Wireless handoffs between multiple networks

• US 20060240828A1
• Filed: 06/16/2005
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Agrawal, Avneesh, Jain, Nikhil
• Granted Patent: US 7,515,909 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0847 Transmission error
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/087 Jitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/304 due to measured or perceived resources with higher communication quality

Abstract

The disclosure is directed to a mobile communication device, and method for handing off a mobile communications device between two networks. A processor in the mobile device may be used to establish a network connection with a server in a first network while supporting a call in a second network. The mobile device may also include a transceiver that receives information from the server relating to the network connection. The processor may use the information, local measurements, or both to determine whether to handoff the call to the first network.

Claims

1. A mobile communications device, comprising:

a processor configured to establish a network connection with a server in a first network while supporting a call over a second network; and

a transceiver configured to provide information received from the server to the processor, the information relating to the network connection;

wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether to handoff the call to the first network based on the information.

2. The mobile communications device of claim 1 wherein the transceiver is further configured to establish a radio connection with an access point to support the network connection, and wherein the information received by the transceiver from the server includes loading on the access point.

3. The mobile communications device of claim 2 wherein the information received by the transceiver from the server includes historical information relating to the access point.

4. The mobile communications device of claim 1 wherein the information received by the transceiver from the server comprises a quality metric related to the network connection.

5. The mobile communications device of claim 4 wherein the quality metric relates to the delay, jitter, packet loss, or data error rate over the network connection in the reverse direction.

6. The mobile communications device of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to measure at least one of delay, jitter, packet loss, or data error rate over the network connection in the forward direction, and determine whether to handoff the call to the first network based on both the information received from the server and said at least one measurement.

7. The mobile communications device of claim 1 wherein the transceiver is further configured to establish a radio connection with an access point to the first network, and wherein the processor is further configured to measure signal strength of the wireless transmissions from the access point, and determine whether to handoff the call to the first network based on both the information received from the server and the measured signal strength.

8. The mobile communications device of claim 1 further comprising a second transceiver configured to support the call over the second network.

9. The mobile communications device of claim 8 wherein the transceiver comprises an IEEE 802.11 transceiver.

10. A mobile communications device, comprising:

a processor configured to establish a network connection with a server in a first network while supporting a call over a second network, the processor being further configured to measure at least one of delay, jitter, packet loss or data error rate over the network connection in the forward direction, and determine whether to handoff the call to the first network based on said at least one measurement.

11. The mobile communications device of claim 10 further comprising a transceiver configured to provide information received from the server to the processor, the information relating to the network connection, and wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether to handoff the call to the first network based on both said at least one measurement and the information.

12. The mobile communications device of claim 11 wherein the transceiver is further configured to establish a radio connection with an access point to support the network connection, and wherein the information received by the transceiver from the server includes loading on the access point.

13. The mobile communications device of claim 12 wherein the information received by the transceiver from the server includes historical information relating to the access point.

14. The mobile communications device of claim 12 wherein the information received by the transceiver from the server comprises a quality metric related to the network connection.

15. The mobile communications device of claim 14 wherein the quality metric relates to the delay, jitter, packet loss, or data error rate over the network connection in the reverse direction.

16. The mobile communications device of claim 10 wherein the transceiver is further configured to establish a radio connection with an access point to the first network, and wherein the processor is further configured to measure signal strength of the wireless transmissions from the access point, and determine whether to handoff the call to the first network based on both said at least one measurement and the measured signal strength.

17. The mobile communications device of claim 10 further comprising a second transceiver configured to support the call over the second network.

18. The mobile communications device of claim 17 wherein the transceiver comprises an IEEE 802.11 transceiver, and the second transceiver comprises a cellular transceiver.

19. A method of communicating from a mobile communications device in a multiple network environment, comprising:

establishing a network connection with a server in a first network while supporting a call over a second network;

receiving information from the server relating to the network connection; and

determining whether to handoff the call to the first network based on the information.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising establishing a radio connection with an access point to support the network connection, and wherein the information received by the processor from the server includes loading on the access point.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the received information comprises a quality metric related to the network connection.

22. The method of claim 19 further comprising measuring at least one of delay, jitter, packet loss, or data error rate over the network connection in the forward direction, and wherein the determination of whether to handoff the call to the first network is based on both the information received from the server and said at least one measurement.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein the first network comprises an IEEE 802.11 network, and the second network comprises a cellular network.

24. A method of communicating from a mobile device in a mulitple network environment, comprising:

establishing a network connection with a server in a first network while supporting a call over a second network;

measuring at least one of delay, jitter, packet loss or data error rate over the network connection in the forward direction; and

determining whether to handoff the call to the first network based on said at least one measurement.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising receiving information from the server relating to the network connection, and wherein the determination of whether to handoff the call to the first network is based on both said at least one measurement and the information.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising establishing a radio connection with an access point to the first network, and wherein the received information includes loading on the access point.

27. The mobile communications device of claim 25 wherein the information received by the processor from the server comprises a quality metric related to the network connection.

28. The method of claim 24 wherein the first network comprises an IEEE 802.11 network, and the second network comprises a cellular network.

29. A mobile communications device, comprising:

means for establishing a network connection with a server in a network while supporting a call over a second network;

means for receiving information from the server relating to the network connection; and

means for determining whether to handoff the call to the first network based on the information.

30. A mobile communications device, comprising:

means for establishing a network connection with a server in a first network while supporting a call with a second network;

means for measuring at least one of delay, jitter, packet loss, or data error rate over the network connection in the forward direction; and

means for determining whether to handoff the call to the first network based on said at least one measurement.