Idle Mode Behavior
UMTS on 2nd Carrier
Idle Mode - Cell Selection
In the initial cell selection procedure
UE scans all WCDMA radio frequency
channels to find a suitable cell. On
each carrier, the UE searches for the
cell with the highest signal level,
according to the cell search
procedure, and reads the system
information on the BCCH.
UMTS F2
In a dual carrier environment, UEs
will tend to select onto f1 first an
then move onto f2 via idle mode
reselection.
UMTS F1
Idle Mode - Cell Selection
Background Information for Cell Selection
Cell Selection occurs if
Squal > 0 and Srxlev > 0
With the att baseline parameters
Squal = Qqualmeas qQualMin
= Qqualmeas (-19)
Srxlev
= Qrxlevmeas qRxLevMin Pcompensation
= Qrxlevmeas (-115) max (maxTxPowerUl - P, 0)
= Qrxlevmeas (-115) max(24 21, 0)
= Qrxlevmeas + 115 3
P is the output power class of the UE
Thus, Cell Selection occurs when
Qqualmeas
Qrxlevmeas
> -19 dB
-> CPICH Ec/No measured by UE
> -112 dBm -> CPICH RSCP measured by UE
Idle Mode - Cell Reselection
The UE performs the cell reselection
procedure in the following cases:
When the cell on which it is camping is no longer
suitable
When the UE, in "camped normally" state, has
found a neighboring cell better than the cell on
which it is camping
When the UE is in "limited service" state on an
acceptable cell
The UE reselects the new cell if it is better
ranked than the serving cell during a time
interval treSelection.
Idle Mode - Cell Reselection
Background Information for Cell Reselection
Ranking for UMTS neighbors will only occur if:
Squal > 0 and Srxlev > 0
Ranking with qualMeasQuantity = 1 (RSCP)
R(serving)
= Qmeas(serving) + qHyst1
= Qmeas(serving) + 2
R(neighbor)
= Qmeas(neighbor) - qOffset1sn
= Qmeas(neighbor) - 0
-> used in AT&T
Ranking with qualMeasQuantity = 2 (Quality)
R(serving)
= Qmeas(serving) + qHyst2
= Qmeas(serving) + 2
R(neighbor)
= Qmeas(neighbor) - qOffset2sn
= Qmeas(neighbor) 0
The parameters make the serving cell stronger and the neighboring cell weaker.
This is done to prevent continuous cell reselections along the cell border.
Idle
Mode
Measurement
UE measures and evaluates the neighbour cells listed in system SIB11.
Intra-frequency:
Squal > Sintrasearch (12dB), No measurement
Squal <= Sintrasearch, perform measurement (QualMeas <=-7)
Sintrasearch = 0, parameter is not sent and measurements are performed all the time.
Inter-frequency:
Squal > Sintersearch(10dB), No measurement
Squal <= Sintersearch, perform measurement (QualMeas <=-9)
Sintersearch = 0, parameter is not sent and measurements are performed all the time.
Inter-RAT:
Squal > SRatsearch(4dB) AND SRxlev >
sHcsRat (-105 taken as 0 by the UE), No
measurement
Squal <= SRATsearch (QualMeas <=-15) OR
SRxlev <= sHcsRAT (RxLevMeas<=-115),
perform measurement
Idle Mode Cell_Fach Measurements
The parameters fachMeasOccaCycLenCoeff and interFreqFddMeasIndicator
are used to control the UE measurement activities for inter-frequency and
inter-RAT neighbors.
fachMeasOccaCycLenCoeff > 0, perform inter-frequency and inter-RAT
measurements.
If fachMeasOccaCycLenCoeffis = 0 (at&t) the parameter is not sent in system
information and the UE is not allowed to perform measurements on other
frequencies and RATs.
If interFreqFddMeasIndicator = TRUE, the UE will evaluate cell reselection
criteria on inter-frequency cells in state CELL_FACH.
If interFreqFddMeasIndicator = FALSE, the UE will neither perform
measurements nor evaluate cell reselection criteria on inter-frequency cells in
state CELL_FACH
Idle Mode Parameters
Parameter
Level
at&t Default
qQualMin
Cell
-19
Cell selection/reselection in idle mode. Minimum required (acceptable) quality level in
the cell (dB).
qRxLevMin
Cell
-115
Cell selection/reselection in idle mode. Minimum required (acceptable) quality level in
the cell (dBm).
sInterSearch
Cell
22(10dB)
qOffset1sn
qOffset2sn
treSelection
Nbr
Nbr
Cell
Comment
Trigger measurements of F2. Higher the value, quicker it is.
Signal strength offset between source and target cell to be used for cell ranking based
on CPICH RSCP. The parameter is defined per WCDMA neighbor relation and per
GSM neighbor relation (dB). Lower the value, the quicker it is
Signal strength offset between source and target cell to be used for cell ranking based
on CPICH Ec/No (dB). The parameter is defined per WCDMA neighbor relation.
Lower the value, the quicker it is
Time to reselect.
interFreqFddMeas
Indicator
Cell
Indicates if the UE is required to perform measurements and evaluate the cell
reselection criteria for Interfrequency neighbors in state CELL_FACH. The parameter is
defined per cell (CELL_FACH not used by AT&T currently).
fachMeasOccaCy
cLenCoeff
Cell
Used by the UE to calculate the FACH measurement occasions
(CELL_FACH not used by AT&T currently).
Idle Mode Scenario Overlay
Adding the second carrier where capacity increase is most needed.
As the traffic in the network increases, the second carrier coverage is then
expanded gradually.
Service continuity for call
origination while in idle mode is
provided through interfrequency cell reselection.
UMTS F2
UMTS F1
Idle Mode Scenario Overlay
B
UMTS F2
B
B
B
B
UMTS F1
F1
F2
F2
F2
F1
F1
F1
F1
qOffsetsn =0, all cells are treated equally in idle mode.
qRxLevMin is set to -107 for
border cells. Similar to f1 and
irat border.
Sintersearch on f2 border
cells should be 0. So UEs
camped on these border
cells are always searching
for better f1 cells. Interior
F1/F2 cells can have the
sintersearch = 21 (8dB) so
UEs start searching when
EcIo is below -11.
Two-way neighbour relations
are defined only between the
underlaying f1 cell and
overlaying f2 cell.
One-way neighbour cell relations are
defined from the f2 cell to all
surrounding f1 cells
Idle Mode Scenario Infill sites
A F2 cell is added where there is a coverage hole.
Scenario is only caused when F1 cell cannot be built in the area.
Requires the spectrum to be cleared for both band!
Long term plan should be to either
convert the F2 cell into F1 or dual
banding the infill site
UMTS F2
UMTS F1
Idle Mode Scenario Infill sites
UMTS F2
UMTS F1
F1
F1
F1
qOffsetsn =0, all cells are treated equally in idle mode.
qRxLevMin is set to -107 for
F2. qRXLevMin remains at 115 for F1 cells but can be
set to -107 if the coverage
hole is large.
Sintersearch on F2 cell
should be 0. So UEs
camped on the cell are
always searching for better
f1 cells.
Two-way neighbour relations
are defined between the first
tier F1 and F2 cells
One way nbrs are defined to
second tier F1 cells.
F2
F1
