System and method to improve uplink coverage in multi-carrier systems

1. A method of uplink carrier handoff in a multiple carrier communication system, comprising:

receiving a measurement report from a mobile providing information regarding path loss as measured at the mobile for one of the multiple carriers on the downlink, a serving carrier being the carrier over which the mobile communicates on the uplink; and

selectively sending an instruction to the mobile to handoff to a non-serving one of the multiple carriers depending on whether a threshold requirement has been met, the threshold requirement configured to create a first coverage zone for a carrier of a first loading capacity and a second coverage zone for a carrier of a second loading capacity, the meeting of the threshold requirement being based on the received measurement report and a loading capacity of the serving carrier of the mobile, and each of the multiple carriers having an associated threshold requirement and are configured to allow a different load, the loading capacity of the serving carrier having been selected from a plurality of loading capacities.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the multiple carriers is associated with a different threshold requirement.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the received measurement report provides information on received power of the one of the multiple carriers measured on the downlink as the path loss information.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the received measurement report indicates whether the received power crossed a threshold from a previously measured received power.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multiple carriers include a higher loading carrier and a lower loading carrier, the higher loading carrier allowing a higher load than the lower loading carrier.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein

the receiving receives a measurement report indicating whether a received power of the one of the multiple carriers measured on the downlink is less than a first power threshold; and

the sending sends the handoff instruction if the measurement report indicates the received power of the one of the multiple carriers measured on the downlink is less than the first power threshold and the serving carrier is the higher loading carrier.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein

the receiving receives a measurement report indicating whether the received power of the one of the multiple carriers measured on the downlink is greater than a second power threshold; and

the sending sends the handoff instruction if the measurement report indicates the received power of the one of the multiple carriers measured on the downlink is greater than the second power threshold power threshold and the serving carrier is the lower loading carrier.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first power threshold is the same as the second power threshold.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein

the first power threshold is lower than the second power threshold, and

the multiple carriers include the higher loading carrier, the lower loading carrier, and at least one intermediate loading carrier allowing a load between the loads allowed by the higher loading carrier and the lower loading carrier.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein

the receiving receives a measurement report indicating whether the received power of the one of the multiple carriers measured on the downlink is greater than the second power threshold; and

the sending sends the handoff instruction if the measurement report indicates the received power of the one of the multiple carriers measured on the downlink is greater than the second power threshold and the serving carrier is the intermediate serving carrier.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein

the receiving receives a measurement report indicating whether the received power of the one of the multiple carriers measured on the downlink is less than the first power threshold; and

the sending sends the handoff instruction if the measurement report indicates the received power of the one of the multiple carriers measured on the downlink is less than the first power threshold and the serving carrier is the intermediate serving carrier.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein

the receiving receives a measurement report indicating whether the received power of the one of the multiple carriers measured on the downlink is less than the second power threshold; and

the sending sends the handoff instruction if the measurement report indicates the received power of the one of the multiple carriers measured on the downlink is less than the second power threshold and the serving carrier is the higher loading carrier.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein

the receiving receives a measurement report indicating whether the received power of the one of the multiple carriers measured on the downlink is greater than the first power threshold; and

the sending sends the handoff instruction if the measurement report indicates the received power of the one of the multiple carriers measured on the downlink is greater than the first power threshold and the serving carrier is the lower loading carrier.

14. The method of claim 5 , wherein

the receiving receives a measurement report indicating whether the path loss of the one of the multiple carriers measured on the downlink is greater than a path loss threshold; and

the sending sends the handoff instruction if the measurement report indicates the path loss of the one of the multiple carriers measured on the downlink is greater than the path loss threshold and the serving carrier is the lower loading carrier.

15. The method of claim 5 , wherein

the receiving receives a measurement report indicating whether the path loss of the one of the multiple carriers measured on the downlink is less than a path loss threshold; and

the sending sends the handoff instruction if the measurement report indicates the path loss of the one of the multiple carriers measured on the downlink is less than the path loss threshold and the serving carrier is the higher loading carrier.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving receives the measurement report without a candidate carrier identification delay.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile is connected to a plurality of the multiple carriers on the downlink and only one of the multiple carriers on the uplink.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the loading capacity is configured to selectively achieve high cell throughput or high cell edge bitrates.

19. A method of uplink carrier handoff in a multiple carrier communication system, comprising:

receiving a measurement report from a mobile providing information regarding a location of the mobile, a serving carrier being the carrier over which the mobile communicates on the uplink; and

selectively sending an instruction to the mobile to handoff to a non-serving one of the multiple carriers depending on whether a threshold requirement has been met, the threshold requirement configured to create a first coverage zone for a carrier of a first loading capacity and a second coverage zone for a carrier of a second loading capacity, the meeting of the threshold requirement being based on the received measurement report and a loading capacity of the serving carrier of the mobile, and each of the multiple carriers having an associated threshold requirement and are configured to allow a different load, the loading capacity of the serving carrier having been selected from a plurality of loading capacitities.