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AppleGranted patentNetworks & wirelessInterest 3/10

Apple patents method to switch phone connections between cell towers faster

Apple has been granted a patent for a method that helps mobile devices switch between different cell towers or network slices more efficiently. The system uses specific configuration signals to tell a phone which tower to connect to next, based on the available bandwidth and signal strength.

Why it mattersThis is a routine improvement to cellular network management that could help maintain stable connections as users move around, but it is a technical detail unlikely to be visible to most users.

In the filing’s own words

The present application relates to devices and components including apparatus, systems, and methods for cross-cell indication of radio network temporary identifiers or mobility based on bandwidth part switching.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. An apparatus comprising: processor circuitry to: generate a measurement object (MO) configuration to be transmitted to a user equipment (UE) to configure the UE for neighbor cell measurements, the MO configuration having a list of a physical cell identities (PCIs); generate first configuration information to be transmitted to the UE via a serving cell to configure a first bandwidth part (BWP) of the serving cell; generate second configuration information to be transmitted to the UE to configure a second BWP of a neighbor cell, the second configuration information to include a first index to associate the second BWP with a first PCI of the list of PCIs; and generate an indication of a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state associated with the second BWP, the indication to be transmitted to the UE to handover service of the UE from the first BWP of the serving cell to the second BWP of the neighbor cell; and interface circuitry, coupled with the processor circuitry, to transmit the MO configuration, the first configuration information, and the second configuration information.

Facts

Company
Apple (Apple Inc.)
Official title
Inter-cell mobility and connectivity operation
Patent number
US12739714B2
Application number
17442583
Filed
Mar 31, 2021
Granted
Sep 15, 2026
Inventors
10
Claims
16

Classified under

H04W 36/0077 Electricity & electronicsH04W 36/08 Electricity & electronicsH04W 72/0457 Electricity & electronicsH04W 72/232 Electricity & electronics
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.