System and method for multimode device handover

1. A method of operating a multimode third generation (3G) and fourth generation (4G) communications device capable of operating in either a 4G network or a 3G network when in an area with overlapping 3G and 4G coverage, the method comprising:

responsive to a determination that each of a 3G base station and a 4G base station associated with an overlapping 3G and 4G coverage area are loaded less than a first user determined load factor, comparing, using a processor, one or more 4G Channel Quality Indicators (CQI) with one or more corresponding 3 GData Rate Control (DRC) indices stored in corresponding mapping tables in a memory; and

based on a result of said comparing, determining a handoff of the dual mode communications device to a 3G base station associated with the 3G coverage or to a 4G base station associated with the 4G coverage.

2. The method of claim 1 , determining a loading condition of each of the 4G base station and the 3G base station associated with the overlapping 3G and 4G coverage area.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said determining a handoff comprises:

evaluating the result of said comparing with the processor to determine which of the 3G and 4G networks allows a higher data throughput;

handing off the dual mode communications device to the 4G base station associated with the 4G coverage if the 4G network allows the higher data throughput; and

otherwise, handing off the dual mode communications device to the 3G base station associated with the 3G coverage.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the 3G base station comprises a CDMA/EvDO base station.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the 4G base station comprises a WiMAX base station.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the 4G base station comprises an LTE base station.

7. A multimode third generation (3G) and fourth generation (4G) communications apparatus capable of operating in either a 3G network or a 4G network when in an area with overlapping 3G and 4G coverage, the apparatus comprising:

a 3G transceiver configured to transmit and receive information over a 3G network;

a 4G transceiver configured to selectively transmit and receive data over a 4G network;

a processor operatively coupled to the 3G transceiver and the 4G transceiver and which is configured to determine a loading condition of each of a 3G base station and a 4G base station associated with the overlapping 3G and 4G coverage area; and

a memory device operatively coupled to the processor;

wherein, responsive to a determination by the processor that each of the 3G and 4G base stations are loaded less than a first user determined load factor, the processor is configured to:

compare one or more 4G Channel Quality Indicators (CQI) with one or more corresponding 3G Data Rate Control (DRC) indices stored in corresponding mapping tables in the memory; and

based on a result of the comparison, determine a handoff of the dual mode communications device to a 3G base station associated with the 3G coverage or to a 4G base station associated with the 4G coverage.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein, to determine a handoff, the processor is configured to:

evaluate a result a comparison of the one or more 4G CQls with the one or more corresponding 3G DRCs to determine which of the 3G and 4G networks allows a higher data throughput; and

hand off the dual mode communications device to the 4G base station associated with the 4G coverage if the 4G network allows the higher data throughput than the 3G network, otherwise, hand off the dual mode communications device to the 3G base station associated with the 3G coverage.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the 3G base station comprises a CDMA/EvDO base station.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the 4G base station comprises a WiMAX base station.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the 4G base station comprises an LTE base station.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer readable code physically embodied thereon which, when executed by a processor arranged in a multimode third generation (3G) and fourth generation (4G) communications device capable of operating in either a 4G network or a 3G network mode causes the processor to carry out the operations of:

responsive to a determination that each of a 3G base station and a 4G base station associated with an overlapping 3G and 4G coverage area are loaded less than a first user determined load factor, comparing one or more 4G Channel Quality Indicators (CQI) with one or more corresponding 3G Data Rate Control (DRC) indices stored in corresponding mapping tables in a memory; and

based on a result of said comparing, determining a handoff of the dual mode communications device to a 3G base station associated with the 3G coverage or to a 4G base station associated with the 4G coverage.

13. The medium of claim 12 , wherein the operations further comprise determining a loading condition of each of the 4G base station and the 3G base station associated with the overlapping 3G and 4G coverage area.

14. The medium of claim 12 , wherein said determining a handoff comprises:

evaluating the result of said comparing with the processor to determine which of the 3G and 4G networks allows a higher data throughput; and

handing off the dual mode communications device to the 4G base station associated with the 4G coverage if the 4G network allows the higher data throughput, otherwise, handing off the dual mode communications device to the 3G base station associated with the 3G coverage.

15. The medium of claim 12 , wherein the 3G base station comprises a CDMA/EvDO base station.

16. The medium of claim 12 , wherein the 4G base station comprises a WiMAX base station.

17. The medium of claim 12 , wherein the 4G base station comprises an LTE base station.