Mobility in RRC_CONNECTED mode

In RRC_CONNECTED mode, the network controls UE mobility. For example, if the UE is entering to a cell with different frequency or an inter-RAT cell, the network decides the time for the entry and the target cell that the UE must enter. For network controlled mobility in RRC_CONNECTED mode, only the handover procedure needs to be defined. The network triggers the handover procedure based on radio conditions and load. To facilitate this, the network may instruct the UE to report the measurement result which may include the configuration of measurement gaps. The network may also initiate a blind handover without receiving measurement reports from the UE. Before sending a handover message to the UE, the source eNodeB prepares one or more target cells. The target source eNodeB generates the message for performing a handover. The message includes the AS configuration information used in the target cell. The source eNodeB forwards the handover message or information received from the target eNodeB to the UE without altering the content and values. Then, the source eNodeB forwards the data to all or part of the DRBs at an appropriate time. After receiving the handover message, the UE attempts to access the target cell at the first available random access channel (RACH). For details about random access resource selection, see TS 36.321 [6]. The handover is asynchronous. As a result, the target cell allocates a dedicated preamble for the random access, and E-UTRA ensures that the preamble is available from the first available RACH for the UE. After the handover is successfully performed, the UE sends a message confirming the handover. If the target eNodeB does not support the release of RRC protocol which the source eNodeB used to configure the UE, the target eNodeB may not comprehend the UE configuration provided by the source eNodeB. In this case, the target eNodeB must use the full configuration operation to reconfigure the UE for a handover and connection reestablishment. The full configuration operation includes radio configuration initialization, which makes the procedure independent from the configuration used in the source cell, with the exception that security algorithms being used continuously before the RRC reestablishment. After the handover is successfully performed, PDCP SDUs may be retransmitted in the target cell. This applies only to DRBs using RLC-AM mode and for handovers without using the full configuration operation. For more details, see TS 36.323 [8]. After the handover is successfully performed without using the full configuration operation, the SN and HFN are reset, except for the DRBs using RLC-AM mode. For reconfigurations using the full configuration operation, the PDCP entities are reestablished (the SN and HFN no longer used) for all DRBs regardless of the RLC mode. For more details, see TS 36.323 [8]. UE behaviors for handover are specified, regardless of the handover procedures within the network, for example, whether the handover includes X2 or S1 signaling procedures. The source eNodeB maintains the context for a period of time to enable the UE to return to it in case of a handover failure. After detecting a handover failure, the UE attempts to resume an RRC connection either to the source cell or to the target cell using the RRC reestablishment procedure. The connection can be resumed only when the cell to be accessed is prepared, that is, a handover is prepared in the eNodeB of the source cell or target cell. Common measurement and mobility procedures are used to support handover to a cell that broadcasting a closed subscriber group (CSG) identity. In addition, E-UTRAN may instruct the UE to report that it is entering a cell or leaving the nearby cell included in the CSG white list. Furthermore, E-UTRAN may request the UE to provide additional information broadcast by the candidate target cell, for example, the cell global identity, CSG identity, or CSG membership status. Note: In addition, E-UTRAN may use the proximity report to configure measurements to decide whether to request additional information broadcast by the candidate target cell. The additional information is used to verify whether the UE is authorized to access the target cell, and to identify the candidate target cell. PCI collision refers to the situation where the physical layer identity that is included in the measurement report does not identify the cell uniquely.

1.2 Measurements
1.2.1 Introduction
The UE reports measurement information based on the measurement configuration provided by E-UTRAN. E-UTRAN provides the measurement configuration applicable to a UE in RRC_CONNECTED mode using dedicated signaling, for example, using the RRCConnectionReconfiguration message. The UE can be requested to perform the following types of measurements:

Intra-frequency measurements: measurements at the downlink carrier frequency of the serving cell. Inter-frequency measurements: measurements at frequencies that differ from any of the downlink carrier frequency of the serving cell. Inter-RAT measurements of UTRA frequencies. Inter-RAT measurements of GERAN frequencies. Inter-RAT measurements of CDMA2000 HRPD or CDMA2000 1XRTT frequencies.

The measurement configuration includes the following parameters:

Measurement objects: The objects on which the UE must perform the measurements.

For intra-frequency and inter-frequency measurements a measurement object is a single EUTRA carrier frequency. Associated with this carrier frequency, E-UTRAN can configure a list of cell specific offsets and a list of blacklisted cells. Blacklisted cells are not considered in event evaluation or measurement reporting. For inter-RAT UTRA measurements a measurement object is a set of cells on a single UTRA carrier frequency. For inter-RAT GERAN measurements a measurement object is a set of GERAN carrier frequencies. For inter-RAT CDMA2000 measurements a measurement object is a set of cells on a single (HRPD or 1xRTT) carrier frequency.

Reporting configurations: A list of reporting configurations where each reporting configuration consists of the following:

Reporting criterion: The criterion that triggers the UE to send a measurement report. This can either be periodical or a single event description. Reporting format: The quantities that the UE includes in the measurement report and associated information (for example, number of cells to report).

Measurement identities: A list of measurement identities where each measurement identity links one measurement object with one reporting configuration. By configuring multiple measurement identities it is possible to link more than one measurement object to the same reporting configuration, as well as to link more than one reporting configuration to the same measurement object. The measurement identity is used as a reference number in the measurement report. Quantity configurations: One quantity configuration is configured per RAT type. The quantity configuration defines the measurement quantities and associated filtering used for all event evaluation and related reporting of that measurement type. One filter can be configured per measurement quantity. Measurement gaps: Periods that the UE may use to perform measurements, that is, no uplink or downlink transmissions are scheduled.

E-UTRAN only configures a single measurement object for a given frequency, which means it is not possible to configure two or more measurement objects for the same frequency with different associated parameters, for example, different offsets and blacklists. E-UTRAN may configure multiple instances of the same event, for example, by configuring two reporting configurations with different thresholds. The UE maintains a single measurement object list, a single reporting configuration list, and a single measurement identities list. The measurement object list includes measurement objects that are specified per RAT type, possibly including intra-frequency object (the object corresponding to the serving frequency), inter-frequency object and inter-RAT objects. Similarly, the reporting configuration list includes E-UTRA and inter-RAT reporting configurations. Any measurement object can be linked to any reporting configuration of the same RAT type. Some reporting configurations may

not be linked to a measurement object. Likewise, some measurement objects may not be linked to a reporting configuration. The measurement procedures distinguish the following types of cells:

The serving cell Listed cells - these are cells listed within the measurement object. Detected cells - these are cells that are not listed within the measurement object but are detected by the UE on the carrier frequency indicated by the measurement object.

For E-UTRA, the UE measures and reports on the serving cell, listed cells and detected cells. For inter-RAT UTRA, the UE measures and reports on listed cells and optionally on cells that are within a range for which reporting is allowed by EUTRAN. For inter-RAT GERAN, the UE measures and reports on detected cells. For inter-RAT CDMA2000, the UE measures and reports on listed cells.

1.2.2 Measurement Configuration

Overview
The measurement configuration procedure mainly involves the following actions:

Remove the measurement identity Add or modify the measurement identity Remove the measurement object Add or modify the measurement object Add or modify the measurement reporting configuration Configure the measurement quantity Configure the measurement gap

1.2.3 Triggering a Measurement Reporting Event

Overview
Measurement reporting events are as follows:

Event A1 (The serving cell condition becomes better than the threshold condition) Event A2 (The serving cell condition becomes worse than the threshold condition) Event A3 (Neighboring cell becomes better than the serving cell) Event A4 (The neighboring cell condition becomes better than the threshold condition) Event A5 (The serving cell condition becomes worse than threshold1 condition and the neighboring cell condition becomes better than threshold2 condition) Event B1 (The inter-RAT neighboring cell condition becomes better than threshold condition) Event B2 (The serving cell condition becomes worse than threshold1 condition and inter-RAT neighboring cell condition becomes better than threshold2 condition)

1.2.4 Measurement Result Reporting

This procedure is used to transfer measurement results from the UE to the E-UTRAN.

Figure 1-1 Measurement result reporting

Measurement Configuration
The UE in RRC Connected mode reports measurement information in accordance with the Measurement Configuration parameter provided by the eNB in a RRC Connection Reconfiguration message. In so doing, the UE can be requested to perform the following types of measurements:

Intra-frequency measurements: measurements at the downlink carrier frequency of the serving cell. Inter-frequency measurements: measurements at frequencies that differ from the downlink carrier frequency of the serving cell. Inter-RAT measurements of UTRA frequencies. Inter-RAT measurements of GERAN frequencies. Inter-RAT measurements of CDMA2000 HRPD or CDMA2000 1xRTT frequencies.

Key Parameters of Measurement Configuration

The measurement configuration includes the following parameters:

Measurement Objects - these are the objects on which the UE is configured to perform the measurements. Reporting Configurations - this is a list of reporting attributes. It includes the reporting type, namely Periodical or Event Based, as well as the associated attributes. Measurement Identities - this is a list of measurement identities where each measurement identity links one measurement object with one reporting configuration. By configuring multiple measurement identities it is possible to link more than one measurement object to the same reporting configuration, as well as to link more than one reporting configuration to the same measurement object. The measurement identity is used as a reference number in the measurement report. Quantity Configurations - this is configured per RAT type and defines the associated filtering used for all event evaluation and related reporting of that measurement type. Measurement Gaps - this defines the periods that the UE may use to perform measurements, i.e. no downlink or uplink transmissions are scheduled. S-Measure - this optional parameter is a serving cell quality threshold controlling whether or not the UE is required to perform measurements of intra frequency, inter frequency and inter RAT neighboring cells.

Figure 4-15 illustrates the main measurement configuration parameters in the RRC Connection Reconfiguration Request message. Figure 4-15 Measurement Configuration

Measurement Objects
Figure 4-16 illustrates some of the key parameters for an E-UTRA measurement object. It includes:

measObjectId - this is the identifier for the measurement object. carrierFreq - this is the carrier frequency to measure. allowedMeasBandwidth - is used to indicate the maximum allowed measurement bandwidth on a carrier frequency. presenceAntennaPort1 - this is used to indicate whether all the neighboring cells use Antenna Port 1. When set to TRUE, the UE may assume that at least two cell-specific antenna ports are used in all neighboring cells. neighCellConfig - is used to provide the information related to MBSFN (MBMS over a Single Frequency Network) and TDD UL/DL configuration of neighbor cells. offsetFreq - this defines the offset value applicable to the carrier frequency. cellsToAddModList - this defines the neighboring cell(s) in terms of:

cellIndex - this is the entry index in the neighboring cell list. It is used for future modification or deletion. physCellId - this is the Physical Cell ID for the neighboring cell. cellIndividualOffset - this is the cell individual offset applicable to a specific neighboring cell.

Figure 4-16 Measurement Object

Report Configuration
The Report Configuration parameter is an important aspect of the measurement process and is very similar to the methods employed in UMTS. Figure 4-17 illustrates an example of the Report Configuration parameter. Note that not all options are shown. Figure 4-17 Report Configuration

Two types of Reporting Methods:

Periodical and Event based. Figure 4-18 illustrates the periodical reporting concept with a configured Report Interval. In addition to the reporting interval the eNB also configures the Report Amount which indicates how may reports to send (r1, r2, r4, r8, r16, r32, r64 or infinity).

LTE, like UMTS, includes a number of measurement based triggering events, these include:

Event A1 - serving cell becomes better than the threshold. Event A2 - serving cell becomes worse than the threshold. Event A3 - neighbor cell becomes (including offset) better than the serving cell. Event A4 - neighbor cell becomes better than the threshold. Event A5 - serving cell becomes worse than Thresh1 (Threshold1) and the neighbor cell becomes better than Thresh2 (Threshold2). Event B1 - Inter RAT neighbor cell becomes better than threshold. Event B2 - serving cell becomes worse than threshold1 and inter RAT neighbor cell becomes better than threshold2.

Figure 4-19 illustrates the basic concept of event based reporting using Event A3 as an example. Note this has been simplified. Figure 4-19 Event Based Trigger (Event A3)

\ The event based mechanisms also configure a TTT (Time To Trigger) parameter. This validates criteria before the measurement report is sent. Values for TTT include: ms0, ms40, ms64, ms80, ms100, ms128, ms160, ms256, ms320, ms480, ms512, ms640, ms1024, ms1280, ms2560 and ms5120 (in milliseconds).

Event Conditions
It is worth noting that the actual triggering mechanisms for each event are different (detailed in the RRC Specification). As an example, Event A3 criteria is shown. For Event A3, the TTT timer starts and stops based on the following criteria.

Entering condition: Mn+ Ofn + Ocn Hys > Ms + Ofs + Ocs + Off Leaving condition: Mn+ Ofn + Ocn+ Hys < Ms + Ofs + Ocs + Off

The variables in the formula are defined as follows:

Mn - this is the measurement result of the neighboring cell, not taking into account any offsets. Ofn - this is the frequency specific offset of the frequency of the neighbor cell (i.e. offsetFreq as defined within measObjectEUTRA corresponding to the frequency of the neighbor cell). Ocn - this is the cell specific offset of the neighbor cell (i.e. cellIndividualOffset as defined within measObjectEUTRA corresponding to the frequency of the neighbor cell), and set to zero if not configured for the neighbor cell. Ms - this is the measurement result of the serving cell, not taking into account any offsets. Ofs - this is the frequency specific offset of the serving frequency (i.e. offsetFreq as defined within measObjectEUTRA corresponding to the serving frequency). Ocs - this is the cell specific offset of the serving cell (i.e. cellIndividualOffset as defined within measObjectEUTRA corresponding to the serving frequency), and is set to zero if not configured for the serving cell. Hys - this is the hysteresis parameter for this event (i.e. hysteresis as defined within reportConfigEUTRA for this event). Off - this is the offset parameter for this event (i.e. a3-Offset as defined within reportConfigEUTRA for this event).

Mn and Ms are expressed in dBm in case of RSRP (Reference Signal Received Power), or in dB in case of RSRQ (Reference Signal Received Quality). Ofn, Ocn, Ofs, Ocs, Hys, Off are expressed in dB (Decibels). Figure 4-20 illustrates an example of Event 3A. The various offset have been applied to the serving and neighboring cells and the hysteresis value is illustrated by the dotted lines above and below the neighboring cell level. Figure 4-20 Event A3 Example

It can be seen that the entering and leaving conditions are based on the interaction with hysteresis value (which could be set to 0).