Patent ID: 6044271
Filing Date: 2000-03-28
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
In a cellular mobile telecommunications system including a mobile station communicating with any one of a plurality of geographically spaced base stations each in cell locations, the base stations communicating with a mobile switching center to selectively determine one of the base stations to process a call with the mobile station, a handoff system for handing off a cellular call with the mobile station from any one base station to another base station, comprising:a forward communication channel selectively associated with the one base station for transferring data from the one base station to the mobile station;the one base station being adapted to receive a command from the mobile switching center to handoff processing of the call to another base station, the command including information on capabilities of the another base station; anda message generator operatively associated with the one base station for sending a capability change indicator to the mobile station via the forward communication channel in response to a handoff command from the mobile switching center, the capability change indicator including information on capabilities of the another base station relative to the one base station.