METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING DIVERSITY IN HARD HANDOFF FOR A CDMA SYSTEM

摘要

In a communications network, a network user communicates using a remote unit(125) with another user (30) via at least one base station (B1A). Thecommunications network has a first base station (B1A) having a first coveragearea and a second base station (B2A) having a second coverage area. In thesituation where communication is not established between the second basestation (B2A) and the remote unit (125), in order to provide communicationbetween the remote unit (125) and the first base station (B1A) when the remoteunit (125) is in the first coverage and simultaneously in the second coveragearea, the first base station (B1A) produces a first active communicationsignal as intended for the remote unit (125). The first base station transmitsthe first active communication signal from a first antenna (130). The basestation delays the first active communication signal to produce a firstdelayed active communication signal and transmits it from a second antenna(135) wherein the second antenna (135) is oriented with respect to the firstantenna (130) such that the first active communication signal and the firstdelayed active communication signal fade independently as perceived by theremote unit. The first base station (B1A) may measure a round trip delay ofthe first active communication signal in order to identify that the remoteunit (125) is located within the second coverage area.