Mobile communication device initiated hand-off based on wireless base station priority

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

wirelessly transferring user communications to a first wireless base station;

identifying a second wireless base station that has sufficient performance characteristics for wireless communication with the mobile communication device and that has a higher communication priority than the first wireless base station, and in response, initiating a hand-off from the first wireless base station to the second wireless base station; and

in response to the hand-off, 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,

wherein identifying the second wireless base station having the higher communication priority comprises wirelessly receiving a prioritized base station list and processing the prioritized base station list to determine that the second wireless base station has the higher communication priority than the first wireless base station based on the priority order set in the prioritized base station list.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first wireless base station serves a first geographic area and the second wireless base station serves a second geographic area that is contained within the first geographic area.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the second wireless base station having the sufficient performance characteristics comprises, in response to determining that that the second wireless base station has the higher communication priority than the first wireless base station, wirelessly receiving a signal from the second wireless base station, obtaining a noise indicator for the second wireless base station based on the received signal, and comparing the noise indicator to a noise threshold.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the second wireless base station having the sufficient performance characteristics comprises, in response to determining that that the second wireless base station has the higher communication priority than the first wireless base station, 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 signal strength threshold.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein initiating the hand-off comprises wirelessly transferring a hand-off request to at least one of the first wireless base station and the second wireless base station.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the user communications and the additional user communications comprise Internet communications.

7. A mobile communication device comprising:

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

a processing system configured to identify the second wireless base station as having sufficient performance characteristics for wireless communication with the mobile communication device and as having a higher communication priority than the first wireless base station, and in response, to initiate a hand-off from the first wireless base station to the second wireless base station;

the processing system further configured to direct the 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 in response to the hand-off,

wherein the wireless communication interface configured to wirelessly receive a prioritized base station list, and the processing system is configured to process the prioritized base station list to determine that the second wireless base station has the higher communication priority than the first wireless base station based on the priority order set in the prioritized base station list.

8. The mobile communication device of claim 7 wherein the first wireless base station serves a first geographic area and the second wireless base station serves a second geographic area that is contained within the first geographic area.

9. The mobile communication device of claim 7 wherein:

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

the processing system is configured to direct the wireless communication interface to receive the signal and obtain the noise indicator, and wherein the processing system is configured to compare the noise indicator to a noise threshold.

10. The mobile communication device of claim 7 wherein:

the wireless communication interface is configured 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 processing system is configured to direct the wireless communication interface to receive the signal and obtain the signal strength indicator, and wherein the processing system is configured to compare the signal strength indicator to a signal strength threshold.

11. The mobile communication device of claim 7 wherein initiating the hand-off comprises wirelessly transferring a hand-off request to at least one of the first wireless base station and the second wireless base station.

12. The mobile communication device of claim 7 wherein the user communications and the additional user communications comprise Internet communications.