Patent ID: 7197318

Claim:
A method for controlling a connection transfer, said method comprising: controlling a connection transfer in a cellular network having at least two carriers or at least two systems, said controlling comprising: determining the load of one of said at least two carriers or one of at least two systems, used by a connection said determined load being the load of a source cell; performing a learning process for estimating the load of a target cell when said load of a target cell cannot be made available; estimating a probability of success of an inter-system or inter-frequency handover of said connection to another one of said at least two systems or another one of said at least two carriers on basis of the load estimated by said learning process; initiating a service-based inter-system or inter-frequency handover of said connection to another one of said at least two systems or another one of said at least two carriers, respectively, based on a service priority, if said determined load is below or above a predetermined threshold and if said load of a target cell does not exceed said predetermined threshold, said load of a target cell being determined or estimated; and initiating a load-based inter-system or inter-frequency handover of said connection to another one of said at least two systems or another one of said at least two carriers, respectively, if said determined load exceeds said predetermined threshold and if said load of a target cell does not exceed said predetermined threshold, said load of a target cell being determined or estimated.