Patent ID: 6011970
Filing Date: 2000-01-04
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
A method for use with wireless communications systems having a cellular architecture with at least a first and a second cell, said method ensuring near uniform capacity and quality of data channels within said second cell, and said method comprising the steps of:monitoring a noise signal power in unused data channels within said second cell, wherein said unused data channels are grouped into at least a noisy group of unused data channels and a clear group of unused data channels on the basis of said monitored noise signal power;monitoring a received signal power of a first mobile subscriber unit engaged in a call-in progress when said call-in-progress is to be handed off from said first cell into said second cell;comparing said monitored received signal power of said first mobile subscriber unit engaged in a call-in-progress with a first prespecified threshold; andin response to a handoff request from said first cell, preferentially assigning one of said unused data channels in said second cell to said first mobile subscriber unit where such preference in assigning is to assign a channel such that a signal to noise ratio calculated upon said monitored received signal power and said monitored noise signal power of said preferentially assigned channel meets or exceeds a required signal to noise ratio such that near uniform capacity and quality of data channels within said second cell is ensured, wherein:said first mobile subscriber unit engaged in a call-in-progress is assigned an unused data channel from said noisy group of unused data channels when said noisy group contains at least one unused data channel and when said first comparing of said monitored received signal power of said first mobile subscriber unit engaged in a call-in-progress indicates said monitored received signal power is greater than said first prespecified threshold; andsaid first mobile subscriber unit engaged in a call-in-progress is assigned an unused data channel from said clear group of unused data channels when said clear group contains at least one unused data channel and when said first comparing of said monitored received signal power of said first mobile subscriber unit engaged in a call-in-progress indicates said monitored received signal power is less than said first prespecified threshold.