Method for use of azimuth and bearing data to select a serving sector for a mobile station
First Claim
1. A method of facilitating mobile station handoff, the method comprising:
- receiving into a radio access network, from a mobile station served by the radio access network, a message requesting handoff of the mobile station to a sector, wherein the message designates the sector by an ambiguous parameter that represents two or more sectors each defined by a respective base station and having an azimuth from the respective base station; and
responsively (i) for each sector, comparing a geographic location of the mobile station with a geographic location of the base station defining the sector, to determine a respective bearing of the mobile station from the base station defining the sector, (ii) selecting a given sector whose azimuth corresponds closest to the determined bearing of the mobile station from the base station defining the given sector, and (iii) sending to the mobile station a directive for the mobile station to hand off to the given sector.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for selecting a wireless coverage sector to serve a mobile station, such as in response to a handoff request that designates a sector-identifier that represents two or more possible sectors. A serving radio access network (RAN) may identify potential sectors in the region and may then select the sector whose azimuth is closest to the geographic bearing of the mobile station from the sector'"'"'s base station. Further, in the event of a tie between two or more sectors or in other circumstances, the RAN may also take into consideration how close the mobile station is to various base stations, such as selecting the sector to whose base station the mobile station is closest. In a system that uses neighbor lists to govern handoff, the invention can help to facilitate handoff in a scenario where a mobile station requests handoff to a sector not listed in the mobile station'"'"'s neighbor list.
66 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method of facilitating mobile station handoff, the method comprising:
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receiving into a radio access network, from a mobile station served by the radio access network, a message requesting handoff of the mobile station to a sector, wherein the message designates the sector by an ambiguous parameter that represents two or more sectors each defined by a respective base station and having an azimuth from the respective base station; and responsively (i) for each sector, comparing a geographic location of the mobile station with a geographic location of the base station defining the sector, to determine a respective bearing of the mobile station from the base station defining the sector, (ii) selecting a given sector whose azimuth corresponds closest to the determined bearing of the mobile station from the base station defining the given sector, and (iii) sending to the mobile station a directive for the mobile station to hand off to the given sector. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of facilitating mobile station handoff, the method comprising:
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receiving into a radio access network, from a mobile station served by the radio access network, a request for handoff of the mobile station; responsively identifying a plurality of potential sectors for the requested handoff, each potential sector having a respective azimuth from a base station defining the sector; for each potential sector, comparing a geographic location of the mobile station with a geographic location the base station defining the potential sector, to determine a respective bearing of the mobile station from the base station defining the potential sector; selecting as a target sector a potential sector whose azimuth is closest to the bearing of the mobile station from the base station defining the selected potential sector; and directing the mobile station to hand off to the target sector. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification