Cellular system hand-off protocol

In a cellular communication system comprising a backbone, and a plurality of base stations each coupled to said backbone, each of said base stations communicating on a selected one of a plurality of communication channels, a method of informing a mobile device registered to a first of said plurality of base stations of respective communication channel information related to a plurality of associated base stations, comprising the steps of:

• each of said plurality of associated base stations conveying information to said first base station related to said respective communication channel thereof;
• said first base station receiving said information;
• and
• said first base station transmitting a selected portion of said information to said mobile device wherein the selected portion of said information is associated only with a reduced set of the plurality of associated base stations which are predetermined to have a cell area selected from one of adjacent to and overlapping with the cell area of the first base station.

A cellular communication system, comprising:

• a backbone;
• a plurality of base stations each coupled to said backbone, each of said base stations communicating on one of a plurality of different communication channels;
• at least one mobile device, each of said mobile devices communicating with said backbone via registration with a selected one of said plurality of base stations, each of said base stations including:
• wireless communication means for communicating information between said backbone and any of said at least one mobile devices which are registered to said base station;
• means for conveying communication channel information to other of said plurality of base stations in said cellular communication system;
• means for receiving communication channel information from said other base stations;
• and
• means for wirelessly transmitting a selected portion of said communication channel information received to mobile devices currently registered to said base station, wherein said selected portion of said communication channel information is associated only with a reduced set of the plurality of base stations which are predetermined to have a cell area selected from one of adjacent to and overlapping with the cell area of said currently registered base station.

A base station for use in a cellular communication system, comprising said base station along with a plurality of similar associated base stations each of which are coupled to a backbone, with each of said plurality of similar associated base stations each of which arc coupled to a backbone, with each of said plurality of similar associated base stations potentially serving as a respective wireless communication link between said backbone and at least one mobile device registered thereto, said base station comprising:

• wireless communication means for communicating information between said backbone and any of said at least one mobile devices which are registered to said base station;
• means for conveying communication channel information to other of said plurality of similar associated base stations in said cellular communication system;
• means for receiving communication channel information from said other plurality of similar associated base stations;
• and
• means for wirelessly transmitting a selected portion of said communication channel information received from said other plurality of similar associated base stations to said at least one mobile device currently registered to said base station wherein said selected portion of said communication channel information is associated only with a reduced set of the plurality of base stations which are predetermined to have a cell area selected from one adjacent to and overlapping with the cell area of said currently registered base station.

In a cellular communication system comprising a backbone, and a plurality of base stations each coupled to said backbone, each of said base stations communicating on a selected one of a plurality of communication channels, a method of transferring communication channel information, comprising the steps of:

• transmitting to a first of said plurality of base stations communications channel information related to of at least one of said plurality of base stations by a mobile device
• receiving said communication channel information by said first base station;
• and
• transmitting selected portions of said communication channel information to an associated mobile device registered with said first base station, wherein the selected information is associated only with a reduced set of the plurality of base stations which are predetermined to have a cell area selected from one of adjacent to and overlapping with the cell area of the first base station.

A mobile device for use in a cellular communication system, said cellular communication system comprising a backbone and a plurality of base stations coupled thereto, said mobile device capable of communicating with said backbone via one of said plurality of base stations to which the mobile device is currently registered;

• said mobile device comprising:
• wireless communication means for communicating information between said mobile device and said backbone;
• means for receiving roaming information from said one base station, said roaming information including communication channel information related to other of said base stations wherein said roaming information includes only communication channel information related to base stations which are predetermined to have a cell area selected from one of adjacent to and overlapping with the cell area of the one base station;
• and
• means for jumping directly to a communication channel at which one of said other base stations is expected to be based in part on received roaming information.

A mobile device for use in a cellular communication system, said cellular communication system comprising a backbone and a plurality of base stations having respective cell areas coupled thereto, said mobile device capable of communicating with said backbone via one of said plurality of base stations to which the mobile device is currently registered, said mobile device comprising:

• wireless communication means for communicating information between said mobile device and said backbone;
• means for receiving communication information, including hop sequence information related to other of said base stations from said one base station;
• means for storing said hop sequence information;
• means for computing a communication channel at which at least one of said other base stations is expected to be based on said hop sequence information, wherein said communication information includes a roam counter valve indicative of which of said plurality of base stations have cell areas selected from one of adjacent to and overlapping with the cell area of said one base station;
• and
• means for jumping directly to the communication channel.

In a cellular communication system comprising a backbone, and first and second base stations each coupled to said backbone, each of said first and second base stations communicating on a selected one of a plurality of communication channels, a method comprising the steps of:

• conveying from said second base station to said first base station information related to said second base station's hopping sequence;
• receiving said information by said first base station;
• storing said information in memory associated with said first base station;
• computing within said first base station a communication channel upon which said second base station is expected to be, based on said information stored in said first base station;
• transmitting from said first base station to a registered mobile device said communication channel computed;
• and
• receiving said communication channel computed by said mobile device.