Patent ID: 6757520
Filing Date: 2004-06-29
Classification: H04L,H04W

Abstract:
A method for directing communication between a remote station and a plurality of sectors in a data communication system, the remote station including a list of eligible sectors, the method comprising:determining at the remote station a quality metric of a forward link for each sector in the remote station's list; determining a quality metric of a reverse link to each sector in the remote station's list, said determining the quality metric of the reverse link to each sector in the remote station's list comprising processing at the remote station the forward link from each sector in the remote station's list, said processing at the remote station the forward link from each sector in the remote station's list comprising: ascertaining a first signal value at a position in a first channel of the forward link for at least one sector in the remote station's list; determining the quality metric in accordance with said ascertained first signal value for the at least one sector in the remote station's list; ascertaining a second signal value at a position in a second channel of the forward link for remaining sectors in the remote station's list; and determining a second quality metric in accordance with said ascertained second signal value for the remaining sectors in the remote station's list; and directing communication between the remote station and one sector from the sectors in the remote station's list in accordance with said determined quality metric of a forward link and said determined quality metric of a reverse link, said directing communication between the remote station and one sector from the sectors in the remote station's list comprising: assigning credits to each sector in the remote station's list except the sector currently serving the remote station in accordance with said determined quality metric of a forward link, said determined quality metric of the reverse link, and said determined second quality metric of the reverse link; and directing communication between the remote station and one sector from the sectors in the remote station's list in accordance with said assigned credits; and wherein said assigning credits to each sector in the remote station's list except the sector currently serving the remote station in accordance with said determined quality metric of a forward link, said determined quality metric of the reverse link, and said determined second quality metric of the reverse link comprises: decreasing credits of a sector if: said determined second quality metric of the reverse link for the sector and said determined second quality metric of the reverse link for a sector currently serving the remote station are greater than a second threshold; and decreasing a first type of credits of a sector if: said determined quality metric of the reverse link for the sector is insufficient; or if: said quality metric of a forward link of the sector is less than the quality metric of the forward link of the sector currently serving the remote station; and said first quality metric of the reverse link for a sector was not determined.