Patent ID: 6011971
Filing Date: 2000-01-04
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
A method for accomplishing a handover in a cellular communication system which has at least one base station per cell for a plurality of cells, each base station having a respective area and being controlled by a respective base station controller having a respective area and which controls one or more of the base stations such that there are at least two of said base station controllers each said base station controller, together with the respective base station or base stations under its control form a respective base station system, such that there are at least two base station systems which adjoin one another at a respective border or at respective boarders, comprising the steps of:causing the respective service areas of respective ones of said base stations which are under control of different base station controllers at each said at least partly overlap carrying out a handover as a terminal equipment moves from one said base station system to another said base station system, such that as said terminal equipment moves into a respective said cell which is served by a respective two or more said base stations which belong to the areas of respective different ones of said base station controllers, said terminal equipment first carries out a soft handover from a first respective said base station to a second respective said base station, and as said terminal equipment further moves towards a respective said cell border where respective said service areas at least partly overlap due to said causing, said terminal equipment carries out a hard handover from said first base station to said second base station.