Patent ID: 8576753

Claim:
A relay station for use in a wireless communication system, the relay station comprising: a transceiver operable to transmit wireless signals to and receive wireless signals from a first base station, a second base station, and at least one mobile station of the wireless communication system, the wireless signals transmitted to the first base station and the second base including a single preamble, MAP and FCH; a controller electrically connected to the transceiver, the controller operable to measure a signal quality of the mobile station, the mobile station communicatively connected to the first base station; and relay circuitry electrically connected to the controller, the relay circuitry operable to conduct a phased handoff of the mobile station from the first base station to the second base station based on the signal quality, wherein the phased handoff comprises performing a first intra-base station handoff between the first base station and the relay station, wherein the first intra-base station handoff being performed is responsive to determining that the signal quality of the mobile station is greater along a first path including the relay station and the first base station than the signal quality of the mobile station along a second path directly to the first base station; wherein the wireless communication system comprises a plurality of base stations communicatively coupled to a backhaul network and the mobile station, and wherein the relay station is shared by at least the first base station and the second base station.