Handover method between a preferred base station and alternatives base stations

A method of operating a first base station apparatus for transferring a wireless communication connection with a wireless appliance from the first base station apparatus to one of a set of second base station apparatuses comprising at least a preferred base station apparatus and an alternative base station apparatus wherein the method comprises:

• receiving a signal quality report from the wireless appliance,
• selecting the preferred base station apparatus using the signal quality report,
• sending a first transfer request to the preferred base station apparatus, wherein the first transfer request comprises the signal quality report,
• receiving a first transfer request reply from the preferred base station apparatus, wherein the first transfer request reply comprises either a transfer acknowledgement message or a transfer cancel message, wherein the selection between the transfer acknowledgement message and the transfer cancel message is made using the signal quality report,
• sending a first connection reconfiguration request to the wireless appliance if the first transfer request reply comprises the transfer acknowledgement message, wherein the first connection reconfiguration request instructs the wireless appliance to shift the wireless communication connection from the first base station apparatus to the preferred base station apparatus,
• receiving a first release command from the preferred base station apparatus if the first connection reconfiguration request was sent,
• terminating the wireless communication connection with the wireless appliance if the first release command is received,
• sending a second transfer request to the alternative base station apparatus if the first transfer request reply comprises the transfer cancel message,
• receiving a second transfer request reply from the alternative base station apparatus if the second transfer request was sent, wherein the first transfer request reply comprises either the transfer acknowledgement message or the transfer cancel message,
• sending a second connection reconfiguration request to the wireless appliance if the second transfer request reply comprises the transfer acknowledgement message, wherein the second connection reconfiguration request instructs the wireless appliance to shift the wireless communication connection from the first base station apparatus to the alternative base station apparatus,
• receiving a second release command from the alternative base station appliance if the second connection reconfiguration request was sent,
• terminating the wireless communication connection with the wireless appliance if the second release command is received or a first internal timer expires,
• wherein the signal quality report comprises a quality rating of the wireless communication connection between the wireless appliance and each of the second base station apparatuses, wherein the first transfer request reply specifies which of the second base station apparatuses is the alternative base station apparatus.