CLIAMS:We claim:

1. A method of neighbor reporting in a mobile communication network, the method comprising:
categorizing, by a neighbor relation maintenance device, a plurality of Mobile Stations (MSs) into one or more groups, wherein the plurality of MSs are associated with a serving Base Station (BS);
determining, by the neighbor relation maintenance device, a primary neighbor BS for each group of the one or more groups of MSs;
instructing, by the neighbor relation maintenance device, each MS of each group to report signal strength measurements between the each MS and the corresponding primary neighbor BS associated with the each group in a first time period; and
instructing, by the neighbor relation maintenance device, each MS of each group to report signal strength measurements between the each MS and each neighbor BS in a predefined neighbor list associated with the each MS in a second time period, wherein the predefined neighbor list associated with the each MS includes one or more neighbor BSs accessible by the each MS.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein categorizing the plurality of MSs into one or more groups comprises:
categorizing the plurality of MSs into one or more bins based on signal strength measurement between each of the plurality of MSs and each neighbor BS in the predefined neighbor list;
determining, for each bin, an effective count of a number of times the each neighbor BS is reported in the each bin; and
grouping, in each bin, by a decreasing order of the effective count, one or more MSs associated with the each neighbor BS.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each bin of the one or more bins is associated with an upper threshold signal strength value and a lower threshold signal strength value.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the primary neighbor BS associated with a group comprises identifying a neighbor BS in the predefined neighbor list having a greatest signal strength relative to each MS in the group.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first time period and the second time period is predefined.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first time period and the second time period is dynamically determined.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein categorizing an MS of the plurality of MSs into a group of the one or more groups is based on at least one of the signal strength measurement between the MS and the serving BS, and a priority associated with the MS.

8. A neighbor relation maintenance device for neighbor reporting implemented at a serving Base Station (BS), comprising:
a processor; and
a memory disposed in communication with the processor and storing processor-executable instructions, the instructions comprising instructions to:
categorize a plurality of Mobile Stations (MSs) into one or more groups, wherein the plurality of MSs are associated with the serving BS;
determine a primary neighbor BS for each group of the one or more groups of MSs;
instruct each MS of each group to report signal strength measurements between the each MS and the corresponding primary neighbor BS associated with the each group in a first time period;
instruct each MS of each group to report signal strength measurements between the each MS and each neighbor BS in a predefined neighbor list associated with the each MS in a second time period, wherein the predefined neighbor list associated with the each MS includes one or more neighbor BSs accessible by the each MS.

9. The neighbor relation maintenance device of claim 8, wherein the instructions to categorize the plurality of MSs into one or more groups comprises instructions to:
categorize the plurality of MSs into one or more bins based on signal strength measurement between each of the plurality of MSs and each neighbor BS in the predefined neighbor list;
determine, for each bin, an effective count of a number of times the each neighbor BS is reported in the each bin; and
group, in each bin, by a decreasing order of the effective count, one or more MSs associated with the each neighbor BS.

10. The neighbor relation maintenance device of claim 9, wherein each bin of the one or more bins is associated with an upper threshold signal strength value and a lower threshold signal strength value.

11. The neighbor relation maintenance device of claim 8, wherein the instructions for determining the primary neighbor BS associated with a group comprises instructions to identify a neighbor BS in the predefined neighbor list having a greatest signal strength relative to each MS in the group.

12. The neighbor relation maintenance device of claim 8, wherein at least one of the first time period and the second time period is predefined.

13. The neighbor relation maintenance device of claim 8, wherein at least one of the first time period and the second time period is dynamically determined.

14. The neighbor relation maintenance device of claim 8, wherein categorizing an MS of the plurality of MSs into a group of the one or more groups is based on at least one of: the signal strength measurement between the MS and the serving BS and a priority associated with the MS.

Dated this 11th day of March, 2014
R. Ramya Rao
Of K&S Partners
Agent for the Applicant
,TagSPECI:TECHNICAL FIELD
This disclosure relates generally to handover of a Mobile Station (MS) from a serving Base Station (BS) to a neighbor BS, and more particularly to a method and system of neighbor reporting in a wireless communication network.