Handover Management

IN
WCDMA
S.K. GAUR
DE (GSM & 3G)

Points to be discussed
1.

Explain the purpose and function of intra-frequency handovers, Inter-RadioAccess Technologies (inter-RAT) handovers and Inter-RAT Cell Change

2.

Distinguish between soft, softer and hard handover

3.

Explain why soft handover is necessary in a WCDMA system

4.

Explain Inter-RAT handover

5.

Explain Inter-RAT Cell Change

TYPES OF HANDOVERS

Inter - Radio Access Technology Handover

Inter - Frequency Handover

Intra - Frequency Handover

TYPES OF HANDOVERS

Function Overview

WCDMA Handover (Softer Handover)

Inter - Frequency Handover

Node-B

WCDMA Handover (Soft Handover)

Inter - Frequency Handover
RNC

Node-B1

Node-B2

PROCESS OF HANDOVER

Received Power Without Soft Handover

UE responding to BS1
power control bits

UE responding to BS2
power control bits

BS1 Receive Power Target

time

BS2 Receive Power Target

time

Trouble zone: Prior to Hard Handover,

the UE causes excessive interference to BS2
9

Received Power With Soft Handover

UE responds to
power control commands
from both BS1 and BS2
BS1 BS2
0
0
0
1
1
0
1
1

UE responding to BS1
power control commands

BS1 Receive Power Target

Action
Reduce power
Reduce power
Reduce power
Increase power

UE responding to BS2
power control commands

1 1 1 1 1 11 1 1 1 1 1 1 11 1 1 1 1 1 1 11 1 1 1 1 1 2
1 1 1 1 2
22 2 2 2
2 2 2 2
2 2 2 2 2 2 2
2
2 2 2
2
time

BS2 Receive Power Target

2 2
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 22 22 2 2 2
1
1 1 11 2 2 2 2 1
1 1 1 1 1 1 1
1 11
1
1
1 1 11 1 1
1
1 1 11 1 1 1
time
10

Soft Handover Diversity Gain in the Uplink

Good block

SRNC

Block in error

11

CN

Soft Handover Diversity Gain in the

Downlink

12

Principles of Adding a New Cell to the

Active Set, i.e. Soft Handover
SRNC

3- Add

1- CPICH
4- New RL

2- Report

13

Signaling Flow When Changing the Active Set

RNC
RNC

UE
UE
MEASUREMENT CONTROL message
(DCCH)

MEASUREMENT REPORT message

Perform
Perform
Measurement
Measurement
UE
UE Evaluation
Evaluation

(DCCH)

RNC
RNC Evaluation
Evaluation
Execution
Radio
Radio Link
Link Addition
Addition

ACTIVE SET UPDATE

(DCCH)
ACTIVE SET

Radio
Radio Link
Link Removal
Removal

Radio
Radio Link
Link
Add/Remove/Replace
Add/Remove/Replace

UPDATE COMPLETE

RNC
RNC Evaluation
Evaluation
MEASUREMENT CONTROL message
(DCCH)
14

The MEASUREMENT CONTROL Message

Content
Measurement type
Measurement identity
number

Measurement command

Description
Intra-frequency, Inter-frequency or Inter-RAT
A reference number used by the WCDMA RAN when modifying or
releasing the measurement and by the UE in the Measurement
Report.
Setup: Sets up a new measurement.
Modify: Modifies a measurement, e.g. to change the reporting criteria
Release: Stops the measurements and clears related information.
The cells the UE shall measure on.

Measurement objects

IE: IndividualOffset:
An offset can be assigned to each cell. It can be either positive or
negative and is added to the measurement quantity before the UE
evaluates whether or not a so-called event has occurred.

Measurement quantity

CPICH Ec/No and/or RSCP

Measurement reporting
criteria

The triggering for MEASUREMENT REPORT

Reporting mode

Specifies whether the UE will transmit the MEASUREMENT REPORT

using acknowledge or unacknowledged data transfer of RLC

15

HANDOVER EVENTS
1a - To Add a new Cell to the Active Set
1b - To Delete a new Cell from the Active Set
1c - To Replace a Cell in the Active Set
1d - To Change the best cell in the Active Set

16

The Basis for Event 1a

To Add a new Cell to the Active Set
Measurement Parameters Involved in Event 1a
Mnew - The measurement result of the cell entering the reporting range
Mi -

Measurement result of a cell in the Active Set

NA -

Number of cells in the current Active Set

MBest - Measurement result of the strongest cell in the Active Set

W -

A parameter used for tuning and is sent from WCDMA RAN to the UE

reportingRange1a - A relative threshold referred to the CPICH of the best cell (if W=0) in
the Active Set used as evaluation criteria for event 1a
hysterisis1a - Hysterisis used in addition-window in evaluation criteria for event 1a to
avoid ping pong effects

17

The Basis for Event 1b

To Delete a new Cell from the Active Set
Measurement Parameters Involved in Event 1b
Mold is the measurement result of the cell leaving the reporting range
Mi is a measurement result of a cell in the AS
NA is the number of cells in the current AS
MBest is the measurement reault of the strongest cell in the AS
W is a parameter used for tuning and is sent from WCDMA RAN to the UE
reportingRange1b is a relative threshold referred to the CPICH of the best cell (if W=0)
in the Active Set used as evaluation criteria for event 1b
hysterisis1b is a hysterisis used in drop window in evaluation criteria for event 1b to
avoid ping pong effects

18

Reporting Event 1a and 1b (Add and Delete)

Measurement
quantity

measQuantity1
(Ec/No or RSCP)

P_CPICH best cell

reportingRange1b
reportingRange1a

Hysteresis1a/2
Hysteresis1a/2
Hysteresis1b/2
Hysteresis1b/2

P_CPICH 2
time

timeToTrigger1a

19

timeToTrigger1b

Reporting of Event 1c (Replace)

Measurement
quantity

measQuantity1
(Ec/No or RSCP)

Example:

P_CPICH 1

maxActiveSet = 3

P_CPICH 2
P_CPICH 3

hyst1c/2
hyst1c/2

P_CPICH 4

time

timeToTrigger1c

20

Reporting of Event 1d
(Change of Best Cell)
Measurement measQuantity1
(Ec/No or RSCP)
quantity

P_CPICH 1
P_CPICH 2
Hysteresis1d/2
Hysteresis1d/2

P_CPICH 3

time

timeToTrigger1d

21

Inter-Frequency HO, Inter-RAT HO and

Inter-RAT CC
General
The handovers can be triggered due to Ec/No criteria
or RSCP criteria.
The handovers are also triggered by UE Tx power.

22

WCDMA Handover
(Inter Frequency Handover & Cell Re-selection)

f2

f2

f1

f1

f2

f1

Handover for UEs on dedicated channel

Cell re-selection on common channel and in idle mode
Inter frequency Handover is done for mobility reasons not capacity

Inter frequency load sharing manage the balancing between frequencies for capacity

23

WCDMA/GSM Coverage

WCDMA and
GSM coverage

GSM coverage

24

The Circuit Switched Network

BSC

HSS

FNR

SMS-C

MMS

OSG

EIR

AUC

MPS

SCS

CCN

MSC
Server

MGw

IP

SGSN

IP

SDH
Network

25

PSTN
ISDN
PLMN

R
IP

Internet
Intranet

GGSN

RNC

Service Delivery &

Charging Solutions

GMSC
Server

IP/ATM
Backbone

MGw

BGw

CSCF

OSS-RC

WCDMA Handover (Inter RAT

Handover)

WCDMA Network

GSM Network
GSM
Network

Multi RAT terminal

26

THANK YOU

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