Method of a Serving Base Station for Facilitating a Mobile Station to Perform a Fast Handoff

Abstract

A method for facilitating a mobile station to perform a fast handoff in a wireless communication system allows a handoff procedure to be anticipated (by the mobile station, its serving base station, or both) based on historical information regarding prior successful handoff procedures. In operation, the serving base station monitors ( 510 ) current mobile station parameters and compares them with historical data. If the parameters indicate a high probability target base station ( 515 ), the serving base station requests allocation ( 525 ) of air interface resources at the high probability target base station prior to the mobile station reporting reception of signal from the high probability target base station. This facilitates fast handoff from the serving base station to the high probability target base station.

1 . A method of a serving base station for facilitating a mobile station to perform a fast handoff, comprising:
 determining a high probability target base station with which the mobile station is most likely to perform handoff based on a historical data;   requesting allocation of air interface resources at the high probability target base station to the mobile station, prior to the mobile station reporting reception of signals from the high probability target base station, to facilitate the mobile station to perform the fast handoff with the high probability target base station.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein if a handoff procedure with the high probability target base station is successful within a predefined time period, updating the historical data to reflect a successful handoff of the mobile station to the high probability target base station. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein updating the historical data comprises:
 increasing a weighting factor in the historical data associated with the high probability target base station for the mobile station.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining includes:
 examining at least one current mobile station parameter, wherein the at least one current mobile station parameter relates to at least one of: a serving base station identification, smart antenna information, a speed of mobility of the mobile station, a direction of mobility of the mobile station, or a location of the mobile station; and   comparing the at least one current mobile station parameter with at least one past mobile station parameter in the historical data.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein when a handoff procedure with the high probability target base station is not successful within a predefined time period, updating the historical data to reflect an unsuccessful handoff of the mobile station to the high probability target base station. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein updating the historical data comprises:
 decreasing a weighting factor in the historical data associated with the high probability target base station for the mobile station.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 requesting de-allocation of air interface resources at the high probability target base station.