Handoff in Wireless Mobile Networks
Ni Zeng
Motivation
Obviously, a wireless cellular communication system should be able to provide continuous service when the users are mobile. Handoff (or handover) is used to achieve this goal when a user is moving from one cell to another. Handoff is the process of changing the channel (frequency, time slot, spreading code, or combination of them) associated with the current connection
while a call is in progress.
Types of Handoffs
Hard handoff
A hard handoff is a break before make connection. MS is linked to no more than one BS at any given time. Hard handoff is primarily used in FDMA and TDMA.
Soft handoff
It isn't a break before make transition. The call can be carried on both cells simultaneously. Soft handoff is used in CDMA.
Handoff Initiation
A hard handoff occurs when the old connection is broken before a new connection is activated. The performance evaluation of a hard handoff is based on essentially four variables: Length and shape of the averaging window Threshold level Hysteresis margin.
Handoff Initiation Approaches
Relative Signal Strength Relative Signal Strength with Threshold Relative Signal Strength with Hysteresis Relative Signal Strength with Hysteresis and Threshold Prediction Techniques
Handoff Decisions
Decision-making process of handoff may be centralized or decentralized Three different kinds of handoff decisions
Network-Controlled Handoff Mobile-Assisted Handoff Mobile-Controlled Handoff
Traffic model
Measurements: :The arrival rate of handoff calls
:The probability density function (pdf) of channel holding time T OR T: The average channel holding time T in a cell
Hong and Rappaports Traffic Model
Assumption:
Cell is hexagonal Vehicles are spread evenly over the service area Vehicle initiating a call moves from the current location in any direction with equal probability and that this direction does not change while the vehicle remains in the cell.
Xie and Kueks Traffic Model
Assumption:
A uniform density of mobile users throughout an area A user is equally likely to move in any direction with respect to the cell border.
Zeng et al.s Approximated Traffic Model
Assumption:
Based on Xie and Kueks traffic model Blocking probability of originating calls and the forced termination probability of handoff calls are small
Handoff Schemes
For single traffic systems
nonpriority scheme priority scheme handoff call queuing scheme originating and handoff call queuing schemes nonpreemptive priority scheme preemptive priority scheme
For Multiple traffic systems
Single Traffic Handoff Schemes
Assumption:
A system has many cells, with each having S channels The channel holding time has an exponential distribution with mean rate Both originating and handoff calls are generated in a cell according to Poisson processes, with mean rates and , respectively.
Nonpriority scheme
Outline:
All S channels are shared by both originating and handoff request calls. Both kinds of requests are blocked if no free channel is available.
Nonpriority scheme
System Model
Nonpriority scheme
State transition diagram
where
Nonpriority scheme
Therefore,
Priority scheme
Outline:
Priority is given to handoff requests by assigning SR channels exclusively for handoff calls among the S channels in a cell. The remaining SC (= S SR) channels are shared by both originating calls and handoff requests. An originating call is blocked if the number of available channels in the cell is less than or equal to SR (= S SC). A handoff request is blocked if no channel is available in the target cell.
Priority scheme
System Model
Priority scheme
State transition diagram
Priority scheme
where
Priority scheme
Therefore,
Priority and Queuing scheme
Outline:
When a MS moves away from the BS, the received signal strength decreases, and when it gets lower than a threshold level, the handoff procedure is initiated. The handoff area is defined as the area in which the average received signal strength of a MS receiver from the BS is between the handoff threshold level and the receiver threshold level. If the BS finds all channels in the target cell occupied, a handoff request is put in the queue.
Priority and Queuing scheme
Outline:
If a channel is released when the queue is not empty, the channel is assigned to request on the top of the queue. If the received signal strength from the current BS falls below the receiver threshold level prior to the mobile being assigned a channel in the target cell, the call is forced to termination. The duration of a MS in the handoff area is defined as The queue is first-in-first-out (FIFO) and infinite.
Priority and Queuing scheme
System Model
Priority and Queuing scheme
State transition diagram
Priority and Queuing scheme
where
Priority and Queuing scheme
Therefore,
is a probability that a handoff request fails after joining the queue in position k+ 1
Originating and Handoff Calls Queuing Scheme
Outline:
In the BS, there are two queues QH and QO for handoff requests and originating calls, respectively. The capacities of QH and QO are MH and MO A handoff request is queued in QH if it finds no free channels on arrival. an originating call is queued in QO when on arrival it finds available channels less than or equal to (S SC). An originating call in the queue is deleted from the queue when it moves out of the cell before getting a channel or get a channel.
Originating and Handoff Calls Queuing Scheme
Outline:
A handoff request is deleted from the queue when it passes through the handoff area before getting a new channel (i.e., forced termination) or the conversation is completed before passing through the handoff area or it gets a new channel before passing through the handoff area. the capacity of MH of queue QH is usually large enough so that the blocking probability of handoff request calls can be neglected.
Originating and Handoff Calls Queuing Scheme
System Model
Originating and Handoff Calls Queuing Scheme
State transition diagram
Multiple Traffic Handoff Schemes
Assumption:
The arrival rates of originating voice and data calls are designated as and , respectively. The arrival rates of voice and data handoff requests by and , respectively. A data handoff request in the queue of the current cell is transferred to the queue of target cell when it moves out of the cell before getting a channel. In each BS, there are two queues, QV and QD, with capacities MV and MD for voice and data handoff requests, respectively.
Nonpreemptive priority handoff scheme
Outline:
For voice users,there is a handoff area. For data users, the boundary is defined as the locus of points where the average received signal strength of the two neighboring cells are equal. A voice handoff request is queued in QV on arrival if it finds no idle channels. On the other hand, a data handoff request is queued in QD on arrival when it finds (S Sd) or fewer available channels, An originating voice or an originating data call is blocked on arrival if it finds (S Sc) orfewer available channels, No queue is assumed here for originating calls.
Nonpreemptive priority handoff scheme
Outline:
If there are channels available, the voice handoff request calls in QV are served based on the FIFO rule. If more than (S Sd) channels are free, the data handoff request calls in QD are served by the FIFO rule. A voice handoff request in the queue is deleted from the queue when it passes through the handoff area before getting a new channel (i.e., forced termination) or its communication is completed before passing through the handoff area or get a channel. A data handoff request can be transferred from the queue of the current cell to the one of the target cells when it moves out of the current cell before getting a
Nonpreemptive priority handoff scheme
System Model
Preemptive priority handoff scheme
Outline:
A modification of a nonpreemptive priority handoff scheme, with higher priorities for voice handoff request calls. A handoff request call is served if there are channels available when such a voice handoff request call arrives. The voice handoff request can preempt the data call, the interrupted data call is returned to the data queue QD and waits for a channel to be available based on the FIFO rule. A voice handoff request is queued in QV by the system if all the channels are occupied by prior calls
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