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Cell search is a procedure in which a UE achieves time and frequency synchronization with
a cell, obtains the physical cell identifier (PCI), and learns the RX signal quality and other
information about the cell based on the PCI.
The detailed cell search procedure is as following:
The UE monitors the P-SCH to achieve clock synchronization with a maximum
synchronization error of 5 ms. The UE determines the cell identity in a cell identity
group based on the mapping between cell identities and primary synchronization
signals.
The UE monitors the S-SCH to achieve frame synchronization, that is, time
synchronization with the cell. Cell identity groups have a one-to-one relationship
with secondary synchronization signals. Therefore, the UE acquires the number of
the cell identity group to which the cell identity belongs by monitoring the S-SCH.
The UE monitors the Broadcast Channel (BCH) to acquire other information about
the cell
The UE determines the PCI based on the cell identity and the cell identity group
number.
The UE monitors the downlink reference signal to acquire the RX signal quality in
the cell
The stored information cell search: It requires stored information on carrier frequencies and
information on cell parameters. The information is obtained from previously received
measurement control information elements or from previously detected SI messages of
cells.
Initial cell search: If there is no prior knowledge of frequency information, the UE scans all
RF channels in the E-UTRAN bands according to its capabilities in order to find a suitable
cell. On each carrier frequency, the UE searches for the strongest cell only.
A UE considers an E-UTRAN cell as a suitable cell only when the measured RSRP and
reference signal received quality (RSRQ) values of the cell are greater than the receive (RX)
level threshold (Qrxlevmin) and the RX signal quality threshold (QQualMin) for the cell,
respectively.
An E-UTRAN cell becomes a suitable cell when both the following conditions are met:
Srxlev > 0 Squal > 0
Srxlev = Qrxlevmeas - (Qrxlevmin + Qrxlevminoffset) – Pcompensation
Squal = Qqualmeas - (QQualMin + QQualMinOffset)
Parameter Description
Qrxlevmeas Measured RSRP value
Qrxlevmin Minimal Required Rx level (dBm) in SIB1
Qrxlevminoffset Offset to Srxlev, relative with PLMN priority ,.QrxlevminOffset is only applied when a
cell is evaluated for cell selection as a result of a periodic search for a higher priority
PLMN while camped normally in a VPLMN in SIB1
Pcompensation max (PMaximum allowed power – PUE MAX Output Power, 0), where PMaximum allowed power is sent in
SIB1
Qqualmeas measured RX signal quality (RSRQ value) of the cell, expressed in units of dB.
QQualMinOffset Offset to Qqualmin, relative with PLMN priority ,.QrxlevminOffset is only applied when
a cell is evaluated for cell selection as a result of a periodic search for a higher priority
PLMN while camped normally in a VPLMN in SIB1
Parameter ID Description
Indicates the minimum required RX level. This parameter is
Qrxlevmin
used in the formula of the cell selection criterion S.
Indicates the offset to the minimum required RX level. This
value is included in criteria S and used in the evaluation of
cell selection. This parameter is valid only when the cell
Qrxlevminoffset
selection is triggered by periodic searches for higher-priority
PLMNs and the UE is served by a Visited Public Land Mobile
Network (VPLMN).
Indicates the minimum RX level of the cell. It is included in
Qqualmin
criteria S and used in the evaluation of cell selection.
QQualMinOffsetCfgInd Indicates whether to set the offset to the minimum required
RX qulity for the cell. If this parameter is set to CFG, the
offset is required. If this parameter is set to NOT_CFG, the
offset does not need to be set.
QQualMinOffset Indicates the offset to the minimum required RX quality for
the cell. It is included in criteria S and used in the evaluation
of cell selection. This parameter is required only when the
cell selection is triggered by periodic searches for higher-
priority PLMNs and the UE is served by a Visited Public Land
Mobile Network (VPLMN).
After having camped on a cell, a UE may decide to camp on another cell by performing cell
reselection. Before cell reselection, the UE is required to measure the signal strength of
certain neighboring cells and evaluate each of them by using the criteria that are suitable
according to the priority of the neighboring cell, that is, the priority of the frequency on
which the neighboring cell operates.
During the measurements and implementation of cell reselection, the UE needs to obtain
the priorities of neighboring frequencies. Note that any two RATs must have non-
overlapping priorities of frequencies. During the evaluation for reselection to an intra-
frequency neighboring cell, the UE ignores the priority of the target frequency because
cells that work on the same frequency have the same priority.
Note: The dedicated priority of frequencies for one RAT must be all different from those
for another RAT.
If the threshold is set to “CFG”, these two thresholds(SIntraSearch and SIntraSearchQ) will
be delivered in SIB3.
From SIB ,UE can get the serving cell and inter frequency/RAT neighbors’ priorities.
For the high priority cells, UE measure them always, for the low priority cells, UE measure
them in case of the serving cell signal is lower than the threshold.
The intra frequency cells have the same frequency priority, frequencies of different RATs
must have different priorities.
Parameter ID Description
Threshold for non-intra
Indicates whether to set the measurement triggering
freq measurements
threshold for reselection to inter-frequency or inter-RAT cells.
configure indicator
Indicates the minimum required RX level used in intra-
frequency E-UTRAN cell reselection, which corresponds to
QRxLevMin
the IE q-RxLevMin in SIB3. This value is included in criteria R
and used in the evaluation of cell
Indicates the minimum RX level of the cell. It is included in
SIntraSearchCfgInd
criteria S and used in the evaluation of cell selection.
Parameter ID Description
Indicates the RSRQ threshold for starting intra-frequency
SIntraSearchQ measurements. It determines the probability of triggering cell
reselection to an intra-frequency neighboring cell.
Indicates the RSRQ threshold for starting inter-frequency or
inter-RAT measurements. It determines the probability of
SNonIntraSearchQ
triggering cell reselection to an inter-frequency or inter-RAT
neighboring cell.
Indicates the minimum required RX signal quality used in
intra-frequency E-UTRAN cell reselection, which corresponds
QQualMin
to the IE q-QualMin in SIB3. This value is included in criteria
R and used in the evaluation of cell reselection.
A UE makes a cell reselection decision according to cell reselection criteria. When making a
decision on reselection to an intra frequency or equal-priority inter frequency cell, the UE
checks whether the signal quality of a neighboring cell is higher than that of the serving
cell.
The cell-ranking criteria R_s for the serving cell and R_n for neighboring cells are defined as
follows:
R_s = Qmeas,s + Qhyst
R_n = Qmeas,n - CellQoffset
Where:
Qmeas_s is the measured RSRP of the serving cell, expressed in units of dBm
Qhyst is the hysteresis for the serving cell used in the ranking criteria, expressed in
units of dB.
Qmeas_n is the measured RSRP of the neighboring cell, expressed in units of dBm
CellQoffset is the offset for the neighboring cell used in the ranking criteria,
expressed in units of dB
According to the cell reselection criteria, the UE should reselect the new cell only if both
the following conditions are met:
The new cell is ranked higher than the serving cell during the cell reselection time.
More than one second has elapsed since the UE camped on the serving cell.
Parameter ID Description
Indicates the hysteresis for cell reselection when RSRP values
are used in the evaluation. This parameter must be set based
on the slow fading characteristic of the area covered by the
Qhyst cell. The greater the slow fading variance is, the larger the
value of this parameter must be set to. A larger value of the
hysteresis results in a larger boundary of the serving cell and
a higher probability of cell reselection to neighboring cells
Indicates the cell reselection duration of the E-UTRAN. When
the signal quality of the new cell is better than the serving
TReselEutran cell all the time and the UE stays in the current serving cell
for more than 1s, the UE is initiating cell reselection request
to the new cell.
Parameter ID Description
Indicates the offset for the intra-frequency neighboring cell,
which is used in evaluation for cell reselections. A larger
CellQoffset value of this parameter results in a lower probability of cell
reselections. If this parameter is not set to dB0, it is delivered
in SIB4 or SIB5.
For EUTRAN and UTRAN, either Srxlev or Squal could be used for cell reselection, depends on the
following parameter:
If ThrshServLowQCfgInd is set “CFG”,then it use Squal
Otherwise, it use Srxlev
For GERAN, it only uses Srxlev
Srxlev and Squal evaluation is the same as cell selection algorithm.
If SIB3 contains the value of ThrshServLowQ, a UE performs reselection to a higher-priority inter-
frequency or inter-RAT neighboring cell when both the following conditions are met:
The neighboring cell has one of the following measurement results:
The Squal value of the evaluated neighboring E-UTRAN or UTRAN cell is always
greater than the RX signal quality threshold used in reselection to higher-priority
cells (ThreshXHighQ) during the cell reselection time specified by the
TReselEutran or TReselUtran parameter.
The Srxlev value of the evaluated neighboring GERAN or CDMA2000 cell is always
greater than the RX signal level threshold used in reselection to higher-priority cells
(ThreshXHigh) during the cell reselection time specified by the TReselGeran or
Cdma1XrttTreselection parameter
The UE has camped on the serving cell for more than 1 second.
If SIB3 does not contain the value of ThrshServLowQ, a UE performs reselection to a higher-
priority inter-frequency or inter-RAT neighboring cell when the following conditions are both met:
The Srxlev value of the evaluated neighboring cell is always greater than the ThreshXHigh
value during the predefined cell reselection time
The UE has camped on the serving cell for more than 1 second