Patent ID: 8224326

Claim:
A method for performing handover of a call involving a mobile station in a cellular telecommunication system, the method comprising: detecting an indication to initiate a rescue handover of the call from a current cell to a candidate cell; determining that the call cannot be handed over from the current cell to the candidate cell without exceeding a predetermined call capacity of the candidate cell; receiving signal quality information associated with a plurality of timeslots in a frequency channel of the candidate cell from a plurality of mobile stations, served by the candidate cell, that are assigned to the plurality of timeslots; selecting a timeslot from the plurality of timeslots that provides a signal quality meeting a predetermined criterion; prior to the rescue handover, adjusting a rate-based parameter of the selected timeslot associated with the candidate cell to accommodate the call; and performing the rescue handover of the call to the candidate cell after adjusting the rate based parameter.