COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, NETWORK ELEMENT AND METHOD FOR EXTENDING THE DURATION OF EXISTING OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLECTING USER EQUIPMENT MEASUREMENTS

摘要

A communication system comprising a core network operably coupled to a small base station (HNB) arranged to support wireless communications to a user equipment UE is described. The HNB comprises a control processor being arranged in a first embodiment to: support setting up of an air interface connection with the UE to allow the UE and the core network to exchange messages, e.g. for a Location Update procedure and to receive an instruction from the core network via a core network connection to release the connection to the core network; usually, the HNB would transmit a RRC Connection Release message to the UE; however, the UE utilizes this situation to request and receive UE measurements by using RRC Measurement Control/Report messages and thus delays the initiation of the RRC Connection Release procedure towards the UE; in a second embodiment, the control processor is arranged to autonomously page the UE: thus, the UE establishes a RRC connection for responding to the paging message and the HNB may request receive UE measurements.