Patent ID: 9503935
Filing Date: 2016-11-22
CPC Classification: H04L,H04W

Claim Text:
1. A method performed at a serving base station of a wireless communications network, the serving base station serving a user equipment (UE) the method comprising: receiving a first downlink (DL) signal quality indicator from the UE, the first DL signal quality indicator indicating that the UE is proximate to a plurality of neighboring base stations and can receive data packets from at least one of the plurality of the neighboring base stations; determining, based on the first DL signal quality indicator, that a condition for an intermediate handover (IHO) state is satisfied, wherein the determining comprises: responsive to the determining that the condition for the IHO state is satisfied, initiating the IHO state; receiving from the UE, while in the IHO state, a second DL signal quality indicator; determining, while in the IHO state and based on the second DL signal quality indicator, whether a criteria for a handover state or a criteria for a stay state is satisfied; if the criteria for the handover state is satisfied, initiating the handover state and exiting the IHO state; if the criteria for the stay state is satisfied, initiating the stay state and existing the IHO state; and if neither the criteria for the handover state or the criteria for the stay state is satisfied: