William B Book

US Patent:

60213280, Feb 1, 2000

Filed:

Dec 19, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/769650

Inventors:

David E. Curtis - Allen TX
William B. Book - Allen TX
David A. Boettger - Richardson TX
Ahmad Jalali - Plano TX

Assignee:

Northern Telecom Limited - Montreal

International Classification:

H04Q 722
H04Q 736

US Classification:

455443

Abstract:

A method and system is disclosed for triggering handoff of a call from a CDMA network to an AMPS network on which it is overlaid responsive to a determination that the CDMA RF link has degraded to such an extent that the call quality will be degraded significantly or the call is likely to be dropped is disclosed. A handoff of a call from a CDMA network to an AMPS network if, at a given time: (1) the number of forward link erasures is greater than a first maximum number of forward link erasures; or (2) the number of reverse link erasures is greater than a first maximum number of forward link erasures; or (3) the number of forward link erasures is greater than a second maximum number of forward link erasures and the forward traffic channel gain is greater than a maximum forward traffic channel gain; or (4) the number of reverse link erasures is greater than a second maximum number of reverse link erasures and the ratio of energy per bit to noise power spectral density on the reverse link ("EB/NO") is greater than a maximum EB/NO. In alternative embodiments, the present invention may be used to trigger handoff of a call from a first CDMA cell site to a second CDMA cell site or to an AMPS cell site serving a cell on which the cell served by the first CDMA cell site is not overlaid.