Patent · US Expired

Method for rerouting and route optimization for handoff management in a communications network

US6654361B1 · kind B1 · utility

22Cited by
11References
42Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 22, 1998
Grant dateNov 25, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 22, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04W40/00
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A handoff scheme for a communications network is disclosed. In a first embodiment a procedure for finding an optimal path between an originating network node and a destination network node is integrated in the handoff procedure. An optimally routed connection is obtained by first determining an optimal “crossover node” along the existing path and then the handoff is effected by altering the existing connection route so that it travels along the existing path until it reaches the crossover node, where the path then varies from the original route, and a new segment between the crossover node and the new location is established. Then the call is switched to the new segment and the corresponding old segment on the old connection is released. In an alternative embodiment, the handoff procedure is performed first by completing a fast reroute connection using a prior art path extension method. This results in a quick, but sub-optimal handoff connection. Once the handoff is completed, the route is optimized by selecting a segment on the sub-optimal connection for rerouting and then utilizing the method of the first embodiment to establish an optimally routed connection.

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