A method for performing a
cell reselection in a
system comprised of a hierarchy of cells, wherein cells of one layer of the hierarchy have a size that differs from cells of another layer of the hierarchy. The method includes steps of (a) identifying to a
user equipment a layer to which individual cells in a neighbor
cell list are associated; (b) when performing neighbor
cell measurements for reselection purposes, avoiding a measurement of cells in the
list that are larger than a current serving cell unless a
Cell Selection (S) parameter falls below a search threshold parameter (Ssearch), and is greater than zero; and (c), if S is less than or equal to zero, and no cell reselection to a better cell is in process, beginning a measurement of neighbor cells without regard for their hierarchical level. If the
user equipment has made cell reselection to N different cells on the same hierarchical layer within a time Tmax, the
user equipment initiates a reselection procedure for larger neighbor cells. This procedure accommodates user equipment that is moving at a relatively high speed through the cells. If the user equipment locates a larger cell, which fulfills cell reselection criteria Sn > 0 and Qn > Qs+Qoffsets,n+Qhyst for a period of time Treselection, cell reselection to the larger cell is made. Furthermore, if the user equipment performs a cell reselection to the larger cell, the user equipment does not attempt to reselect to a smaller cell within a time X, unless an immediate
cell evaluation is triggered, wherein the time X can be pre-specified, or can be set by the network.