Combined base transceiver station and base station controller handoff

• US 20050192012A1
• Filed: 01/18/2005
• Published: 09/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Open Invention Network LLC
• Original Assignee: UbeeAirwalk, Inc. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Park, Hyeon Bong, Yoo, Jae Kyu, Choi, Myoung Chul, Cha, Hyunyung
• Granted Patent: US 8,019,348 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/442
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/06 Reselecting a communication resource in the serving access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/10 Reselecting an access point controller
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/18 for allowing seamless reselection, e.g. soft reselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 by measured or perceived connection quality data

Abstract

A system, method, and computer readable medium for a softer handoff comprises receiving a Pilot Strength Measurement Message (PSMM) to request a handoff by a selector distribution unit (SDU), receiving a softer handoff request message by a channel element control (CEC), receiving a softer handoff request message by a radio call control (RCC), receiving a traffic channel assignment message by the CEC, and receiving an indication of an addition of a new sector for the softer handoff by the SDU.

Claims

1. A method for a softer handoff, comprising:

receiving a Pilot Strength Measurement Message (PSMM) to request a handoff by a selector distribution unit (SDU);

receiving a softer handoff request message by a channel element control (CEC);

receiving a softer handoff request message by a radio call control (RCC);

receiving a traffic channel assignment message by the CEC; and

receiving an indication of an addition of a new sector for the softer handoff by the SDU.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising updating a handoff state by the RCC.

3. The method of claim 2 comprising receiving a handoff completion message by the CEC.

4. The method of claim 3 comprising receiving a PSMM by the SDU.

5. The method of claim 4 comprising sending a message by the SDU to drop a serving cell.

6. The method of claim 5 comprising receiving a handoff completion message by the CEC.

7. The method of claim 6 comprising receiving a softer handoff request message by the CEC.

8. The method of claim 7 comprising receiving a handoff completion message by the RCC.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the softer handoff request message is received by the CEC when the SDU determines that a softer handoff is to occur.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the softer handoff request message received by the CEC causes the CEC to request a resource assignment.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the softer handoff request message received by the RCC causes the RCC to assign traffic channel elements with an added sector for softer handoff.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the softer handoff request message is received by the RCC including added sector information from the CEC to enable a mobile station to access another sector.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the traffic channel assign message is received by the CEC including new allocated Walsh Code channel information.

14. The method of claim 2, wherein the updating of the handoff state by the RCC occurs with the softer handoff in progress.

15. The method of claim 3, wherein the handoff completion message is received by the CEC from a mobile station after the mobile station receives an Extended/General/Universal Handoff Direction message from the SDU.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the handoff completion message is received by a serving cell CEC and a target cell CEC.

17. The method of claim 4, wherein the PSMM is received by the SDU from a mobile station, and wherein the SDU drops a serving cell.

18. The method of claim 5, wherein the SDU sends a Extended/General/Universal Handoff Direction message to a mobile station to drop the serving active cell.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the message sent by the SDU is sent through a serving cell CEC and a target cell CEC.

20. The method of claim 6, wherein the handoff completion message is received by a serving cell CEC.

21. The method of claim 7, wherein the softer handoff request message is received by the CEC from the SDU to request a resource release.

22. The method of claim 8, wherein the handoff completion message is received by the RCC from the CEC to release resources.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the RCC performs at least one of a following action:

releases a dropped sector, releases a Walsh Code channel, and updates a handoff state with “

no handoff.”

24. A method for a softer handoff, comprising:

receiving a request for a handoff by a base station controller (BSC);

receiving a softer handoff request message by a base transceiver station (BTS), wherein the BSC and the BTS are co-located;

receiving a traffic channel assignment message by the BTS; and

receiving an indication of an addition of a new sector for the softer handoff by the BSC.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the softer handoff request message is received by the BTS from the BSC.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the indication of an addition of a new sector for the softer handoff is received by the BSC from the BTS.

27. A system for a softer handoff, comprising:

a base transceiver station (BTS) adapted to receive a softer handoff request message;

the BTS adapted to receive a traffic channel assignment message; and

a base station controller (BSC) adapted to receive an indication of an addition of a new sector for the softer handoff;

wherein the BTS and the BSC are combined.

28. A computer readable medium comprising instructions for:

determining that a softer handoff is to occur by a first module;

requesting a resource assignment by a second module, wherein the first module and the second module are coupled;

assigning traffic channel elements with an added sector for the softer handoff by the second module; and

enabling access to the added sector.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 28 comprising instructions for providing information from the second module to enable access to the added sector.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein a third module is enabled to access the other sector.