optionally sending a re-establishment indication as described above in block 720, the access point may send handover preparation information to the access terminal. For example, the access point (such as the switching controller 320) may send the switching preparation material described in block 724 corresponding to each target access point prepared for switching in block 822. Together with this information, the access point (for example, the switching controller 320) can also send a second identifier (for example, GCI) of each prepared target access point to the access terminal.

As represented by block 826, the access terminal receives the time gap indication and (in some cases) the reconstruction indication as described above. In addition, the access terminal (for example, the switching controller 318) may receive switching preparation information from the source access point. Similarly, the time gap for reading the second identifier can be started when the time gap indication is received. As shown in block 828, the access terminal (for example, the identifier controller 322) may monitor the transmission from the target access point during the time gap to obtain the second identifier and optionally the group identifier as described above. (E.g. CSG ID). The time gap may be ended when the identifier is obtained (block 830).

As shown in block 832 of FIG. 8D, the access terminal (for example, the switching controller 318) determines whether the target from which the access terminal receives a signal is one of the targets prepared by the source access point. For example, the access terminal may determine whether the identifier received at block 828 matches the corresponding target identifier (eg, GCI) received with the handover preparation information at block 826.

As shown in blocks 834 and 836, if there is no match (ie, the desired target is not prepared), the access terminal may return to the procedures of blocks 642-644 of FIG. 6. That is, if the access terminal is allowed to access the desired target (for example, as determined above), the access terminal sends a reconstruction request to the desired target. Upon receiving this reconstruction request, the unprepared target can initiate a forward handover.

As shown in block 838, if there is a match at block 834, the access terminal (such as the switching controller 318) may perform random access at the target access point and send a reconfiguration complete message to the target. In this case, the access terminal uses the handover preparation information for the target provided by the source access point to complete the handover. Therefore, the handover can be completed more quickly in this solution, because the additional message communication between the access terminal and the target may not be required (block 840). Similarly, the release of the source access point can be used as an indication to the access point to inform that the time gap has ended.

As mentioned above, the teachings of this document can be implemented in networks that employ macro access points and femto nodes. Figures 9 and 10 show examples of how access points can be deployed in such a network. FIG. 9 shows in a simplified manner how the cell service area 902 (for example, the macro cell service area 902A-902G) of the wireless communication system 900 can be served by the corresponding access point 904 (for example, the access point 904A-904G). Here, the macro cell service area 902 may correspond to the macro coverage area 204 of FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 9, the access terminals 906 (for example, the access terminals 906A-906L) can be scattered in various locations in the entire system over time. Depending on whether the access terminal 906 is active and whether it is in, for example, soft handoff, each access terminal 906 can be in the forward link ("FL") and/or reverse link ("RL") at a given moment. ) To communicate with one or more access points 904. By using this cellular solution, the wireless communication system 900 can provide services over a large geographic area. For example, each of the macro cell service areas 902A-902G may cover multiple neighborhoods or multiple square miles in a rural environment.

Figure 10 shows an example of how one or more femto nodes can be deployed within a network environment (such as system 900). In the system 1000 of FIG. 10, multiple femto nodes 1010 (for example, femto nodes 1010A and 1010B) are installed in a network environment covered by a relatively small area (for example, in one or more user residences 1030). Each femto node 1010 can be coupled to a wide area network 1040 (such as the Internet) and a mobile service provider core network 1050 via a DSL router, cable modem, wireless link, or other connection device (not shown).

The owner of the femto node 1010 can subscribe to mobile services provided through the mobile service provider core network 1050, such as 3G mobile services. In addition, the access terminal 1020 may be able to work in a larger environment and a smaller area coverage (for example, residential) network environment. In other words, according to the current location of the access terminal 1020, the access terminal 1020 can be controlled by the macro cell service area access point 1060 associated with the mobile service provider core network 1050 or by a group of femto nodes 1010 (for example, located in Any one of femto nodes 1010A and 1010B) within the corresponding user residence 1030 will serve. For example, when the user is outside his home, the user can be served by a standard macro access point (such as access point 1060), and when the user is near or in his home, the user can be served by a femto node (such as Node 1010A) services. Here, the femto node 1010 can be backward compatible with the legacy access terminal 1020.

The femto node 1010 can be deployed on a single frequency or on multiple frequencies. Depending on the specific configuration, a single frequency or one or more of the multiple frequencies may overlap with one or more frequencies used by a macro access point (e.g., access point 1060).

In some aspects, the access terminal 1020 can be used to connect to a preferred femto node (e.g., the local femto node of the access terminal 1020), as long as such a connection is possible. For example, as long as the access terminal 1020A is located within the user's residence 1030, it may be desired that the access terminal 1020A only communicates with the local femto node 1010A or 1010B.

In some aspects, if the access terminal 1020 works within the macro cellular network 1050 but is not on its most preferred network (for example, as defined in the preferred roaming list), the access terminal 1020 may Use better system reselection ("BSR") to continue searching for the most preferred network (for example, the preferred femto node 1010), which may involve periodic scans of available systems to determine if a better system is currently available, and next Efforts to be associated with this preferred system. With the acquisition item, the access terminal 1020 can restrict the search for specific frequency bands and channels. For example, one or more femto channels can be defined, whereby all femto nodes (or all restricted femto nodes) in the area work on the femto channels. The search for the most preferred system can be repeated periodically. Upon discovering the preferred femto node 1010, the access terminal 1020 selects the femto node 1010 to operate within its coverage area.

Femto nodes may be restricted in some ways. For example, a given femto node may only provide specific services to specific access terminals. In a deployment with a so-called restricted (or closed) association, a given access terminal can only consist of a macro cellular mobile network and a defined set of femto nodes (for example, within the corresponding user residence 1030) Femto node 1010) service. In some embodiments, the node may be restricted to at least one node and not providing at least one of the following items: signaling, data access, login, paging, or service.

In some aspects, a restricted femto node (also referred to as a closed user group local node B) is a femto node that provides services to a restricted group of access terminals. This group can be expanded temporarily or permanently when necessary. In some aspects, a closed user group ("CSG") can be defined as a collection of access points (such as femto nodes) that share a common access control list of an access terminal.

Therefore, various relationships may exist between a given femto node and a given access terminal. For example, from the perspective of an access terminal, an open femto node may refer to a femto node that has no restricted association (for example, a femto node that allows access to any access terminal). A restricted femto node may refer to a femto node that is restricted in some manner (e.g., restricted for association and/or login). A local femto node may refer to a femto node authorized to access and work on the access terminal (for example, to provide permanent access to a defined set of one or more access terminals). A guest femto node may refer to a femto node on which an access terminal is temporarily authorized to access or work on it. A foreign femto node may refer to a femto node on which an unauthorized access terminal accesses or works on, except for possible emergencies (such as a 911 call).

From the perspective of a restricted femto node, a local access terminal may refer to an access terminal authorized to access the restricted femto node (for example, an access terminal with permanent access to the femto node). A guest access terminal may refer to an access terminal that has temporary access permission to restricted femto nodes (for example, restrictions based on deadlines, usage time, bytes, number of connections, or some other standard). External access terminals can refer to: except for possible emergencies (e.g. 911 calls), access terminals that are not permitted to access restricted femto nodes (e.g., access terminals that are not trusted or permitted to log in to restricted femto nodes). Take the terminal).

For convenience, the disclosure herein describes various functions for femto nodes. However, it should be recognized that pico nodes can provide the same or similar functions for a larger coverage area. For example, a pico node can be restricted, a local pico node can be defined for a given access terminal, and so on.

The teachings herein can be implemented in various types of communication devices. In some aspects, the teachings herein can be implemented in wireless devices that can be deployed in multiple access communication systems that can simultaneously support communication for multiple wireless access terminals. Here, each terminal can communicate with one or more access points via transmissions on the forward and reverse links. The forward link (or downlink) refers to the communication link from the access point to the terminal, and the reverse link (or uplink) refers to the communication link from the terminal to the access point. The communication link can be established through a single-in-single-out, multiple-in-multiple-out ("MIMO") system, or some other type of system.

For illustration, FIG. 11 depicts exemplary communication components that may be employed in wireless devices in the environment of a MIMO-based system 1100. The system 1100 uses multiple (<i>N</i>_<i>T</i>) Transmitting antenna and multiple (<i>N</i>_<i>R</i>) The receiving antenna performs data transmission. Can be made by<i>N</i>_<i>T</i>Transmit antennas and<i>N</i>_<i>R</i>The MIMO channel formed by two receiving antennas is decomposed into<i>N</i>_<i>S</i>Independent channels, which are also called spatial channels, where<img file="TW201010463A_D0001.tif" />。<i>N</i>_<i>S</i>Each of the three independent channels corresponds to a dimension. If the additional dimensions established by multiple transmit and receive antennas are utilized, the MIMO system can provide improved performance (e.g., higher throughput and/or greater reliability).

The system 1100 can support time division duplex ("TDD") and frequency division duplex ("FDD"). In a TDD system, the forward and reverse link transmissions are in the same frequency domain, so the mutual principle allows the forward link channel to be estimated based on the reverse link channel. This allows the access point to extract the transmit beamforming gain on the forward link when multiple antennas are available at the access point.

The system 1100 includes a wireless device 1110 (such as an access point) and a wireless device 1150 (such as an access terminal). In the device 1110, a data source 1112 provides a transmission ("TX") data processor 1114 with traffic data of multiple data streams.

In some aspects, each data stream is sent through a corresponding transmitting antenna. The TX data processor 1114 formats, encodes, and interleaves the traffic data of each data stream based on the specific encoding scheme selected for the data stream to provide encoded data.

The OFDM technology can be used to multiplex the coded data of each data stream to guide the frequency data. The pilot frequency data is usually a known data model processed in a known manner, and can be used at the receiver system to evaluate the channel response. Then based on the specific modulation scheme selected for the data stream (for example, BPSK, QPSK, M-PSK or M-QAM) to modulate (ie symbol mapping) the multiplexed pilot frequency and coding data of each data stream to provide modulation symbol. Instructions that can be executed by the processor 1130 determine the data rate, coding, and modulation used for each data stream. The data memory 1132 can store program codes, data, and other information used by the processor 1130 or other components of the device 1110.

The TX MIMO processor 1120 is then provided with the modulation symbols of all data streams, and the TX MIMO processor 1120 can further process the modulation symbols (for example, for OFDM). TX MIMO processor 1120 then sends<i>N</i>_<i>T</i>Two transceivers ("XCVR") 1122A to 1122T provide<i>N</i>_<i>T</i>A stream of modulation symbols. In some aspects, the TX MIMO processor 1120 applies beamforming weights to the symbols of the data stream and the antenna that transmits the symbols.

Each transceiver 1122 receives and processes a corresponding symbol stream to provide one or more analog signals, and further adjusts (e.g., amplifies, filters, and upconverts) the analog signals to provide a modulated signal suitable for transmission through a MIMO channel. And then separately from<i>N</i>_<i>T</i>The antennas 1124A to 1124T transmit from the transceivers 1122A to 1122T<i>N</i>_<i>T</i>A modulation signal.

At device 1150, by<i>N</i>_<i>R</i>The two antennas 1152A to 1152R receive the transmitted modulated signal, and provide the received signal from each antenna 1152 to the corresponding transceiver ("XCVR") 1154A to 1154R. Each transceiver 1154 adjusts (eg, filters, amplifies, and down-converts) the corresponding received signal, digitizes the adjusted signal to provide samples, and further processes the samples to provide a corresponding "received" symbol stream.

The receiving ("RX") data processor 1160 then receives and processes data from<i>N</i>_<i>R</i>Transceiver 1154<i>N</i>_<i>R</i>Received symbol streams to provide<i>N</i>_<i>T</i>Streams of "checked" symbols. The RX data processor 1160 then demodulates, deinterleaves and decodes each detected symbol stream to recover the traffic data of the data stream. The processing performed by the RX data processor 1160 is complementary to the processing performed by the TX MIMO processor 1120 and the TX data processor 1114 at the device 1110.

The processor 1170 periodically determines which precoding matrix to use (as described below). The processor 1170 compiles a reverse link message including a matrix index part and a rank value part. The data memory 1172 can store program codes, data, and other information used by the processor 1170 or other components of the device 1150.

The reverse link message can include various information about the communication link and/or the received data stream. The reverse link message can then be processed by TX data processor 1138, modulated by modulator 1180, conditioned by transceivers 1154A to 1154R, and sent back to device 1110. TX data processor 1138 also receives multiple data streams from data source 1136 Communications information.

At device 1110, the modulated signal from device 1150 is received by antenna 1124, conditioned by transceiver 1122, demodulated by demodulator ("DEMOD") 1140, and processed by RX data processor 1142 to extract the signal sent by device 1150 Reverse link message. The processor 1130 then determines which precoding matrix to use to determine the beamforming weights, and then processes the extracted information.

Figure 11 also shows that the communication components may include one or more components that perform obfuscation control operations as taught herein. For example, the confusion control component 1190 may cooperate with the processor 1130 and/or other components of the device 1110 to send/receive signals to/from another device (for example, the device 1150) as taught herein. Similarly, the confusion control component 1192 may cooperate with the processor 1170 and/or other components of the device 1150 to send/receive signals to/from another device (for example, the device 1110). It should be appreciated that for each of the devices 1110 and 1150, a single component may provide the functions of two or more of the components. For example, a single processing component may provide the functions of the confusion control component 1190 and the processor 1130, and a single processing component may provide the functions of the confusion control component 1192 and the processor 1170.

The teachings herein can be incorporated into various communication systems and/or system components. In some aspects, this document can be used in multiple access systems that can support communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (for example, by specifying one or more bandwidths, transmit power, encoding, interleaving, etc.) Teachings. For example, the teachings of this article can be applied to any one or combination of the following technologies: Code Division Multiple Access ("CDMA") system, Multi-Carrier CDMA ("MCCDMA"), Broadband CDMA ("W-CDMA") , High-speed packet access ("HSPA", "HSPA+") system, time division multiple access ("TDMA") system, frequency division multiple access ("FDMA") system, single carrier FDMA ("SC-FDMA") ") system, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access ("OFDMA") system or other multiple access technology. The wireless communication system taught herein can be designed to implement one or more standards, such as IS-95, cdma2000, IS-856, W-CDMA, TDSCDMA, and other standards. CDMA networks can implement radio technologies such as Universal Terrestrial Radio Access ("UTRA"), cdma2000, or some other technologies. UTRA includes W-CDMA and low chip rate ("LCR"). cdma2000 technology covers IS-2000, IS-95 and IS-856 standards. TDMA networks can implement radio technologies such as the Global System for Mobile Communications ("GSM"). OFDMA network can implement such as Evolved UTRA ("E-UTRA"), IEEE 802.11, IEEE 802.16, IEEE 802.20, Flash-OFDM<img file="TW201010463A_D0002.tif" />And other radio technologies. UTRA, E-UTRA and GSM are part of the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System ("UMTS"). The teachings herein can be implemented in 3GPP Long Term Evolution ("LTE") systems, Ultra Mobile Broadband ("UMB") systems, and other types of systems. LTE is a version of UMTS that uses E-UTRA. Although 3GPP terminology can be used to describe specific aspects of the present disclosure, it should be understood that the teachings herein can be applied to 3GPP (Re199, Re15, Re16, Re17) technology and 3GPP2 (IxRTT, 1xEV-DO RelO, RevA, RevB) Technology and other technologies.

The teachings herein can be incorporated into various devices (e.g., nodes) (e.g., implemented in the device or executed by the device). In some aspects, nodes (eg, wireless nodes) implemented in accordance with the teachings herein may include access points or access terminals.

For example, an access terminal may include, be implemented as, or be referred to as user equipment, user station, user unit, mobile station, mobile device, mobile node, remote station, remote terminal, user terminal, user agent, user equipment, or Some other terms. In some embodiments, access terminals may include cellular phones, wireless phones, conversation initiation protocol ("SIP") phones, wireless local loop ("WLL") stations, personal digital assistants ("PDAs"), and wireless connections. A capable handheld device, or some other appropriate processing device connected to a wireless modem. Therefore, one or more aspects taught herein can be incorporated into telephones (such as cellular phones or smart phones), computers (such as laptops), portable communication devices, portable computing devices (such as personal data assistants). ), entertainment equipment (such as music equipment, video equipment, or satellite radio), global positioning system equipment, or any other suitable equipment for communicating via wireless media.

Access points may include, be implemented as, or be referred to as Node B, eNodeB, Radio Network Controller ("RNC"), Base Station ("BS"), Radio Base Station ("RBS"), Base Station Controller ("BSC"), base station transceiver ("BTS"), transceiver function ("TF"), radio transceiver, wireless router, basic service set ("BSS"), extended service set ("ESS"), Macro cell service area, macro node, local eNB ("HeNB"), femto cell service area, femto node, pico node or some other similar terms.

In some aspects, nodes (eg, access points) may include access nodes for communication systems. For example, such an access node may provide a connection to a network (such as a wide area network such as the Internet or a cellular network) via a wired or wireless communication link to the network. Therefore, an access node can enable another node (such as an access terminal) to access the network or some other functions. In addition, it should be recognized that one or both of the nodes may be portable, or in some cases relatively non-portable.

Moreover, it should be recognized that wireless nodes may be able to send and/or receive information in a non-wireless manner (e.g., via a wired connection). Therefore, the receivers and transmitters described herein may include appropriate communication interface components (such as electrical or optical interface components) to communicate via non-wireless media.

The wireless nodes can communicate via one or more wireless communication links based on or supporting any suitable wireless communication technology. For example, in some aspects, wireless nodes can be associated with the network. In some aspects, the network may include a local area network or a wide area network. The wireless device may support or use one or more of a variety of wireless communication technologies, protocols, or standards such as those described herein (e.g., CDMA, TDMA, OFDM, OFDMA, WiMAX, Wi-Fi, etc.). Similarly, the wireless node can support or use one or more of various corresponding modulation or multiplexing schemes. Therefore, the wireless node may include appropriate components (such as an air interface) to establish one or more wireless communication links using the above or other wireless communication technologies and communicate via the wireless communication links. For example, a wireless node may include a wireless transceiver with associated transmitter and receiver components, which may include various components that facilitate communication through wireless media (such as signal generators and signal processors).

The functions described herein (for example, related to one or more drawings) may be similarly described as functions of "members for" in some aspects corresponding to the appended claims. Referring to Figures 12-16, the devices 1200, 1300, 1400, 1500, and 1600 are represented as a series of interrelated functional modules. Here, the message receiving module 1202 may correspond to, for example, the identifier controller described herein in at least some aspects. The identifier judgment module 1204 may correspond to the confusion controller described herein, for example, in at least some aspects. The message sending module 1206 can correspond to, for example, the time gap controller described herein in at least some aspects. The request sending module 1208 may correspond to, for example, the identifier controller described herein in at least some aspects. The identifier receiving module 1210 may correspond to the identifier controller described herein, for example, in at least some aspects. The identifier use module 1212 may correspond to the switching controller described herein, for example, in at least some aspects. The request receiving module 1302 may correspond to, for example, the identifier controller described herein in at least some aspects. The message receiving module 1304 can correspond to, for example, the communication controller described herein in at least some aspects. The transmission monitoring module 1306 may correspond to, for example, the receiver described herein in at least some aspects. The identifier report module 1308 may correspond to the identifier controller described herein, for example, in at least some aspects. The identifier acquisition module 1402 may correspond to, for example, the identifier controller described herein in at least some aspects. The access determination module 1404 may correspond to, for example, the access controller described herein in at least some aspects. The reconstruction initiation module 1406 may correspond to, for example, the switching controller described herein in at least some aspects. The identifier report module 1408 may correspond to the identifier controller described herein, for example, in at least some aspects. The instruction receiving module 1410 may correspond to, for example, the communication controller described herein in at least some aspects. The instruction judgment module 1412 may correspond to the switching controller described herein, for example, in at least some aspects. The message receiving module 1502 can correspond to, for example, the identifier controller described herein in at least some aspects. The identifier judgment module 1504 may correspond to the confusion controller described herein, for example, in at least some aspects. The access point identification module 1506 may correspond to, for example, the switching controller described herein in at least some aspects. The access point preparation module 1508 can correspond to, for example, the switching controller described herein in at least some aspects. The information sending module 1510 can correspond to, for example, the switching described herein in at least some aspects. Controller. The identifier providing module 1512 may correspond to, for example, the switching controller described herein in at least some aspects. The instruction receiving module 1514 may correspond to, for example, the switching controller described herein in at least some aspects. The identifier message receiving module 1602 can correspond to the identifier controller described herein, for example, in at least some aspects. The switching message receiving module 1604 may correspond to, for example, the switching controller described herein in at least some aspects. The identifier judgment module 1606 may correspond to the switching controller described herein, for example, in at least some aspects. The switching execution module 1608 may correspond to, for example, the switching controller described herein in at least some aspects. The identifier report module 1610 may correspond to the identifier controller described herein, for example, in at least some aspects. The instruction receiving module 1612 may correspond to, for example, the communication controller described herein in at least some aspects. The probability determination module 1614 may correspond to, for example, the access controller described herein in at least some aspects. The report judgment module 1616 may correspond to, for example, the identifier controller described herein in at least some aspects.

The functions of the modules of Figures 12-16 can be implemented in various ways consistent with the teachings of this article. In some aspects, the functions of these modules can be implemented as one or more electronic components. In some aspects, the functions of these blocks may be implemented as a processing system including one or more processor components. In some aspects, at least a part of, for example, one or more integrated circuits (such as ASIC) can be used to implement the functions of these modules. As described herein, the integrated circuit may include a processor, software, other related components, or some combination thereof. The functions of these modules can also be implemented in some other ways taught in this article. In some aspects, one or more of any of the dashed squares in Figures 12-16 is optional.

It should be understood that the use of indicators such as "first", "second", etc. to indicate any reference to elements in this document generally does not limit the number or order of these elements. On the contrary, in this document, these instructions can be used as a convenient way to distinguish between two or more elements or instances of elements. Therefore, reference to the first and second elements does not mean that only two elements may be used or that the first element must be positioned before the second element in some way. Moreover, unless otherwise indicated, a set of elements may include one or more elements. In addition, an expression in the form of "at least one of A, B or C" used in the specification or claim means "A or B or C or any combination of these elements."

Those skilled in the art will understand that any of a variety of different techniques and methods can be used to represent information and signals. For example, voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, light fields or particles, or any combination thereof can be used to represent the data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be mentioned in the above description.

Those skilled in the art will also recognize that any one of the various exemplary logic blocks, modules, processors, components, circuits, and algorithm steps described in the various aspects disclosed herein can be implemented as electronic hardware (For example, digital implementation, analog implementation, or a combination of the two, which can be designed using source code or some other technology), various forms of programs or design codes containing instructions (this article can be referred to as "software" or "software" for convenience "Software Module"), or a combination of both. In order to clearly illustrate the interchangeability of hardware and software, various exemplary components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps are generally described above from the perspective of their functionality. Whether to implement such functions as hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints imposed on the entire system. Those skilled in the art can implement the described functions in different ways for each specific application, but this implementation decision should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present disclosure.

The various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the various aspects disclosed herein can be implemented or executed within an integrated circuit ("IC"), access terminal, or access point. ICs may include general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, individual gates designed to perform the functions described herein Or transistor logic, individual hardware components, electronic components, optical components, mechanical components, or any combination thereof, and can execute codes or instructions within, outside, or both of the IC. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP core, or any other such structure.

Of course, any specific order or hierarchy of steps in any disclosed procedure is an example of an exemplary method. Of course, according to design preferences, the specific order or level of the steps in the procedure can be rearranged while still being within the scope of the present disclosure. The attached method request items give the elements of each step in the order of examples, and it is not meant to limit them to the specific order or level given.

In one or more exemplary embodiments, the described functions may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented as software, the function can be stored on a computer readable medium or transmitted through it as one or more instructions or codes. Computer readable media include computer storage media and communication media. Communication media includes any media that facilitates the transfer of computer programs from one place to another. The storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example and not limitation, such computer-readable media may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk memory, magnetic disk storage or other disk storage devices, or can be used for command or data structure Any other medium that carries or stores the desired program code and can be accessed by the computer in the form of. Moreover, any connection is appropriately referred to as a computer-readable medium. For example, if you use coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave to transmit software from a website, server, or other remote source, then in the definition of media, Including coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave. As used herein, optical discs or floppy discs include compact discs (CD), laser discs, optical discs, digital versatile discs (DVD), floppy discs, and blu-ray discs, where floppy discs usually reproduce data magnetically, while optical discs use The laser reproduces the material optically. The combination of the above items should also be included in the scope of computer readable media. It should be recognized that the computer readable medium can be implemented in any suitable computer program product.

The foregoing introduction of the disclosed aspects is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present disclosure. For those skilled in the art, various modifications to these aspects are obvious, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other aspects without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the various aspects shown herein, but is intended to conform to the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

<p>100. . . Communication system</p><p>102. . . Access terminal</p><p>104. . . Access point</p><p>106. . . Access point 1</p><p>108. . . Access point N</p><p>110. . . Access point 1</p><p>112. . . Network node</p><p>114. . . Identifier controller</p><p>116. . . Time gap controller</p><p>118. . . Switch controller</p><p>120. . . Switch controller</p><p>200. . . network</p><p>202A-C. . . Tracking area</p><p>204A-B. . . area</p><p>206A-B. . . area</p><p>206C-D. . . Femto coverage area</p><p>302. . . Transceiver</p><p>304. . . Transceiver</p><p>306. . . transmitter</p><p>308. . . Receiver</p><p>310. . . transmitter</p><p>312. . . Receiver</p><p>314. . . Communication controller</p><p>316. . . Communication controller</p><p>318. . . Switch controller</p><p>320. . . Switch controller</p><p>322. . . Identifier controller</p><p>324. . . Identifier controller</p><p>326. . . Access controller</p><p>328. . . Time gap controller</p><p>330. . . Obfuscate the controller</p><p>402-420. . . Step process</p><p>502-534. . . Step process</p><p>602-644. . . Step process</p><p>702-746. . . Step process</p><p>802-840. . . Step process</p><p>900. . . Wireless communication system</p><p>902A-G. . . Macro Cell Service Area</p><p>904A-G. . . Access point</p><p>906A-L. . . Access terminal</p><p>1000. . . system</p><p>1010A~1010B. . . Femto node</p><p>1020A~1020B. . . Access terminal</p><p>1122A~1122T. . . TMTR RCVR</p><p>1124A~1124T. . . antenna</p><p>1030. . . User residence</p><p>1040. . . Wan</p><p>1050. . . Mobile Service Provider Core Network</p><p>1152A~1152R. . . antenna</p><p>1154A~1154R. . . RCVRTMTR</p><p>1060. . . Macro cell service area access point</p><p>1100. . . system</p><p>1110. . . Wireless device</p><p>1112. . . Data source</p><p>1114. . . TX data processor</p><p>1120. . . TX MIMO processor</p><p>1130. . . processor</p><p>1132. . . Memory</p><p>1136. . . Data source</p><p>1138. . . TX data processor</p><p>1140. . . Demodulator</p><p>1142. . . RX data processor</p><p>1150. . . Wireless device</p><p>1160. . . RX data processor</p><p>1170. . . processor</p><p>1172. . . Memory</p><p>1180. . . Modulator</p><p>1190. . . Confusion control</p><p>1192. . . Confusion control</p><p>1200. . . Device</p><p>1202. . . Message receiving module</p><p>1204. . . Identifier Judgment Module</p><p>1206. . . Message sending module</p><p>1208. . . Request to send module</p><p>1210. . . Identifier receiving module</p><p>1212. . . Identifier usage module</p><p>1300. . . Device</p><p>1302. . . Request receiving module</p><p>1304. . . Message receiving module</p><p>1306. . . Transmission monitoring module</p><p>1308. . . Identifier report module</p><p>1400. . . Device</p><p>1402. . . Identifier acquisition module</p><p>1404. . . Access judgment module</p><p>1406. . . Rebuild initiator module</p><p>1408. . . Identifier report module</p><p>1410. . . Instruction receiving module</p><p>1412. . . Indication judgment module</p><p>1500. . . Device</p><p>1502. . . Message receiving module</p><p>1504. . . Identifier Judgment Module</p><p>1506. . . Access point recognition module</p><p>1508. . . Access point preparation module</p><p>1510. . . Information Sending Module</p><p>1512. . . Identifier supply module</p><p>1514. . . Instruction receiving module</p><p>1600. . . Device</p><p>1602. . . Identifier message receiving module</p><p>1604. . . Switch message receiving module</p><p>1606. . . Identifier Judgment Module</p><p>1608. . . Switch execution module</p><p>1610. . . Identifier report module</p><p>1612. . . Instruction receiving module</p><p>1614. . . Probability Judgment Module</p><p>1616. . . Report judgment module</p>

These and other example aspects of the disclosure will be described in the detailed description and subsequent accompanying claims, in the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a simplified block diagram of several example aspects of a communication system for eliminating confusion;

Figure 2 is a simplified diagram showing the coverage area of wireless communication;

Figure 3 is a simplified block diagram of a number of exemplary aspects of components that can be used in a communication node;

4A and 4B are flowcharts of several exemplary aspects of operations that can be used to enable an access terminal to obtain a second type identifier;

5A, 5B, and 5C are flowcharts of a number of exemplary aspects of operations that can be used to enable an access terminal to obtain a second type identifier;

6A, 6B, 6C, and 6D are flowcharts of multiple exemplary aspects of operations that can be performed in conjunction with the access terminal initiating connection re-establishment at the target;

7A, 7B, 7C, and 7D are flowcharts of multiple exemplary aspects of operations that can be combined to prepare multiple targets for switching;

8A, 8B, 8C, and 8D are flowcharts of several exemplary aspects of operations that can be performed in conjunction with providing handover preparation information to the access terminal;

Figure 9 is a simplified diagram of a wireless communication system;

Figure 10 is a simplified diagram of a wireless communication system including femto nodes;

Figure 11 is a simplified block diagram of a number of exemplary aspects of communication components; and

Figures 12-16 are simplified block diagrams of several exemplary aspects of an apparatus for eliminating identifier confusion as taught herein.

By convention, the features shown in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. Therefore, for the sake of clarity, the scale of each feature can be enlarged or reduced arbitrarily. In addition, some drawings may be simplified for clarity. Therefore, the drawings may not depict all components of a given apparatus (e.g., apparatus) or method. Finally, the same reference numerals may be used throughout the specification and drawings to indicate the same features.