System and method for servicing communications using both fixed and mobile wirless networks

• US 20050070326A1
• Filed: 09/29/2003
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Morton, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,343,160 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/552.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0274 by switching on or off the equipment or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Mobile wireless device(s) roam within and between premises and a vehicle or other mobile platform and interface to wireless local area networks within the premises or vehicle. When using the intra-vehicular network, a communication relay within the vehicle routes communications from the wireless device to a wide area wireless network such as cellular network or satellite network. This allows the power consumption of the mobile wireless device to be greatly reduced as the mobile device need only communicate with the local intra-vehicular WLAN. The vehicle acts as the power supply for the relay. When the coverage area of the intra-vehicular WLAN overlaps that of another WLAN, seamless handoff allows continuous data or voice connectivity between the overlapping wireless networks.

Claims

1. A mobile network relay device, comprising:

a first wireless interface operable to communicate with a wireless device over an intra-vehicular wireless network;

a second wireless interface operable to communicate with an extravehicular wireless network; and

a vehicular mountable relay that communicatively couples the first wireless interface and the second wireless interface and that routes communications between the wireless device and the extravehicular wireless network.

2. The mobile network relay device of claim 1, wherein:

the intra-vehicular wireless network is short-range digital radio network; and

the extravehicular network is a cellular network.

3. The mobile network relay device of claim 2, wherein the short-range digital radio network is a Bluetooth®

network.

4. The mobile network relay device of claim 1, wherein:

a coverage area of the intra-vehicular wireless network overlaps with a coverage area of a premises based wireless network; and

the vehicular mountable relay controls and services handoff of the wireless device between the premises based wireless network and the extravehicular wireless network.

5. The mobile network relay device of claim 4, wherein during handoff parallel communication paths exist to service the wireless device, and wherein the parallel communication paths comprise:

a first communication path exists between the wireless device and the premises based wireless network; and

a second communication path exists between the wireless device and the extravehicular wireless network via the first wireless interface, the vehicular mountable relay, and the second wireless interface.

6. The mobile network relay device of claim 4, wherein the wireless device is a telephone hand set.

7. The mobile network relay device of claim 4, wherein the wireless device is a Personal Data Assistant.

8. The mobile network relay device of claim 4, wherein the vehicular mountable relay services handoff from a first premises based wireless network to a cellular network to a second premises based wireless network.

9. The mobile network relay device of claim 8, wherein the first premises based wireless network and the second premises based wireless networks have non-contiguous service coverage areas.

10. The mobile network relay device of claim 1, wherein the extravehicular wireless network is a satellite based wireless communication network.

11. The mobile network relay device of claim 6, wherein the vehicular mountable relay determines capabilities of the telephone hand set.

12. The mobile network relay device of claim 11, wherein the vehicular mountable relay makes handoff decisions based upon the capabilities of the telephone hand set.

13. The mobile network relay device of claim 12, wherein the telephone hand set has Bluetooth®

, 802.11, and/or cellular interfaces.

14. The mobile network relay device of claim 13, wherein:

a cellular connection though the telephone hand set'"'"'s cellular interface has a first quality of signal;

a communication pathway through the extravehicular network wireless has a second quality of signal; and

a processor directs that communications of the wireless device be serviced by the cellular connection or extravehicular wireless network based on a comparison of the first quality of signal and the second quality of signal.

15. The mobile network relay device of claim 13, wherein a processor directs that communications of the wireless device be serviced by the Bluetooth®

, 802.11, or cellular interfaces based on power consumption associated with the Bluetooth®

, 802.11, and cellular interfaces.

16. The mobile network relay device of claim 5, wherein the vehicular mountable relay monitors a signal strength of the premises based wireless network and initiates handoff to the extravehicular wireless network when the signal strength compares unfavorably to a handoff threshold.

17. The mobile network relay device of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is registered with the first wireless interface.

18. A mobile network relay device mounted within a vehicle, comprising:

a first wireless interface operable to communicate with a wireless device over an intra-vehicular wireless network, wherein the intra-vehicular wireless network is a short-range digital radio network;

a second wireless interface operable to establish an communication pathway with an extravehicular wireless network, wherein the extravehicular wireless network is a cellular network or a satellite based network; and

a vehicular mountable relay that communicatively couples the first wireless interface and the second wireless interface and that routes communications between the wireless device and the extravehicular wireless network.

19. The mobile network relay device of claim 18, wherein the short-range digital radio network is a Bluetooth®

network.

20. The mobile network relay device of claim 18, wherein:

a coverage area of the intra-vehicular wireless network overlaps with a coverage area of a premises based wireless network; and

the vehicular mountable relay controls and services handoff of the wireless device between the premises based wireless network and the extravehicular wireless network.

21. The mobile network relay device of claim 20, wherein during handoff parallel communication paths exist to service the wireless device, and wherein the parallel communication paths comprise:

a first communication path exists between the wireless device and the premises based wireless network; and

a second communication path exists between the wireless device and the extravehicular wireless network via the first wireless interface, the vehicular mountable relay, and the second wireless interface.

22. The mobile network relay device of claim 20, wherein the wireless device is a telephone hand set.

23. The mobile network relay device of claim 20, wherein the wireless device is a Personal Data Assistant.

24. The mobile network relay device of claim 20, wherein the vehicular mountable relay services handoff from a first premises based wireless network to a cellular network to a second premises based wireless network.

25. The mobile network relay device of claim 24, wherein the first premises based wireless network and the second premises based wireless networks have non-contiguous service coverage areas.

26. The mobile network relay device of claim 18, wherein the vehicular mountable relay determines capabilities of the telephone hand set.

27. The mobile network relay device of claim 26, wherein the vehicular mountable relay makes handoff decisions based upon the capabilities of the telephone hand set.

28. The mobile network relay device of claim 27, wherein the telephone hand set has Bluetooth®

, 802.11, and/or cellular interfaces.

29. The mobile network relay device of claim 28, wherein:

a cellular connection though the telephone hand set'"'"'s cellular interface has a first quality of signal;

a communication pathway through the extravehicular network wireless has a second quality of signal; and

a processor directs that communications of the wireless device be serviced by the cellular connection or extravehicular wireless network based on a comparison of the first quality of signal and the second quality of signal.

30. The mobile network relay device of claim 28, wherein a processor directs that communications of the wireless device be serviced by the Bluetooth®

, 802.11, or cellular interfaces based on power consumption associated with the Bluetooth®

, 802.11, and cellular interfaces.

31. The mobile network relay device of claim 21, wherein the vehicular mountable relay monitors a signal strength of the premises based wireless network and initiates handoff to the extravehicular wireless network when the signal strength compares unfavorably to a handoff threshold.

32. The mobile network relay device of claim 18, wherein the wireless device is registered with the first wireless interface.

33. A method to service communications with a mobile wireless devices, comprising:

establishing a communication pathway between the mobile wireless device and a premises based wireless network, wherein the communication pathway allows the mobile wireless device to communicate with resources available through the premises based wireless network;

moving the mobile wireless device to an area wherein coverage of the premises based wireless network overlaps an intra-vehicular wireless network;

establishing a parallel communication pathways that comprise;

a first communication path between the mobile wireless device and the premises based wireless network; and

a second communication path between the mobile wireless device and an extravehicular wireless network via a vehicular wireless interface, a vehicular mountable relay, and an extra-vehicular wireless interface; and

handing the wireless device from the premises based wireless network to the intra-vehicular wireless network, wherein the parallel communication pathways allows continuous communications between the mobile wireless device and the resources.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the premises based wireless network and the vehicular wireless network are short-range digital radio networks and wherein the parallel communication pathway is a cellular network.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein establishing a parallel communication pathway further comprises:

communicating with the mobile wireless device via a vehicular wireless interface operable to communicate with the mobile wireless device over the vehicular wireless network; and

relaying communications between the mobile wireless device and the resources from the vehicular wireless interface, through a mobile network relay, and to an extravehicular wireless interface operable to establish a communication pathway with an external network.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the mobile wireless device is a telephone hand set.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the mobile wireless device is a Personal Data Assistant or computing device.

38. The method of claim 35, further comprising servicing handoff from a first premises based wireless network to a cellular network to a second premises based wireless network.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the first premises based wireless network and the second premises based wireless networks have non-contiguous service coverage areas.

40. The method of claim 33, wherein the extravehicular wireless network is a satellite based wireless communication network.

41. The method of claim 33, further comprising determining capabilities of the mobile wireless device.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising making handoff decisions based upon the mobile wireless device.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the mobile wireless device has Bluetooth®

, 802.11, and/or cellular interfaces.

44. The method of claim 43, further comprising directing that the mobile wireless device be serviced according to a comparison of a cellular connection though the mobile wireless device'"'"'s cellular interface'"'"'s quality of signal and the quality of signal of a communication pathway through the extravehicular wireless network.

45. The method of claim 43, further comprising directing that the mobile wireless device be serviced by the Bluetooth®

, 802.11, or cellular interfaces based on power consumption associated with the Bluetooth®

, 802.11, and cellular interfaces.

46. The method of claim 43, further comprising initiating handoff to the extravehicular wireless network when the signal strength compares unfavorably to a handoff threshold.

47. The method of claim 33, further comprising registering the mobile wireless device with the vehicular wireless network.