A method for performing a soft-handoff in a mobile streaming media system,
and a method for performing a hard-handoff in a mobile streaming media
system are is disclosed. In the soft-handoff embodiment, the present
invention detects that a channel quality between a mobile client and a
first base station remains above a drop threshold and that a channel
quality between the mobile client and a second base station increases
from below to above an add threshold. The present embodiment then sends a
first multiple description bitstream from the first base station to the
mobile client and sends a complementary second multiple description
bitstream from the second base station to the mobile client. This method
thereby provides improved utilization of wireless bandwidth during
soft-handoffs, in contrast to conventional systems where the same
bitstream is transmitted from each base station. In both the cases of
soft-handoffs and hard-handoffs, when a mobile client enters a cell whose
base station has no free capacity, the base station may prevent call
dropping by reducing the number of descriptions being served to the
existing clients and thereby providing capacity (at least one
description) for the new client. These methods provide improved
utilization of wireless bandwidth during soft-handoffs, and reduced
probability of service disruption during both soft-handoffs and
hard-handoffs.