Mobile communication device initiated hand-off based on air interface metrics

1. A method of operating a mobile communication device comprising:

transferring, by the mobile communication device, user communications to a first wireless base station through a wireless communication link;

obtaining, by the mobile communication device, a first communication load indicator for the first base station and determining, by the mobile communication device, a first air interface metric for the first base station based on the first communication load indicator;

identifying a second wireless base station, obtaining, by the mobile communication device, a second communication load indicator for the second base station, and determining, by the mobile communication device, a second air interface metric for the second base station based on the second communication load indicator;

comparing the first air interface metric to the second air interface metric;

determining whether the second wireless base station has sufficient performance characteristics for wireless communication with the mobile communication device, when the second air interface metric is superior to the first air interface metric; and

initiating a hand-off from the first wireless base station to the second wireless base station, stopping the wireless transfer of the user communications to the first wireless base station, and wirelessly transferring additional user communications to the second wireless base station, when the second air interface metric is superior to the first air interface metric and the second wireless base station has the sufficient performance characteristics,

wherein obtaining the first communication load indicator for the first base station comprises wirelessly receiving a first base station uplink load indicator and a first base station downlink load indicator, and determining the first air interface metric based on the first communication load comprises processing the first base station uplink load indicator and the first base station downlink load indicator; and

obtaining the second communication load indicator for the second base station comprises wirelessly receiving a second base station uplink load indicator and a second base station downlink load indicator, and determining the second air interface metric based on second communication load comprises processing the second base station uplink load indicator and the second base station downlink load indicator.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

determining the first air interface metric further comprises determining the first base station's signal strength and determining the first air interface metric based on the first base station's signal strength; and

determining the second air interface metric further comprises determining the second base station's signal strength and determining the second air interface metric based on the second base station's signal strength.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein:

determining the first air interface metric further comprises determining the first base station's signal-to-noise ratio and determining the first air interface metric based on the first base station's signal-to-noise ratio; and

determining the second air interface metric further comprises determining the second base station's signal-to-noise ratio and determining the second air interface metric based on the second base station's signal-to-noise ratio.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein:

determining the first air interface metric further comprises determining the first base station's round trip delay and determining the first air interface metric based on the first base station's round trip delay; and

determining the second air interface metric further comprises determining the second base station's round trip delay and determining the second air interface metric based on the second base station's round trip delay.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein:

determining the first air interface metric further comprises determining a communication service being provided by the mobile communication device, determining the first base station's quality-of-service for a communication service, and determining the first air interface metric based on the first base station's quality-of-service for the communication service; and

determining the second air interface metric further comprises determining the second base station's quality-of-service for the communication service and determining the second air interface metric based on the second base station's quality-of-service for the communication service.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein:

determining the first air interface metric further comprises determining the first air interface metric based on the first base station's current base station priority; and

determining the second air interface metric comprises determining the second air interface metric based on the second base station's current base station priority.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the second wireless base station comprises wirelessly receiving a base station list.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein determining whether the second wireless base station has the sufficient performance characteristics for the mobile communication device comprises, in response to determining that the second air interface metric is superior to the first air interface metric, wirelessly receiving a signal from the second wireless base station, obtaining a signal-to-noise ratio for the second wireless base station based on the received signal, and comparing the signal-to-noise ratio to a threshold.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein determining whether the second wireless base station has the sufficient performance characteristics for the mobile communication device comprises, in response to determining that the second air interface metric is superior to the first air interface metric, wirelessly receiving a signal from the second wireless base station, obtaining a signal strength indicator for the second wireless base station based on the received signal, and comparing the signal strength indicator to a threshold.

10. A mobile communication device comprising:

a wireless communication interface configured to transfer user communications to a first wireless base station through a first wireless communication link and to transfer additional user communications to a second wireless base station through a second wireless communication link; and

a processing system configured to:

determine a first air interface metric for the first base station based on the first base station's current communication load;

determine a second air interface metric for the second base station based on the second base station's current communication load and determine if the second wireless base station has sufficient performance characteristics for wireless communication with the mobile communication device; and

initiate a hand-off from the first wireless base station to the second wireless base station and direct the wireless communication interface to stop the wireless transfer of the user communications to the first wireless base station and to start the wireless transfer of the additional user communications to the second wireless base station, when the second wireless base station has the sufficient performance characteristics and if the second air interface metric is superior to the first air interface metric,

wherein to determine the first air interface metric based on the first base station's current communication load comprises processing a first base station uplink load indicator and a first base station downlink load indicator, and

to determine the second air interface metric based on the second base station's current communication load comprises processing a second base station uplink load indicator and a second base station downlink load indicator.

11. The mobile communication device of claim 10 wherein the processing system is further configured to determine the first air interface metric based on the first base station's current signal strength and to determine the second air interface metric based on the second base station's current signal strength.

12. The mobile communication device of claim 11 wherein the processing system is further configured to determine the first air interface metric based on the first base station's current signal-to-noise ratio and to determine the second air interface metric based on the second base station's current signal-to-noise ratio.

13. The mobile communication device of claim 12 wherein the processing system is further configured to determine the first air interface metric by based on the first base station's current round trip delay and to determine the second air interface metric based on the second base station's current round trip delay.

14. The mobile communication device of claim 13 wherein the processing system is further configured to determine the first air interface metric based on the first base station's current quality-of-service for a current communication service being provided by the mobile communication device and to determine the second air interface metric based on the second base station's current quality-of-service for the current communication service being provided by the mobile communication device.

15. The mobile communication device of claim 14 wherein the processing system is further configured to determine the first air interface metric based on the first base station's current base station priority and to determine the second air interface metric based on the second base station's current base station priority.

16. The mobile communication device of claim 10 wherein:

the wireless communication interface is further configured to wirelessly receive a base station list identifying the second base station; and

the processing system is further configured to determine the second air interface metric in response to identifying the second base station on the base station list.

17. The mobile communication device of claim 10 wherein:

the processing system is further configured, in response to determining that the second air interface metric is superior to the first air interface metric, to direct the wireless communication interface to wirelessly receive a signal from the second wireless base station and obtain a signal-to-noise ratio for the second wireless base station based on the received signal;

the wireless communication interface is further configured to wirelessly receive the signal from the second wireless base station and obtain the signal-to-noise ratio for the second wireless base station based on the received signal; and

the processing system is further configured to compare the signal-to-noise ratio to a threshold.

18. The mobile communication device of claim 10 wherein:

the processing system is further configured, in response to determining that the second air interface metric is superior to the first air interface metric, to direct the wireless communication interface to wirelessly receive a signal from the second wireless base station and obtain a signal strength indicator for the second wireless base station based on the received signal;

the wireless communication interface is further configured to wirelessly receive the signal from the second wireless base station and obtain the signal strength indicator for the second wireless base station based on the received signal; and

the processing system is further configured to compare the signal strength indicator to a threshold.