Methods and devices for seamlessly changing protocols in a mobile unit

• US 20050026625A1
• Filed: 07/29/2003
• Published: 02/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Lawrence, Victor B., Gehlot, Narayan L.
• Application Number:
  US10/628,206
• Publication Number:
  US 20050026625A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0294 Trajectory determination or predictive filtering, e.g. target tracking or Kalman filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18556 using a location database
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0072 of resource information of target access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/32 by location or mobility data, e.g. speed data
• 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

“Look-ahead” techniques for operating a mobile unit include estimating its future location and selecting a protocol based on a future location coordinate. Thus, the mobile unit can prepare to change from a present protocol to another, selected protocol before the mobile unit is handed-off to a base station whose network operates according to the selected protocol.

Claims

1. A method for operating a mobile unit, comprising the steps of:

determining a future location coordinate of a mobile unit; and

selecting a protocol, for use by the mobile unit, based on the future location coordinate.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving signals representing a location and corresponding time coordinate of the mobile unit;

determining a path of motion of the mobile unit based on the received signals; and

determining the future location coordinate based on the path of motion.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

receiving signals representing a plurality of location and corresponding time coordinates of the mobile unit; and

determining the path of motion by calculating a direction of the mobile unit based on the plurality of location and time coordinates.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

storing previous location and time coordinates of the mobile unit in a historical database;

obtaining a coordinate representing at least one of a current time and a current location of the mobile unit; and

performing a lookup in the historical database based on the obtained coordinate to determine an expected path of motion for the mobile unit.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

maintaining a protocol database associating a protocol with at least one region;

obtaining a coordinate representing a current location of the mobile unit;

determining a present region in the protocol database based on the current location of the mobile unit; and

determining the future location coordinate as a boundary of the present region in the protocol database that intersects the path of motion, wherein the boundary separates the present region from an adjacent region.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the selecting step further comprises the step of:

selecting the protocol associated with the adjacent region in the protocol database.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

revising the protocol database based on service of quality data corresponding to the mobile unit.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

revising the protocol database based on detected changes in environmental conditions.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

initiating operations according to the selected protocol while substantially operating using a present protocol.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

operating an application in the mobile unit to process data according to a present protocol; and

altering operations of the application to process data according to the selected protocol at a time substantially contemporaneous with the mobile unit'"'"'s arrival at a location corresponding to the future location coordinate.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

operating the application to conduct a data session, wherein the data session is maintained while the operations of the application are altered.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the present and selected protocols each correspond to a different communication network selected from the group consisting of at least:

a wireless local area network (Wavelan) and a cellular network.

13. A mobile unit operable to:

determine a future location coordinate of the mobile unit; and

select a protocol, for use by the mobile unit, based on the future location.

14. The mobile unit of claim 13, further operable to:

receive signals representing a plurality of location and corresponding time coordinates;

determine a path of motion, wherein the path of motion includes a present location and a direction calculated based on the plurality of location and corresponding time coordinates; and

determine the future location coordinate based on the path of motion.

15. The mobile unit of claim 14, further operable to:

perform a lookup in a protocol database based on the path of motion, wherein the protocol database associates a protocol with each of at least one region;

determining a present region based on the performed lookup;

and selecting the protocol associated with the present region in the protocol database.

16. The mobile unit of claim 13, further operable to:

initiate operations according to the selected protocol while substantially operating using a present protocol.

17. The mobile unit of claim 13, further operable to:

operate an application to process data according to a present protocol; and

alter operations of the application to process data according to the selected protocol at a time substantially contemporaneous with an arrival at a location corresponding to the future location.

18. A base station operable to:

maintain a protocol database associating a protocol with each of at least one region;

obtain a path of motion for a mobile unit, wherein the path of motion includes a current location and a direction of the mobile unit;

determine a present region in the protocol database based on the current location of the mobile unit; and

determine a future location coordinate of the mobile unit as a boundary of the present region in the protocol database that intersects the path of motion, wherein the boundary separates the present region from an adjacent region.

19. The base station of claim 18, further operable to:

receive signals representing the path of motion of the mobile unit.

20. The base station of claim 18, further operable to:

receive signals representing a plurality of location and corresponding time coordinates of the mobile unit;

store the received location and corresponding time coordinates in a historical database;

obtain a coordinate representing at least one of a current time and a current location of the mobile unit; and

perform a lookup of the historical database based on the obtained coordinate to determine an expected path of motion for the mobile unit.

21. The base station of claim 18, further operable to:

receive signals from a mobile unit representing service quality data relating to the mobile unit'"'"'s current location; and

update the protocol database based on the service quality data.

22. The base station of claim 21, further operable to:

update boundaries of the at least one region in the protocol database based on the service quality data.

23. A mobile unit comprising:

means for determining a future location coordinate of the mobile unit; and

means for selecting a protocol, for use by the mobile unit, based on the future location.

24. A base station comprising:

means for maintaining a protocol database associating a protocol with each of at least one region;

means for obtaining a path of motion for a mobile unit, wherein the path of motion includes a current location and a direction of the mobile unit;

means for determining a present region in the protocol database based on the current location of the mobile unit; and

means for determining a future location coordinate of the mobile unit as a boundary of the present region in the protocol database that intersects the path of motion, wherein the boundary separates the present region from an adjacent region.