An improved soft handover initiation algorithm in microcellular environment

We suggest an improved soft handover initiation method based on the IS-95 proposition under the Manhattan street microcell environment. Using this algorithm, we can improve the received signal strength at a mobile station on a corner near the cell boundary and reduce the forced termination probability of a handover call for the mobile station turning the corner without causing many handover trials. We show the Manhattan cell environment and a wave propagation model used in this study, examine the IS-95 soft handover method, discuss the problem of this method and introduce an improvement of the IS-95 method which eliminates the corner effect. The simulation results are also shown.