Handoff in a wireless communication system

At a mobile station, a method for maintaining a frame error rate of a current transmission frame during a frequency search excursion, comprising:

• detecting a search excursion direction from a base station;
• increasing a transmission power level of the current transmission frame to a predetermined amount;
• ignoring a plurality of transmission power control signals from the base station in order to maintain the transmission power level at the predetermined amount for a predetermined time period;
• and
• performing the frequency search excursion for a designated time period.

At a mobile station, a method for maintaining a frame error rate for a forward link signal when performing a frequency search excursion, comprising:

• receiving a search excursion direction from a base station;
• transmitting a power control message to the base station, wherein the power control message is for increasing the current transmission power level of the forward link information channels to a designated target level that is dependent upon a search excursion duration;
• and
• performing the frequency search excursion over the search excursion duration.

At a mobile station, apparatus for maintaining a frame error rate of a current transmission frame during a frequency search excursion, comprising:

• means for detecting a search excursion direction from a base station;
• means for increasing a transmission power level of the current transmission frame to a predetermined amount;
• means for ignoring a plurality of transmission power control signals from the base station in order to maintain the transmission power level at the predetermined amount for a predetermined time period;
• and
• means for performing the frequency search excursion for a designated time period.

Apparatus for minimizing frequency search time in a wireless communications system having a user station exchanging communications with a base station, the method comprising:

• means for tuning the user station to a target frequency from an original frequency and collecting and storing signal samples from the target frequency;
• means for tuning the user station to the original frequency and processing the stored samples;
• means for transmitting sample processing results to the base station;
• and
• means for allocating additional power to frame symbols on information channels in order to minimize the effect of lost forward and reverse link symbols caused by tuning the user station to the target frequency.

A method for performing handoff comprising:

• tuning to a target frequency from an original frequency;
• collecting and storing signal samples received at the target frequency during a search excursion period;
• tuning to the original frequency;
• and
• increasing a transmission power of at least one channel in relation to a pilot channel transmission power from a pre-excursion transmission power to a post-excursion transmission power, wherein the difference between the pre-excursion transmission power and the post-excursion power is based on the duration of the search excursion period.