Mechanism for hand off using access point detection of synchronized subscriber beacon transmissions

• US 20060040656A1
• Filed: 08/17/2004
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kotzin, Michael D.
• Application Number:
  US10/919,896
• Publication Number:
  US 20060040656A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/426.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/1446 wherein at least one of the networks is unlicensed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/04 using triggered events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/12 Wireless traffic scheduling
• 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 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A WLAN access point (111) is synchronized with a Wide Area Network (WAN) (105) via either a backhaul connection (115), or via hardware of the WLAN access point (111) suitable for receiving and decoding a synchronization timing signal from the WAN (105). The WLAN access point (111) may then transmit a beacon signal during a defined time window. The mobile station (101) is aware of the time window and only powers its WLAN transceiver equipment on during the appropriate window. Because the WLAN access point (111) is synchronized to the WAN (105), the mobile station (101) is able to anticipate the appropriate time window for power up. When the mobile station detects the WLAN access point (111) beacon, it notifies the WAN (105), via a WAN base transceiver station (BTS) (107) and proceeds to hand over idle mode signaling from the serving BTS (107) to the WLAN access point (111)

Claims

1. A method for handing over a mobile station from a Wide Area Network to a Wireless Local Area Network access point comprising:

receiving at the access point, a synchronization signal;

determining a broadcast time window based upon the synchronization signal;

monitoring during the broadcast time window for a mobile station beacon signal;

detecting the mobile station beacon signal; and

transmitting a notification message to the Wide Area Network that the mobile station beacon signal has been detected.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein step of determining a broadcast time window further comprises:

receiving a timing message from the Wide Area Network specifying the broadcast time window.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the timing message is received over a backhaul connection between the Wide Area Network and the access point.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of receiving at the access point, a synchronization signal, further comprises decoding at the access point at least one of a IS-95 forward link, GSM forward link, W-CDMA forward link, TD-SCDMA forward link and CDMA2000 forward link and obtaining the synchronization signal thereby.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of monitoring during the broadcast time window for a mobile station beacon signal further comprises monitoring at least one of 802.11x, 802,15x, 802.16x, Bluetooth, and HomeRF radio frequencies.

6. A method for handing over a mobile station from a Wide Area Network to a Wireless Local Area Network access point comprising:

transmitting to the access point by the Wide Area Network a synchronization signal;

transmitting a timing message by the Wide Area Network to the access point specifying a time window in which the access point is to monitor for mobile station beacon signals;

transmitting a network message by the Wide Area Network to the mobile station specifying the time window in which the mobile station is to broadcast a beacon signal;

receiving a notification from the access point that the mobile station beacon signal has been detected; and

transmitting a command message to the mobile station commanding the mobile station to power on a Wireless Local Area Network transceiver and establish connection with the access point.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

determining a set of mobile stations that are within a location area nearby the access point, after receiving the notification that the mobile station beacon signal has been detected, and transmitting the command message to the set of mobile stations.

8. The mobile station of claim 6, wherein the notification from the access point comprises an identification element for the mobile station.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of transmitting to the access point by the Wide Area Network a synchronization signal is accomplished using one of IS-95, GSM, W-CDMA, TD-SCDMA and CDMA2000.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of transmitting a timing message by the Wide Area Network to the access point specifying a time window is accomplished using a backhaul connection.

11. A mobile station comprising:

a first transceiver for communicating via at least one of IS-95, GSM, W-CDMA, TD-SCDMA and CDMA2000;

a second transceiver for communicating via at least one of 802.11x, 802.15x, 802.16x, Bluetooth, and HomeRF; and

a processor and memory configured to receive a network message using the first transceiver, specifying a time window in which to transmit a beacon signal using the second transceiver, wherein the second transceiver is powered on initially only during the time window, and further configured to receive a notification using the first transceiver that a connection is available using the second transceiver, powering on the second transceiver and establishing a connection using the second transceiver.

12. The mobile station of claim 11, wherein the processor and memory are further configured to power off the first transceiver equipment subsequent to establishing the connection using the second transceiver.