Patent ID: 8538429

Claim:
A method of cellular radio telecommunication handover of a mobile station (MS) to a plurality of common cell identity base transceiver stations (BTSs) comprising the steps of: (i) receiving at least one measurement report from the MS at a controller, wherein the at least one measurement report includes information obtained directly from at least one common cell identity; (ii) allocating an air interface handover resource and handover reference number for use by the mobile station, wherein the air interface handover resource is unique to the handover to be executed, but common between possible target BTSs, where the handover resource is provided on every BTS that is a possible target BTS; (iii) scanning a channel on at least some of the common cell identity BTS for communication from the mobile station using said air interface handover resource and handover reference number; and (iv) receiving communication from the mobile station on one of the common cell identity BTSs, thereby identifying that common cell identity BTS as a target handover common cell identity BTS; (v) completing handover between the mobile station and the target handover common cell identity BTS, and (vi) releasing the air interface handover resource from remaining possible target common cell identity BTS(s) other than the identified target handover common cell identity BTS.