US 6,320,855 B1 · Method and system for initiating idle handoff in a wireless communications system

Abstract

A system and method for deciding whether to initiate an idle handoff in a wireless communications system is disclosed. A mobile station having an integrated chip and software instructions executed by that chip obtain samples at first and second times of the pilot signals radiated by first and second base stations. A determination is then made whether to initiate an idle handoff based upon a comparison of the total strengths of the second time samples and a position-weighting term with a design constant. The position-weighting term accounts for the change in position of the mobile station relative to the first and second base stations in between the first and second sample times. The position-weighting term may itself be weighted to account for the strength of the earliest arriving multipath component of the first and second pilots relative to the total strength of the first and second pilots.

Claims25

Dependent claims

A method of initiating idle handoff of a mobile station in a wireless communications system, comprising the steps of:

(A) obtaining first and second samples of a first pilot signal radiated by a first base station, said first sample occurring at a first time and said second sample occurring at a second time;
(B) obtaining third and fourth samples of a second pilot signal radiated by a second base station, said third sample occurring at said first time and said fourth sample occurring at said second time;
(C) determining whether the sum of the difference between the total strengths of said second and fourth samples and a position-weighting term is less than a first design parameter;
and
(D) initiating idle handoff of said mobile station from said first base station to said second base station if said sum is less than said first design parameter.

2 more elements

A system for determining whether to initiate idle handoff in a wireless communications system, comprising:

(A) a first base station radiating a first pilot signal;
(B) a second base station radiating a second pilot signal;
and
(C) a mobile station having an integrated chip capable of executing software;
and
(D) a set of software instructions executed by said chip for:
(i) obtaining first and second samples of said first pilot signal, said first sample occurring at a first time and said second sample occurring at a second time;
(ii) obtaining third and fourth samples of said second pilot signal, said third sample occurring at said first time and said fourth sample occurring at said second time;
(iii) determining whether the sum of the difference between the total strengths of said second and fourth samples and a position-weighting term is less than a first design parameter;
and
(iv) initiating idle handoff of said mobile station from said first base station to said second base station if said sum is less than said first design parameter.

8 more elements

A system for initiating idle handoff of a mobile station in a wireless communications system, comprising:

(A) means for obtaining first and second samples of a first pilot signal radiated by a first base station, said first sample occurring at a first time and said second sample occurring at a second time;
(B) means for obtaining third and fourth samples of a second pilot signal radiated by a second base station, said third sample occurring at said first time and said fourth sample occurring at said second time;
(C) means for determining whether the sum of the difference between the total strengths of said second and fourth samples and a position-weighting term is less than a first design parameter;
and
(D) means for initiating idle handoff of said mobile station from said first base station to said second base station if said sum is less than said first design parameter.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and system for initiating idle handoff in a wireless communications system

Life of this patent

Method and system for initiating idle handoff in a wireless communications system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims25