Patent ID: 8224320

Claim:
A method for dynamically adjusting a search-window size for a mobile station, the method comprising: entering an active-call state and responsively initially operating the mobile station according to a default-search-window mode; monitoring a preferred-signal strength as received at the mobile station, a preferred-signal fading of the mobile station, and a number of sectors in an active set for the mobile station to: (i) compare the preferred-signal strength to a signal-strength threshold, (ii) compare the preferred-signal fading to at least one of a lower-fading threshold and an upper-fading threshold, and (iii) determine whether the number of sectors in the active set is exactly one sector or more than one sector; and selectively operating the mobile station in one of the default-search-window mode, a reduced-search-window mode, and an increased-search-window mode in response to the monitored preferred-signal strength, preferred-signal fading, and number of sectors in the active set, wherein the default-search-window mode comprises operating with a default-search-window size, wherein the reduced-search-window mode comprises operating with a reduced-search-window size that is less than the default-search-window size, and wherein the reduced-search-window mode is employed in response to a determination that (i) the preferred-signal strength exceeds the signal-strength threshold, (ii) the preferred-signal fading is less than the lower-fading threshold, and (iii) there is exactly one sector in the active set, and wherein the increased-search-window mode comprises operating with an increased-search-window size that is greater than the default-search-window size, and wherein the increased-search-window mode is employed in response to a determination that (i) the preferred-signal fading is greater than the upper-fading threshold and (ii) there is more than one sector in the active set.