Abstract:
A method for controlling a handoff from a first base station to a second base station involves receiving a hand off request including connection data from a client of a mobile device from the first base station at a handoff server of a system network provider. Handoff data is generated for controlling the handoff from the first base station to the second base station responsive to the connection data. The handoff data is transmitted from the handoff server of the system network provider to the client of the mobile device.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to the handoff of mobile devices from one base station to another base station, and more particularly, to the use of information provided from the mobile device to assist in the handoff of one base station to another base station. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Within presently existing wireless communications, a mobile device is provided connection to a communication network through a base station that provides bi-directional voice communications from the mobile device to the base station and the base station provides the information to a wireless network. When a mobile device is moving, it will often require the communications link to be passed from one base station to another base station as the mobile device leaves the radio coverage area of the first base station and enters the radio coverage area of a second base station. Within existing solutions, a network service provider server controls this transfer process. Within dense urban or high speed environments, where a cell signal serving a mobile device from a base station can degrade rapidly; this situation may adversely affect performance of real-time services such as Voice over IP. Thus, a solution that provides better performance for rapidly degrading cell signals for realtime services on a network would be beneficial. The handoff of a mobile device from a first base station to a second base station would be greatly assisted by the provision of additional information to the controlling base station. Thus, some manner for providing for this solution would be of great benefit to wireless network service providers. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention, as disclosed and described herein, in one aspect thereof, comprises a method for controlling a handoff from a first base station to a second base station that involves receiving a hand off request including connection data from a client of a mobile device at a handoff server of a system network provider. Handoff data is generated for controlling the handoff from the first base station to the second base station responsive to the connection data. The handoff data is transmitted from the handoff server of the system network provider to the client of the mobile device. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a more complete understanding, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying Drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an illustration of a call handover process according to present network provider control handoff protocols; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a mobile device assisted handoff; and 
         FIG. 3  is a flow diagram describing a mobile device assisted handoff. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numbers are used herein to designate like elements throughout, the various views and embodiments of a mobile device assisted handoff are illustrated and described, and other possible embodiments are described. The figures are not necessarily drawn to scale, and in some instances the drawings have been exaggerated and/or simplified in places for illustrative purposes only. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate the many possible applications and variations based on the following examples of possible embodiments. 
     Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to  FIG. 1 , there is illustrated the present process for a handoff of user equipment (UE)  102 . The user equipment  102  may comprise a cellular telephone, pager, PDA, laptop computer, tablet, or any other type of mobile device. A handover server  108  controls the handover of the user equipment  102  from a first base station  104  to a second base station  106 . The network establishes an initial communications link  110  from the user equipment  102  to the base station  104 . However, in a situation where the user equipment  102  is moving with respect to the base station  104 , the communications link  110  between the user equipment  102  and base station  104  may become unable to be maintained due to a lack of signal strength. In this case, the base station  104  communicates with a system provider handover server  108  over a communications link  112  through which the handover server  108  may determine a new base station  106  to which the base station  104  should hand over the call from user equipment  102 . 
     In the present example, the handover server  108  determines that base station  104  should handover the call to base station  106 . This information is transmitted to base station  104  over communications link  112  and to base station  106  over communications link  114 . Additionally, base station  104  and base station  106  may coordinate the handover using a communications link  116  between each of the base stations. The handover server  108  controls the base station  104  and base station  106  to handover the user equipment  102  to base station  106  and establish a new communications link  118 . After the new communications link  118  is established, the previous communications link  110  to base station  104  may be dropped and the call of the user equipment  102  controlled by base station  106 . This process may be used to again hand off the user equipment  102  to other base stations as needed. 
     Within dense urban or high speed environments, the communications link between the user equipment and the base station signal can rapidly degrade with little warning. This situation can adversely affect the performance of realtime services provided over the wireless communications link such as Voice over IP. Referring now to  FIG. 2 , there is illustrated a solution for providing better performance for the realtime services provided over LTE by providing a user equipment assisted handoff in addition to the information provided by the handover server. Within the implementation of  FIG. 2 , the user equipment  202  has an initial communications link  204  between the user equipment  202  and a first base station  206 . The base station  206  additionally has a connection  208  with the handover server  210  provided by the network service provider. 
     In order to provide more updated and realtime information to the handover server  210 , rather than just accepting handover information from the base station  206  over the communications link  208 , the user equipment  202  may also provide handover information to the handover server  210 . The user equipment  202  may provide this information directly from the user equipment or through the handover server  210 . The user equipment  202  may also provide the information to the handover server  210  through a secondary messaging node  212 . The user equipment  202  establishes a first wireless link  214  from the user equipment  202  to the secondary messaging node  212 . The secondary messaging node  212  establishes a connection  216  to the handover server  210 . The secondary messaging node  212  can comprise any type of network connection such as a Wi-Fi network, a messaging server, alternate access technology network if dual radios are available on the user equipment, etc. 
     The user equipment  202  additionally includes a client  218 . The client  218  is responsible for taking measurements with respect to various connection information relevant to controlling a handoff from a first base station  206  to a second base station  220 . This information may include, for example, signal strength, mobility state of the use, application type to determine if hard or soft handoff can be used, connection speed, throughput, packet loss or other relevant factors. The client  218  establishes the connection  214  from the user equipment  202  to the secondary messaging node  212  such that information may be provided to assist in the handover to the handover server  210 . The client  218  provides this information to the handover server  210  through the secondary messaging node  212 , and the handover server  210  utilizes the information provided from the client  218  of the user equipment  202  and the information from the base station  206  over communications link  208  to control a handover process. During the handover process, the handover server  210  instructs the base station  220  over a communications link  222  to establish a second communications link  224  between the user equipment  202  and the base station  220 . After the communications link  224  is established, the communications link  204  between the user equipment  202  and the base station  206  may be dropped. The base station  206  and base station  220  communicate with each other over a communications link  226  to enable each base station to know when the new communications link  224  has been created. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , there is illustrated a flow diagram describing the process by which the user equipment  202  may assist the handover server  210  in a handover from a first base station  206  to a second base station  220 . Initially, various measurement reports are received at step  302  from the client  218  upon the user equipment  202 . This information may be received at either the base station  206  presently serving the user equipment  202  or at the secondary messaging node  212  within the secondary network that the user equipment  202  with which has established a connection. Next, at step  304 , the base station  206  communicating with the user equipment  202  determines the need for a handover of the call connection of the user equipment to a new base station based upon the reduced connection stability of the existing wireless connection. The base station  206  communicates at step  306  to the handover server  210  the need for a handover from the present base station  206  to a new base station  220 . Responsive to this communication from the base station  206 , the handover server  210  communicates with the client  218  within the user equipment  202  to provide information with respect to the target base station to which the call from the user equipment needs to be handed over. The handover server  210  exchanges this information through the secondary messaging node  212  using XML or other type of messaging with a client  218  in order to provide more information upon the target base station  220 . As described before, one example of a secondary messaging node  212  which may be utilized from the handover server  210  and the user equipment  202  may comprise, for example, a Wi-Fi network. The user equipment  202  utilizes the information provided from the handover server  210  in order to control a handover from a base station  206  to the base station  220 . 
     The above-described system and method provides the ability for the user equipment  202  to interact with the network handover server  210  in order to assist in the handover from a first base station  206  to a second base station  220  when providing realtime services over an LTE or other type of network. This user assisted handoff will provide for fast and reliable mobility support that is essential for realtime services such as Voice over IP in an LTE network. The user assisted handoff will be useful within dense urban or high speed communication environments where the serving cell signal can rapidly downgrade to changing environmental conditions and adversely affect the performance of realtime services. 
     It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure that this mobile device assisted handoff provides improved control of connections to a mobile device. It should be understood that the drawings and detailed description herein are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive manner, and are not intended to be limiting to the particular forms and examples disclosed. On the contrary, included are any further modifications, changes, rearrangements, substitutions, alternatives, design choices, and embodiments apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope hereof, as defined by the following claims. Thus, it is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace all such further modifications, changes, rearrangements, substitutions, alternatives, design choices, and embodiments.