Patent ID: 6052598
Filing Date: 2000-04-18
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
A method for predicting a location of a mobile unit in a mobile communications network including a plurality of cells, each of the cells having a base station, said method comprising the steps of:measuring a first series of instantaneous signal strength values over time between a mobile unit and a base station in a current cell where the mobile unit is located;measuring a second series of instantaneous signal strength values over time between the mobile unit and base stations in neighboring cells;projecting signal strength values between the mobile station and the base station of the current cell and the mobile station and the base stations of the neighboring cells for a future time based on the first and second series of instantaneous signal values;determining a handover time when the projected signal strength value between the mobile station and the base station of the current cell is not less than an outgoing handover threshold; andselecting a neighboring cell in which the projected signal strength value between the mobile station and the base station in the neighboring cell is greater than an incoming handover threshold at the handover time, wherein a predicted location of the mobile station after the handover time is in the selected neighboring cell and the predicted location of the mobile station before the handover time is in the current cell.