Power control during inter-generation soft handoffs

In a CDMA cellular radiotelephone system, a method for power control during a soft handoff between a first system and a second system when a mobile station moves across systems, wherein the first and second systems are of different CDMA types and each system comprises a base station, the method comprising:

• (a) sending a pilot strength message from the mobile station to the first system on a first Reverse Traffic Channel (RTCH);
• (b) sending a handoff direction message with radio configuration parameters on a Forward Traffic Channel (FTCH) or Forward Dedicated Control Channel from the first system to the mobile station;
• (c) sending an intergeneration handoff completion message on the first Reverse Traffic Channel (RTCH) from the mobile station to the first system;
• (d) sending an extended handoff direction message from both the first and second systems to the mobile station;
• and
• (e) sending a handoff completion message on a second Reverse Traffic Channel (RTCH) from the mobile station to the second system.

A CDMA cellular radiotelephone system having a power-controlled soft handoff, the system comprising:

• a first base station of a first system type;
• a second base station of a second system type, the second base station suspending a Reverse Traffic Channel (RTCH), a Forward Power Control (FPC) channel and a Reverse Power Control (RPC) channel during a soft handoff, until the soft handoff is completed;
• and
• a mobile station that maintains a reverse link, a Forward Power Control Channel (FPC) channel and a Reverse Power Control (RPC) channel with the first base station, and receives a forward link from both the first and second base stations during a soft handoff until the soft handoff is completed.