Patent ID: 8218500

Claim:
A method of handover of user equipment from a source base station currently communicating with the user equipment to a target base station to communicate with the user equipment in the future comprising the steps of: the source base station (1) communicating to the user equipment a handover indication and communications parameters for synchronization of the user equipment and the target base station and (2) simultaneously communicating to the target base station a handover request of the user equipment to the target base station and the communications parameters for synchronization of the user equipment and the target base station; the user equipment transmitting a synchronization signal to the target base station using the communications parameters; the target base station storing said communications parameters and recognizing a synchronization signal using said communications parameters as originating from the user equipment; following receipt of said synchronization signal, the target base station estimating the user equipment UL timing and deriving a timing adjustment (TA) command; following receipt of both said synchronization signal and said handover request, the target base station determining communications parameters for handover confirmation of the user equipment to the target base station; the target base station transmitting to the source base station a handover request acknowledge signal and said communications parameters; following receipt of said handover request acknowledge signal, the source base station transmitting to the user equipment a handover command and said communications parameters; and following receipt of said handover command and said communications parameters, the user equipment transmitting a handover confirmation signal to the target base station.