Method and apparatus for reducing interference in a radio communication link of a cellular communication system

A cellular communication system central communication site, comprising:

• (a) first sector antenna means for maintaining a radio communication link in a geographic region of a cell having a particular overlapped service region with a second sector antenna serving an adjacent geographic region of the cell wherein a mobile communication unit is located within the particular overlapped service region by communicating a signal in a first communication channel between the first sector antenna means and the mobile communication unit;
• (b) third antenna means for maintaining the radio communication link in a geographic region of the cell which overlays the particular overlapped service region and has overlapped service regions with at least one further geographic region of an at least one other antenna of the cell different from the first and second sector antennas which are non-overlapping with the particular overlapped service region by communicating the signal in a second communication channel between the third antenna means and the mobile communication unit;
• (c) means for determining a measure of interference in the first radio communication channel maintaining the radio communication link;
• and
• (d) means for switching the radio communication link from the first radio communication channel to the second radio communication channel, in response to the measure of interference being above a predetermined threshold.

A cellular communication system, comprising:

• (a) a central communication site, comprising:
• (i) first sector antenna means for serving a geographic region of a cell having a particular overlapped service region with a second sector antenna serving an adjacent geographic region of the cell wherein a mobile communication unit is located within the particular overlapped service region by communicating a signal in a first communication channel between the first sector antenna means and the mobile communication unit;
• and
• (ii) third antenna means for serving a geographic region of the cell which overlays the particular overlapped service region and has overlapped service regions with at least one further geographic region of an at least one other antenna of the cell different from the first and second sector antennas which are non-overlapping with the particular overlapped service region by communicating the signal in a second communication channel between the third antenna means and the mobile communication unit;
• (b) the mobile communication unit having means for maintaining a radio communication link with the central communication site by communicating the signal in the first and the second communication channel between the central communication site and the mobile communication unit;
• (c) means for determining a measure of interference in the first radio communication channel providing the radio communication link;
• and
• (d) means for switching the radio communication link from the first radio communication channel to the second radio communication channel, in response to the measure of interference being above a predetermined threshold.

In a cellular communication system, a method for reducing interference in a radio communication link from a central communication site to a mobile communication unit, comprising:

• (a) determining a measure of interference in a first radio communication channel, the first radio communication channel being provided through a radio communication link which communicates a signal between a first sector antenna of a cell and the mobile communication unit, the first sector antenna serving a geographic region of the cell having a particular overlapped service region with a second sector antenna serving an adjacent geographic region of the cell wherein the mobile communication unit is located within the particular overlapped service region;
• and
• (b) switching the radio communication link, in response to the measure of interference being above a predetermined threshold, from the first radio communication channel to a second radio communication channel in which the signal is communicated between a third antenna of the cell and the mobile communication unit, the third antenna serving a geographic region which overlays the particular overlapped service region and has overlapped service regions with at least one further geographic region of an at least one other antenna of the cell different from the first and second antennas which are non-overlapping with the particular overlapped service region.