ANTICIPATORY HAND-OFF SETUP BETWEEN NETWORKS

• US 20080181179A1
• Filed: 01/28/2008
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Karaoguz, Jeyhan
• Granted Patent: US 8,605,678 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0016 Hand-off preparation specially adapted for end-to-end data sessions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0066 of control information between different types of networks in order to establish a new radio link in the target network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A system and method for performing anticipatory hand-off setup between communication networks. Various aspects of the present invention may, for example and without limitation, provide a system and method for performing anticipatory hand-off setup between communication networks. For example and without limitation, prior to a determination to perform a hand-off of a mobile communication device from a first communication network to a second communication network, a determination may be made that hand-off setup information should be communicated with the second communication network. For example, such a determination may be made in anticipation of a hand-off that may or may not happen. Such hand-off setup information may then be communicated with the second communication network. Such communicated setup information may then, for example, be utilized to at least partially prepare for performing the anticipated hand-off.

Claims

1. A processor for facilitating anticipatory hand-off setup between communication systems, the processor comprising:

at least one module that, prior to a determination to perform a hand-off of a mobile communication device from a first communication network to a second communication network, operates to at least;

determine that hand-off setup information should be communicated with the second communication network; and

cause communication of hand-off setup information with the second communication network.

2. The processor of claim 1, wherein the at least one module is disposed in a mobile communication device.

3. The processor of claim 1, wherein the at least one module is disposed in infrastructure equipment of at least one of the first and/or second communication networks.

4. The processor of claim 1, wherein the at least one module operates to determine that hand-off setup information should be communicated with the second communication network based, at least in part, on historical hand-off behavior of the mobile communication device.

5. The processor of claim 4, wherein the at least one module operates to determine the historical hand-off behavior of the mobile communication device by, at least in part, operating to monitor hand-off behavior of the mobile communication device.

6. The processor of claim 1, wherein the at least one module operates to determine that hand-off setup information should be communicated with the second communication network based, at least in part, on geographical location.

7. The processor of claim 6, wherein the at least one module operates to determine that hand-off setup information should be communicated with the second communication network based, at least in part, on determined geographical location of the mobile communication device.

8. The processor of claim 1, wherein the at least one module operates to determine that hand-off setup information should be communicated with the second communication network based, at least in part, on time.

9. The processor of claim 1, wherein the at least one module operates to determine that hand-off setup information should be communicated with the second communication network based, at least in part, on communication service identity.

10. The processor of claim 1, wherein the at least one module operates to determine that hand-off setup information should be, communicated with the second communication network based, at least in part, on a user-defined operating profile.

11. The processor of claim 1, wherein the setup information comprises security information.

12. The processor of claim 1, wherein the setup information comprises information identifying the mobile communication device and/or a user thereof.

13. The processor of claim 1, wherein the setup information comprises information identifying a particular communication service to be provided by the second communication network should a hand-off to the second communication network occur.

14. The processor of claim 1, wherein the setup information comprises geographical location information.

15. The processor of claim 1, wherein the setup information comprises time information.

16. The processor of claim 1, wherein the setup information comprises information identifying communication resources of the second communication network.

17. The processor of claim 1, wherein the setup information comprises communication resource negotiation information.

18. The processor of claim 1, wherein the at least one module operates to cause communication of hand-off setup information with the second communication network by, at least in part, operating to cause the mobile communication device to transmit hand-off setup information to the second communication network through the first communication network.

19. The processor of claim 1, wherein the at least one module operates to cause communication of hand-off setup information with the second communication network by, at least in part, operating to cause the mobile communication device to receive hand-off setup information from the second communication network through the first communication network.

20. The processor of claim 1, wherein the at least one module further operates to, prior to a determination to perform the hand-off, utilize the communicated hand-off setup information to perform a communication security function.

21. The processor of claim 1, wherein the at least one module further operates to, prior to a determination to perform the hand-off, utilize the communicated hand-off setup information to allocate communication resources for communication between the mobile communication device and the second communication network.

22. The processor of claim 1, wherein the at least one module further operates to, prior to a determination to perform the hand-off, utilize the communicated hand-off setup information to establish at least a partial communication link between the mobile communication device and the second communication network.

23. The processor of claim 1, wherein the at least one module further operates to, after causing communication of hand-off setup information with the second communication network, determine that an anticipated hand-off of the mobile communication device to the second communication network is not going to occur.

24. The processor of claim 23, wherein the at least one module further operates to, after determining that the anticipated hand-off of the mobile communication device to the second communication network is not going to occur, reverse one or more operations that were performed in preparation for the anticipated hand-off.

25. The processor of claim 1, wherein the at least one module comprises:

a memory comprising stored executable instruction; and

a processor that executes the executable instructions.

26. The processor of claim 1, wherein the processor is a baseband processor.

27. The processor of claim 1, wherein the processor is an application-specific integrated circuit.

28. The processor of claim 1, where the first and second communication networks are of different respective types.

29. The processor of claim 1, where one of the first and second communication networks is primarily a cellular telephony network and the other of the first and second communication networks is primarily a computer network.

30. The processor of claim 1, where one of the first and second communication networks is a Local Area Network, and the other of the first and second communication networks is a Metropolitan Area Network.

31. A method for facilitating anticipatory hand-off setup between communication systems, the method comprising:

prior to a determination to perform a hand-off of a mobile communication device from a first communication network to a second communication network;

determining that hand-off setup information should be communicated with the second communication network; and

causing communication of hand-off setup information with the second communication network.

32. A mobile communication device comprising:

at least one interface; and

at least one module that operates to, at least;

communicate with a first type of wireless communication network;

communicate with a second type of wireless communication network; and

prior to a determination to perform a hand-off of the mobile communication device from a first communication network of the first type to a second communication network of the second type;

determine that hand-off setup information should be communicated with the second communication network; and

cause communication of hand-off setup information with the second communication network.

33. The mobile communication device of claim 32, wherein the at least one interface comprises wireless transceiver circuitry that operates to communicate with a plurality of different types of communication networks.

34. The mobile communication device of claim 32, wherein the at least one interface operates to communicatively couple with wireless transceiver circuitry that operates to communicate with a plurality of different types of communication networks.