Patent ID: 8045982

Claim:
A method for selecting a home site while roaming in a multi-site communication system, the method comprising: detecting a first signal on a channel in the communication system, wherein the channel is one of a plurality of channels that are arranged in a first order on a list of channels, and wherein each of the channels on the list is associated with a different site in a multi-site communication system; upon detecting the first signal, attempting during a first time frame to measure and record signal strength of a signal at each of the channels on the list based on the first order and beginning with the detected first signal; selecting as a current home site, the site associated with the channel on the list having the signal with a highest signal strength recorded during the first time frame; and rearranging the channels on the list into a second order based on the signal strengths recorded during the first time frame; attempting during a second time frame subsequent to the first time frame to measure and record signal strength of a signal at each of the channels on the list based on the second order and beginning with the channel associated with the current home site; determining the channel from the list having the signal with a highest signal strength recorded during the second time frame; determining whether the signal with the highest signal strength recorded during the second time frame can still be detected at a subsequent time to the second time frame; if the signal with the highest signal strength recorded during the second time frame can still be detected, then selecting as a new home site, the site associated with the channel having the signal with the highest signal strength recorded during the second time frame, and rearranging the channels on the list into a third order based on the signal strengths recorded during the second time frame.