US 8,027,683 B2Granted

Handover between radio networks

AssigneeMotorola Solutions, Inc.

InventorHoward J. Thomas

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Abstract

A communication system comprises a first radio network supporting a first air interface standard and a second radio network supporting a second air interface standard. The second radio network comprises a network interface 401 which receives a handover request message from the first radio network to hand over a remote station 101 to the second network. A handover preference processor 405 receives a handover preference message including a preference indication for a radio network for the remote station. A load processor 409 determines a load indication for the second radio network and a load threshold processor 407 determines a handover load threshold for the remote station in response to the preference indication. A handover evaluation processor 403 determines whether to accept the handover in response to a comparison of the load indication and the handover load threshold.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A communication system comprising:

a first radio network supporting a first air interface and a second radio network supporting a second air interface;
wherein the first radio network comprises:
means for determining that a handover attempt to the second radio network should be attempted for a first remote station supported by the first radio network, transmitting means for transmitting, in response to the determining handover attempt to the second radio network should be attempted, a handover request message for the first remote station to the second radio network;
and the second radio network comprises:
means for receiving the handover request message, means for receiving a handover preference message for the first remote station, the handover preference message comprising a preference indication for a radio network, means for determining a load indication for the second radio network, threshold means for determining a handover load threshold for the first remote station in response to the preference indication, means for determining whether to accept a handover of the first remote station in response to a comparison of the load indication and the handover load threshold, wherein if it is determined based on the load indication that a load for the second radio network exceeds the handover load threshold, the handover is rejected by the second radio network.

2 more elements

A method of operation in a communication system including a first radio network supporting a first air interface and a second radio network supporting a second air interface;

the method comprising:
the first radio network performing determining that a handover attempt to the second radio network should be attempted for a first remote station supported by the first radio network, and transmitting, in response to the determining handover attempt to the second radio network should be attempted, a handover request message for the first remote station to the second radio network;
and the second radio network performing receiving the handover request message, receiving a handover preference message for the first remote station, the handover preference message comprising a preference indication for a radio network, determining a load indication for the second radio network;
determining a handover load threshold for the first remote station in response to the preference indication, and determining whether to accept a handover of the first remote station in response to a comparison of the load indication and the handover load threshold, wherein if it is determined based on the load indication that a load for the second radio network exceeds the handover load threshold, the handover is rejected by the second radio network.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.