Statistical bounds on handoff probabilities under different fading channel models of mobile communication

The research envisaged and reported in this thesis refers to finding comprehensive algorithms to determine the handoff probabilities of new and handoff calls encountered in mobile communications. The traditional expressions for these probabilities that are reported in the literature, are deduced only on the basis of call arrival statistics applied to RF links between base station (BS) and the mobile unit (MU). However, such radio links inevitably suffer from fading. These channels are normally modeled by appropriate probability density functions (pdfs) of the faded signal envelope. Rayleigh, Rician and Nakagami-m distributions are popularly considered in depicting such fading channel characteristics. The traditional (queueing-theoretic) based estimation of handoff probabilities does not account for the hysteresis-specific handoff statistics in the relevant fading channels. This is in contrary to the reality, inasmuch as fading is an inherent part of RF channels in mobile communications. The present study offers a tractable method of combining queuing-theoretic (call arrival) statistics and the hysteresis-crossing statistics of a RSS metric so as to obtain proper expressions for new and handoff call handoff probabilities. The (upper and lower) bound specified spread of the handoff probabilities indicates that care should be exercised in resource allocation efforts with a margin. To the best of the knowledge of the author, this research exercise is new and has not been reported elsewhere in open literature.