Atuomatic wireless connection selection

• US 20040233868A1
• Filed: 02/17/2004
• Published: 11/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Farnham, Timothy David
• Granted Patent: US 7,443,817 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• 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

The present invention relates to wireless communications systems, and in particular the selection of one or more available wireless connections suitable for use with a desired service or set of services. The present invention provides a method of and apparatus for selecting one or more wireless connections from a plurality of available wireless connections between a mobile terminal and one or more base stations for a service requested by a user of the terminal or base stations, the method comprising: determining one or more connection characteristics for each said available connection; determining a utility value for each said available connection; selecting one or more said connections based on said determined utility values; wherein each said connection utility value for a said available connection is based on the acceptability for said service of the determined connection characteristics for that connection according to a fuzzy logic determination.

Claims

1. A method of selecting one or more wireless connections from a plurality of available wireless connections between a mobile terminal and one or more base stations for a service requested by a user of the terminal or base stations, the method comprising:

determining one or more connection characteristics for each said available connection;

determining a utility value for each said available connection;

selecting one or more said connections based on said determined utility values;

wherein each said connection utility value for a said available connection is based on the acceptability for said service of the determined connection characteristics for that connection.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein determining the connection utility values comprises determining one or more fuzzy sets having membership functions for each said connection characteristic for each said connection, said sets representing different levels of acceptability of the corresponding connection for said service;

determining a utility value for each connection characteristic for each connection according to corresponding fuzzy sets and depending on the determined connection characteristic for that connection; and

aggregating said determined connection characteristic utility values for each connection in order to provide the connection utility value for each said connection.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein determining a said characteristic utility value for a connection characteristic further comprises allocating a separate utility factor to the membership functions of each fuzzy group of said connection characteristic depending on user preferences.

4. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein determining a said characteristic utility value for a connection characteristic further comprises adding a weighting factor to the membership functions of the fuzzy groups of said connection characteristic depending on base station or terminal conditions.

5. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein said determining fuzzy sets comprise retrieving pre-determined membership functions from local storage or from a web-site.

6. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein two or more services are requested by the user, a connection characteristic utility value is determined for each connection characteristic/service pair, and the connection characteristic utility value for each connection is determined by aggregating the connection characteristic utility values for corresponding pairs.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein a said connection is selected having the highest connection utility value.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein two or more services are requested by the user and the method further comprises:

determining a number of groups of said connections;

determining a utility value for each said group of connections;

wherein said selection is based on the utility values of said groups.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the utility values for each said group are determined by:

determining and aggregating the highest connection utility values in the group for each service.

10. A carrier medium carrying processor readable code for controlling a processor to carry out the method of claim 1.

11. An apparatus for selecting one or more wireless connections from a plurality of available wireless connections between a mobile terminal and one or more base stations for a service requested by a user of the terminal or base stations, the apparatus comprising:

a processor or software module arranged to determine one or more connection characteristics for each said available connection;

a processor or software module arranged to determine a utility value for each said available connection;

a selector for selecting one or more said connections based on said determined utility values;

wherein each said connection utility value for a said available connection is based on the acceptability for said service of the determined connection characteristics for that connection.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein determining the connection utility values processor or software comprises a processor or software module arranged to determine one or more fuzzy sets having membership functions for each said connection characteristic for each said connection, said sets representing different levels of acceptability of the corresponding connection for said service;

a processor or software module arranged to determine a utility value for each connection characteristic for each connection according to corresponding fuzzy sets and depending on the determined connection characteristic for that connection; and

a processor or software module arranged to aggregate said determined connection characteristic utility values for each connection in order to provide the connection utility value for each said connection.

13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein said a processor or software module arranged to determine a said characteristic utility value for a connection characteristic farther comprising a processor or software module arranged to allocate a separate utility factor to the membership functions of each fuzzy group of said connection characteristic depending user preferences.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein said a processor or software module arranged to determine said characteristic utility value for a connection characteristic further comprises a processor or software module arranged to add a weighting factor to the membership functions of the fuzzy groups of said connection characteristic depending on base station or terminal conditions.

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein said a processor or software module arranged to determine fuzzy sets comprises a processor or software module arranged to retrieve pre-determined membership functions from local storage or from a web-site.

16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12 further comprising a processor or software module arranged to determine a connection characteristic utility value for each connection characteristic/service pair when two or more services are requested by the user, and a processor or software module arranged to determine the connection characteristic utility value for each connection which is arranged to aggregate the connection characteristic utility values for corresponding pairs.

17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein a said connection is selected having the highest connection utility value.

18. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11 and further comprising:

a processor or software module arranged to determine a number of groups of said connections;

a processor or software module arranged to determine a utility value for each said group of connections;

wherein said selection is based on the utility values of said groups.

19. An apparatus as claimed in claim 18 wherein the a processor or software module arranged to determine the utility values for each said group comprises a processor or software module arranged to determine and aggregate the highest connection utility values in the group for each service.