Selecting a radio access technology mode based on current conditions

• US 10,098,181 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2014
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Vashi, Prashant H, Yerrabommanahalli, Vikram B, Lee, Teck Yang
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Peter
• Application Number:
  US14/273,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20150271690A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,614 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/024 Co-operative use of antennas of several sites, e.g. in co-ordinated multipoint or co-operative multiple-input multiple-output [MIMO] systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0069 in case of dual connectivity, e.g. decoupled uplink/downlink
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Determining whether to operate in a single radio access technology (RAT) mode or a dual RAT mode for a user equipment (UE) having a radio capable of communicating using at least a first RAT and a second RAT. The UE may determine whether current path loss for the first RAT exceeds a maximum path loss. Based on the results of determining whether the current path loss for the first RAT exceeds the maximum path loss, the UE may determine whether to operate in the single RAT mode or the dual RAT mode. Accordingly, based on this determination, the UE may operate in the single RAT mode or the dual RAT mode based on the determination.

Claims

1. A method for operating a user equipment (UE) having a radio configured to communicate using at least a first radio access technology (RAT) and a second RAT, the method comprising:

while operating the radio in a single RAT mode using the first RAT;

determining, by the UE, if current path loss for the first RAT exceeds a first maximum path loss threshold;

based on the current path loss exceeding the first maximum path loss threshold, determining, by the UE, to operate the radio in a dual RAT mode; and

switching, by the UE, from operating the radio in the single RAT mode to the dual RAT mode based on the determination to operate in the dual RAT mode.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

based on the current path loss exceeding the first maximum path loss threshold, determining path loss of the second RAT;

wherein said switching is also based on the path loss of the second RAT.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

based on the current path loss exceeding the first maximum path loss threshold, incrementing a counter;

wherein said switching is based on the counter exceeding a threshold.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

repeating, at a later time, determining if current path loss at the later time for the first RAT exceeds the first maximum path loss threshold;

based on the current path loss at the later time not exceeding the first maximum path loss threshold, modifying the counter.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said modifying the counter comprises resetting the counter and is performed in response to the current path loss at the later time not exceeding the first maximum path loss threshold a threshold number of times in a row.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at a later time, while operating the radio in the dual RAT mode, using the first RAT and the second RAT;

determining if current path loss at the later time for the first RAT is less than a second maximum path loss threshold;

based on the current path loss at the later time being less than the second maximum path loss threshold, determining to operate in the single RAT mode; and

switching from operating in the dual RAT mode to the single RAT mode, wherein the single RAT mode corresponds to the first RAT.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first maximum path loss threshold and the second maximum path loss threshold are different.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first RAT comprises long term evolution (LTE) and wherein the second RAT comprises a circuit switched technology.

9. A user equipment (UE), the UE comprising:

a radio, comprising one or more antennas configured for wireless communication, wherein the radio is configured to communicate using at least a first radio access technology (RAT) and a second RAT; and

a processing element coupled to the radio;

wherein the radio and the processing element are configured to;

while operating the radio in a dual RAT mode, using the first RAT and the second RAT;

determine if current path loss for the first RAT is less than a first maximum path loss threshold;

based on the current path loss being less than the first maximum path loss threshold, determining to operate in a single RAT mode; and

switching from operating the radio in the dual RAT mode to a single RAT mode, wherein the single RAT mode corresponds to the first RAT.

10. The UE of claim 9, wherein the radio and the processing element are configured to:

based on the current path loss being less than the first maximum path loss threshold, increment a counter;

wherein said switching is based on the counter exceeding a threshold.

11. The UE of claim 10, wherein the radio and the processing element are configured to:

repeat, at a later time, determining if current path loss at the later time for the first RAT is less than the first maximum path loss threshold;

based on the current path loss at the later time exceeding the first maximum path loss threshold, modifying the counter.

12. The UE of claim 11, wherein modifying the counter comprises resetting the counter and is performed in response to the current path loss at the later time exceeding the first maximum path loss threshold a threshold number of times in a row.

13. The UE of claim 11, wherein the radio and the processing element are configured to:

at a later time, while operating the radio in the single RAT mode, using the first RAT;

determine if current path loss at the later time for the first RAT exceeds a second maximum path loss threshold;

based on the current path loss at the later time exceeding the second maximum path loss threshold, determine to operate in the dual RAT mode; and

switch from operating the radio in the single RAT mode to the dual RAT mode based on the determination to operate in the dual RAT mode.

14. The UE of claim 13, wherein the first maximum path loss threshold and the second maximum path loss threshold are different.

15. The UE of claim 9, wherein the first RAT comprises long term evolution (LTE) and wherein the second RAT comprises a circuit switched technology.

16. A non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium storing program instructions for determining whether to operate in a single radio access technology (RAT) mode or a dual RAT mode for a user equipment (UE) having a radio configured to communicate using at least a first RAT and a second RAT, wherein the program instructions are executable by a processor to:

determine whether current path loss for the first RAT exceeds a maximum path loss threshold;

based on results of determining whether the current path loss for the first RAT exceeds the maximum path loss threshold, determine whether to operate the radio in the single RAT mode or the dual RAT mode; and

operate the radio in the single RAT mode or the dual RAT mode based on the determination of whether to operate in the single RAT mode or the dual RAT mode.

17. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 16, wherein said determining the current path loss is performed while in the single RAT mode, wherein the results of determining whether the current path loss for the first RAT exceeds the maximum path loss threshold comprises the current path loss exceeding the maximum path loss threshold, wherein said determining whether to operate in the single RAT mode or the dual RAT mode comprises determining to operate in the dual RAT mode, and wherein said operating in the single RAT mode or the dual RAT mode comprises switching from the single RAT mode to the dual RAT mode.

18. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 16, wherein said determining the current path loss is performed while in the dual RAT mode, wherein the results of determining whether the current path loss for the first RAT exceeds the maximum path loss threshold comprises the current path loss being less than the maximum path loss threshold, wherein said determining whether to operate in the single RAT mode or the dual RAT mode comprises determining to operate in the single RAT mode, and wherein said operating in the single RAT mode or the dual RAT mode comprises switching from the dual RAT mode to the single RAT mode.

19. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 16, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

modify a counter based on the results of determining whether the current path loss for the first RAT exceeds the maximum path loss threshold; and

wherein said determining whether to operate in the single RAT mode or the dual RAT mode is based on the counter.

20. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 16, wherein the first RAT comprises a packet switched technology and wherein the second RAT comprises a circuit switched technology.