Patent ID: 7529546

Claim:
A method for managing communication between one or more base transceiver stations and a mobile station, said communication occurring on an active set of cell sectors, comprising steps of: a) conducting a test at a base transceiver station wherein the base transceiver station intentionally eliminates communication from the base transceiver station to the mobile station on a selected sector in the active set; b) determining the effect of the elimination of step a) on communication between the mobile station and at least one other remaining sector in the active set; c) either restoring communication on the active set or removing the active set sector from the set of active set sectors, based on the determination in step b); and wherein the selected sector for which communication is eliminated in a) comprises the active set sector which has the current lowest reported mobile station received power level; and storing a history of removal of active set sectors for a plurality of mobile stations, the removals made using step c).