Method of realizing hard handoff between FA in CDMA mobile communication system

• US 6,208,862 B1
• Filed: 12/17/1998
• Issued: 03/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LG Telecom Incorporated (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Telecom Incorporated (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Hyo Jin
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Nguyen T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DUC M
• Application Number:
  US09/213,412
• Time in Patent Office: 831 Days
• Field of Search: 455/436, 455/444, 370/331, 370/332, 370/334, 370/204, 370/320
• US Class Current: 455/442
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/24 Cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00 Hand-off or reselection arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/18 for allowing seamless reselection, e.g. soft reselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A method of realizing hard handoff between frequency assignments in a mobile communication system is disclosed. The method is capable of building and managing base stations having different FA while significantly reducing the probability of call drops during hard handoff between FA, such that the call capacity can be increased. The method of realizing hard handoff between different FA includes the steps of setting guard sectors among sectors of a plurality of base stations, allowing a mobile station to transmit a message which requests handoff at a boundary area between the base stations to a base station currently in service, implementing soft handoff between the base stations, and implementing hard handoff between FA after implementing the soft handoff.

Claims

1. A method of realizing hard handoff comprising:

setting guard sectors selected among boundary sectors of base stations utilizing a less number of frequency assignment (FA) than non-selected neighboring sectors of other base stations;

implementing hard handoff inside the guard sectors;

allowing a mobile station to transmit a message which requests handoff at a boundary area between the base stations to a base station which is currently in service;

implementing soft handoff between the base stations; and

implementing the hard handoff between FA after completing the soft handoff.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein in the setting the guard sectors, the boundary sectors of the base stations utilizing only a common FA are set as the guard sectors.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of managing the guard sectors by mounting an overhead channel in an additional FA.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein in the implementing soft handoff between the base stations, a T_ADD value for determining the start of the soft handoff and a T_DROP value for determining the end of the soft handoff in an additional FA of the guard sectors are greater than T_ADD value and T_DROP value in sectors neighboring the guard sectors.

5. A method of realizing hard handoff comprising:

setting guard sectors for a first base station currently serving a mobile station, wherein the guard sectors are selected among neighboring sectors of base stations;

allowing a mobile station to transmit a message requesting handoff from the first base station to a target base station of the base stations;

implementing soft handoff between the first base station and the target base station using the guard sectors;

implementing a hard handoff between frequency assignment (FA) using the guard sectors after completing the soft handoff; and

managing the guard sectors by mounting an overhead channel and a traffic channel in an additional FA.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first base station uses a first FA and the additional FA, and wherein in the setting the guard sectors, the neighboring sectors of the base stations utilizing a fewer number of FA are set as the guard sectors.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein in the implementing soft handoff between the base stations, a T_ADD value for determining the start of the soft handoff and a T_DROP value for determining the end of the soft handoff in the additional FA of the guard sectors are greater than T_ADD value and T_DROP value in sectors neighboring the guard sectors.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising managing the guard sectors by mounting an overhead channel and a traffic channel in an additional FA, wherein the first base station uses a first FA and the additional FA, and wherein in the setting the guard sectors, the neighboring sectors of the base stations utilizing the first FA are set as the guard sectors.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein in the implementing soft handoff between the base stations, a T_ADD value for determining the start of the soft handoff and a T_DROP value for determining the end of the soft handoff in the additional FA of the guard sectors are greater than T_ADD value and T_DROP value in sectors neighboring the guard sectors.

8. A method of realizing hard handoff comprising:

setting guard sectors selected among neighboring sectors of base stations that are adjacent to a first base station, wherein setting the guard sectors, the neighboring sectors using a fewer number of frequency assignment (FA) are set as the guard sectors;

implementing hard handoff inside the guard sectors;

allowing a mobile station to transmit a message requesting handoff from the first base station to a target base station using a selected guard sector;

implementing soft handoff between the first base station and the target base station using the selected guard sector; and

implementing the hard handoff between FA in using the selected guard sector after completing the soft handoff.