Patent ID: 7443819

Claim:
A method of managing relocation of one or more scrambling codes in a spread spectrum wireless communications system, the method comprising: detecting an indication for a serving radio network subsystem relocation that causes a user equipment to leave a first radio network controller; in response to said indication, selectively transiting, through an intermediate transition, said at least one scrambling code of said one or more scrambling codes associated with an uplink from said first radio network controller to a second radio network controller for said user equipment; transitioning said at least one scrambling code from a first pool of one or more relocated scrambling codes to a second pool of one or more free scrambling codes through a third pool of one or more used scrambling codes at said first radio network controller; moving a first scrambling code associated with said user equipment into said first pool of one or more relocated scrambling codes; and in response to moving said first scrambling code, moving out a respective oldest scrambling code from said first-in-first-out shift register; determining whether said second pool of one or more free scrambling codes is empty; and if empty, removing a second scrambling code from said first pool of one or more relocated scrambling codes.