Method for handoff in a mobile radio communication system

A method for handoff from a first base station in a cellular mobile radio communication system, in which signal parameters that describe, the reliability of signals between a mobile station and a set of base stations including a second base station surrounding said mobile station are measured and used by a mobile services switching center for handoff decisions, said method comprising the steps:

• (a) calculating, when handoff is considered to be motivated, from said measured signal parameters a signal parameter vector which characterizes the geographical location of said mobile station within the cell that is associated with said first base station;
• (b) correlating said signal parameter vector with each of set of stored characteristic signal parameter vectors associated with said first base station, each characteristic signal parameter vector characterizing a predetermined location in said cell;
• and
• (c) assigning said mobile station to a base station in said set of base stations other than said second base station, said second base station having the measured signal parameters corresponding to the most reliable signal, when said correlation between said measured signal parameter vector and one of said stored characteristic signal parameter vectors exceeds a predetermined correlation level.