Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson (Publ)

Gopichand Kongara

Sylvain Labonte

Michel Desgagne

Pat Minichiello

A cellular communications network includes a plurality of cells whose base stations have both sector and smart antenna capabilities. While engaged in a call, mobile station downlink signal strength measurements are made on its own serving traffic channel and the control channels of neighboring cells. These measurements are then adjusted by one or more factors which take into account the operational and physical differences between sector antenna and smart antenna. For example, the signal strength measurements may be appropriately adjusted by measured differences in gain between the smart antenna and sector antenna, output power backoff values associated with smart antenna and sector antenna support of the traffic channels in comparison to the control channels, and power control attenuation applied to the traffic channels. The resulting adjusted downlink signal strength measurements may then be compared against each other (as off-set by any imposed hysteresis value) to more precisely locate the mobile station and uniformly, predictably and accurately identify when it is appropriate to authorize a hand-off.

Growing community of inventors

Town of Mount Royal, Canada

Gopichand Kongara