Method and System for Managing Handoff in a Radio Access Network
AssigneeSprint Spectrum L.P.
InventorsSachin R. Vargantwar, Bhagwan Khanka, Manoj Shetty, Jasinder P. Singh
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed is a method and device for managing handoff of an access terminal in a radio access network (RAN). An access terminal may detect a handoff trigger, determine whether there is an ongoing data transfer in progress, determine an amount remaining in the data transfer, compare the amount remaining to a threshold amount, and delay or cancel the handoff if the amount remaining is below the threshold amount. Additionally, the access terminal may consider signal strength of the current (source) coverage area in determining whether to delay or cancel the handoff.
Claims21
A method of managing handoff of a wireless access terminal operating in a wireless network, comprising:
- a wireless access terminal detecting a handoff trigger while operating in a source coverage area, the handoff trigger indicating that the access terminal should handoff to a target coverage area;
- in response to detecting the handoff trigger, the access terminal determining that it has an ongoing data transfer, and responsively:
- identifying an amount remaining in the data transfer;
- making a determination that the amount remaining is below a threshold amount;
- and
- responsive to making the determination, carrying out at least one of (a) delaying the handoff to the target coverage area and (b) cancelling the handoff to the target coverage area.
A wireless access terminal comprising:
- a processor;
- data storage;
- and
- a wireless communications interface,
- wherein the processor is configured to detect a handoff trigger while operating in a source coverage area, the handoff trigger indicating that the access terminal should handoff to a target coverage area and, responsive to detecting the handoff trigger, determine that the access terminal has an ongoing data transfer, identify an amount remaining in the data transfer, make a determination that the amount remaining is below a threshold amount, and responsively carry out at least one of (a) delaying handoff to the target coverage area and (b) cancelling the handoff to the target coverage area.
A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for managing handoff of a wireless access terminal in a wireless network from a source coverage area to a target coverage area, said method comprising:
- detecting a handoff trigger while operating in a source coverage area, the handoff trigger indicating that the access terminal should handoff to a target coverage area;
- in response to detecting the handoff trigger, determining that the wireless access terminal has an ongoing data transfer, and responsively:
- identifying an amount remaining in the data transfer;
- making a determination that the amount remaining is below a threshold amount;
- and
- responsive to making the determination, carrying out at least one of (a) delaying the handoff to the target coverage area and (b) cancelling the handoff to the target coverage area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.