HANDOVER DECISION PROCEDURE IN A MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM

1 .- 22 . (canceled)

23 . A method comprising:

detecting that during a waiting period an advertisement from a serving access entity and an advertisement from another access entity have been received; and

adjusting the waiting period in response to the detecting.

24 . The method of claim 23 , further comprising:

readjusting the waiting period in response to receiving during the adjusted waiting period an advertisement from the serving entity.

25 . The method of claim 23 , further comprising:

readjusting the waiting period if within the adjusted waiting period an advertisement from the serving entity and no advertisement from the other access entity is received.

26 . The method of claim 23 , further comprising:

noticing that the waiting period during which an advertisement from a serving access entity and an advertisement from another access entity have been received is an adjusted waiting period; and

skipping, in response to the noticing, the adjusting.

27 . The method of claim 23 wherein the waiting period is adjusted by multiplying the waiting period with a factor that equals to 0.5.

28 . The method of claim 23 wherein the waiting period is adjusted by multiplying the waiting period with a factor that is between 0.5 and 1.0.

29 . An apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive access entity advertisements;

a waiting timer configured to measure a waiting period;

a detector, operable coupled to the receiver and the waiting timer, the detector being configured to detect an event indicating an overlapping region in response to receiving within a waiting period an access entity advertisement from a serving access entity and an access entity advertisement from another access entity; and

an adjuster, operable coupled to the detector and configured to adjust the waiting period in response to the detector detecting the occurrence of the event.

30 . The apparatus of claim 29 , wherein the adjuster is further configured to readjust the waiting period in response to the receiver receiving during the adjusted waiting period an advertisement from the serving entity.

31 . The apparatus of claim 29 , wherein the adjuster is further configured to readjust the waiting period in response to the receiver receiving within the adjusted waiting period an advertisement from the serving entity and no advertisement from the other access entity.

32 . The apparatus of claim 29 , wherein the adjuster is further configured not to adjust an already adjusted waiting period in response to the receiver receiving an advertisement from a serving access entity and an advertisement from another access entity within the adjusted waiting period.

33 . The apparatus of claim 29 , further comprising a counter configured to count a number of successive adjusted waiting periods during which an advertisement from a serving access entity and an advertisement from another access entity is received, wherein

the waiting timer is configured to be responsive to the counter in such a way that a refreshment time after which the waiting time starts depends on the number.

34 . The apparatus of claim 29 , the apparatus being one of a group comprising a mobile node for a non-mobile network, a mobile network node for a mobile network, a fixed node for a mobile network and a mobile router.

35 . An article of manufacture, comprising a computer readable medium and embodying program instructions thereon executable by a computer operably coupled to a memory which, when executed by the computer, carry out the functions of:

detecting that during a waiting period an advertisement from a serving access entity and an advertisement from another access entity have been received; and

adjusting the waiting period in response to the detecting.

36 . The article of manufacture of claim 35 , further comprising instructions which, when executed by the computer, carry out the function of readjusting the waiting period in response to receiving during the adjusted waiting period an advertisement from the serving entity.

37 . The article of manufacture of claim 35 further comprising instructions which, when executed by the computer, carry out the function of readjusting the waiting period if within the adjusted waiting period an advertisement from the serving entity and no advertisement from the other access entity is received.

38 . The article of manufacture of claim 35 , further comprising instructions which, when executed by the computer, carry out the functions of:

noticing that the waiting period during which an advertisement from a serving access entity and an advertisement from another access entity have been received is an adjusted waiting period; and

skipping, in response to the noticing, the adjusting.

39 . An apparatus comprising:

receiving means for receiving access entity advertisements;

measuring means for measuring a waiting period;

detecting means, operable coupled to the receiving means and the measuring means, for detecting an event indicating an overlapping region in response to receiving within a waiting period an access entity advertisement from a serving access entity and an access entity advertisement from another access entity; and

adjusting means, operable coupled to the detecting means, for adjusting the waiting period in response to the detecting means detecting the occurrence of the event.

40 . The apparatus of claim 39 , wherein the adjusting means are further configured to readjust the waiting period in response to the receiving means receiving during the adjusted waiting period an advertisement from the serving entity.

41 . The apparatus of claim 39 wherein the adjusting means are further configured to readjust the waiting period in response to the receiving means receiving within the adjusted waiting period an advertisement from the serving entity and no advertisement from the other access entity.

42 . The apparatus of claim 39 , wherein the adjusting means are further configured not to adjust an already adjusted waiting period in response to the receiving means receiving an advertisement from a serving access entity and an advertisement from another access entity within the adjusted waiting period.

43 . The apparatus of claim 39 , further comprising counting means for counting a number of successive adjusted waiting periods during which an advertisement from a serving access entity and an advertisement from another access entity is received, wherein

the measuring means are configured to be responsive to the counting means in such a way that a refreshment time after which the waiting time starts depends on the number.

44 . The apparatus of claim 39 , the apparatus being one of a group comprising a mobile node for a non-mobile network, a mobile network node for a mobile network, a fixed node for a mobile network and a mobile router.