Method to determine neighbor cell data in a mobile cellular system and a mobile station

A mobile station for connection to a cellular system, said mobile station comprising:

• means for transmitting and receiving user information on a communication channel between a current cell base station and said mobile station;
• means to receive neighbour cell information from a neighbour cell base station;
• means for interrupting an exchange of said user information;
• and
• means for receiving neighbour cell information transmitted by a neighbour cell base station during an interruption at a time during normal communication, when continuous transmission is occurring and before signal quality becomes degraded;
• wherein all time slots except those used for a control channel are used for said continuous transmission.

A method to determine channel information in a cellular system, in which user information is transmitted on a communication channel reserved for connection between a current cell base station and a mobile station, and in which there is received neighbour cell information transmitted from a neighbour cell base station, the method comprising:

• interrupting an exchange of user information at a time during normal communication when continuous transmission is occurring and before signal quality becomes degraded;
• receiving said neighbour cell information during a resulting interruption;
• and
• wherein when a pause in continuous transmission occurs, said neighbour cell information is received during said pause.

A method to determine channel information in a cellular system, in which user information is transmitted on a communication channel reserved for connection between a current cell base station and a mobile station, and in which there is received neighbour cell information transmitted from a neighbour cell base station, the method comprising:

• interrupting an exchange of user information at a time during normal communication when continuous transmission is occurring and before signal quality becomes degraded;
• receiving said neighbour cell information during a resulting interruption;
• and
• wherein the system is a time division system, signal quality of a neighbour cell base station is monitored, and when a pause in continuous transmission occurs, and discontinuous transmission is active in an up-link transmission direction, said monitoring is performed in place of a missing transmission, and information is received between said monitoring and a next time of information reception.