Interband traffic management in a multi-band wireless network

1. A method of operating a wireless control system, the method comprising:

receiving measurements that indicate channel performance information and round trip delay information for a plurality of wireless communication devices operating within a first frequency band of a multi-band wireless network;

processing the channel performance information and the round trip delay information to determine a probability of successful transfer from the first frequency band of the multi-band wireless network to a second frequency band of the multi-band wireless network for each of the plurality of wireless communication devices by at least normalizing a maximum ratio of effect energy to total energy and noise (Ec/Io) and a minimum round trip delay and calculating a weighted sum of the normalized maximum Ec/Io and the normalized minimum round trip delay for each of the plurality of wireless communication devices;

identifying a subset of the plurality of wireless communication devices with probabilities of successful transfer that exceed a transfer threshold;

removing from the subset of the plurality of wireless communication devices those wireless communication devices whose velocity exceeds a movement threshold resulting in a modified subset;

receiving loading information for the first frequency band of the multi-band wireless network and processing the loading information to determine if the loading information exceeds an offload threshold; and

if the loading information exceeds the offload threshold, then identifying a first wireless communication device from the modified subset of the plurality of wireless communication devices and transferring an instruction to modify an operating frequency of the first wireless communication device from the first frequency band to the second frequency band.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the second frequency band is higher in a frequency spectrum than the first frequency band.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying a subset of the plurality of wireless communication devices comprises identifying each of the plurality of wireless communication devices with weighed sums that exceed the transfer threshold.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a handoff history for a wireless communication device of the subset of the plurality of wireless communication devices, processing the handoff history for the wireless communication device to determine whether the wireless communication device has a recent history of handoffs, and if the wireless communication device has the recent history of handoffs, then removing the wireless communication device from the subset of the plurality of wireless communication devices.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the first wireless communication device from the modified subset of the plurality of wireless communication devices comprises initiating a mobile assisted hard handoff of the first wireless communication device, and in response, receiving a measurement that indicates channel performance information for the first wireless communication device in the second frequency band of the multi-band wireless network.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein identifying the first wireless communication device from the modified subset of the plurality of wireless communication devices comprises selecting the first wireless communication device if the measurement that indicates channel performance information for the first wireless communication device in the second frequency band exceeds a power threshold.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the loading information for the first frequency band of the multi-band wireless network comprises one or more of available forward link power, reverse noise, backhaul capacity, and slot utilization.

8. A wireless control system comprising:

an interface configured to receive measurements that indicate channel performance information and round trip delay information for a plurality of wireless communication devices operating within a first frequency band of a multi-band wireless network, and receive loading information for the first frequency band of the multi-band wireless network; and

a processing system configured to process the channel performance information and the round trip delay information to determine a probability of successful transfer from the first frequency band of the multi-band wireless network to a second frequency band of the multi-band wireless network for each of the plurality of wireless communication devices by at least normalizing a maximum ratio of effect energy to total energy and noise (Ec/Io) and a minimum round trip delay and calculating a weighted sum of the normalized maximum Ec/Io and the normalized minimum round trip delay for each of the plurality of wireless communication devices;

the processing system further configured to identify a subset of the plurality of wireless communication devices with probabilities of successful transfer that exceed a transfer threshold, and remove from the subset of the plurality of wireless communication devices those wireless communication devices whose velocity exceeds a movement threshold resulting in a modified subset;

the processing system further configured to process the loading information to determine if the loading information exceeds an offload threshold, and if the loading information exceeds an offload threshold, then identify a first wireless communication device from the modified subset of the plurality of wireless communication devices and transfer an instruction to modify an operating frequency of the first wireless communication device from the first frequency band to the second frequency band.

9. The wireless control system of claim 8 wherein the second frequency band is higher in a frequency spectrum than the first frequency band.

10. The wireless control system of claim 8 wherein to identify the subset of the plurality of wireless communication devices, the processing system is configured to identify each of the plurality of wireless communication devices with weighed sums that exceed the transfer threshold.

11. The wireless control system of claim 8 wherein the interface is further configured to receive a handoff history for a wireless communication device of the subset of the plurality of wireless communication devices, and the processing system is further configured to process the handoff history for the wireless communication device to determine whether the wireless communication device has a recent history of handoffs, and if the wireless communication device has the recent history of handoffs, then remove the wireless communication device from the subset of the plurality of wireless communication devices.

12. The wireless control system of claim 8 wherein to identify the first wireless communication device from the modified subset of the plurality of wireless communication devices, the processing system is configured to initiate a mobile assisted hard handoff of the first wireless communication device, and in response, receive a measurement that indicates channel performance information for the first wireless communication device in the second frequency band of the multi-band wireless network.

13. The wireless control system of claim 12 wherein to identify the first wireless communication device from the modified subset of the plurality of wireless communication devices, the processing system is configured to select the first wireless communication device if the measurement that indicates channel performance information for the first wireless communication device in the second frequency band exceeds a power threshold.

14. The wireless control system of claim 8 wherein the loading information for the first frequency band of the multi-band wireless network comprises one or more of available forward link power, reverse noise, backhaul capacity, and slot utilization.

15. A wireless communication system comprising:

a wireless access point configured to receive channel performance information transmitted by a plurality of wireless communication devices operating within a first frequency band of a multi-band wireless network, determine round trip delay information for each of the plurality of wireless communication devices, transfer measurements that indicate the channel performance information and the round trip delay information for each of the plurality of wireless communication devices, and determine and transfer loading information for the first frequency band of the multi-band wireless network; and

a wireless control system configured to receive the measurements that indicate the channel performance information and round trip delay information for the plurality of wireless communication devices, process the channel performance information and the round trip delay information to determine a probability of successful transfer from the first frequency band to a second frequency band of the multi-band wireless network for each of the plurality of wireless communication devices by at least normalizing a maximum ratio of effect energy to total energy and noise (Ec/Io) and a minimum round trip delay and calculating a weighted sum of the normalized maximum Ec/Io and the normalized minimum round trip delay for each of the plurality of wireless communication devices;

the wireless control system further configured to identify a subset of the plurality of wireless communication devices with probabilities of successful transfer that exceed a transfer threshold, and remove from the subset of the plurality of wireless communication devices those wireless communication devices whose velocity exceeds a movement threshold resulting in a modified subset;

the wireless control system further configured to receive the loading information for the first frequency band, process the loading information to determine if the loading information exceeds an offload threshold, and if the loading information exceeds an offload threshold, then identify a first wireless communication device from the modified subset of the plurality of wireless communication devices and transfer an instruction to modify an operating frequency of the first wireless communication device from the first frequency band to the second frequency band.