Handover

About: Handover is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 24219 publications have been published within this topic receiving 296416 citations. The topic is also known as: handoff.

WATMnet: a prototype wireless ATM system for multimedia personal communication

Abstract: A prototype microcellular wireless asynchronous transfer mode network (WATMnet) capable of providing integrated multimedia communication services to mobile terminals is described in this paper. The experimental system's hardware consists of laptop computers (NEC Versa-M) with WATMnet interface cards, multiple VME/i960 processor-based WATMnet base stations, and a mobility-enhanced local-area ATM switch. The prototype wireless network interface cards operate at peak bit-rates up to 8 Mb/s, using low-power 2.4 GHz industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM)-band modems. Wireless network protocols at the portable terminal and base station interfaces support available bit rate (ABR), variable bit rate (VBR), and constant bit rate (CBR) transport services compatible with ATM using a dynamic time-division multiple-access/time-division duplex (TDMA/TDD) MAC protocol for channel sharing and data link control (DLC) protocol for error recovery. A custom wireless control protocol is also implemented between the portable and base units for support of radio link related functions such as user registration and handoff. All network entities including the portable, base and switch use a mobility-enhanced version of ATM ("Q.2931+") signaling for switched virtual circuit (SVC) connection control functions, including handoff. In the first stage of the prototype, the application-level API is TCP/UP over ATM ABR service class using AAL5. Early experiments with the WATMnet prototype have been conducted to validate major protocol and software aspects, including DLC, wireless control, and mobility signaling for handoff, Selected network-based multimedia/video applications requiring moderate bit-rates (/spl sim/0.5-1 Mb/s) in the ABR mode have been successfully demonstrated on the laptop PC.

Signal threshold adaptation for vertical handoff in heterogeneous wireless networks

Abstract: The convergence of heterogeneous wireless access technologies has been envisioned to characterize the next generation wireless networks. In such converged systems, the seamless and efficient handoff between different access technologies (vertical handoff) is essential and remains a challenging problem. The heterogeneous co-existence of access technologies with largely different characteristics results in handoff asymmetry that differs from the traditional intra-network handoff (horizontal handoff) problem. In the case where one network is preferred, the vertical handoff decision should be carefully executed, based on the wireless channel state, network layer characteristics, as well as application requirements. In this paper, we study the performance of vertical handoff using the integration of 3G cellular and wireless local area networks as an example. In particular, we investigate the effect of an application-based signal strength threshold on an adaptive preferred-network lifetime-based handoff strategy, in terms of the signalling load, available bandwidth, and packet delay for an inter-network roaming mobile. We present an analytical framework to evaluate the converged system performance, which is validated by computer simulation. We show how the proposed analytical model can be used to provide design guidelines for the optimization of vertical handoff in the next generation integrated wireless networks.

Data split between multiple sites

Abstract: Splitting data in a wireless communications network. Data may be split to use multiple base stations for transmission to user equipment in order to improve the bandwith if a UE is on a cell edge, or may be split by user equipment for transmission to multiple base stations in order to improve handover. Data splitting may be performed at the Packet Data Convergence Protocol layer, at the Radio Link Control layer, or at the Media Access Control layer on user equipment or on a base station. Data may instead be split in a network node, such as in a serving gateway, in order to reduce X2 interface load or delay carrier aggregation.

Methods and system for performing handover in a wireless communication system

Abstract: A method and system for performing handover in a third generation (3G) long term evolution (LTE) system are disclosed. A source evolved Node-B (eNode-B) makes a handover decision based on measurements and sends a handover request to a target eNode-B. The target eNode-B sends a handover response to the source eNode-B indicating that a handover should commence. The source eNode-B then sends a handover command to a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU). The handover command includes at least one of reconfiguration information, information regarding timing adjustment, relative timing difference between the source eNode-B and the target eNode-B, information regarding an initial scheduling procedure at the target eNode-B, and measurement information for the target eNode-B. The WTRU then accesses the target eNode-B and exchanges layer 1/2 signaling to perform downlink synchronization, timing adjustment, and uplink and downlink resource assignment based on information included in the handover command.

Channel occupancy times and handoff rate for mobile computing and PCS networks

Abstract: This paper presents a study of channel occupancy times and handoff rate for mobile computing in MC (Mobile Computing) and PCS (Personal Communications Services) networks, using general operational assumptions. It is shown that, for exponentially distributed call holding times, a distribution more appropriate for conventional voice telephony, the channel occupancy times are exponentially distributed if and only if the cell residence times are exponentially distributed. It is further shown that the merged traffic from new calls and handoff calls is Poisson if and only if the cell residence times are exponentially distributed, too. When cell residence times follow a general distribution, a more appropriate way to model mobile computing sessions, new formulae for channel occupancy time distributions are obtained. Moreover, when the call holding times and the cell residence times have general (nonlattice) distributions, general formulae for computing the handoff rate during a call connection and handoff call arrival rate to a cell are given. Our analysis illustrates why the exponential assumption for call holding time results in the underestimation of handoff rate, which then leads to the actual blocking probabilities being higher than the blocking probabilities for MC/PCS networks designed using the exponential distribution approximation for call holding time. The analytical results presented in this paper can be expected to play a significant role in teletraffic analysis and system design for MC/PCS networks.