Method and system for triggering events in a radio network

• US 20050181779A1
• Filed: 02/13/2004
• Published: 08/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Delker, Jason R., Everson, John M., Jones, Bryce A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,768,322 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/421
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0083 Determination of parameters used for hand-off, e.g. generation or modification of neighbour cell lists
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00837 Determination of triggering parameters for hand-off
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/50 at the moment of starting communication in a multiple access environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A mobile station communicating with a first radio network, such as a WLAN, may detect that it is communicating with an access point located at a perimeter of a coverage area of the first radio network rather than communicating with an access point located within an interior of the coverage area. The mobile station might further detect one or both of first and second directional signals transmitted from the access point. In response, the mobile station might perform one or more predetermined actions, such as checking the availability of a radio network other than the WLAN, performing a handoff, sounding an alarm or some other action.

Claims

1. A method for triggering a mobile station to perform a predetermined action, the method comprising:

detecting that the mobile station is communicating with an access point located at an exterior of a coverage area of a radio network rather than communicating with an access point located at an interior of the coverage area of the radio network; and

responsively performing the predetermined action.

2. A computer readable medium having stored therein instructions for causing a processor to execute the method of claim 1.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the access point located at the exterior of the coverage area transmits a first directional signal in a first direction from the access point, wherein the access point transmits a second directional signal in second direction from the access point, and wherein detecting that the mobile station is communicating with the access point located at the exterior of the coverage area comprises detecting the first directional signal.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the radio network is an IEEE 802.11 network, and wherein performing the predetermined action comprises checking an availability of a wireless network other than the IEEE 802.11 network.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the predetermined action is an active session handoff or a seamless service handoff.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the access point uses a directional antenna to transmit both the first and second directional signals in their respective directions.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the access point uses a first Bluetooth transmitter having a first directional antenna to transmit the first directional signal and a second Bluetooth transmitter having a second directional antenna to transmit the second directional signal.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the first and second directional signals each have a range of less than approximately six feet.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein detecting that the mobile station is communicating with an access point located at an exterior of a coverage area comprises:

detecting the first directional signal; and

thereafter detecting the second directional signal.

10. A method for triggering a mobile station to perform a predetermined action, the method comprising:

determining that a mobile station is communicating with an access point in a first group of access points for a WLAN rather than communicating with an access point in a second group of access points for the WLAN; and

responsively performing the predetermined action.

11. A computer readable medium having stored therein instructions for causing a processor to execute the method of claim 10.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein access points in the first group of access points provide coverage around a perimeter of a coverage area of the WLAN, and wherein access points in the second plurality of access points provide coverage around an interior of the coverage area of the WLAN.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one access point in the first group of access points transmits a first directional signal in a first direction from the access point and transmits a second directional signal in a second direction from the access point.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one access point transmits the first directional signal toward an interior of a coverage area of the WLAN and transmits the second directional signal toward an exterior of the coverage area of the WLAN.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein determining that a mobile station is communicating with an access point in a first group of access points for a WLAN comprises detecting the first directional signal and thereafter detecting the second directional signal, and wherein performing the predetermined action comprises checking for an availability of the wireless network other than the WLAN.

16. A wireless network comprising:

at least one access point for providing mobile stations with connectivity to the wireless network; and

a directional transmitter located within a coverage area of the wireless network for transmitting a first signal in a first direction from the directional transmitter, wherein the directional transmitter includes a directional antenna used to transmit the first signal.

17. The wireless network of claim 16, further comprising:

A second directional transmitter located within the coverage area of the wireless network for transmitting a second signal in a direction other than the first direction, wherein the second directional transmitter includes a directional antenna used to transmit the second signal.

18. The wireless network of claim 17, wherein the first and second directional transmitters transmit the first and second directional signals using Bluetooth, and wherein the access point uses IEEE 802.11 to communicate with the mobile stations.

19. The wireless network of claim 17, wherein the first and second directional transmitters transmit the first and second directional signal using IEEE 802.11, and wherein the access point uses IEEE 802.11 to communicate with the mobile stations.

20. The wireless network of claim 17, wherein the first and second directional transmitters are included within the access point.

21. The wireless network of claim 17, wherein the first and second directional transmitters are located at an exterior of the coverage area of the wireless network.

22. The wireless network of claim 17, wherein the first and second signals have range of less than approximately six feet.