Method and an apparatus for positioning system assisted cellular radiotelephone handoff and dropoff
US6327471A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 19, 1998 |
| Grant date | Dec 4, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 19, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04W36/18
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and an apparatus is provided for acquiring satellite signals to establish the exact spatial position of a cellular radiotelephone, in order to perform a timely dropoff or smooth handoff to another base station or frequency. The cellular radiotelephone is equipped with its own positioning system which uses satellite data to determine its spatial position. The communication system is preferably a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, and the positioning system is preferably a Global Positioning System (GPS). The method of the present invention may be used to determine the base station closest to the cellular radiotelephone. In the alternative, it may be used to compute a distance between the cellular radiotelephone and a location where the quality level of the cellular radiotelephone communication signal is predicted to be less than the predetermined value, and to determine from the computed distance whether the cellular radiotelephone should be handed off.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.