Patent ID: 8094572

Claim:
A method of maintaining a communications link between a network node and a mobile node of a communications network, the method comprising providing at least two downlink transmission beams; designating a first of the at least two beams as a primary transmission beam; using the beams in accordance with a schedule; taking received signal quality or signal strength measurements at the mobile node; signaling the measurements to the network node; determining a quality of link on the primary transmission beam and at least one other of the at least two transmission beams from the measurements signaled from the mobile node to the network node; comparing the quality of link for the beams to provide a comparison and varying the schedule in accordance with the comparison; wherein the network node is operable in a full mode and a discontinuous mode; and wherein the beams are tested and switched by the network node in a global system for mobile communication GSM operation within the duration of a slot in a single slow associated control channel SACCH frame of a GSM transmission frame.