A novel inter-system handoff scheme in wireless overlay networks

Wireless overlay network will play an important role in future mobile communication and Internet access. it will be an IP-based network, which includes various wireless access methods and provides all kinds of service such as voice, data and multimedia. Handoff is a critical issue of wireless overlay network because it can guarantee the seamless roaming among different wireless networks. In this paper, based on a WLAN-GPRS wireless overlay network model, considered channel characteristics, service types and influencing factors of the handoff process, a novel Inter-system handoff scheme is proposed and relative decision benchmarks are discussed. Simulations on the key parameters such as throughput, packet loss and handoff delay prove that the proposed handoff scheme can provide powerful support for seamless handoff and continuous communication.