Abstract: A mobile station will sort wireless coverage sectors in order of distance of the sectors from the mobile station, and the mobile station will then scan for pilot signals from the sectors in the sorted order. The invention can be applied advantageously to provide an order of scanning remaining set sectors in a mobile station operating according to a code division multiple access protocol.

Abstract: A method and system for vertical handoff of a mobile station from a first-protocol RAN to a second-protocol RAN. The method and system provide a make-before-break vertical handoff, by having the first-protocol RAN (i) acquire, on behalf of the mobile station, a traffic channel assignment defining one or more traffic channel parameters for air interface communication in the second-protocol RAN, and (ii) pass to the mobile station, via the first air interface protocol, the one or more traffic channel parameters so that the mobile station can then readily switch over to communication under the second-protocol RAN. Optimally, the acquisition and passing of the one or more second-protocol traffic channel parameters may occur without the mobile station having requested the handoff, without the mobile station having asked for the traffic channel assignment, and without the mobile station having yet begun communication with the second-protocol RAN.

Abstract: A method and system of paging a mobile station. In response to receiving a request to set up a communication with a mobile station, a radio network controller (RNC) may identify a last-known location of the mobile station. The RNC may then identify two or more paging areas based on the mobile station's last-known location. In turn, the RNC may determine an indication of traffic for each of the identified paging areas. For example, the RNC may determine an indication of traffic for a paging area by (a) determining a number of communication requests received by BTSs located in the paging area within a given time period, (b) determining a number of BTSs located in the paging area, and (c) dividing the number of communication requests by the number of BTSs. Thereafter, the RNC may page the mobile station in the identified paging area having the highest indication of traffic.

Abstract: A method and system of controlling switching of an access terminal between cells of an access network that includes a first BTS serving a first cell and a second BTS serving a second cell. While the first BTS is receiving from the access terminal one or more consecutive requests for current service in the first cell and serving the access terminal, the second BTS receives from the access terminal a request for future service in the second cell. In response, the second BTS prepares to serve the access terminal in the second cell. After the second BTS has finished preparing, the first BTS sends to the access terminal an instruction to stop sending requests for current service in the first cell (e.g., a DRCLock bit message). The second BTS then receives from the access terminal a request for current service in the second cell, and begins serving the access terminal.

Abstract: A method and system for using call drop and re-origination data to trigger handoff of wireless communication devices. Handoff trigger data is established in response to detecting that at least one mobile station experienced a call drop and then quickly re-originated on a sector that was not included in the mobile station's active set at the time of the call drop. The handoff trigger data correlates a location where the call drop occurred with the sector on which re-origination occurred. When another mobile station is thereafter engaged in a call at or near that location and does not have the sector in its active set, a serving radio access network may direct the mobile station to handoff to the sector, in an effort to prevent a call drop.

Abstract: A method and system for vertical handoff of a mobile station from a first-protocol RAN to a second-protocol RAN. The method and system provide a make-before-break vertical handoff, by having the first-protocol RAN (i) acquire, on behalf of the mobile station, a traffic channel assignment defining one or more traffic channel parameters for air interface communication in the second-protocol RAN, and (ii) pass to the mobile station, via the first air interface protocol, the one or more traffic channel parameters so that the mobile station can then readily switch over to communication under the second-protocol RAN. Optimally, the acquisition and passing of the one or more second-protocol traffic channel parameters may occur without the mobile station having requested the handoff, without the mobile station having asked for the traffic channel assignment, and without the mobile station having yet begun communication with the second-protocol RAN.

Abstract: A mobile station will sort wireless coverage sectors in order of distance of the sectors from the mobile station, and the mobile station will then scan for pilot signals from the sectors in the sorted order. The invention can be applied advantageously to provide an order of scanning remaining set sectors in a mobile station operating according to a code division multiple access protocol.

Abstract: A mobile station will sort wireless coverage sectors in order of distance of the sectors from the mobile station, and the mobile station will then scan for pilot signals from the sectors in the sorted order. The invention can be applied advantageously to provide an order of scanning remaining set sectors in a mobile station operating according to a code division multiple access protocol.

Abstract: A method and system is disclosed for optimizing handoff of access terminals. In particular, when (i) a given access terminal must switch from a first channel band in a first coverage area to a second channel band in order to hand off to a second coverage area, and (ii) there are no available identifiers to assign to the given access terminal to facilitate making the switch from the first channel band to the second channel band in the first coverage area prior to handing off to the second coverage area, an appropriate identifier is advantageously reassigned from another access terminal to the given access terminal. With the reassigned identifier, the given access terminal may then switch to the second channel band in the first coverage area prior to handing off to the second coverage area.

Abstract: A method for selecting a wireless coverage sector to serve a mobile station, such as in response to a handoff request that designates a sector-identifier that represents two or more possible sectors. A serving radio access network (RAN) may identify potential sectors in the region and may then select the sector whose azimuth is closest to the geographic bearing of the mobile station from the sector's base station. Further, in the event of a tie between two or more sectors or in other circumstances, the RAN may also take into consideration how close the mobile station is to various base stations, such as selecting the sector to whose base station the mobile station is closest. In a system that uses neighbor lists to govern handoff, the invention can help to facilitate handoff in a scenario where a mobile station requests handoff to a sector not listed in the mobile station's neighbor list.

Abstract: A method for selecting a wireless coverage sector to serve a mobile station, such as in response to a handoff request that designates a sector-identifier that represents two or more possible sectors. A serving radio access network (RAN) may identify potential sectors in the region and may then select the sector whose azimuth is closest to the geographic bearing of the mobile station from the sector's base station. Further, in the event of a tie between two or more sectors or in other circumstances, the RAN may also take into consideration how close the mobile station is to various base stations, such as selecting the sector to whose base station the mobile station is closest. In a system that uses neighbor lists to govern handoff, the invention can help to facilitate handoff in a scenario where a mobile station requests handoff to a sector not listed in the mobile station's neighbor list.

Abstract: A method for selecting a wireless coverage sector to serve a mobile station, such as in response to a handoff request that designates a sector-identifier that represents two or more possible sectors. A serving radio access network (RAN) may identify potential sectors in the region and may then select the sector whose azimuth is closest to the geographic bearing of the mobile station from the sector's base station. Further, in the event of a tie between two or more sectors or in other circumstances, the RAN may also take into consideration how close the mobile station is to various base stations, such as selecting the sector to whose base station the mobile station is closest. In a system that uses neighbor lists to govern handoff, the invention can help to facilitate handoff in a scenario where a mobile station requests handoff to a sector not listed in the mobile station's neighbor list.