Methods and apparatus for performing handoffs in a multi-carrier wireless communications systems
First Claim
1. A wireless terminal comprising:
- means for determining a system handoff condition in response to a broadcast signal received from an adjacent network attachment point in at least a portion of a frequency band of an active communication session with a first network attachment point;
means for transmitting, in the frequency band of the active communication session, an access request signal;
means for receiving an assignment of at least one dedicated uplink segment from the adjacent network attachment point, via the active communication session with the first network attachment point, the assigned at least one dedicated uplink segment corresponding to an access channel of the adjacent network attachment point;
means for determining a relative timing between a timing of the broadcast signal within a time slot of the first network attachment point and a timing of the broadcast signal within a time slot of the adjacent network attachment point, wherein the broadcast signal is a beacon signal periodically transmitted into the frequency band of the active communication session by the adjacent network attachment point at least once during an ultraslot that includes a plurality of beacon slots, wherein the time slot of the adjacent network attachment point is one of a plurality of superslots included in each beacon slot of the plurality of beacon slots;
means for determining a time to terminate the active communication session with the first network attachment point based on the relative timing; and
means for establishing a new communication session with the adjacent network attachment point.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A mobile communications device initiates a handoff from its current base station (BS) sector network attachment point to a new BS sector. The mobile sends a handoff request over its current wireless link to the current BS sector, which forwards the request to the new BS sector. The new BS sector processes the request assigning dedicated resources. Information identifying the allocated resources is conveyed from the new BS sector via the current BS sector to the mobile. The mobile determines the time of the allocated dedicated segments based upon a received beacon signal from the new BS sector with known timing relationships to dedicated segments. The mobile breaks the original wireless link just prior to the time of the first assigned dedicated segment. The mobile communicates information on the assigned dedicated segments to perform registration operations establishing a new wireless link.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1. A wireless terminal comprising:
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means for determining a system handoff condition in response to a broadcast signal received from an adjacent network attachment point in at least a portion of a frequency band of an active communication session with a first network attachment point; means for transmitting, in the frequency band of the active communication session, an access request signal; means for receiving an assignment of at least one dedicated uplink segment from the adjacent network attachment point, via the active communication session with the first network attachment point, the assigned at least one dedicated uplink segment corresponding to an access channel of the adjacent network attachment point; means for determining a relative timing between a timing of the broadcast signal within a time slot of the first network attachment point and a timing of the broadcast signal within a time slot of the adjacent network attachment point, wherein the broadcast signal is a beacon signal periodically transmitted into the frequency band of the active communication session by the adjacent network attachment point at least once during an ultraslot that includes a plurality of beacon slots, wherein the time slot of the adjacent network attachment point is one of a plurality of superslots included in each beacon slot of the plurality of beacon slots; means for determining a time to terminate the active communication session with the first network attachment point based on the relative timing; and means for establishing a new communication session with the adjacent network attachment point. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A wireless terminal comprising:
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a receiver configured to receive an assignment of at least one dedicated uplink segment from an adjacent network attachment point via an active communication session with a first network attachment point, the assigned at least one dedicated uplink segment corresponding to an access channel of the adjacent network attachment point; a transmitter configured to transmit, in a frequency band of the active communication session, an access request signal and establish a new communication session with the adjacent network attachment point; and a processor configured to; determine a system handoff condition in response to a broadcast signal received from the adjacent network attachment point in at least a portion of the frequency band of the active communication session with the first network attachment point; determine a relative timing between a timing of the broadcast signal within a time slot of the first network attachment point and a timing of the broadcast signal within a time slot of the adjacent network attachment point wherein the broadcast signal is a beacon signal periodically transmitted into the frequency band of the active communication session by the adjacent network attachment point at least once during an ultraslot that includes a plurality of beacon slots, wherein the time slot of the adjacent network attachment point is one of a plurality of superslots included in each beacon slot of the plurality of beacon slots; and determine a time to terminate the active communication session with the first network attachment point based on the relative timing. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method operable by a wireless terminal, the method comprising:
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determining a system handoff condition in response to a broadcast signal received from an adjacent network attachment point in at least a portion of a frequency band of an active communication session with a first network attachment point; transmitting, in the frequency band of the active communication session, an access request signal; receiving an assignment of at least one dedicated uplink segment from the adjacent network attachment point, via the active communication session with the first network attachment point, the assigned at least one dedicated uplink segment corresponding to an access channel of the adjacent network attachment point; determining a relative timing between a timing of the broadcast signal within a time slot of the first network attachment point and a timing of the broadcast signal within a time slot of the adjacent network attachment point, wherein the broadcast signal is a beacon signal periodically transmitted into the frequency band of the active communication session by the adjacent network attachment point at least once during an ultraslot that includes a plurality of beacon slots, wherein the time slot of the adjacent network attachment point is one of a plurality of superslots included in each beacon slot of the plurality of beacon slots; determining a time to terminate the active communication session with the first network attachment point based on the relative timing; and establishing a new communication session with the adjacent network attachment point. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium includes executable instructions for causing a processor of a wireless terminal to:
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determine a system handoff condition in response to a broadcast signal received from an adjacent network attachment point in at least a portion of a frequency band of an active communication session with a first network attachment point; transmit, in the frequency band of the active communication session, an access request signal; receive an assignment of at least one dedicated uplink segment from the adjacent network attachment point via the active communication session with the first network attachment point, the assigned at least one dedicated uplink segment corresponding to an access channel of the adjacent network attachment point; determine a relative timing between a timing of the broadcast signal within a time slot of the first network attachment point and a timing of the broadcast signal within a time slot of the adjacent network attachment point, wherein the broadcast signal is a beacon signal periodically transmitted into the frequency band of the active communication session by the adjacent network attachment point at least once during an ultraslot that includes a plurality of beacon slots, wherein the time slot of the adjacent network attachment point is one of a plurality of superslots included in each beacon slot of the plurality of beacon slots; determine a time to terminate the active communication session with the first network attachment point based on the relative timing; and establish a new communication session with the adjacent network attachment point. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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Specification