Method and system for using multiple pseudonoise (PN) increments

A method comprising:

• while serving a mobile station via a sector in a first group of sectors controlled by a first serving system, said first serving system determining that said mobile station is likely to be in a communication range of at least one sector in a second group of sectors bordering said first group of sectors along a boundary and controlled by a second serving system, wherein sectors in said first group transmit pilot signals having pseudonoise (PN) offsets corresponding to a first PN increment that defines a first number of chips between successive PN offsets and sectors in said second group transmit pilot signals having PN offsets corresponding to a second PN increment that defines a second number of chips between successive PN offsets, wherein said first number is different than said second number, wherein said PN offsets corresponding to said first PN increment have integral multiples of said first number of chips and said PN offsets corresponding to said second PN increment have integral multiples of said second number of chips, and wherein said mobile station maintains an active set, a neighbor set, a candidate set, and a remaining set;
• and
• said first serving system responsively instructing said mobile station to use said second PN increment when scanning for pilot signals to add to said remaining set, such that said mobile station scans for pilot signals using (i) a first search window that encompasses a first range of PN offsets, wherein said first range of PN offsets includes a first PN offset having a first integral multiple of said second number of chips, and (ii) a second search window that encompasses a second range of PN offsets, wherein said second range of PN offsets includes a second PN offset having a second integral multiple of said second number of chips.

A method for a mobile station, wherein said mobile station maintains an active set, a neighbor set, a candidate set, and a remaining set, said method comprising:

• receiving, by said mobile station, an instruction via a sector serving said mobile station, wherein said sector is in a first group of sectors that have pseudonoise (PN) offsets corresponding to a first PN increment, and wherein said mobile station is within a communication range of a second group of sectors that have PN offsets corresponding to a second PN increment, wherein said first PN increment defines a first number of chips between successive PN offsets and said second PN increment defines a second number of chips between successive PN offsets, wherein said first number is different than said second number, and wherein said PN offsets corresponding to said first PN increment have integral multiples of said first number of chips and said PN offsets corresponding to said second PN increment have integral multiples of said second number of chips;
• and
• in response to said instruction, scanning, by said mobile station, for pilot signals to add to said remaining set using said first PN increment and said second PN increment, wherein scanning for pilot signals to add to said remaining set using said PN increment comprises scanning for pilot signals using (i) a first search window that encompasses a first range of PN offsets, wherein said first range of PN offsets includes a first PN offset having a first integral multiple of said second number of chips, and (ii) a second search window that encompasses a second range of PN offsets, wherein said second range of PN offsets includes a second PN offset having a second integral multiple of said second number of chips.