Abstract: Power management methods are provided for projecting the likelihood of forthcoming power outage at one or more mobile radio base sites and for mitigating the effects of such a projected power outage.

Abstract: A communication system (100) comprises a core network (109) for routing data to and from radio networks. A first radio network supports a first air interface standard (e.g. UMTS) and comprises a first controller, such as an RNC (107), which can receive a handover preference message from the core network (109) and which can determine a handover in response to the handover preference message. The second radio network supporting a second air interface standard (e.g. GSM) and comprises a second controller, such as a BSC 111, which can receive the handover preference message from the core network (109) and which can determine a handover in response to the handover preference message. An interlayer handover controller sets a handover preference indication such that the first controller biases handover decisions towards a remote station being supported by the first radio network and the second controller biases handover decisions towards the remote station being supported by the second radio network.

Abstract: Power management methods are provided for projecting the likelihood of forthcoming power outage at one or more mobile radio base sites and for mitigating the effects of such a projected power outage.

Abstract: A base station (101) supports a remote station (117) making uplink transmissions using an uplink scrambling code in a first cell. A controller (119) determines a set of uplink scrambling codes from an identity of the remote station (117) and selects the used code therefrom. An access point (111) determines the group of remote stations registered at the access point. A measurement code processor (205) determines the uplink scrambling codes potentially used by the remote stations. A measurement unit (207, 209) then monitors for received signals using these codes and a handover detection processor (211) generates a potential handover detection for the remote station (117) in response to a detection of a received signal using the uplink scrambling code of the remote station (117).

Abstract: A cellular communication system comprises a base station which can to operate in a restricted mode wherein support is restricted to user equipments of a first associated set of user equipments, such as a Closed Subscriber Group. The base station comprises a profile unit which determines a first transmit power profile where the first transmit power profile is indicative of the base station operating in the restricted mode. The base station further comprises a transmitter for transmitting at least one common channel, such as a pilot signal or a broadcast signal, with a transmit power according to the first transmit power profile. User Equipments may measure the power profile to evaluate whether the base station employs restricted access. The invention may in particular reduce the number of access attempts to restricted base stations by non-eligible User Equipments.

Abstract: A base station (101) supports a remote station (117) making uplink transmissions using an uplink scrambling code in a first cell. A controller (119) determines a set of uplink scrambling codes from an identity of the remote station (117) and selects the used code therefrom. An access point (111) determines the group of remote stations registered at the access point. A measurement code processor (205) determines the uplink scrambling codes potentially used by the remote stations. A measurement unit (207, 209) then monitors for received signals using these codes and a handover detection processor (211) generates a potential handover detection for the remote station (117) in response to a detection of a received signal using the uplink scrambling code of the remote station (117).

Abstract: A cellular communication system supports both soft handover communication channels and non-soft handover communication channels from the same user equipment (101). A serving base station (103) comprises a receive front end (201) for receiving transmissions from the user equipment (101). A first indication processor (203) receives a first link quality indication associated with a first signal of a soft handover communication channel from the user equipment (101). A second indication processor 205 receives a second link quality indication associated with a second signal of a non-soft handover channel from the user equipment (101). A characteristic processor (207) then determines the radio link characteristic in response to the first and second link quality indications. For example a power control command for a soft handover signal and a channel quality indicator for a non-soft handover signal may be compared and a radio link quality may be determined in response to the comparison.

Abstract: A communication system (100) comprises a core network (109) for routing data to and from radio networks. A first radio network supports a first air interface standard (e.g. UMTS) and comprises a first controller, such as an RNC (107), which can receive a handover preference message from the core network (109) and which can determine a handover in response to the handover preference message. The second radio network supporting a second air interface standard (e.g. GSM) and comprises a second controller, such as a BSC 111, which can receive the handover preference message from the core network (109) and which can determine a handover in response to the handover preference message. An interlayer handover controller sets a handover preference indication such that the first controller biases handover decisions towards a remote station being supported by the first radio network and the second controller biases handover decisions towards the remote station being supported by the second radio network.

Abstract: A cellular communication system (100) comprises a network controller (113) having a first resource allocator (117) for allocating codes to a first set of calls in a cell. The network controller (113) is coupled to a base station (109) which comprises a second resource allocator (119) for allocating codes to a second set of calls in the cell. The first resource allocator (117) and the second resource allocator (119) share a code tree associated with the cell. The base station (109) comprises a code tree processor (209) that determines which codes are allocated by the first resource allocator (117) in response to call event signalling received from the network controller (113). The call event signalling may be related to a call setup, a call termination, a call handover and/or a call admission characteristic.

Abstract: An apparatus, comprises an interface (113) receiving first data scheduled for a first set of channels by a remote scheduler (107). A local scheduler (111) allocates data for a second set of channels in response to a power usage assumption of the power used by the remote scheduler (107). A transmit power processor (117) determines a transmit power associated with the first data in a first time interval of a scheduling time interval of the local scheduler (111) and a power limiter (119) is arranged to limit a transmit power level of the first data in the scheduling time interval in response to the determined power resource. The resulting signal is transmitted to user equipment (123) by a transceiver (121). The invention may be particularly suitable for a 3rd generation cellular communication system supporting High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) services.