Patent ID: 8838114

Claim:
A method for managing serving cell changes in a communications system having a single radio link for downlink data transmission, comprising: maintaining an active set of pilot cells for receiving downlink data, the active set comprising a plurality of cells for soft handover, wherein the plurality of cells comprises an initial best cell; starting a first timer to monitor a first cell from the active set of pilot cells upon the first cell becoming stronger than the initial best cell, wherein the first timer corresponds to a first monitoring period for the first cell to be stronger than the initial best cell; starting a second timer to monitor a second cell with respect to the initial best cell upon the second cell becoming stronger than the initial best cell, wherein the second timer corresponds to a second monitoring period for the second cell to be stronger than the initial best cell; upon expiration of the first timer, designating the first cell as a new best cell if the first cell was stronger than the initial best cell for the first monitoring period; and upon expiration of the second timer, designating the second cell as the new best cell if the second cell was stronger than the initial best cell for the second monitoring period and the first cell was not stronger than the initial best cell for the first monitoring period.