Mobile communication device initiated hand-off based on air interface metrics
First Claim
1. A method of operating a mobile communication device comprising:
- transferring, by the mobile communication device, user communications to a first wireless base station through a wireless communication link;
obtaining, by the mobile communication device, a first communication load indicator for the first base station and determining, by the mobile communication device, a first air interface metric for the first base station based on the first communication load indicator;
identifying a second wireless base station, obtaining, by the mobile communication device, a second communication load indicator for the second base station, and determining, by the mobile communication device, a second air interface metric for the second base station based on the second communication load indicator;
comparing the first air interface metric to the second air interface metric;
determining whether the second wireless base station has sufficient performance characteristics for wireless communication with the mobile communication device, when the second air interface metric is superior to the first air interface metric; and
initiating a hand-off from the first wireless base station to the second wireless base station, stopping the wireless transfer of the user communications to the first wireless base station, and wirelessly transferring additional user communications to the second wireless base station, when the second air interface metric is superior to the first air interface metric and the second wireless base station has the sufficient performance characteristics,wherein obtaining the first communication load indicator for the first base station comprises wirelessly receiving a first base station uplink load indicator and a first base station downlink load indicator, and determining the first air interface metric based on the first communication load comprises processing the first base station uplink load indicator and the first base station downlink load indicator; and
obtaining the second communication load indicator for the second base station comprises wirelessly receiving a second base station uplink load indicator and a second base station downlink load indicator, and determining the second air interface metric based on second communication load comprises processing the second base station uplink load indicator and the second base station downlink load indicator.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A mobile communication device wirelessly transfers user communications to a first wireless base station. The mobile communication device determines a first metric based on a load indicator for the first base station. The mobile communication device identifies a second wireless base station and determines a second metric based on a load indicator for the second base station. If the second metric is superior to the first metric, the mobile communication device determines if the second base station has sufficient performance characteristics for communication with the device. If the performance is sufficient, the mobile communication device initiates a hand-off from the first base station to the second base station. The mobile communication device may use additional factors to determine the first and second metrics.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of operating a mobile communication device comprising:
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transferring, by the mobile communication device, user communications to a first wireless base station through a wireless communication link; obtaining, by the mobile communication device, a first communication load indicator for the first base station and determining, by the mobile communication device, a first air interface metric for the first base station based on the first communication load indicator; identifying a second wireless base station, obtaining, by the mobile communication device, a second communication load indicator for the second base station, and determining, by the mobile communication device, a second air interface metric for the second base station based on the second communication load indicator; comparing the first air interface metric to the second air interface metric; determining whether the second wireless base station has sufficient performance characteristics for wireless communication with the mobile communication device, when the second air interface metric is superior to the first air interface metric; and initiating a hand-off from the first wireless base station to the second wireless base station, stopping the wireless transfer of the user communications to the first wireless base station, and wirelessly transferring additional user communications to the second wireless base station, when the second air interface metric is superior to the first air interface metric and the second wireless base station has the sufficient performance characteristics, wherein obtaining the first communication load indicator for the first base station comprises wirelessly receiving a first base station uplink load indicator and a first base station downlink load indicator, and determining the first air interface metric based on the first communication load comprises processing the first base station uplink load indicator and the first base station downlink load indicator; and obtaining the second communication load indicator for the second base station comprises wirelessly receiving a second base station uplink load indicator and a second base station downlink load indicator, and determining the second air interface metric based on second communication load comprises processing the second base station uplink load indicator and the second base station downlink load indicator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A mobile communication device comprising:
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a wireless communication interface configured to transfer user communications to a first wireless base station through a first wireless communication link and to transfer additional user communications to a second wireless base station through a second wireless communication link; and a processing system configured to; determine a first air interface metric for the first base station based on the first base station'"'"'s current communication load; determine a second air interface metric for the second base station based on the second base station'"'"'s current communication load and determine if the second wireless base station has sufficient performance characteristics for wireless communication with the mobile communication device; and initiate a hand-off from the first wireless base station to the second wireless base station and direct the wireless communication interface to stop the wireless transfer of the user communications to the first wireless base station and to start the wireless transfer of the additional user communications to the second wireless base station, when the second wireless base station has the sufficient performance characteristics and if the second air interface metric is superior to the first air interface metric, wherein to determine the first air interface metric based on the first base station'"'"'s current communication load comprises processing a first base station uplink load indicator and a first base station downlink load indicator, and to determine the second air interface metric based on the second base station'"'"'s current communication load comprises processing a second base station uplink load indicator and a second base station downlink load indicator. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification