Patent ID: 7218933

Claim:
A cellular network handoff decision mechanism including: a) a reference cellular network having: i) at least two base stations, each of said at least two base stations having: (1) a location described by a position vector; and (2) a pilot signal having a pilot signal strength; ii) at least one mobile unit capable of: (1) moving along a trajectory; and (2) determining a received signal strength from said pilot signal; and b) a handoff decision mechanism including: i) a sampling interval, selected using a carrier wavelength; ii) a local averaging interval, larger than said sampling interval; iii) a handoff decision interval, said handoff decision interval being larger than said local averaging interval; iv) a base station sampler capable of sampling said pilot signal strength from at least two of said at least two base stations once during every said sampling interval; v) a base station selector capable of selecting at least two of said at least two base stations using a selection criterion; said selection criterion considering sampled pilot signal strengths; vi) a local averager capable of calculating a local average signal strength value using said received signal strength from each of said selected base stations once during every said local averaging interval using a local averaging calculation; vii) a handoff signal classifier capable of determining an assignment region in which said local average signal strength value lies using a hysteresis range; and viii) a handoff calculator capable of calculating a handoff decision once during every said handoff decision interval using a handoff calculation.