Preservation of cell borders at hand-off within a smart antenna cellular system
US6259918A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 31, 1999 |
| Grant date | Jul 10, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 31, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04W16/28
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A cellular communications network includes a plurality of cells whose base stations have both sector and smart antenna capabilities. While engaged in a call, mobile station downlink signal strength measurements are made on its own serving traffic channel and the control channels of neighboring cells. These measurements are then adjusted by one or more factors which take into account the operational and physical differences between sector antenna and smart antenna. For example, the signal strength measurements may be appropriately adjusted by measured differences in gain between the smart antenna and sector antenna, output power backoff values associated with smart antenna and sector antenna support of the traffic channels in comparison to the control channels, and power control attenuation applied to the traffic channels. The resulting adjusted downlink signal strength measurements may then be compared against each other (as off-set by any imposed hysteresis value) to more precisely locate the mobile station and uniformly, predictably and accurately identify when it is appropriate to authorize a hand-off.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.