Handoff in Cellular Systems

By:
Sireesha Vempati.
Venkata Uppuluri.
Vijaya Petla.
What is a Handoff?

Handoff refers to a process of transferring

an ongoing call or data session from one
channel connected to the core network to
another.
Process of transferring a MS from one
base station to another.
Also called as Handover.
Reasons for a Handoff to be conducted

To avoid call termination: call drops

When the capacity for connecting new calls
of a given cell is used up.
Interference in the channels.
When the user behaviors change.
Speed and mobility.
Importance of handoff decision time
Different cell structures

Macro cells

Seven cell clusters in a macro cellular system.

Different cell structures

Micro cells

Half-Square Cell Plan Full-Square Cell Plan Rectangular Cell Plan

Different cell structures

Overlays:

Macrocell/Microcell Overlays
Types of Handoffs

Hard handoff: break before make connection

Intra and inter-cell handoffs

Hard Handoff between the MS and BSs

Types of Handoffs

Soft handoff: make-before-break connection.

Mobile directed handoff.
Multiways and softer handoffs

Soft Handoff between MS and BSTs

Handoff Prioritization:

Two basic methods of handoff prioritization

are :
Guard Channels
Queuing of Handoff
Types of protocols

4 types of handoff protocols which help in

providing continuous and QOS-guaranteed
service.
Network-controlled handoff (NCHO)
Mobile-assisted handoff (MAHO)
Soft handoff (SHO) and
Mobile-controlled handoff (MCHO)
Performance evaluation approaches

Three basic mechanisms used to evaluate

the performance of handoff algorithms
include:
Analytical approach,
Simulation approach, and
Emulation approaches
The Analytical approach

This approach is valid only under some specified constraints

(considers RSSs criteria).
In real world situations this approach is complex and mathematically
intractable.
The level crossings of the difference between the RSSs from two
BSs were modeled as Poisson processes for stationary signal
strength measurements.
An analytical model is developed for analyzing performance of
handoff algorithms based on both absolute and relative signal
strength measurements and compares analytical results with
simulation results.
BS becomes a candidate only if its signal strength is strongest
among all the BSs under consideration.
The Simulation approach
This simulation approach is the most commonly used
handoff evaluation mechanism.
This approach provides a common testbed for
comparison of different handoff algorithms, and also
provides insight into the behavior of the system.
Software simulation provides fast, easy, and cost-
effective evaluation.
Simulation approach uses one or more of the available
four basic components.
The Simulation approach

The Basic components of Simulation Model

The Emulation approach

The emulation approach uses a software simulator

consisting of a handoff algorithm to process measured
variables.
This approach has the advantage of giving better insight
into the behavior of the radio channels and more
accurate data.
The main disadvantages are that this approach requires
periodic measurement efforts and is not suitable for
comparison of different handoff algorithms on the same
platform.
Conclusion

Need handoffs in cellular systems, in order to

reduce call terminations.
Provide QoS support.
Questions
Mobile stations are now expanding their types of gadgets.
From traditional cell phones to PDAs, Laptops,
GPS, Palm tops etc., many more gadgets can now
be called as mobile stations which travel in between
cells. Since the inputs, outputs and the identifying
modules differ in each type of mobile stations, will
the same Design for Handoff would work fine or
how are these scenarios handled.
The main design strategies of handoff are
Signal strength

Cell structures
What are different system structures of a cell?

Macro, micro, macro/micro overlays

What happens if a user, after completion of his
communication wants to disconnect and at the same time
there is a handoff to other cell?
(Will the purposeful termination detection be done by the
first cell or the other cell to which the signal has been
handed off?)

The Serving BST handles it .Hand off is not a one time

process, so either of the BSTs handle the mobile
stations call. At a particular time the station which is
having more signal strength will handle the call. Even the
termination is being handled by either of the base
stations.
In types of handoff, there is break before make i.e. hard
handoff & make before break that is soft handoff.
So, which one of the two type is better and under
which circumstances for each scenario?
If possible, explain with example.

Soft handoff is advantageous over hard handoff because

the mobile does not lose contact with the system during
handoff execution, also unnecessary call terminations
doesnt occur. No one likes unnecessary call
terminations.
Hard handoff is advantageous when system
performance is not effected even if the mobile system
has to reconnect to the BST.