A pattern recognition system for handoff algorithms

In wireless cellular systems, handoff algorithms decide when and to which base station to handoff. Traditional handoff algorithms generally cannot keep both the average number of unnecessary handoffs and the handoff decision delay low. They do not exploit the relative constancy of path loss and shadow fading effects at any given location around a base station. This information can in fact be used to improve the efficiency of handoff algorithms, as we do in our new handoff algorithms using statistical pattern recognition. Handoff algorithms with both a negligible number of unnecessary handoffs and a negligible decision delay can therefore be realized     

An Adaptive Hard Handoff Algorithm for Mobile Cellular Communication Systems

In this letter, we propose an adaptive hard handoff algorithm with a dynamic hysteresis value based on the received signal strength from the serving base station, for mobile cellular communication systems. A discrete‐time method is presented to evaluate handoff algorithms analytically. Performance is evaluated in terms of the average number of handoffs, the probability of link degradation, and the average handoff delay. Numerical results and simulations demonstrate that the proposed algorithm outperforms the handoff algorithm with fixed hysteresis values and the handoff algorithm using both threshold and hysteresis.     

A model for analyzing handoff algorithms [cellular radio]

A model for analyzing the performance of handoff algorithms based on signal strength measurements made by mobile stations in a lognormal fading environment is presented. This model enables one to evaluate the effect of averaging the hysteresis on the handoff process. Handoffs are related to level crossings of the difference between the received signal strengths from two base stations. The algorithm performance is derived by modeling the level crossings as Poisson processes with time-varying rate functions. The model is seen to yield results that agree with simulations over the range of algorithm parameters of practical interest. These results can be used to determine the averaging interval and hysteresis level that achieve the optimum tradeoff between the number of unnecessary handoffs and the delay in handing off     

Microcellular handoff using fuzzy techniques

In order to manage the high call density expected in future cellular systems, microcell must be used. The size of the microcell will cause a dramatic increase in the number of handoffs. In addition, the small size of the microcell will require handoff algorithms to respond faster than those in todays systems. The problems are further exacerbated by the corner effect phenomenon which causes the signal level to drop by 20–30 dB in 10–20 m. Thus, in order to maintain reliable communication in a microcellular system new and better handoff algorithms must be developed. The use of hysteresis and averaging window in classical handoff techniques reduces unnecessary handoffs, but causes delays which may result in the calls being dropped. A fuzzy based handoff algorithm is proposed in this paper as a solution to this problem. The performance of fuzzy based handoff algorithm was also compared to that obtained using the classical handoff algorithms.     

Optimal scheduling of handoffs in cellular networks

The phenomenon of hard handoffs (as applicable to FDMA- and TDMA-based networks) as well as soft handoffs (as applicable to DS/CDMA-based networks) is formulated as stochastic optimization problems. The signals received by a mobile user are treated as stochastic processes with associated rewards, which are functions of some measurable characteristics of the received signals, while the handoff is associated with a switching penalty. This formulation captures the trade-offs involved in handoffs in a flexible manner and captures many facets of popular cellular communication systems in use currently. Using dynamic programming, necessary and sufficient conditions for determining the optimal base station(s) the mobile should be associated with during each decision epoch are derived. For the cases where the above-mentioned necessary and sufficient conditions fail to determine an optimal decision, “limited lookahead” arguments are used for determining handoff decisions. The decisions are taken in a decentralized manner, which makes its implementation easier compared to centralized algorithms. Simulation results show that for the hard handoffs, performance gain by the proposed algorithm over the simpler threshold algorithms proposed in the literature is small; however, for the case of soft handoffs, the proposed algorithm offers considerable improvement over the algorithm proposed in the IS-95 standard     

Performance of handoff algorithm based on distance and RSSI measurements

The performance of a proposed handoff algorithm based on both the distance of a mobile station to neighboring base stations and the relative signal strength measurements is evaluated. The algorithm performs handoff when the measured distance from the serving base station exceeds that from the candidate base station by a given threshold and if the measured signal strength of the adjacent base station exceeds that of the serving base station by a given hysteresis level. The average handoff delay and average number of handoffs are used as criteria for performance. Numerical results are presented to demonstrate the feasibility of the distance-based handoff algorithm, including results for an additional criterion based on relative signal strength. The proposed algorithm is compared with an algorithm based on absolute and relative signal strength measurements and with a solely distance-based algorithm. It is found that the proposed handoff algorithm performs well in a log-normal fading environment when the distance estimate error is modeled by wide-sense stationary additive white Gaussian noise.     

A trajectory-aware handoff algorithm based on GPS information

In this paper, we propose a trajectory-aware handoff algorithm based on position, velocity, signaling delay, and receive signal strength (RSS) of mobile terminal (MT). In order to provide seamless service in modern heterogeneous networks, handoff of the MT should be initiated with correct timing. In our algorithm, velocity of MT is divided into two parts as radial velocity and tangential velocity. For more precise handoff initiation, tangential velocity of MT is neglected, and only radial velocity of MT is considered in handoff decision making. Moreover, before handoff decision, least square line method is applied to RSS of MT to avoid unnecessary back-and-forth handoffs (ping-pong handoffs) between different services. A simulation is provided to compare the proposed algorithm with other various handoff methods, and the results prove this algorithm to have outperformed others.     

Variations on optimal and suboptimal handoff control for wirelesscommunication systems

The design of handoff algorithms for cellular communication systems based on signal-strength measurements is addressed. The system is modeled using a hybrid framework: a mixture of continuous state and discrete event systems. The handoff problem is formulated as an optimization problem to control the switchings within the discrete event system. Performance is evaluated as a function of the expected number of handoffs, the expected handoff delay, and the expected number of signal degradations. A signal degradation occurs when the signal level falls below a threshold. The cost of handoff delay is explicitly specified, in contrast to prior work. Various optimization problems are posed to trade off between these quantities. Based on the optimal solutions which are obtained through dynamic programming, suboptimal versions are proposed for ease of implementation. The performance of the suboptimal algorithm which trades off between the expected number of handoffs and the expected number of signal degradations is improved through the use of signal averaging; however, this algorithm suffers from excessive handoff delay. Therefore, the tradeoff between handoff delay and number of handoffs is considered. The corresponding suboptimal algorithm provides nearly one handoff and almost no delay, which is ideal if call quality is also good. Finally, an algorithm which is a combination of the two previous algorithms is explored     

基于模糊逻辑的多终端协同的垂直切换决策算法

针对异构网下多终端协同的垂直切换决策问题,提出一种基于模糊逻辑和层次分析法的垂直切换决策算法,它分为2部分:切换时机的判断和虚拟终端的构建.首先采用模糊逻辑判断切换的时机,然后采用层次分析算法与简单加权求和结合的方法选择虚拟终端的最优构成方式.仿真结果表明,算法能够降低切换次数和不必要切换率,并且能够充分体现应用需求和用户偏好.     

Heterogeneous Wireless Networks: Configuration and Vertical Handoff Management

Vertical handoff is one of the most important issues for the next generation heterogeneous wireless networks. However, in many situations, unbeneficial vertical handoffs occur across intersystem heterogeneous networks cause network performance degradation. Therefore, we propose a novel configuration architecture that can be deployed in the next generation of wireless networks. Second, we propose a predictive and adaptive Vertical Handoff Decision Scheme that optimizes the handoff initiation time as well as selection of the most optimal network. The proposed vertical handoff decision algorithm considers the technology type as well as the Signal to Interference Ratio (SIR), the Mobile Station (MS) velocity, the user preferences, the applications requirements and the terminal capabilities as the most important factors to make vertical handoff decision. In order to minimize handoff costs, the proposed decision algorithm uses the dwell timer concept. The handoff costs are analyzed in terms of unnecessary and unbeneficial handoffs rate.The simulation results show that the reduction of unnecessary handoffs proposed in our vertical handoff decision scheme reduces the handoff blocking probability, the packets loss rate and the handoff overhead     

基于欧氏距离度量的移动台辅助越区切换

在进行移动台辅助越区切换时,需要精确测量信道质量,并将它报告给基站.欧氏距离度量与解调信息序列相结合,可以用来测量信道质量.仿真结果表明平均的欧氏距离度量在使用不同的编码调制方案和不同的移动速度下,仍然可以提供可靠的信道质量度量;使用欧氏距离度量作为移动台辅助越区切换的判决依据,显著地减少了切换次数和切换时延,提高了系统性能.     

Stochastic control of path optimization for inter-switch handoffsin wireless ATM networks

One of the major design issues in wireless ATM networks is the support of inter-switch handoffs. An inter-switch handoff occurs when a mobile terminal moves to a new base station connecting to a different switch. Apart from resource allocation at the new base station, inter-switch handoff also requires connection rerouting. With the aim of minimizing the handoff delay while using the network resources efficiently, the two-phase handoff protocol uses path extension for each inter-switch handoff, followed by path optimization if necessary. The objective of this paper is to determine when and how often path optimization should be performed. The problem is formulated as a semi-Markov decision process. Link cost and signaling cost functions are introduced to capture the tradeoff between the network resources utilized by a connection and the signaling and processing load incurred on the network. The time between inter-switch handoffs follows a general distribution. A stationary optimal policy is obtained when the call termination time is exponentially distributed. Numerical results show significant improvement over four other heuristics     

An efficient handoff algorithm based on received signal strength and wireless transmission loss in hierarchical cell networks

Compared with the macrocell systems, the femtocell systems allow users to obtain broadband service with high data rate by using lower costs of transmit power, operation and capital expenditure. Traditional handoff algorithms used in macrocells cannot well satisfy the mobility of users efficiently in hierarchical macro/femto cell networks. In this paper based on the received signal strength (RSS) and wireless transmission loss, a new handoff algorithm in hierarchical cell networks called RWTL-HO is proposed, which considers the discrepancy in transmit power between macrocell and femtocell base stations. The simulation results show that compared with the conventional algorithm, the proposed algorithm improves the utilization of femtocells by doubling the number of handoffs; and in comparison with the handoff algorithm based on combining the RSSs from both macro and femto cell base stations, reduces half the number of redundant handoffs.     

Dynamic Channel Allocation for Real-Time Connections in Highway Macrocellular Networks

The wide deployment of multimedia services in third generation wireless networks will require handoff designs that can simultaneously reduce the blocking probability of handoff requests and decrease the handoff delay. Reducing the handoff blocking probability is needed to prevent frequent call dropping of real-time VBR/VCR connections and decreasing the delay associated with handoff is needed to prevent QoS degradation for multimedia traffic. In this paper, we present a channel assignment/reassignment scheme for highway cellular networks that achieves both requirements. The scheme can be used to deliver real-time data to a large segment of global highways, namely, highways in which the radio channels used in a given cell cannot be simultaneously used in the two neighboring cells to its left and to its right. The scheme possesses the desirable features of real-time algorithms: the execution time per handoff request has a constant time complexity, the number of transmitted messages per request is small, and the space overhead is also O(1). The scheme uses a non-compact initial assignment of nominal channels to neighboring cells and utilizes a set of pointers in each base station to implement an efficient channel assignment and reassignment strategy. The resulting approach greatly simplifies the selection process and avoids the expensive computation and message exchanges typically needed by dynamic channel allocation schemes. The low communication overhead of the scheme can be further reduced via control thresholds. Performance simulation results show that the scheme achieves low blocking probability and is therefore suitable for handling handoffs of real-time connections in highway cellular networks.     

无线异构网络的垂直切换算法研究

以通用移动通信系统(UMTS)与无线局域网(WLAN)融合为例,研究无线异构网络的垂直切换算法。由于垂直切换算法应考虑因素的复杂性以及不同网络性能的各异性,有必要对现有算法作出归纳总结比较,并据此提出新的垂直切换算法。该算法以代价函数为基础,将稳定周期与切换目标网络和当前服务网络的效用函数联系起来,实现移动节点自适应的切换判决。提出的算法能有效减少不必要的切换,增强异构网络的适应性。     

Adaptation of CDMA Soft Handoff Thresholds Using Fuzzy Inference System

This paper proposes a new procedure to adjust soft handoff thresholds dynamically by using fuzzy inference system. This algorithm is compared with IS-95A and IS-95B/cdma2000 soft handoffs. The aims are to increase the thresholds at high traffic loads in order to release the traffic channel for supporting more carried traffic, and to decrease the thresholds at low traffic loads in order to give high quality of traffic channel. The inputs of the proposed algorithm are the number of remaining channels of each base station and the number of active pilots in active set of each mobile station. The output is the new soft handoff thresholds. In the fuzzy inference module, the triangular membership function, the max-min composition, and the weighted average formula defuzzification are selected. By comparison of all performance indicators among three algorithms, soft handoff using fuzzy inference tends to give higher performance than those of IS-95A and IS-95B/cdma2000 soft handoffs at high traffic loads and at lower soft handoff thresholds while the quality of traffic channel is still acceptable. Moreover, the wider soft handoff window size of the proposed algorithm gives high carried traffic and low blocking probability but lower quality of traffic channels. In addition, the adaptive soft handoff window size can give lower blocking probability while still keep acceptable quality of traffic channels.     

Generalized Bayesian hypothesis testing for cell coveragedetermination

Determining the best base station to serve a mobile user is a key process in cellular systems. Optimal selection of a serving base station guarantees high quality calls and a minimum number of handoffs. Traditional algorithms rely on hysteresis levels to determine the serving base station when a handoff is requested. In this work, optimal hysteresis levels are generated using Bayesian hypothesis tests allowing to incorporate in the hysteresis level information such as call processing costs, mobility profiles, cell sizes and traffic unbalance. Hysteresis impact on handoff uncertainty is assessed through an entropic indicator     

Direction biased handoff algorithms for urban microcells

A novel class of direction biased handoff algorithms are proposed for improving the handoff performance in urban microcells. Multi-cell handoff properties are obtained for a cell layout consisting of base stations at every other intersection of a Manhattan street grid. The direction biased handoff algorithms are shown to improve cell membership properties by simultaneously reducing the mean number of handoffs and handoff delay. A signal strength based direction estimator is shown improve handoff performance for line-of-sight handoffs.This research was supported by Nortel and completed while Dr. Austin was a Ph.D. student at Georgia Tech. Portions of this paper were presented in the Vehicular Technology Conference, Stockholm, Sweden, June 7–10, 1994.     

A movable safety zone scheme in urban fiber-optic microcellularsystems

We consider an urban fiber-optic microcellular system in which a cigar-shaped cell consists of several microzones with their own antenna sites connected to a central station through optical fibers. To increase the efficiency of radio resources and reduce unnecessary handoffs between microzones, we propose a movable safety zone scheme. A safety zone is a virtually guarded area that does not permit cochannel interference. Outside the safety zone, cochannels can be reused. The safety zone can move under the condition that its user does not meet cochannel interference as he moves to an adjacent microzone. Considering user mobility characteristics in the cigar-shaped cell, we analyze and evaluate the proposed system in terms of intracell and intercell handoff rates, blocking probability, intracell call-dropping probability, and channel reuse parameter. The proposed system can handle a traffic capacity of about 12 Erlangs for seven traffic channels under a call blocking probability of 1% and generates a negligible number of intracell handoffs compared with those of intercell handoffs     

Pre-scan based fast handoff scheme for enterprise IEEE 802.11 networks

In IEEE 802.11 networks, many access points (APs) are required to cover a large area due to the limited coverage range of APs, and frequent handoffs may occur while a station (STA) is moving in an area covered by several APs. However, traditional handoff mechanisms employed at STAs introduce a few hundred milliseconds delay, which is far longer than what can be tolerated by some multimedia streams such as voice over Internet protocol (VoIP), it is a challenging issue for supporting seamless handoff service in IEEE 802.11 networks. In this paper, we propose a pre-scan based fast handoff scheme within an IEEE 802.11 enterprise wireless local area network (EWLAN) environment. The proposed scheme can help STA obtain the best alternative AP in advance after the pre-scan process, and when the handoff is actually triggered, STA can perform the authentication and reassociation process toward the alternative AP directly. Furthermore, we adopt Kalman filter to minimize the fluctuation of received signal strength (RSS), thus reducing the unnecessary pre-scan process and handoffs. We performed simulations to evaluate performance, and the simulation results show that the proposed scheme can effectively reduce the handoff delay.