Patent ID: 7299019
Filing Date: 2007-11-20
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
1. A method of effecting a handoff in a cellular network, comprising: monitoring a set of frequencies listed in a mobile assisted handoff (MAHO) list for their respective signal strengths; logically ordering the frequencies based on their relative signal strengths; identifying in the logically ordered set of frequencies those frequencies having a signal strength higher than a predetermined threshold; associating a cellular site with at least each frequency in the set of frequencies that has a signal strength higher than the predetermined threshold; determining a level of traffic at each cellular site identified in the associating; and selecting a cellular site for handoff based at least in part on signal strength and in part on the level of traffic; wherein determining the level of traffic at each cellular site includes accessing stored known load patterns for each cellular site, the stored known load patterns associating a level of traffic with a time period for each cellular site such that selecting a cellular site for handoff is based in part on expected load at each cellular site.