Patent ID: 8254930

Claim:
A wireless communication system comprising: at least one base transceiver station (BTS) radiating to define a first wireless coverage area and a second wireless coverage area; a router (1) coupled to the at least one BTS, and (2) coupled to a backhaul connection between the wireless communication system and a network; a server, arranged to determine an available capacity via a second wireless coverage area, and wherein the determination of the available capacity is based in part on (1) a sector loading of the second wireless coverage area, and (2) an available backhaul capacity of the backhaul connection as received from the router; and a wireless communication device (WCD), served by the first wireless coverage area, and configured to (1) conduct a media session with a remote host, wherein the media session uses a first codec, and wherein the media session is conducted via the network, (2) transmit a request to the server, seeking to determine the available capacity via the second wireless coverage area, (3) receive, from the server and in response to the request, an indication of the available capacity via the second wireless coverage area, (4) determine that the WCD will be handed off from the first wireless coverage area to the second wireless coverage area, (5) determine that, based on a comparison between the available capacity via the second wireless coverage area and a capacity pre-defined for the first codec, that the available capacity via the second wireless coverage area is less than the capacity pre-defined for the first codec, and (6) in response to determining that the available capacity via the second wireless coverage area is less than the capacity pre-defined for the first codec, proactively renegotiate the media session to use a second codec, wherein a capacity pre-defined for the second codec is less than or equal to the available capacity via the second wireless coverage area, and wherein the proactive renegotiation occurs before the WCD is handed off.