Patent ID: 7127253

Claim:
An improved method for serving cell reselection by a mobile unit in a Hierarchical Cell Structure (HCS) wireless communications system, each cell in the HCS wireless communications system having an assigned HCS priority, the mobile unit comprising a Radio Resource Control (RRC) used to establish at least a radio bearer for receiving system information transmitted from the serving cell to the mobile unit when the mobile unit is within a service area of the serving cell, the method comprising: if the HCS priority of the serving cell equals the HCS priority of a candidate cell, starting a timer after a measured signal quality of the candidate cell is greater than a sum of a measured signal quality of the serving cell plus a system information supplied offset between the serving cell and the candidate cell plus a system information specified hysteresis value for the serving cell to apply a temporary offset to obtain adjusted signal quality measurements of the candidate cell, the temporary offset being distinct from the system information supplied offset between the serving cell and the candidate cell, the system information specified hysteresis value for the serving cell, and the sum of both the system information supplied offset between the serving cell and the candidate cell and the system information specified hysteresis value for the serving cell, the adjusted signal quality measurements used for ranking that candidate cell for reselection; and completing cell reselection according to the adjusted measured signal quality of the candidate cell.