Optimized CDMA forward link power allocation during soft handoff

In CDMA cellular systems, soft handoff often yields significant gains in performance in terms of increased capacity and coverage, and reduced call drop rates. This is particularly true for the reverse link in CDMA cellular systems. On the other hand, increasing the number of base stations that a mobile is simultaneously using can cause degradations in RF capacity and call dropping probability in the forward link. This paper proposes a new optimized scheme for allocating fractions of power transmitted to a particular mobile from the different base stations involved in soft handoff. The resulting scheme will minimize the overall transmitted power, reduce unnecessary interference to mobiles in other cells, and increase capacity; while maintaining the required qualify of service