Service handover control apparatus using an end-to-end service handover and method using the apparatus

• US 20080167045A1
• Filed: 11/13/2007
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fraunhofer Gessellschaft Zur Forderunger Der Angewandten Forschung E.V., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Der Angewandten Forschung E.V., Fraunhofer Gesselleschaft Zur Foderungen, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Su-Won, Liu, Xiaoyu, Lee, Byoung-Joon, Jung, Eun Sun, Jang, Hee Jin, Corici, Marius, Floroju, John Williams
• Granted Patent: US 9,008,668 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/439
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1235 where one of the core networks is a wireless network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00226 wherein the core network technologies comprise IP multimedia system [IMS], e.g. single radio voice call continuity [SRVCC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/005 involving radio access media independent information, e.g. MIH [Media independent Hand-off]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/26 by agreed or negotiated communication parameters

Abstract

A service handover control apparatus and a method using the apparatus are provided. The service handover control apparatus includes a service handover management unit collecting information associated with a transmitting terminal and a wireless access network, which operate based on an Internet Protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS), and outputting a control signal which controls service handovers of the transmitting terminal and the receiving terminal based on the collected information; and a service handover controller providing the service handover management unit with the information associated with the transmitting terminal and the receiving terminal, and controlling the service handovers of the transmitting terminal and the receiving terminal based on the control signal.

Claims

1. A service handover control apparatus comprising:

a service handover management unit collecting information associated with a transmitting terminal or a receiving terminal which operate based on an Internet Protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS), or outputting a control signal which controls service handovers of the transmitting terminal and the receiving terminal based on the collected information; and

a service handover controller providing the service handover management unit with the information associated with the transmitting terminal and the receiving terminal, and controlling the service handovers of the transmitting terminal or the receiving terminal based on the control signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the service handover controller provides the handover management unit with updated information when the information associated with the transmitting terminal and the receiving terminal is updated, and the service handover controller unit outputs the control signal management unit which controls the service handovers of the transmitting terminal and the receiving terminal based on the updated information.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the service handover management unit comprises:

an information collector collecting the information associated with the transmitting terminal and the receiving terminal;

a service handover determination unit determining whether the service handovers occur based on the collected information associated with the transmitting terminal and the receiving terminal; and

a service handover provider outputting the control signal which controls the service handovers of the transmitting terminal and the receiving terminal when the service handovers occurs.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the transmitting terminal or the receiving terminal correspond to parameters associated with a wireless access network and a service profile of each of the transmitting terminal and the receiving terminal.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the transmitting terminal comprises information about a call condition with the receiving terminal.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the service handover controller unit outputs the control signal by considering first network information of a first wireless access network in which the transmitting and receiving terminals belong to or second network information of a second wireless access network being associated with the first wireless access network.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the second network information is received from a network information storage unit in response to a request of the service handover management unit.

8. A service handover control method comprising:

collecting information associated with a transmitting terminal or a receiving terminal which operate based on an IMS;

outputting a control signal which controls service handovers of the transmitting terminal or the receiving terminal based on the collected information; and

controlling the service handovers of the transmitting terminal or the receiving terminal based on the control signal.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

outputting the control signal which controls the service handovers of the transmitting terminal and the receiving terminal based on updated information when the information associated with the transmitting terminal or the receiving terminal is updated.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the outputting of the control signal comprises:

determining whether the service handovers occur based on the collected information associated with the transmitting terminal and the receiving terminal; and

outputting the control signal which controls the service handovers of the transmitting terminal and the receiving terminal when the service handovers occur.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the information associated with the transmitting terminal comprises information about a call condition with the receiving terminal.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the outputting of the control signal outputs the control signal which controls service handovers by considering first network information of a first wireless access network in which the transmitting and receiving terminals belong to or second network information of a second wireless access network being associated with the first wireless access network.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the outputting of the control signal comprises:

requesting the second network information from a network information storage unit; and

receiving the second network information from the network information storage unit.

25. At least one medium comprising computer readable instructions implementing the method of claim 8.

14. A service handover controlling apparatus controlling service handovers between a plurality of wireless access networks of a terminal which is capable of communicating using the plurality of wireless access networks, wherein the service handover apparatus generates a control signal which controls the service handovers based on call connection information of the terminal, first network information of a first wireless access network the terminal presently accesses, and second network information of a second wireless access network the terminal will access.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the call connection information comprises at least one of a service profile of the terminal, a type of a medium for a call, a bandwidth, and a call charge.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein each of the first and second network information comprises at least one of a type of a medium for a call, a minimum bandwidth, and a call charge provided by each of the first and second wireless access network.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the second network information is received from a network information storage unit in response to a request of the service handover management unit.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the network information comprises at least one of information about a network service provider of the second wireless access network, an access network list of currently available access networks of the network service provider, and a list of a specific base station and a list of a wireless access point of the usable access network.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the service handover control apparatus, from the plurality of wireless access networks, transmits a wireless access network list which provides a service required by the terminal to the terminal, and the second wireless access network is determined using the wireless access network list.

20. A service handover control method controlling service handovers between a plurality of wireless access networks of a terminal capable of communicating using the plurality of wireless access networks, comprising:

generating a control signal which controls the service handovers based on call connection information of the terminal, first network information of a first wireless access network the terminal currently accesses, and second network information of a second wireless access network the terminal will access; and

controlling a service handover of the terminal based on the control signal.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the call connection information comprises at least one of a service profile of the terminal, a type of a medium for a call, a bandwidth, and a call charge.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein each of the first and second network information comprises at least one of a type of a medium for a call, a minimum bandwidth, and a call charge provided by each of the first and second wireless access networks.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

requesting the second network information; and

receiving the second network information,

wherein the receiving of the second network information receives the second network information from a network information storage unit.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the second network information comprises at least one of information about a network service provider of the second wireless access network, an access network list of currently available access networks of the network service provider, and a list of a specific base station and a list of a wireless access point of the usable access network.