Cellular communication system, apparatus and method for handover

1. A method for handover of a wireless subscriber communication unit from a first base station to a second base station in a synchronous network, the method comprising at the first base station:

sending a handover command message to the wireless subscriber communication unit conveying an identifier for the wireless subscriber communication unit to be used to identify the wireless subscriber communication unit, the handover being from the first base station to the second base station in the synchronous network;

sending an indication to the second base station, after sending the handover command message to the wireless subscriber communication unit, to indicate that the wireless subscriber communication unit is to be handed over to the second base station and to indicate that, from a perspective of the wireless subscriber communication unit, the wireless subscriber communication unit is ready to establish a connection to the second base station; and

forwarding data received from the wireless subscriber communication unit to the second base station.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the indication to the second base station is sent prior to data forwarding of data packets from the first base station to the second base station.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the indication to the second base station is sent concurrently with forwarding data from the first base station to the second base station.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is employed in a wireless network based on shared channel operation.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is employed in a 3 rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) cellular communication system.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the method is employed in a long-term evolution 3GPP cellular communication system.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the handover command message comprises an identifier (C-RNTI) for the wireless subscriber communication unit to use in a communication cell supported by the second base station.

8. A method for handover of a wireless subscriber communication unit from a first base station to a second base station in a synchronous network, the method comprising at the second base station:

sending a handover request acknowledgement message to the first base station conveying an identifier for the wireless subscriber communication unit to be used to identify the wireless subscriber communication unit, the handover being from the first base station to the second base station in the synchronous network;

receiving an indication from the first base station after sending the handover request acknowledgement message to the first base station to indicate that the wireless subscriber communication unit is to be handed over to the second base station and to indicate that, from a perspective of the wireless subscriber communication unit, the wireless subscriber communication unit is ready to establish a connection to the second base station; and

receiving from the first base station data received by the first base station from the wireless subscriber communication unit.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the indication to the second base station is received prior to data forwarding of data packets from the first base station to the second base station.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the indication to the second base station is sent concurrently with forwarding data from the first base station to the second base station.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising transmitting a control channel message to the wireless subscriber communication unit to inform the wireless subscriber communication unit of the at least one uplink scheduling resource (UL-SCH).

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising receiving a handover confirmation message from the wireless subscriber communication unit on the at least one uplink scheduling resource (UL-SCH).

13. The method of claim 12 wherein receiving a handover confirmation message further comprises concurrently receiving channel quality information (CQI) from the wireless subscriber communication unit.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein receiving a handover confirmation message further comprises concurrently receiving a scheduling request from the wireless subscriber communication unit.

15. The method of claim 8 further comprising completing a HO procedure by initiating path switching of communications from the first base station to the second base station in response to receiving the handover confirmation message.

16. The method of claim 8 , wherein the method is employed in a wireless network based on shared channel operation.

17. The method of claim 8 , wherein the method is employed in a 3 rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) cellular communication system.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the method is employed in a long-term evolution 3GPP cellular communication system.

19. A base station capable of handover of a wireless subscriber communication unit to a second base station in a synchronous network, the base station comprising:

a transmitter configured to

send a handover command message to the wireless subscriber communication unit conveying an identifier for the wireless subscriber communication unit to be used to identify the wireless subscriber communication unit, the handover being from the first base station to the second base station in the synchronous network;

send an indication to the second base station after sending the handover command message to the wireless subscriber communication unit, to indicate that the wireless subscriber communication unit is to be handed over to the second base station and to indicate that, from a perspective of the wireless subscriber communication unit, the wireless subscriber communication unit is ready to establish a connection to the second base station; and

forward data received from the wireless subscriber communication unit to the second base station.

20. The base station of claim 19 wherein the transmitter is arranged to send the indication to the second base station prior to data forwarding of data packets to the second base station.

21. The base station of claim 19 wherein the transmitter is arranged to send the indication to the second base station concurrently with forwarding data from the first base station to the second base station.

22. The base station of claim 19 , wherein the base station is employed in a wireless network based on shared channel operation.

23. The base station of claim 19 , wherein the base station is a NodeB capable of communication, in a 3 rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) cellular communication system.

24. The base station of claim 23 , wherein the base station is a NodeB capable of communication in a long-term evolution 3GPP cellular communication system.

25. The base station of claim 19 wherein the handover command message comprises an identifier (C-RNTI) for the wireless subscriber communication unit to use in a communication cell supported by the base station.

26. A base station capable of receiving a communication handover of a wireless subscriber communication unit from a first base station in a synchronous network, the base station comprising:

a transmitter configured to send a handover request acknowledgement message to the first base station conveying an identifier for the wireless subscriber communication unit to be used to identify the wireless subscriber communication unit, the handover being from the first base station to the second base station in the synchronous network;

a receiver configured to receive an indication from the first base station, after sending the handover request acknowledgement message to the first base station, to indicate that the wireless subscriber communication unit is to be handed over to the second base station and to indicate that, from a perspective of the wireless subscriber communication unit, the wireless subscriber communication unit is ready to establish a connection to the second base station, and

receive from the first base station data received by the first base station from the wireless subscriber communication unit.

27. The base station of claim 26 , wherein the receiver receives the indication prior to receiving data packets from the first base station.

28. The base station of claim 26 , wherein the receiver is arranged to receive the indication with forwarding data from the first base station to the second base station.

29. The base station of claim 26 further comprising a control channel message transmitter configured to transmit a control channel message to the wireless subscriber communication unit to inform the wireless subscriber communication unit of the at least one uplink scheduling resource (UL-SCH).

30. The base station of claim 26 further comprising a handover confirmation message receiver configured to receive a handover confirmation message from the wireless subscriber communication unit sent on the at least one uplink scheduling resource (UL-SCH).

31. The base station of claim 30 wherein receiving a handover confirmation message further comprises concurrently receiving channel quality information (CQI) from the wireless subscriber communication unit.

32. The base station of claim 30 wherein receiving a handover confirmation message further comprises concurrently receiving a scheduling request from the wireless subscriber communication unit.

33. The base station of claim 26 further comprising completing a HO procedure by initiating path switching of communications from the first base station in response to receiving the handover confirmation message.

34. The base station of claim 26 , wherein the base station is employed in a wireless network based on shared channel operation.

35. The base station of claim 26 , wherein the base station is a NodeB capable of communication in a 3 rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) cellular communication system.

36. The base station of claim 35 , wherein the base station is a NodeB capable of communication in a long-term evolution 3GPP cellular communication system.

37. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with a computer program for handover of a wireless subscriber communication unit from a first base station to a second base station in a synchronous network, the program, when loaded on a processor, causes the processor to execute a method comprising:

sending a handover command message to the wireless subscriber communication unit conveying an identifier for the wireless subscriber communication unit to be used to identify the wireless subscriber communication unit, the handover being from the first base station to the second base station in the synchronous network;

sending an indication to the second base station after sending the handover command message to the wireless subscriber communication unit, to indicate that the wireless subscriber communication unit is to be handed over to the second base station and to indicate that, from a perspective of the wireless subscriber communication unit, the wireless subscriber communication unit is ready to establish a connection to the second base station; and

forwarding data received from the wireless subscriber communication unit to the second base station.

38. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with a computer program for handover of a wireless subscriber communication unit from a first base station to a second base station in a synchronous network, the program, when loaded on a processor, causes the processor to execute a method comprising:

sending a handover request acknowledgement message to the first base station conveying an identifier for the wireless subscriber communication unit to be used to identify the wireless subscriber communication unit, the handover being from the first base station to the second base station in the synchronous network;

receiving an indication from the first base station, after sending the handover request acknowledgement message to the first base station, to indicate that the wireless subscriber communication unit is to be handed over to the second base station and to indicate that, from a perspective of the wireless subscriber communication unit, the wireless subscriber communication unit is ready to establish a connection to the second base station; and

receiving from the first base station data received by the first base station from the wireless subscriber communication unit.