Method for reducing equalizer usage in mobile radio communication systems

In a cellular mobile radio system including a number of base stations and mobile stations, each of said mobile stations including an equalizer function which can be used for compensation of the time dispersion in the radio signals received from one of the base stations, each of said base stations transmitting a specific dedicated control channel to said mobile stations in the listening mode, a method of selecting one of said dedicated control channels and an associated base stations, comprising the steps of:

• a) scanning a plurality of said dedicated control channels received by a mobile station,
• b) measuring the signal strength of said dedicated control channels and ranking the channels from strongest to weakest according to the signal strength thus measured,
• c) tuning the receiver of said mobile station to a first dedicated control channel having a first signal strength according to said ranking,
• d) detecting a first signal quality of said first dedicated control channel while using said equalizer function in said mobile station, and making a decision whether said first signal quality is acceptable or not,
• e) tuning the receiver to a second dedicated control channel having a second signal strength less than said first signal strength according to said ranking if said first signal quality was acceptable, and detecting a signal quality of said second dedicated control channel without using said equalizer function, and
• f) selecting said second dedicated control channel and the associated base station if the previous detection of said signal quality of said second dedicated control channel was acceptable.

A radio communication system having a plurality of remote stations and base stations comprising:

• means, disposed in each of said remote stations, for detecting control signals transmitted from a plurality of base stations;
• means, responsive to said detecting means, for measuring a signal strength of each of said control signals and ranking the control signals according to the measured signal strengths from strongest to weakest;
• first means, responsive to said measuring means, for determining if said control signals are properly detected with equalization;
• second means, responsive to said measuring means, for determining if said control signals are properly detected without equalization;
• and
• means, responsive to said first and second determining means, for selecting either a first of said control signals or a second of said control signals.