Method and apparatus for utilizing historical network information for mitigating excessive network updates when selecting a communications channel

1. A method for selecting a base transceiver station from a plurality of available base transceiver stations, comprising:

identifying an incremental value associated with an adjacent base transceiver station, reflecting a quantity of prior network area updates;

selecting, from a plurality of available margin values, a selected margin value according to the incremental value associated with the adjacent base transceiver station;

acquiring, from the adjacent base transceiver station, an adjacent signal having an adjacent signal level;

acquiring, from the serving base transceiver station, a reference signal having a reference signal level; and

selecting a communications channel with the adjacent base transceiver station and incrementing the incremental value whenever the adjacent signal level exceeds the reference signal level plus the selected margin value.

2. The method for selecting a base transceiver station as recited in claim 1 wherein the adjacent signal level reflects the strength of a signal received from the adjacent base transceiver station.

3. The method for selecting a base transceiver station as recited in claim 1 wherein the reference signal level reflects the strength of a signal received from the serving base transceiver station.

4. The method for selecting a base transceiver station as recited in claim 1 wherein there are exactly two margin values in the plurality of available margin values.

5. The method for selecting a base transceiver station as recited in claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of available margin values is zero.

6. A mobile communications device comprising:

a memory for storing network identification information and associated incremental values; and

a processor configured to:

identify an incremental value associated with an adjacent base transceiver station, reflecting a quantity of prior network area updates;

select, from a plurality of available margin values, a selected margin value according to the incremental value associated with the adjacent base transceiver station;

acquire, from the adjacent base transceiver station, an adjacent signal having an adjacent signal level;

acquire, from a serving base transceiver station, a reference signal having a reference signal level; and

select a communications channel with the adjacent base transceiver station and increment the incremental value whenever the value of the adjacent signal level exceeds the sum of the reference signal level and the selected margin value.

7. The mobile communications device as recited in claim 6 wherein the adjacent signal level reflects the strength of a signal received from the adjacent base transceiver station.

8. The mobile communications device as recited in claim 6 wherein the reference signal level reflects the strength of a signal received from the serving base transceiver station.

9. The mobile communications device as recited in claim 6 wherein there are exactly two margin values in the plurality of available margin values.

10. The mobile communications device as recited in claim 6 wherein at least one of the plurality of available margin values is zero.

11. A mobile communications device comprising:

means for identifying an incremental value associated with an adjacent base transceiver station reflecting a quantity of prior network area updates;

means for selecting, from a plurality of available margin values, a selected margin value according to the incremental value associated with the adjacent base transceiver station;

means for acquiring, from the adjacent base transceiver station, an adjacent signal having an adjacent signal level;

means for acquiring, from the serving base transceiver station, a reference signal having a reference signal level; and

means for selecting a communications channel with the adjacent base transceiver station and incrementing the incremental value whenever the adjacent signal level exceeds the reference signal level plus the selected margin value.

12. The mobile communications device as recited in claim 11 wherein the adjacent signal level reflects the strength of a signal received from the adjacent base transceiver station.

13. The mobile communications device as recited in claim 11 wherein the reference signal level reflects the strength of a signal received from the serving base transceiver station.

14. The mobile communications device as recited in claim 11 wherein there are exactly two margin values in the plurality of available margin values.

15. The mobile communications device as recited in claim 11 wherein at least one of the plurality of available margin values is zero.