Mobile assisted handoff for mobile radio communication system

Abstract: In a fixed facility (12, 28a, 28b) for a mobile communication system including a mobile terminal (11), the fixed facility covers a first and a second radio zone which are assigned with a first and a second radio frequency, respectively. The mobile terminal is communicable with the fixed facility by the use of, as a current radio frequency, one of the first and the second radio frequencies and is capable of producing a request signal representative of request of a handoff in which the mobile terminal is communicable with the fixed facility by the use of another of the first and the second radio frequencies at a boundary area between the first and the second radio zones. The fixed facility has a judging arrangement (43) which is responsive to the request signal and judges whether or not the second radio frequency is usable by the mobile terminal. The fixed facility further has a signal transmitting arrangement (44) transmits a command signal, relating to the handoff, towards the mobile terminal through the current radio frequency in response to a judgement result derived from the judging arrangement.

Description: The present invention relates to a mobile communication system and, in particular, to a terminal assisted handoff mobile communication system in which a handoff is requested from a mobile terminal to a host station. In a mobile communication system, such as a cellular system, a base station radio device or a radio base station is arranged in each of radio zones. Upon reaching a boundary between the radio zones, a terminal establishing communication with a base station radio device under the best propagation condition starts communication with a new base station radio device for keeping communication. This function is called handoff or hand-over. In a code division multiple access (CDMA) cellular system, radio zones are identified using different spreading codes, respectively. Accordingly, it is not necessary to allocate different frequencies to the respective radio zones as required in a frequency division multiple access (FDMA) cellular system or a time division multiple access (TDMA) cellular system. That is, the same frequency can be allocated to base station radio devices arranged in the respective radio zones. Accordingly, in the CDMA cellular system, upon reaching a boundary between the radio zones, a terminal in communication with a certain base station radio device can also simultaneously communicate with one or more base station radio devices in the adjacent radio zones. Thus, a continuous or non-hit handoff can be achieved. The handoff of this type is called a soft handoff, wherein a terminal shifts from a current radio zone to an adjacent radio zone using the same frequency. Fig. 6 schematically shows a structure of a conventional terminal assisted handoff CDMA cellular system. The shown cellular system includes a base station controller (host station) 12 and base station radio devices 10a, 10b connected thereto. For example, a terminal 11 communicating with the radio device 10b on a traffic channel of a spreading code b1 x b2 receives a pilot channel of a spreading code a1 transmitted from the radio device 10a covering an adjacent radio zone and constantly measures a reception level thereof. If the measured reception level exceeds a preset threshold value, the terminal 11 determines that it has entered a soft handoff radio zone and transmits a soft handoff start-up request signal carrying identification data of the radio device 10a to the radio device 10b now in communication, using the traffic channel of the spreading code b1 x b2. Pilot channels transmitted from the base station radio devices 10a, 10b are spread by different spreading codes, such as a1 and b1, for identification of the radio zones. In the IS-95-A, the spreading codes a1 and b1 are PN (pseudorandom noise) code sequences, and spreading codes which differ per radio zone are allocated to the respective base station radio devices by time offset. The base station controller 12 receives the start-up request signal from the terminal 11 via the base station radio device 10b now in communication. Then, the base station controller 12 transmits a soft handoff start-up signal to the base station radio device 10a represented by the identification data carried on the start-up request signal. Upon reception of the start-up signal, the radio device 10a starts communication with the terminal 11. Simultaneously, the base station controller 12 transmits a soft handoff command signal to the terminal 11 via the radio device 10b for notification of a spreading code a1 x a2 to be used on a traffic channel of the radio device 10a. Upon reception of the soft handoff command signal, the terminal 11 recognizes the new spreading code a1 x a2 and starts communication with the radio device 10a while communicating with the radio device 10b, so as to shift to the radio zone of the radio device 10a. As described above, a terminal in communication measures a reception level of a pilot channel transmitted from a base station radio device in an adjacent radio zone and, if the reception level exceeds a threshold value, the terminal requests the start-up of a soft handoff to an adjacent base station controller via a base station radio device now in communication. The handoff system of this type is called a terminal assisted handoff system, which can reduce the throughput of a device provided in a base station radio device for receiving a signal from a terminal and the throughput of a base station controller (see EP 624994). Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing in detail a structure of the terminal in the conventional terminal assisted handoff CDMA cellular system. The terminal 11 comprises an antenna 16, a receiver 17, a transmitter 23, a rake receiving section 15, a decoder 19, a reception level measuring section 21, an encoder 22 and a controller 20. A signal received through the antenna 16 is converted into a baseband signal at the receiver 17 and then inputted to the rake receiving section 15. The terminal 11 includes only one receiver 17 for reduction in weight and size. However, if a frequency of an adjacent radio zone is the same as that of a radio zone now in communication, the terminal 11, while keeping the communication, can receive a pilot channel of the adjacent radio zone and measure a reception level thereof. The rake receiving section 15 comprises a plurality of correlators 13 1 to 13 n (n is an integer not less than 2). In the correlators 13 1 to 13 n , spreading codes of mutually different delay times are set for efficient reception of signals coming through various propagation paths as in multipath fading peculiar to the cellular system. Specifically, in the correlators 13 1 to 13 n-1 , spreading codes used in a base station radio device now in communication are set for receiving signals from that base station radio device. On the other hand, in the correlator 13 n , spreading codes used for pilot channels of base station radio devices covering adjacent radio zones are set. The baseband signal inputted to the rake receiving section 15 is subjected to correlative demodulation at each of the correlators 13 1 to 13 n-1 , then combined and decoded at the decoder 19, and sent to the controller 20. On the other hand, in the correlator 13 n , the pilot channels of the adjacent radio zones are subjected to correlative demodulation. The reception level measuring section 21 derives reception levels of the pilot channels of the adjacent radio zones based on results of the correlative demodulation at the correlator 13 n and feeds them to the controller 20. The controller 20 stores a preset threshold value for the start-up of a soft handoff and compares the reception levels of the pilot channels of the adjacent radio zones received from the reception level measuring section 21 with the preset threshold value. If the reception level exceeds the threshold value, the controller 20 produces a soft handoff start-up request signal carrying identification data of the base station radio device transmitting that pilot channel and transmits it to the base station radio device now in communication. The base station controller receives the start-up request signal via the base station radio device now in communication and transmits a soft handoff start-up signal to the base station radio device represented by the identification data. Then, the soft handoff is carried out and communication between the terminal and the base station radio device covering the adjacent radio zone is started. Fig. 8 schematically shows a radio zone structure in the conventional terminal assisted handoff CDMA cellular system. The shown radio zone structure includes a plurality of adjacent radio zones A, B and C. The radio zone A is provided with a traffic channel 24 1 using a frequency f 1 , the radio zone B is provided with a traffic channel 25 1 using the frequency f 1 and a traffic channel 25 m using a frequency f m , and the radio zone C is provided with a traffic channel 26 1 using the frequency f 1 and a traffic channel 26 m using the frequency f m . The traffic channels 24 1 , 25 1 and 26 1 of the radio zones A-C are adjacent to each other, and the traffic channels 25 m and 26 m of the radio zones B and C are adjacent to each other. The traffic channel using the frequency f m exists in each of the radio zones B and C, while it does not exist in the radio zone A. This is caused by difference in scale between the respective base station radio devices. In the foregoing radio zone structure, the handoff is carried out without any problem when, for example, a terminal 11 1 starting communication with the traffic channel 25 m shifts to the traffic channel 26 m of the radio zone C, or a terminal 11 2 starting communication with the traffic channel 25 1 shifts to the traffic channel 24 1 of the radio zone A or to the traffic channel 26 1 of the radio zone C. As described before, since the terminal 11 incorporates only one receiver 17, it can not convert a different frequency signal into a baseband signal during communication. Accordingly, if a frequency of a pilot channel of an adjacent radio zone for which the terminal 11 is headed (hereinafter, this radio zone will also be referred to as "headed radio zone") differs from a frequency"now in use, the terminal 11 can not receive the pilot channel of the headed radio zone. For example, it is assumed that the terminal 11 1 starting communication with the traffic channel 25m at the frequency f m shifts to the radio zone A. Since the terminal 11 1 can not receive a pilot channel of the cell 24 1 at the frequency f 1 in this case, it can not even carry out a handoff while changing the frequency. Accordingly, in the terminal assisted handoff system of the IS-95-A, when the terminal 11 moves to a radio zone where a frequency now in use can not be used, the handoff can not be achieved to cause disconnection in communication. The foregoing handoff to be carried out while changing a frequency is called a hard handoff. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a terminal assisted handoff mobile communication system which is capable of smoothly carrying out a handoff, ie without causing a disconnection in communication even when a terminal moves to a radio zone where a frequency now in use can not be used. Other objects of the present invention will become clear as the description proceeds. According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fixed facility for a mobile communication system providing terminal assisted handoff according to claim 1. According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mobile communication system providing for terminal assisted handoff according to claim 4. According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mobile communication system providing for terminal assisted handoff according to claim 7. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a structure of a terminal assisted handoff CDMA cellular system according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a diagram schematically showing structures of radio zones covered by base station radio devices shown in Fig. 1, respectively; Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing a structure of a terminal assisted handoff CDMA cellular system according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 4 is a diagram schematically showing radio zones, seen from above, covered by base station radio devices shown in Fig. 3, respectively; Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation of the cellular system according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 6 is a diagram schematically showing a structure of a conventional terminal assisted handoff CDMA cellular system; Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing in detail a structure of a terminal in the conventional terminal assisted handoff CDMA cellular system; and Fig. 8 is a diagram schematically showing a radio zone structure in the conventional terminal assisted handoff CDMA cellular system. Now, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described hereinbelow with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a structure of a terminal assisted handoff CDMA cellular system according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a diagram schematically showing structures of radio zones covered by base station radio devices shown in Fig. 1, respectively. Since the cellular system in this embodiment uses the known terminal 11 as it is, the following description will also refer to the structure of the terminal 11 shown in Fig. 7. As shown in Fig. 1, base station radio devices 28a, 28b as radio base stations are connected to a base station controller 12 as a host station. A radio zone A covered by the base station radio device 28a is provided with traffic channels 41 1 to 41 n using frequencies f 1 to f n , respectively. A radio zone B covered by the base station radio device 28b is provided with traffic channels 42 1 to 42 n using the frequencies f 1 to f n , respectively, and a traffic channel 42 m using a frequency f m . The traffic channels 41 1 to 41 n and the traffic channels 42 1 to 42 n are adjacent to each other, while there are no traffic channels adjacent to the traffic channel 42 m of the radio zone B. This is caused by difference in scale between the base station radio devices 28a and 28b. The base station radio device 28a comprises an antenna 31a, a distributor/synthesizer 32a, transceivers 30a 1 to 30a n corresponding to the frequencies f 1 to f n , respectively, a pilot channel transmitter 33 for constantly transmitting a pilot channel of a frequency equal to the frequency f m in the adjacent radio zone B covered by the radio device 28b, and a controller 40a. The distributor/synthesizer 32a distributes a signal received from the terminal 11 via the antenna 31b to the transceivers 30b 1 to 30b n , respectively, while it combines signals from the transceivers 30b 1 to 30b n for transmission via the antenna 31b. The base station controller 12 is provided with a determining section 44. When the terminal 11 in communication receives the pilot channel from the pilot channel transmitter 33 and requests the start-up of a soft handoff from the base station controller 12, the determining section 44 determines that there exists no traffic channel of a frequency equal to the frequency f m of the pilot channel in the radio device 28a. The base station radio device 28b comprises an antenna 31b, a distributor/synthesizer 32b, transceivers 30b 1 to 30b n corresponding to the frequencies f 1 to f n , respectively, a transceiver 30b m corresponding to the frequency f m , and a controller 40b. The distributor/synthesizer 32b distributes a signal received from the terminal 11 via the antenna 31b to the transceivers 30b 1 to 30b n , respectively, while combines signals from the transceivers 30b 1 to 30b n for transmission via the antenna 31b. The controller 40b is provided with a command signal transmitting section 43. In response to a determination result at the determining section 44, the command signal transmitting section 43 produces a hard handoff command signal for execution of a hard handoff using the frequency now in use for communication with the terminal 11 and transmits it to the terminal 11. In the cellular system according to this embodiment, if a traffic channel using a frequency equal to a frequency of a traffic channel of a radio zone now in communication exists in an adjacent headed radio zone, a soft handoff can be smoothly achieved in the same manner as in the conventional cellular system. Accordingly, hereinbelow, explanation will be made mainly to the case where a traffic channel using a frequency equal to a frequency of a traffic channel of a radio zone now in communication does not exist in an adjacent headed radio zone. For example, when the traffic channel 42 m of the frequency f m in the radio zone B is allocated by the base station radio device 28b, the terminal 11 starts communication with the base station controller 12 via the transceiver 30b m of the radio device 28b and the controller 40b. The terminal 11, while keeping the communication, receives the pilot channel of the frequency f m transmitted from the pilot channel transmitter 33 of the radio device 28a while moving to the radio zone A shown in Fig. 2. In the terminal 11, the reception level measuring section 21 measures a reception level of the pilot channel and gives it to the controller 20. The controller 20 transmits a reception level signal to the base station radio device 28b via the encoder 22, the transmitter 23 and the antenna 16. The controller 20 compares the reception level of the pilot channel from the radio zone A with the preset threshold value. If the reception level exceeds the threshold value, the controller 20 determines that the terminal 11 reaches a position where a soft handoff to the radio zone A is possible, so as to produce a soft handoff start-up request signal carrying identification data of the base station radio device 28a and transmits it to the base station radio device 28b now in communication. In the base station radio device 28b, the start-up request signal received via the antenna 31b and the distributor/synthesizer 32b is sent to the controller 40b via the transceiver 30b m for the frequency f m . Then, when the start-up request signal is sent to the base station controller 12 from the controller 40b, the determining section 44 determines that a traffic channel of the frequency f m to which the terminal 11 will shift by a soft handoff does not exist in the base station radio device 28a identified by the start-up request signal. Accordingly, the base station controller 12 checks existence of traffic channels in the base station radio devices 28a, 28b corresponding to a frequency to which a hard handoff is possible by the terminal 11. For example, if the traffic channels 41 1 , 42 1 using the frequency f 1 are both non-busy in the radio zones A and B covered by the radio devices 28a, 28b, a hard handoff command signal is produced at the command signal transmitting section 43 of the radio device 28b and transmitted to the terminal 11 via the distributor/synthesizer 32b and the antenna 31b. Since the hard handoff command signal is transmitted at a frequency equal to the frequency f m now in use by the terminal 11, the terminal 11 can receive it as it is. In the terminal 11, according to the hard handoff command signal, the receiver 17 switches the frequency f m now in use to the frequency f 1 , and thus the hard handoff to the traffic channel 42 1 of the frequency f 1 is carried out in the radio zone B of the radio device 28b now in communication. Thereafter, while keeping the communication with the traffic channel 42 1 using the frequency f 1 , the terminal 11 produces a soft handoff start-up request signal carrying identification data of the radio device 28a at the controller 20 and transmits it to the radio device 28a via the radio device 28b and the base station controller 12. Accordingly, the terminal 11 smoothly carries out a soft handoff from the traffic channel 42 1 of the radio zone B to the traffic channel 41 1 of the radio zone A. Now, the second preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing a structure of a terminal assisted handoff CDMA cellular system according to this embodiment. Fig. 4 is a diagram schematically showing radio zones, seen from above, covered by base station radio devices shown in Fig. 3, respectively. In the figures, a base station radio device 28a covering a radio zone A, a base station radio device 28b covering a radio zone B and a base station radio device 28c covering a radio zone C are connected to a base station controller 12. Since the base station radio device 28c has the same structure as the base station radio device 28b, explanation thereof will be omitted. The radio zone A is provided with a plurality of traffic channels using frequencies f 1 to f n , respectively. Each of the radio zones B and C is provided with a plurality of traffic channels using the frequencies f 1 to f n , respectively, and a traffic channel using a frequency f m . The traffic channels using the frequencies f 1 to f n in the respective radio zones A, B and C are adjacent to each other, while the radio zone A has no traffic channel adjacent using the frequency f m in the radio zones B and C. This is caused by difference in scale between the base station radio devices 28a-28c. The base station radio device 28a comprises an antenna 31a, a distributor/synthesizer 32a, transceivers 30a 1 to 30a n corresponding to the frequencies f 1 to f n , and a controller 40a. The base station radio device 28b (28c) comprises an antenna 31b, a distributor/synthesizer 32b, transceivers 30b 1 to 30b n corresponding to the frequencies f 1 to f n , a transceiver 30b m corresponding to the frequency f m , and a controller 40b. The controller 40b includes a reception level receiving section 45, a comparing section 46 and a command signal transmitting section 47. The reception level receiving section 45 requests the terminal 11 to transmit reception levels of pilot channels from the base station radio devices 28a, 28b and 28c measured at the terminal 11, and receive them. The comparing section 46 compares the reception levels received at the reception level receiving section 45 with preset threshold values. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation of the cellular system according to this embodiment. As in the foregoing first preferred embodiment, explanation will be made mainly to the case where a traffic channel using a frequency equal to a frequency of a traffic channel of a radio zone now in communication does not exist in an adjacent headed radio zone. For example, when the traffic channel using the frequency f m in the radio zone B is allocated by the base station radio device 28b, the terminal 11 starts communication with the base station controller 12 via the transceiver 30b m of the radio device 28b and the controller 40b. While moving, for example, in a direction D toward the radio zone C in Fig. 4, the terminal 11, while keeping the communication, receives the pilot channels transmitted from the base station radio device 28b and all the adjacent base station radio devices 28a, 28c and measures reception levels thereof at the reception level measuring section 21. Further, the controller 20 transmits reception level signals to the base station radio device 28b via the encoder 22, the transmitter 23 and the antenna 16. In the base station radio device 28b, it is checked whether there exists a terminal 11 communicating at the frequency f m in the radio zone B (step S1). If the terminal 11 communicating at the frequency f m exists in the radio zone B, the reception level receiving section 45 requests the terminal 11 to notify the reception levels of the pilot channels transmitted at the frequency f m from the base station radio devices 28a-28c, and receives them (step S2). In the base station radio device 28b, the comparing section 46 compares the reception level of the pilot channel from the radio zone B among the reception levels received from the terminal 11 with a preset threshold value A of -12dB (step S3). For example, if the reception level is -20dB, the reception level is smaller than the threshold value A. This means that the terminal 11 is away from the radio zone B of the base station radio device 28b more than a predetermined distance and thus needs to shift to another traffic channel by a handoff. Subsequently, the comparing section 46 compares the reception levels of the pilot channels from the radio zones A and C, other than that from the radio zone B, among the reception levels received from the terminal 11 with a preset threshold value B of -16dB (step S4). In this case, since the traffic channel using the frequency f m does not exist in the radio zone A but exists only in the radio zone C, if the reception level of the pilot channel of the radio zone C exceeds the threshold value B, it means that a soft handoff to the traffic channel of the frequency f m of the radio zone C is possible. Accordingly, the command signal transmitting section 47 transmits a first signal commanding execution of a soft handoff to the terminal 11 using the frequency now in use (step S5). Simultaneously, the base station radio device 28b transmits a soft handoff start-up request signal to the base station radio device 28c via the base station controller 12, so that the soft handoff to the traffic channel of the frequency f m of the radio zone C is carried out. On the other hand, when the terminal 11 communicating with the base station radio device 28b moves in a direction E toward the radio zone A in Fig. 4, there is no traffic channel using the frequency f m in the headed radio zone A. In this case, at step S4, there is no reception level of the pilot channel exceeding the threshold value B. Thus, in the base station radio device 28b, the command signal transmitting section 47 transmits a second signal commanding execution of a hard handoff in the subject radio zone B to the terminal 11 using the frequency now in use. In the terminal 11, according to the received second signal, the receiver 17 switches the frequency f m now in use to, for example, the frequency f 1 so as to carry out the hard handoff to the traffic channel using the frequency f 1 in the radio zone B of the base station radio device 28b now in communication. Thereafter, the terminal 11, while keeping the communication with the traffic channel of the frequency f 1 , produces, at the controller 20, a soft handoff start-up request signal carrying identification data of the base station radio device 28a and transmits it to the radio device 28a via the radio device 28b and the base station controller 12. Accordingly, the terminal 11 smoothly carries out a soft handoff to the traffic channel of the frequency f 1 in the radio zone A from the traffic channel of the frequency f 1 in the radio zone B. In the foregoing first and second preferred embodiments, the terminal 11 first carries out the hard handoff to the traffic channel of a different frequency in the radio zone of the subject base station radio device (the base station radio device communicating with the terminal 11), and then carries out the soft handoff to the traffic channel of the same frequency in the adjacent radio zone. However, it may also be arranged that the terminal 11 carries out a hard handoff directly to a traffic channel of a different frequency in an adjacent radio zone from a radio zone of the subject base station radio device. As described above, in the terminal assisted handoff mobile communication system according to each of the foregoing first and second preferred embodiments, even when a terminal moves to a radio zone where a frequency now in use can not be used, a handoff can be carried out smoothly.

Claims: A fixed facility (12, 28a, 28b) for a mobile communication system providing terminal assisted handoff and including a mobile terminal (11), said fixed facility comprising a first radio base station (28a) covering a first radio zone(A) and a second radio base station(28b) covering a second radio zone(8) which are assigned with a first and a second radio frequency, respectively, each radio zone being divided into a plurality of traffic channels, said mobile terminal being communicable with said fixed facility by the use of one of said first and said second radio frequencies and being capable of producing a request signal representative of a request of a handoff in which said mobile terminal is communicable with said fixed facility by the use of another of said first and said second radio frequencies at a boundary area between said first and said second radio zones, said fixed facility characterised in that said second base station comprises a means for transmitting a pilot channel using said first radio frequency even through said second radio zone does not have a traffic channel serving at said first frequency and said fixed facility further comprises: determining means (44) responsive to said request signal for determining the type of handoff to be performed, said determining means producing a determination result; and signal transmitting means (43) connected to said determining means for transmitting a command signal towards said mobile terminal through said first frequency in response to said determination result, said command signal relating to a soft or a hard handoff to be performed. A fixed facility as claimed in claim 1, wherein said determining means is configured to determine whether said second radio zone of said second radio base station has a traffic channel serving at said first frequency. A fixed facility as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein each of said first and said second radio base stations produces a pilot channel, said mobile terminal being responsive to said pilot channel to produce a reception level of said pilot channel, said determining means further comprising: receiving means (45) for receiving said reception level; and comparing means (46) connected to said receiving means and said signal transmitting means for comparing said reception level with a preset threshold value to produce a comparison result, said signal transmitting means (47) transmitting, as said command signal, a first command signal to said mobile terminal using said first radio frequency in response to said comparison result when said reception level is greater than said preset threshold value, and transmitting, as said command signal, a second command signal to said mobile terminal using said first radio frequency in response to said comparison result when said reception level is not greater than said preset threshold value, said first command signal commanding execution of a soft handoff in which said mobile terminal is communicable with said fixed facility without a change of frequency at said boundary area, said second command signal commanding execution of a hard handoff in which said mobile terminal is communicable with said fixed facility with a change of frequency at said boundary area. A mobile communication system providing for terminal assisted handoff and including a host station (12), a plurality of radio base stations (28a, 28b) connected to said host station, and a mobile terminal (11), each of said radio base stations covering a corresponding radio zone including a plurality of traffic channels serving at mutually different frequencies, said mobile terminal communicating with one of the radio base stations at a first frequency and said mobile terminal requesting from said host station a soft handoff to one of the other radio base stations, said request being based on measured reception levels of pilot channels transmitted from the adjacent radio base stations at said first frequency, characterised in that said system further comprises: a pilot channel transmitting means (33) provided in at least one of the adjacent radio base stations, said pilot channel transmitting means constantly transmitting a pilot channel using said first frequency, wherein said at least one of the adjacent radio base stations may not have a traffic channel serving at said first frequency in its corresponding radio zone; a determining means (44) for, when the mobile terminal communicating with said one of the radio base stations at said first frequency receives the pilot channel from said pilot channel transmitting means and requests from said host station a soft handoff to the radio base station transmitting the received pilot channel, determining whether the radio base station transmitting the received pilot channel said first radio frequency; and has a traffic channel in its corresponding radio zone serving at a command signal transmitting means (43) connected to said determining means and responsive to a determination result from said determining means for transmitting a hard handoff command signal using said first frequency, said command signal commanding execution of a hard handoff to said mobile terminal when said radio zone of said radio base station transmitting the received pilot channel does not have a traffic channel, serving at said first frequency. A system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said mobile terminal, in response to the hard handoff command signal from said command signal transmitting means, carries out the hard handoff to a traffic channel serving at a second frequency other than said first frequency in the radio zone covered by the radio base station communicating with said mobile terminal. A system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said mobile terminal, in response to the hard handoff command signal from said command signal transmitting means, carries out the hard handoff directly to a traffic channel serving at a second frequency other than said first frequency in the radio zone covered by the radio base station transmitting said received pilot channel. A mobile communication system providing for terminal assisted handoff and including a host station (12), a plurality of mutually adjacent radio base stations (28a, 28b) connected to said host station, and a mobile terminal, each of said radio base stations covering a corresponding radio zone including a plurality of traffic channels of mutually different frequencies, said mobile terminal communicating with one of the radio base stations at a first frequency and said mobile terminal requesting from said host station a soft handoff to one of the other radio base stations, said request being based on measured reception levels of pilot channels transmitted from the adjacent radio base stations at said first frequency, characterised in that said system further comprises: a reception level receiving means (45) for receiving said reception levels of the pilot channels from said mobile terminal; a comparing means (46) connected to said reception level receiving means for comparing the reception levels received at said reception level receiving means with a preset threshold value; and a command signal transmitting means (47) connected to said comparing means and responsive to a comparison result from said comparing means for transmitting a first command signal using said first frequency, said first command signal commanding execution of a soft handoff to said mobile terminal when a radio base station, other than the radio base station in communication with said mobile terminal, transmits a pilot channel having a reception level greater than the preset threshold value and said radio base station has a traffic channel in its corresponding radio zone serving at said first radio frequency, and for transmitting a second command signal using said first frequency, said second command signal commanding execution of a hard handoff to said mobile terminal when said reception level is lower than the preset threshold value and said radio base station does not have a traffic channel in its corresponding radio zone serving at said first radio frequency. A system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said mobile terminal, in response to the second command signal from said command signal transmitting means, carries out the hard handoff to a traffic channel serving at a second frequency other than said first frequency in the radio zone covered by the radio base station communicating with said mobile terminal. A system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said mobile terminal, in response to the second command signal from said command signal transmitting means, carries out the hard handoff directly to a traffic channel serving at a second frequency other than said first frequency in the radio zone covered by the radio base station transmitting said received pilot channel.

Inventors: KONDO SEIJI, KONDO, SEIJI, Kondo, Seiji, c/o NEC Saitama, Ltd.
Applicants: NIPPON ELECTRIC CO, NEC CORPORATION
Application year: 1998
Main classification: H04Q7
IPC codes: H04B1, H04W36