Patent ID: 8666417

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving a handover request message including target cell timing offset information at a potential target cell base station, the potential target cell base station having a physical cell identifier; comparing, at the potential target base station, the received target cell timing offset information with stored timing offset information at the potential target cell base station; and sending a handover request accept message when the received target cell timing offset information is similar to the stored timing offset information, wherein the method further comprises: determining that timing offset information is not stored at the potential target cell base station; sending an additional cell identifier request message when the timing offset information is not stored at the potential target cell base station; receiving an additional cell identifier in response to sending the additional cell identifier request message; determining that the received additional cell identifier is equal to an additional cell identifier if the potential target cell base station; and storing the received target cell timing offset information at the potential target cell base station when the received additional cell identifier is equal to the additional cell identifier of the potential target cell base station.