Internet protocol based wireless communication arrangements
First Claim
1. A client device for an Internet Protocol (IP) based communications arrangement, said client device including multi-standard hardware adapted to support wireless operation of said client device in accordance with a plurality of Internet Protocol compatible wireless communications standards, operation of said multi-standard hardware being controlled by a network driver that includes a software architecture having a wireless adaptation layer, wherein the software architecture is arranged in use to enable said client device to perform vertical handovers between said wireless communications standards when information is being transmitted to said client device from a sender via a wireless link, said software architecture including a software module for optionally freezing the sender.
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Abstract
Mobile devices such as Personal Digital Assistants or mobile phones can connect to the Internet or another IP based network using WPAN and WLAN infrastructures or cellular systems like GPRS or 3G. Multi-mode hardware such as combination chipsets that support these standards are becoming available as well. According to the present invention, wireless network driver software architecture is proposed, named Multi-standard Wireless Adaptation Layer (MWAL) and is for client devices MT that may be portable, need to efficiently switch from one wireless standard to another and that must be able to stay connected and reachable in the Internet or other IP based network even when switching between wireless communication standards. The technique of the invention is a layer 2 technique suitable for vertical markets and proprietary solutions, in which the MWAL enables the client device MT to perform vertical handovers between wireless communications standards.
103 Citations
22 Claims
- 1. A client device for an Internet Protocol (IP) based communications arrangement, said client device including multi-standard hardware adapted to support wireless operation of said client device in accordance with a plurality of Internet Protocol compatible wireless communications standards, operation of said multi-standard hardware being controlled by a network driver that includes a software architecture having a wireless adaptation layer, wherein the software architecture is arranged in use to enable said client device to perform vertical handovers between said wireless communications standards when information is being transmitted to said client device from a sender via a wireless link, said software architecture including a software module for optionally freezing the sender.
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21. A method of supporting wireless operation of a client device, the method including configuring multi-standard hardware of said client device to perform vertical handovers of said client device under the control of a wireless adaptation layer of a network driver between a plurality of Internet Protocol compatible wireless communications standards when information is being sent to the client device from a sender via a wireless link, the method comprising optionally freezing the sender if the wireless link becomes unavailable.
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22. An Internet Protocol based communications system adapted to provide a connection with a client device through one of a plurality of wireless communications standards, a said client device preferably comprising a mobile terminal and including multi-standard hardware adapted to support wireless operation of said client device in accordance with a plurality of said wireless communications standards, operation in or changes between said standards being controlled by a predetermined software architecture that includes a wireless adaptation layer (WAL) arranged in use to enable said client device to perform vertical handovers between said wireless communications standards, wherein, when information is being transmitted to said client device from a sender via a wireless link, said software architecture includes a software module for optionally freezing the sender.
Specification