Anchoring a communication session in a multiple mode system

• US 20070183364A1
• Filed: 02/03/2006
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Grayson, Mark, Donovan, Steven, Nguyen, Bich, Jagadeesan, Ramanathan, Pearce, Christopher, Chung, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 8,116,769 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/331
• 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 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/22 Manipulation of transport tunnels
• 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

Anchoring a communication session for a target mobile phone includes identifying a current access node operable to provide the target mobile phone access to a first network of a first network type. Potential access nodes operable to provide a mobile phone access to a second network of a second network type are identified. Whether the communication session can be handed off to a potential access node of the one or more potential access nodes is established. Anchoring of the communication session is initiated in the second network only if the communication session can be handed off to a potential access node of the one or more potential access nodes.

Claims

1. A method for anchoring a communication session, comprising:

identifying a current access node for a communication session for a target mobile phone, the current access node operable to provide the target mobile phone access to a first network of a first network type;

identifying one or more potential access nodes, a potential access node operable to provide a mobile phone access to a second network of a second network type;

establishing whether the communication session can be handed off to a potential access node of the one or more potential access nodes; and

initiating anchoring of the communication session in the second network only if the communication session can be handed off to a potential access node of the one or more potential access nodes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the current access node further comprises a cell site;

the first network type refers to a cellular network;

the potential access node further comprises a Wireless Fidelity access point; and

the second network type refers to a Wireless Fidelity network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least the following are performed at the mobile phone:

establishing whether the communication session can be handed off to a potential access node of the one or more potential access nodes; and

initiating anchoring of the communication session in the second network only if the communication session can be handed off to a potential access node of the one or more potential access nodes.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least the following are performed at a network node:

establishing whether the communication session can be handed off to a potential access node of the one or more potential access nodes; and

initiating anchoring of the communication session in the second network only if the communication session can be handed off to a potential access node of the one or more potential access nodes.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing whether the communication session can be handed off to a potential access node of the one or more potential access nodes further comprises:

determining if coverage of the potential access node at least partially overlaps coverage of the current access node.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing whether the communication session can be handed off to a potential access node of the one or more potential access nodes further comprises:

determining if coverage of the potential access node at least partially overlaps coverage an access node of a set of access nodes associated with the current access node, the set of access nodes comprising access nodes proximate to the current access node, the set of access nodes providing contiguous coverage.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying one or more potential access nodes further comprises:

configuring one or more potential access node identifiers in a mapping table, each potential access node identifier identifying a potential access node of the one or more potential access nodes; and

identifying the one or more potential access nodes from the mapping table.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying one or more potential access nodes further comprises:

discovering the one or more potential access nodes;

storing one or more potential access node identifiers in a mapping table, each potential access node identifier identifying a discovered potential access node of the one or more discovered potential access nodes; and

identifying the one or more potential access nodes from the mapping table.

9. A system for anchoring a communication session, comprising:

a memory operable to store a mapping table identifying one or more potential access nodes, a potential access node operable to provide a mobile phone access to a second network of a second network type; and

an anchoring decision engine operable to;

identify a current access node for a communication session for a target mobile phone, the current access node operable to provide the target mobile phone access to a first network of a first network type;

establish whether the communication session can be handed off to a potential access node of the one or more potential access nodes; and

initiate anchoring of the communication session in the second network only if the communication session can be handed off to a potential access node of the one or more potential access nodes.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the current access node further comprises a cell site;

the first network type refers to a cellular network;

the potential access node further comprises a Wireless Fidelity access point; and

the second network type refers to a Wireless Fidelity network.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the mobile phone comprises the anchoring engine.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the mobile phone comprises the mapping table.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein a network node comprises the anchoring engine.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein a database comprises the mapping table.

15. The system of claim 9, the anchoring decision engine further operable to establish whether the communication session can be handed off to a potential access node of the one or more potential access nodes by:

determining if coverage of the potential access node at least partially overlaps coverage of the current access node.

16. The system of claim 9, the anchoring decision engine further operable to establish whether the communication session can be handed off to a potential access node of the one or more potential access nodes by:

determining if coverage of the potential access node at least partially overlaps coverage an access node of a set of access nodes associated with the current access node, the set of access nodes comprising access nodes proximate to the current access node, the set of access nodes providing contiguous coverage.

17. The system of claim 9, the anchoring decision engine further operable to identify one or more potential access nodes by:

configuring one or more potential access node identifiers in a mapping table, each potential access node identifier identifying a potential access node of the one or more potential access nodes; and

identifying the one or more potential access nodes from the mapping table.

18. The system of claim 9, the anchoring decision engine further operable to identify one or more potential access nodes by:

discovering the one or more potential access nodes;

storing one or more potential access node identifiers in a mapping table, each potential access node identifier identifying a discovered potential access node of the one or more discovered potential access nodes; and

identifying the one or more potential access nodes from the mapping table.

19. A system for anchoring a communication session, comprising:

means for identifying a current access node for a communication session for a target mobile phone, the current access node operable to provide access to a first network of a first network type;

means for identifying one or more potential access nodes, a potential access node operable to provide access to a second network of a second network type;

means for establishing whether the communication session can be handed off to a potential access node of the one or more potential access nodes; and

means for anchoring the communication session in the second network only if the communication session can be handed off to a potential access node of the one or more potential access nodes.

20. A method for anchoring a communication session, comprising:

identifying a current access node for a communication session for a target mobile phone, the current access node further comprising a cell site, the current access node operable to provide the target mobile phone access to a first network of a first network type, the first network type referring to a cellular network, the one or more potential access nodes identified by;

configuring one or more potential access node identifiers in a mapping table, each potential access node identifier identifying a potential access node of the one or more potential access nodes; and

discovering the one or more potential access nodes;

storing one or more potential access node identifiers in a mapping table, each potential access node identifier identifying a discovered potential access node of the one or more discovered potential access nodes; and

identifying the one or more potential access nodes from the mapping table;

identifying one or more potential access nodes, a potential access node operable to provide a mobile phone access to a second network of a second network type, the potential access node further comprises a Wireless Fidelity access point, the second network type referring to a Wireless Fidelity network; and

performing at least the following in at least one of the mobile phone and a network node;

establishing whether the communication session can be handed off to a potential access node of the one or more potential access nodes, the potential access node established by;

determining if coverage of the potential access node at least partially overlaps coverage of the current access node; and

determining if coverage of the potential access node at least partially overlaps coverage an access node of a set of access nodes associated with the current access node, the set of access nodes comprising access nodes proximate to the current access node, the set of access nodes providing contiguous coverage; and

initiating anchoring of the communication session in the second network only if the communication session can be handed off to a potential access node of the one or more potential access nodes.