Dual-mode phone using GPS power-saving assist for operating in cellular and WiFi networks

• US 20060063560A1
• Filed: 05/27/2005
• Published: 03/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Herle, Sudhindra P.
• Application Number:
  US11/139,915
• Publication Number:
  US 20060063560A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/552.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/32 by location or mobility data, e.g. speed data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A dual-mode mobile station for accessing a wide-area wireless network according to a first wireless protocol and a small-area wireless network according to a second wireless protocol. The dual-mode mobile station comprises a controller that switches the dual-mode mobile station between a first mode in which the dual-mode mobile station communicates with the wide-area wireless network and a second mode in which the dual-mode mobile station communicates with the small-area wireless network. The controller switches the dual-mode mobile station between the first and second modes depending on a distance between the dual-mode mobile station and an access point of the small-area wireless network. When the dual-mode transceiver enters the first mode, the controller turns off a transceiver that operates in the second mode in order to save power.

Claims

1. A dual-mode mobile station capable of accessing a wide-area wireless network according to a first wireless protocol and a small-area wireless network according to a second wireless protocol, said dual-mode mobile station comprising:

a controller capable of switching said dual-mode mobile station between a first mode in which said dual-mode mobile station communicates with said wide-area wireless network and a second mode in which said dual-mode mobile station communicates with said small-area wireless network, wherein said controller switches said dual-mode mobile station between said first and second modes depending on a distance between said dual-mode mobile station and an access point of said small-area wireless network.

2. The dual-mode mobile station as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a location-determining apparatus capable of determining a location of said dual-mode mobile station.

3. The dual-mode mobile station as set forth in claim 2, wherein said location-determining apparatus comprises a GPS receiver.

4. The dual-mode mobile station as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a first transceiver capable of communicating with said wide-area wireless network.

5. The dual-mode mobile station as set forth in claim 4, further comprising a second transceiver capable of communicating with said small-area wireless network.

6. The dual-mode mobile station as set forth in claim 5, further comprising a memory associated with said controller capable of storing a plurality of access point records, wherein each of said plurality of access point records comprises location information associated with an access point of said small-area wireless network.

7. The dual-mode mobile station as set forth in claim 6, wherein said controller is capable of comparing a current position of said dual-mode mobile station to said location information in said each of said plurality of access point records in order to determine distances between said dual-mode mobile station and each of said plurality of access points of said small-area wireless network.

8. The dual-mode mobile station as set forth in claim 7, wherein said controller switches said dual-mode mobile station from said first mode to said second mode when a first distance between said dual-mode mobile station and a first one of said plurality of access points of said small area wireless network is less than a predetermined threshold value.

9. The dual-mode mobile station as set forth in claim 8, wherein said controller causes said second transceiver to search for a beacon signal associated with said first access point when said dual-mode mobile station switches to said second mode.

10. The dual-mode mobile station as set forth in claim 9, wherein said controller switches said dual-mode mobile station from said second mode to said first mode when said first distance between said dual-mode mobile station and said first access point is greater than said predetermined threshold value.

11. The dual-mode mobile station as set forth in claim 10, wherein said controller disables said second transceiver when said dual-mode mobile station switches to said first mode to thereby reduce a power consumption of said second transceiver.

12. The dual-mode mobile station as set forth in claim 6, wherein said dual-mode mobile station is capable of downloading said plurality of access point records from said wire-area wireless network.

13. The dual-mode mobile station as set forth in claim 5, wherein said first wireless protocol comprises a cellular telecommunication protocol.

14. The dual-mode mobile station as set forth in claim 13, wherein said cellular telecommunication protocol comprises one of CDMA protocol and GSM protocol.

15. The dual-mode mobile station as set forth in claim 5, wherein said second wireless protocol comprises a WiFi protocol.

16. The dual-mode mobile station as set forth in claim 5, wherein said second wireless protocol comprises an IEEE-802.11x wireless protocol.

17. A method of operating a dual-mode mobile station capable of accessing a wide-area wireless network according to a first wireless protocol and a small-area wireless network according to a second wireless protocol, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a current location of the dual-mode mobile station;

comparing the current location to location information associated with a plurality of access points associated with the small-area wireless network;

determining a distance between the dual-mode mobile station and each of the plurality of access points; and

operating the dual-mode mobile station in a first mode in which the dual-mode mobile station communicates with the wide-area wireless network if each of the distances between the dual-mode mobile station and each of the plurality of access points is greater than a predetermined threshold value.

18. The method as set forth in claim 17, further comprising the step of disabling a transceiver that communicates with the small-area wireless network when the dual-mode mobile station operates in the first mode to thereby reduce a power consumption of the transceiver.

19. The method as set forth in claim 18, further comprising the step of operating the dual-mode mobile station in a second mode in which the dual-mode mobile station communicates with the small-area wireless network if a first distances between the dual-mode mobile station and a first one of the plurality of access points is less than the predetermined threshold value.

20. The method as set forth in claim 19, further comprising the step of searching for a beacon signal associated with the first access point when the dual-mode mobile station operates in the second mode.