Radio configuration-based handoff parameter adjustment

• US 7,181,222 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2004
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Thorson, Dean E., Declerck, Daniel J., Tobin, Joseph A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ferguson; Keith
• Application Number:
  US11/026,379
• Publication Number:
  US 20060148480A1
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• Field of Search: 455436-437, 455/438, 455/439, 455/440, 455/441, 455/442, 455/443, 455/444, 455/445, 455/422.1, 455/426.1, 455/426.2, 455/403, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/432.1, 455/432.2, 455/432.3, 455/500, 455/517, 455/550.1, 455/414.1, 455/414.3, 455/414.2, 370/331, 370/332, 370/333, 370/334
• US Class Current: 455/442
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0055 Transmission or use of information for re-establishing the radio link

Abstract

A method and apparatus facilitate soft handover in a CDMA RAN (100) based on a requested set of soft handover parameters from a plurality of sets of soft handover parameters associated with a corresponding plurality of radio configurations. A mobile station (140) can request a set of soft handover parameters associated with a radio configuration. Candidate base stations (BTS 1–BTS N) can be added to an active list based on the soft handover parameters.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating the transfer of handoff parameters associated with a handoff of a call including a wireless communication unit from a first base station to a second base station in a Radio Access Network (RAN), the method comprising:

notifying the first base station of a chosen one of a plurality of radio configurations chosen for operation by the wireless communication unit for use during the call, the notifying performed during a call setup procedure associated with the call;

the plurality of radio configurations having a corresponding plurality of sets of handoff parameters associated therewith; and

receiving a first one of the plurality of sets of handoff parameters associated with the chosen one of the plurality of radio configurations transferred from the first base station to the wireless communication unit.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

notifying the first base station of a chosen different one of the plurality of radio configurations chosen for operation by the wireless communication unit for use during the call after a radio configuration change, the notifying performed during a hard handover procedure associated with the call; and

receiving a second one of the plurality of sets of handoff parameters associated with the chosen different one of the plurality of radio configurations transferred from the first base station to the wireless communication unit.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2, further comprising:

notifying the first base station of an additional chosen different one of the plurality of radio configurations chosen for operation by the wireless communication unit for use during the call after an additional radio configuration change, the notifying performed during an additional hard handover procedure associated with the call; and

receiving a third one of the plurality of sets of handoff parameters associated with the additional chosen different one of the plurality of radio configurations transferred from the first base station to the wireless communication unit.

4. A method in accordance with claim 2, wherein the second one of the plurality of sets of handoff parameters includes one or more of:

a T_ADD threshold, a T_DROP threshold, a T_COMP threshold a T_TDROP threshold, a SOFT_SLOPE threshold, an ADD_INTERCEPT threshold, and a DROP_INTERCEPT threshold.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first one of the plurality of sets of handoff parameters includes one or more of:

a T_ADD threshold, a T_DROP threshold, a T_COMP threshold a T_TDROP threshold, a SOFT_SLOPE threshold, an ADD_INTERCEPT threshold, and a DROP_INTERCEPT threshold.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the plurality of radio configurations includes 10 different radio configurations.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the RAN includes a CDMA2000 RAN.

8. A method for facilitating the transfer of handoff parameters associated with a soft handover of a call including a wireless communication unit in a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) Radio Access Network (RAN), the method comprising:

maintaining a set of soft handover parameters for each of a plurality of radio configurations associated with the CDMA RAN to form a plurality of sets of soft handover parameters;

receiving a notification of a chosen one of the plurality of radio configurations chosen for operation by the wireless communication unit; and

transferring a first one of the plurality of sets of soft handover parameters corresponding to the selected one of the plurality of radio configurations to the wireless communication unit.

9. A method in accordance with claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a notification of a chosen different one of the plurality of radio configurations chosen for operation by the wireless communication unit; and

transferring a second one of the plurality of sets of soft handover parameters corresponding to the chosen different one of the plurality of radio configurations to the wireless communication unit.

10. A method in accordance with claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a notification of an additional chosen different one of the plurality of radio configurations chosen for operation by the wireless communication unit; and

transferring a third one of the plurality of sets of soft handover parameters corresponding to the additional chosen different one of the plurality of radio configurations to the wireless communication unit.

11. A method in accordance with claim 8, wherein the first one of the plurality of sets of handoff parameters includes one or more of:

a T_ADD threshold, a T_DROP threshold, a T_COMP threshold a T_TDROP threshold, a SOFT_SLOPE threshold, an ADD_INTERCEPT threshold, and a DROP_INTERCEPT threshold.

12. A method in accordance with claim 9, wherein the second one of the plurality of sets of handoff parameters includes one or more of:

a T_ADD threshold, a T_DROP threshold, a T_COMP threshold a T_TDROP threshold, a SOFT_SLOPE threshold, an ADD_INTERCEPT threshold, and a DROP_INTERCEPT threshold.

13. A method in accordance with claim 8, wherein the CDMA RAN includes a CDMA 2000 RAN.

14. An apparatus for facilitating a handoff of a call including a wireless communication unit in a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) Radio Access Network (RAN), the apparatus comprising:

an RF interface communicatively coupled to the CDMA RAN;

a memory; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the RF interface, the processor configured to;

maintain a set of soft handover parameters for each of a plurality of radio configurations associated with the CDMA RAN to form a plurality of sets of soft handover parameters;

receive a notification over the RF interface of a chosen one of the plurality of radio configurations chosen for operation by the wireless communication unit; and

transfer a first one of the plurality of sets of soft handover parameters corresponding to the selected one of the plurality of radio configurations to the wireless communication unit over the RF interface.

15. An apparatus in accordance with claim 14, wherein the first one of the plurality of sets of handoff parameters includes one or more of:

a T_ADD threshold, a T_DROP threshold, a T_COMP threshold a T_TDROP threshold, a SOFT_SLOPE threshold, an ADD_INTERCEPT threshold, and a DROP_INTERCEPT threshold.

16. An apparatus for facilitating a handoff of a call including a wireless communication unit in a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) Radio Access Network (RAN), the apparatus comprising:

an RF interface communicatively coupled to the CDMA RAN;

a memory; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the RF interface, the processor configured to;

maintain a set of soft handover parameters for each of a plurality of radio configurations associated with the CDMA RAN to form a plurality of sets of soft handover parameters;

receive a notification over the RF interface of a chosen different one of the plurality of radio configurations chosen for operation by the wireless communication unit; and

transfer a second one of the plurality of sets of soft handover parameters corresponding to the chosen different one of the plurality of radio configurations to the wireless communication unit over the RF interface.

17. An apparatus in accordance with claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a notification over the RF interface of an additional chosen different one of the plurality of radio configurations chosen for operation by the wireless communication unit; and

transfer a third one of the plurality of sets of soft handover parameters corresponding to the additional chosen different one of the plurality of radio configurations to the wireless communication unit over the RF interface.

18. An apparatus in accordance with claim 16, wherein the second one of the plurality of sets of handoff parameters includes one or more of:

a T_ADD threshold, a T_DROP threshold, a T_COMP threshold, a T_TDROP threshold, a SOFT_SLOPE threshold, an ADD_INTERCEPT threshold, and a DROP_INTERCEPT threshold.