Handoff of a multimedia call session using background network scanning

• US 20060025151A1
• Filed: 03/30/2005
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Seshadri, Nambirajan, Bennett, James D., Karaoguz, Jeyhan
• Granted Patent: US 8,145,219 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/455
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0022 for transferring data sessions between adjacent core network technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00835 Determination of neighbour cell lists
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/008357 Determination of target cell based on access point [AP] properties, e.g. AP service capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0085 Hand-off measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/28 involving a plurality of connections, e.g. multi-call or multi-bearer connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

A method and system supporting handoff of a multimedia call session using background network scanning is disclosed. A mobile multimedia handset may engage in the exchange of a multimedia information stream via a first wireless network, and may sniff a portion of radio frequency spectrum for a second wireless network. Information about available services and network quality of service for the second network may be received by querying the second wireless network or from advertising by the second wireless network. Hand-off between the two networks may be based upon the results of the comparison and one or more user-defined criteria, and the handoff may be synchronized according to predefined events in the stream of multimedia information.

Claims

1. A method supporting hand-off of a multimedia call session using background network scanning, the method comprising:

exchanging a multimedia information stream via a first wireless network having at least one of;

a first set of services and a first quality of service;

detecting a second wireless network using background network scanning of at least one portion of radio frequency spectrum;

determining at least one of;

a second set of services and a second quality of service for the second wireless network;

comparing the at least one of;

a first set of services and a first quality of service and the at least one of;

a second set of services and a second quality of service; and

handing-off communication of the multimedia call session to the second wireless network.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the determining comprises one of:

querying the second wireless network to determine the at least one of;

a second set of services and a second quality of service; and

receiving, from the second wireless network, advertising information for the at least one of;

a second set of services and a second quality of service.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining comprises:

informing the first wireless network of detection of the second wireless network; and

receiving, from the first wireless network, information about the at least one of;

a second set of services and a second quality of service.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the handing-off comprises one of:

automatically selecting one of;

the first wireless network and the second wireless network, based upon the comparison and at least one user-defined criteria; and

selecting to exchange the multimedia information stream via the second network in response to input from a user.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein the at least one user-defined criteria comprises one of:

a cost, a bit rate, a bandwidth, a spatial resolution, a grey scale level, a color depth, a frame rate, an error rate, a quality of service, and a network delay.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

notifying a user of a result of the comparison; and

receiving, from the user, input related to selection of a wireless network.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the first wireless network comprises a wireless wide area network.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein the wireless wide area network comprises at least one of:

a global system for mobile communications (GSM) network, a time division multiple access (TDMA) network, a code division multiple access (CDMA) network, and a universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) network.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the second wireless network comprises at least one of:

a broadband access gateway, an access point, a hotspot, and a broadband network.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein the broadband network comprises at least one of:

a digital subscriber line (DSL) network, a cable network, a satellite network, a local multipoint distribution system (LMDS), and the Internet.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein the second wireless network is compliant with at least one of:

a Bluetooth V1.2 or compatible personal area network (PAN) specification and an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.15.3a or compatible ultrawideband network specification.

12. The method according to claim 1 wherein the second wireless network is compliant with at least one of:

the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n standards.

13. The method according to claim 1 wherein multimedia information comprises at least one of:

streaming video, broadcast video, voice, digital data, text, digitized audio, digitized still images, digitized video, and digitized music.

14. The method according to claim 1 wherein the first wireless network and the second wireless network at least one of:

occupy separate portions of radio frequency spectrum and employ incompatible communication protocols.

15. The method according to claim 1 wherein the handing-off is synchronized to a predetermined event in the stream of multimedia information.

16. The method according to claim 1 wherein quality of service comprises at least one of:

a cost, a bit rate, a bandwidth, a spatial resolution, a grey scale level, a color depth, a frame rate, an error rate, a quality of service, and a network delay.

17. The method according to claim 1 wherein background network scanning comprises sniffing of radio frequency spectrum.

18. A mobile access device supporting hand-off of a stream of multimedia information using background network scanning, the device comprising:

at least one wireless interface capable of exchanging multimedia information with a first wireless network while scanning at least a portion of radio frequency spectrum to detect a second wireless network, wherein the first wireless network supports at least one of;

a first set of services and a first quality of service, and the second wireless network supports at least one of;

a second set of services and a second quality of service;

storage comprising at least one user-defined criteria employed in selecting one of the first and second wireless networks;

software for comparing the at least one of;

a first set of services and a first quality of service and the at least one of;

a second set of services and a second quality of service; and

the device capable handing-off the exchanging of multimedia information between the first wireless network and the second wireless network based upon the at least one user-defined criteria and the comparison of the at least one of;

a first set of services and a first quality of service and the at least one of;

a second set of services and a second quality of service.

19. The device according to claim 18 wherein the multimedia information comprises at least one of:

streaming video, broadcast video, voice, digital data, text, digitized audio, digitized still images, digitized video, and digitized music.

20. The device according to claim 18 wherein the first wireless network comprises at least one of:

a global system for mobile communications (GSM) network, a time division multiple access (TDMA) network, a code division multiple access (CDMA) network, and a universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) network.

21. The device according to claim 18 wherein the second wireless network is compliant with at least one of:

a Bluetooth V1.2 or compatible personal area network (PAN) specification, an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.15.3a or compatible ultrawideband network specification, and one of an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n standard.

22. The device according to claim 18 wherein the handing-off is synchronized with a predetermined event in the stream of multimedia information.

23. The device according to claim 18 wherein quality of service comprises at least one of:

a cost, a bit rate, a bandwidth, a spatial resolution, a grey scale level, a color depth, a frame rate, an error rate, a quality of service, and a network delay.

24. The device according to claim 18 wherein the at least one user-defined criteria comprises at least one of:

a cost, a bit rate, a bandwidth, a spatial resolution, a grey scale level, a color depth, a frame rate, an error rate, a quality of service, and a network delay.

25. The device according to claim 18 wherein scanning comprises sniffing of radio frequency spectrum.