System and Method for Seamless Roaming Between Wireless Network

• US 20070076665A1
• Filed: 09/08/2006
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smith Micro Software Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Smith Micro Software Incorporated
• Inventors: Nair, Biju, Singer, Martin, Boxall, Robert, Redzic, Ognjen
• Granted Patent: US 7,519,364 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/335
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A method for the seamless switching of a wireless device between wireless wide area networks (WWANs) and wireless local area networks (WLANS) includes automatically detecting the available WWANs and WLANs, selecting one of the available networks for use by the wireless device, and connecting the wireless device to the selected network. The method also includes maintaining the network connection by monitoring the connection and, upon determining that the connection has been lost, selecting a another available network for use and connecting the wireless device the other network. Additionally, the method communicates information about the availability networks and connection status to a user of the wireless device, which allows the user to manually switch the wireless device connection from the automatically selected available network to another available network. Further, a wireless device implements the above described method.

Claims

1-27. -27. (canceled)

28. A method of connecting a wireless device to at least one wireless network comprising:

searching for wireless networks that are currently available;

responsive to detecting at least one wireless local network, and at least one wireless wide area network, evaluating a predetermined priority as to a preferred type of network to attempt to connect with initially;

responsive to the preferred network type, evaluating at least one pre-established rule to determine which detected network of the preferred type is to be selected; and

automatically connecting to the determined network of the preferred type.

29. A method as in claim 28 which includes monitoring the connection.

30. A method as in claim 29 where monitoring includes determining if the connection has been lost.

31. A method as in claim 30 which includes, in response to a lost connection, searching again for currently available wireless networks.

32. A method as in claim 31 which includes selecting a member of a preferred type of network among wireless local networks and wireless wide area networks if both types are available.

33. A wireless device for seamless roaming between a plurality of different wireless networks comprising:

first circuitry that executes a selected application program which communicates with a displaced program;

second circuitry, coupled to the first circuitry, that includes at least one wireless transceiver and which searches for and responds to a plurality of different available wireless networks;

control software, coupled to the second circuitry, which selects a preferred network type and a network of the preferred type of the available networks to provide communications between the executing applications program and the displaced program, the control software monitors a connection therebetween, and

responsive to a connection loss, the control software automatically maintains communications between the executing applications program and the displaced program by selecting one of a preferred network type from those networks which continue to be available and initiating communications between the executing application program and the displaced program.

34. A device as in claim 33 where the second circuitry includes at least one WLAN interface, and at least one WWAN interface.

35. A device as in claim 33 where the software automatically switches between a first of available WLANs and WWANs to a second of WLANs and WWANs in accordance with a software based rules engine.