Handover management in group calls

A method of identification by a fixed network element of a digital cellular radiocommunication system, of a destination cell indicated by a mobile terminal of said system that is in receiving phase in a group call while roaming in a current cell, said destination cell being defined from a determined number N of cells adjacent to said current cell, wherein:

• the system uses a time and/or frequency division multiple access method, and any modulation method;
• the fixed network receives from the mobile terminal an identification sequence of the destination cell in a time slot of an inbound signalling channel which is a contention channel;
• the identification sequence comprises a determined identification pattern out of a determined number P of identification patterns of different respective values, where P is an integer such that 1<P≦N;
• the values of the P identification patterns are such that they correspond to mutually-orthogonal modulated signals;
• and,
• the fixed network element recovers the received identification pattern and identifies the destination cell from said identification pattern and rank.

A mobile terminal of a digital cellular radiocommunication system which uses a time and/or frequency division multiple access method, and any modulation method, wherein:

• the mobile terminal is configured to indicate, when it is in receiving phase in a group call while roaming in a current cell, to a fixed network element of said system, a given destination cell out of a number N of cells adjacent to said current cell, by sending an identification sequence of the destination cell in a time slot of an inbound signalling channel that is a channel with contention;
• the identification sequence comprises a determined identification pattern out of a determined number P of identification patterns of different respective values, where P is an integer such that 1<P≦N;
• and,
• the values of the P identification patterns are such that they correspond to mutually-orthogonal modulated signals.

A fixed network element of a digital cellular radiocommunication system which uses a time and/or frequency division multiple access method, and any modulation method, wherein:

• the fixed network element is configured to receive an indication from a mobile terminal a of said system, when said mobile terminal is in receiving phase in a group call while roaming in a current cell, of a given destination cell out of a number N of cells adjacent to said current cell, by receiving an identification sequence of the destination cell in a time slot of an inbound signalling channel that is a channel with contention;
• the identification sequence comprises a determined identification pattern out of a determined number P of identification patterns of different respective values, where P is an integer such that 1<P≦N;
• and,
• the values of the P identification patterns are such that they correspond to mutually-orthogonal modulated signals.