US 7,065,359 B2 · System and method for switching between base stations in a wireless communications system

Abstract

A base station switching system includes a wireless unit that waits before switching from a previous base station to a new base station after the wireless unit has indicated to the wireless communications system the identity of the new base station. Thus, the wireless unit continues to receive data from the previous base station, and the data forwarded to the previous base station will not be lost. For example, whenever a wireless unit decides to switch to a new base station, the wireless unit sends an indication to the wireless communications system of the identity of the selected base station. Before the wireless communications system can forward the data to the new base station, the wireless communications system continues to forward data to the previous base station. To avoid losing such data, the wireless unit continues receiving data from the previous base station. Once the previous data forwarded to the previous base station is sent to the wireless unit and/or the new data has been forwarded to the new base station, the wireless communications system can signal the wireless unit, and in response, the wireless unit can begin receiving data from the new base station.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of switching between a previous base station and a new base station in a wireless communications system having a shared downlink data channel that carries downlink data from the wireless communication system to at least one wireless unit, said method comprising the steps of:

sending signals from the wireless unit to said wireless communications system via an uplink control channel associated with the shared downlink data channel, wherein the signals indicate an identity of said new base station that the wireless unit has selected from which to receive downlink data;
waiting for an indication from the wireless communication system to switch to said new base station;
receiving downlink data from said previous base station via the shared downlink data channel until said indication;
and
switching to said new base station in response to said indication to switch to said new base station.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and method for switching between base stations in a wireless communications system

Life of this patent

System and method for switching between base stations in a wireless communications system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20