Patent ID: 8644261

Claim:
A method comprising: an access terminal registering with a first base station; while the access terminal is registered with the first base station, the access terminal performing an idle-mode handoff to a second base station; while the access terminal is registered with the first base station and while the second base station is a currently-serving base station for the access terminal, the access terminal detecting that a strength of a pilot signal transmitted by a third base station exceeds, by at least a handoff threshold, a strength of a pilot signal transmitted by the second base station; the access terminal comparing a distance between the first base station and the third base station to a registration distance associated with the first base station; and if the access terminal determines that the distance between the first base station and the third base station is greater than or equal to the registration distance associated with the first base station, then the access terminal registering with the second base station, otherwise, if the access terminal determines that the distance between the first base station and the third base station is less than the registration distance associated with the first base station, then the access terminal performing an idle-mode handoff from the second base station to the third base station.