Identification of target node for wireless handoff

摘要

Identification of an access point to which an access terminal is to be handed-off involves, in some aspects, identifying one access point of a set of access points that may have been detected by an access terminal. For example, an access terminal may receive a signal having an identified characteristic (e.g., a particular phase offset) from an access point. Each access point of a set of access points associated with the identified characteristic may be directed to attempt to decode a signal from the access terminal. The access point of the candidate set to use for the handoff operation may then be determined based on the signal received from the access terminal, if any, by each of the candidate access points.

主权项

1. A method of communication, comprising:
receiving, at a network node, a report that an access terminal provided to a source access point and that the source access point forwarded to the network node, wherein the report comprises a received signal strength value for each pilot signal received at the access terminal, a pseudorandom number (PN) sequence phase offset of all pilot signals received at the access terminal, and a PN sequence phase offset of the access terminal; identifying by the network node a plurality of candidate target access points comprising neighbors of the source access point for a handoff operation for the access terminal based on the report provided by the access terminal, wherein the plurality of candidate target access points transmit pilot signals having the same PN sequence phase offset as at least one of the pilot signals received at the access terminal, and wherein the access terminal received the at least one pilot signal from one of the identified plurality of candidate target access points; sending by the network node a message to each of the identified candidate target access points that transmit the pilot signals having the same PN sequence phase offset as the at least one pilot signal received at the access terminal to request each candidate target access point to monitor uplink signals from the access terminal based on parameters in the message; receiving at the network node at least one response to at least one of the messages; and identifying one of the plurality of candidate target access points that transmitted the at least one pilot signal received at the access terminal for the handoff operation based on the at least one response.