Patent · US Expired

Pilot signal searching technique for a cellular communications system

US5577022A · kind A · utility

195Cited by
9References
36Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 22, 1994
Grant dateNov 19, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 22, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04W36/302
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An improved method and system for performing a pilot signal searching operation in anticipation of handoff in mobile station communication between base stations is disclosed herein. The searching operation is described herein as being implemented within a cellular communication system which uses code division multiple access (CDMA) modulation techniques. The mobile station maintains a list of an Active Set of pilot signals transmitted from base stations with which the mobile station is to communicate through, and a Neighbor Set of pilots from base stations within a predetermined proximity of the mobile station. In addition to the Neighbor and Active Sets of pilots, the mobile station maintains a list of Candidate and Pre-Candidate Sets of pilots. Based on analysis of the signal strength of the pilot signals received at the mobile station, base station entries from the Neighbor Set may be assigned to the Pre-Candidate and Candidate Sets, and eventually to the Active set. The searching operation contemplates comparing pilot signal strength measurements corresponding to each base station entry within the Neighbor Set to a first predetermined level. One or more entries from the Neighbo…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.