Method and apparatus for reducing the average transmit power of a base station

In a spread spectrum communication system in which a mobile user communicates with another system user via at least one base station in a system of base stations as directed by a system controller, a method for directing communications between said mobile unit user and said system of base stations comprising the steps of:

• communicating by said mobile unit with a first base station wherein said first base station has an entry on a first list stored in said mobile unit wherein said first list comprises an entry for each of the one or more base stations in active communication with said mobile unit;
• measuring at said mobile unit signal strength transmitted by a second base station during communication by said mobile unit with said first base station;
• comparing said measured signal strength of said second base station to a first predetermined level;
• providing by said mobile unit to said system controller a measurement of signal strength of said first base station and said second base station if said measured signal strength of the second base station exceeds said first predetermined level;
• and
• comparing at said system controller said measured signal strength of said first base station to a desired operating power and sending said mobile unit a new list comprising said second base station if said measured signal strength of said first base station is less than said desired operating power and said mobile unit is not in communication with any other base station.

In a spread spectrum communication system in which a mobile unit user communicates with another system user via at least one base station in a system of base stations as directed by a system controller, a method for directing communications between said mobile unit user and said system of base stations comprising the steps of:

• communicating by said mobile unit with a first base station wherein said first base station has an entry on a first list stored in said mobile unit wherein said first list comprises an entry for each of the one or more base stations in active communication with said mobile unit;
• measuring, during communication by said mobile unit with said first base station, at said mobile unit a communication quality index corresponding to a second base station wherein said second base station does not have an entry on said first list;
• providing by said mobile unit to said system controller a measured quality index of said first base station and said measured quality index of said second base station;
• and
• comparing at said system controller said measured quality index of said first base station to a desired operating power and sending said mobile unit a new list comprising an entry for said second base station if said measured signal strength of said first base station does not meet said desired operating index.