1. Field
The present application relates generally to wireless communications, and more specifically to methods and systems for expediting recovery from an out-of-service event.
2. Background
Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as voice, data, and so on. These systems may be multiple-access systems capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing the available system resources (e.g., bandwidth and transmit power). Examples of such multiple-access systems include Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) systems, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) systems, Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) systems, 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) systems.
Generally, a wireless multiple-access communication system can simultaneously support communication for multiple wireless terminals. Each terminal communicates with one or more base stations via transmissions on the forward and reverse links. The forward link (or downlink) refers to the communication link from the base stations to the terminals, and the reverse link (or uplink) refers to the communication link from the terminals to the base stations. This communication link may be established via a single-in-single-out, multiple-in-single-out or a Multiple-In-Multiple-Out (MIMO) system.
Access Terminal (ATs), also referred to as cellular/mobile devices or handsets, or User Equipment (UE), are typically configured to connect to a base station in order to utilize available wireless services. ATs can include, for example, cellular phones, smart phones, laptops, handheld communication devices, handheld computing devices, satellite radios, navigational devices, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), or any other suitable device for communicating over a wireless communication system. Inevitably, situations arise when there is outage during radio link failure or the like. Typically, the AT responds to such an out-of-service event (e.g., radio link failure) by doing a blind full band search for available base stations, which may be time-consuming and inefficient. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved method and system for expediting radio link recovery.