Patent ID: 8363621
Filing Date: 2013-01-29
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: receiving, in a mobile station operable through base stations of a macro wireless communication network operated by a carrier and through at least one of a plurality of customer premises femto cells, a transmission of a neighbor list message from a base station of the carrier's macro network, the neighbor list message containing information for use in searching at a particular frequency for and selecting a femto cell base transceiver system (BTS), wherein the information for use in searching for and selecting a femto cell comprises an identification of a primary frequency channel designated for use by all femto cell BTSs of the carrier's customers in a region served by the carrier's macro network, from among a plurality of channels available for femto cell communication, and a code designated for use by femto cell BTSs of the carrier's customers in the region communicating on the primary frequency channel; searching for a system with which to register the mobile station for handoff, the search including searching the primary frequency channel for communications of a femto cell BTS using the code; and upon detecting a condition for handoff, initiating a procedure to register the mobile station with one of the femto cell BTSs, based on the search detecting use of the code on the primary frequency channel, wherein: