LMS Predictive Link Triggering for Seamless Handovers in Heterogeneous Wireless Networks

Effective and timely link layer trigger mechanisms can significantly influence the handover performance. In this paper, a predictive link trigger mechanism for seamless horizontal and vertical handovers in heterogeneous wireless networks is proposed. Firstly, the time required to perform a handover is estimated based on the neighboring network conditions. Secondly, the time to trigger a Link_Going_Down to initiate a handover is determined using a Least Mean Square (LMS) linear prediction in which the prediction interval (kh) is dynamically determined based on the estimated handover time. Simulation results of the proposed predictive link triggering mechanism show that it provides a timely proactive handover. The packet loss rate observed in a Gaussian fading channel remains low during a handover.