Apparatus and method for improving paging performance while simultaneously operating in different types of communication networks

• US 20060189346A1
• Filed: 02/17/2006
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Joshi, Abhay Arvind, Turner, Simon, Neufeld, Arthur James, Glazko, Serguei A., Lie, Gregory Robert, Ciccarelli, Steven C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,953,424 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/552.100
• 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 68/02 Arrangements for increasing efficiency of notification or paging channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A system and method of improving wireless communications between a wireless communication device and both a first network supporting voice and data services and a second network supporting packet data services. The method comprises providing the WCD with a primary transceiver and a secondary receiver for conducting wireless communications in both a simultaneous-mode and a hybrid-mode; performing simultaneous-mode-to-hybrid-mode and hybrid-mode-to-simultaneous-mode transitions based on a performance metric; and evaluating the performance metric to determine whether to perform the mode transitions. In the simultaneous-mode, the primary transceiver conducts wireless communications in the second network and the secondary receiver conducts wireless communications in the first network. In the hybrid-mode, the primary transceiver use is time multiplexed during all of the first and second networks communications combinations. When the metric measures below a threshold, the WCD reverts from one mode to another mode at paging slot wake-ups.

Claims

1. A method of improving wireless communications between a Wireless Communications Device (WCD) and both a first network supporting voice and data services and a second network supporting packet data services, comprising:

providing the WCD with a primary transceiver and a secondary receiver for conducting wireless communications in both a simultaneous-mode and a hybrid-mode;

performing simultaneous-mode-to-hybrid-mode and hybrid-mode-to-simultaneous-mode transitions based on a performance metric; and

evaluating the performance metric to determine whether to perform the mode transitions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein in the simultaneous-mode, the primary transceiver conducts wireless communications in the second network and the secondary receiver conducts wireless communications in the first network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein in the hybrid-mode, the primary transceiver use is time multiplexed during all of the first and second networks communications combinations.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance metric is the total received power (I_o) detected on the receiver.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance metric evaluation is done periodically.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the WCD reverts to the hybrid-mode when the performance metric measures below a simultaneous-to-hybrid threshold.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the WCD reverts at paging slot wake-ups.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the WCD reverts to the simultaneous-mode when the performance metric measures below a hybrid-to-simultaneous threshold.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the WCD reverts at paging slot wake-ups.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the hysteresis is maintained by setting the hybrid-to-simultaneous threshold to be higher than the simultaneous-to-hybrid threshold.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the ping-pong effect is prevented by setting the difference between the two thresholds to be greater than the difference between the primary antenna gain and the secondary antenna gain.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network is an IS-2000 network and the second network is an IS-856 network.

13. A method of conducting wireless communications between a Wireless Communication Device (WCD) and both a first network supporting voice and data services and a second network supporting packet data services, comprising:

providing the WCD with a primary transceiver and a secondary receiver for conducting wireless communications in both a simultaneous-mode and a hybrid-mode; and

wherein the second network applications have low latency data services and are able to invoke a High Priority Traffic (HPT) mode in the WCD to operate in the Simultaneous-mode.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first network is an IS-2000 network and the second network is an IS-856 network.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the WCD uses the secondary receiver for spatial diversity for the second network while no first network activities are performed.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the process does not perform hybrid-mode-to-simultaneous-mode transitions based on a performance metric.

17. A remote station apparatus for improving wireless communications between itself and both a first network supporting voice and data services and a second network supporting packet data services, comprising:

means for conducting wireless communications in both a simultaneous-mode and a hybrid-mode;

means for performing simultaneous-mode-to-hybrid-mode and hybrid-mode-to-simultaneous-mode transitions based on a performance metric; and

means for evaluating the performance metric to determine whether to perform the mode transitions.

18. The remote station apparatus of claim 17, wherein the conducting means comprises a primary transceiver and a secondary receiver to conduct wireless communications in at least one of the first and second networks.

19. The remote station apparatus of claim 18, wherein in the simultaneous-mode, the primary transceiver conducts wireless communications in the second network and the secondary receiver conducts wireless communications in the first network.

20. The remote station apparatus of claim 18, wherein in the hybrid-mode, the primary transceiver use is time multiplexed during all of the first and second networks communications combinations.

21. The remote station apparatus of claim 17, wherein the performance metric is the total received power (I_o) detected on the receiver.

22. The remote station apparatus of claim 17, wherein the evaluating means periodically evaluates the performance metric.

23. The remote station apparatus of claim 17, wherein the WCD reverts to the hybrid-mode when the performance metric measures below a simultaneous-to-hybrid threshold.

24. The remote station apparatus of claim 23, wherein the WCD reverts at paging slot wake-ups.

25. The remote station apparatus of claim 17, wherein the WCD reverts to the simultaneous-mode when the performance metric measures below a hybrid-to-simultaneous threshold.

26. The remote station apparatus of claim 25, wherein the WCD reverts at paging slot wake-ups.

27. The remote station apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first network is an IS-2000 network and the second network is an IS-856 network.

28. A remote station apparatus for conducting wireless communications between itself and both a first network supporting voice and data services and a second network supporting packet data services, the remote station apparatus comprising:

a primary transceiver and a secondary receiver for conducting wireless communications in both a simultaneous-mode and a hybrid-mode; and

wherein the second network applications have low latency data services and include means to invoke a High Priority Traffic (HPT) mode in the WCD to operate in the Simultaneous-mode.

29. The remote station apparatus of claim 28, wherein the first network is an IS-2000 network and the second network is an IS-856 network.

30. The remote station apparatus of claim 28, wherein the WCD uses the secondary receiver for spatial diversity for the second network while no first network activities are performed.

31. The remote station apparatus of claim 30, wherein the apparatus does not perform hybrid-mode-to-simultaneous-mode transitions based on a performance metric.

32. A computer readable media embodying a method of improving wireless communications between a wireless communications device (WCD) and both a first network supporting voice and data services and a second network supporting packet data services, the WCD having a primary transceiver and a secondary receiver for conducting wireless communications in both a simultaneous-mode and a hybrid-mode, the method comprising:

performing simultaneous-mode-to-hybrid-mode and hybrid-mode-to-simultaneous-mode transitions; and

evaluating a performance metric to determine whether to perform the mode transitions.

33. A computer readable media embodying a method of improving wireless communications between a Wireless Communications Device (WCD) and both a first network supporting voice and data services and a second network supporting packet data services and High Priority Traffic (HPT), the WCD having a primary transceiver and a secondary receiver for conducting wireless communications in both a simultaneous-mode and a hybrid-mode, the method comprising:

invoking High Priority Traffic (HPT) mode in second network applications having low latency data services in the WCD to operate in the Simultaneous-mode.