Method and system of handover based on channel quality and loading

A method of handing over a communication with a mobile station between wireless links of an access network, the method comprising:

• an access network deciding to initiate a handover of a communication with a mobile station from a first wireless link to a new wireless link;
• the access network identifying a plurality of wireless links available for the handover, wherein the plurality of wireless links includes at least one wireless link serving a coverage area that is also served by one or more other wireless links;
• for each identified wireless link, the access network determining a channel-quality metric that indicates a channel quality of the identified wireless link, a wireless-link loading metric that indicates a loading of the identified wireless link, and a coverage-area loading metric that indicates a loading of the coverage area served by the identified wireless link;
• the access network assigning a priority level to each identified wireless link based on the coverage-area loading metric for the identified wireless link;
• for each identified wireless link having been assigned a highest priority level, the access network applying a linear function that takes the form of −aQWL+bLWL≦c, wherein QWL is the channel-quality metric, LWL is the wireless-link loading metric, and a, b, and c are configurable parameters;
• the access network selecting the new wireless link based on the application of the linear function for each identified wireless link having been assigned the highest priority level;
• and the access network facilitating the handover of the communication from the first wireless link to the selected new wireless link.

A base station comprising:

• an antenna structure for communicating with one or more mobile stations operating in an access network over at least a first wireless link;
• a communication interface for communicating with one or more entities in an access network;
• a processor;
• data storage;
• and
• program instructions stored in the data storage and executable by the processor for:
• deciding to initiate a handover of a communication with a mobile station from the first wireless link to a new wireless link of the access network;
• identifying a plurality of wireless links available for the handover, wherein the plurality of wireless links includes at least one wireless link serving a coverage area that is also served by one or more other wireless links;
• for each identified wireless link, (a) determining channel-quality metric that indicates a channel quality of the identified wireless link and a wireless-link loading metric that indicates a loading of the identified wireless link and (b) applying a linear function that takes the form of −aQWL+bLWL≦c, wherein QWL is the channel-quality metric, LWL is the wireless-link loading metric, and a, b, and c are configurable parameters;
• selecting the new wireless link based on the application of the linear function for each identified wireless link;
• and
• facilitating the handover of the communication from the first wireless link to the selected new wireless link.