Handoff Optimization Using Hidden Markov Model

This letter establishes the similarity between the sensor scheduling problem and the handoff (i.e., base station assignment) problem in cellular networks. A mobile user behavior is then modelled by a Hidden Markov Model (HMM). The handoff problem is formulated as an optimization problem of base station scheduling that minimizes a cost function that involves the HMM state estimation error and base station measurement costs. The optimization problem can be solved using algorithms known as partially observed Markov decision processes.