EFFICIENT NETWORK HAND-OFF UTILIZING STORED BEAM-FORMING INFORMATION

• US 20080181180A1
• Filed: 01/28/2008
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Karaoguz, Jeyhan
• Application Number:
  US12/020,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20080181180A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0408 using two or more beams, i.e. beam diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/085 involving beams of access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/322 by location data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/38 by fixed network equipment

Abstract

A system and method for performing efficient network hand-off (e.g., of a mobile communication device) utilizing stored beam-forming information. For example and without limitation, before determining to perform a particular hand-off, various aspects may comprise storing beam-forming information associated with the particular hand-off. Various aspects may also, for example, comprise determining to perform the particular hand-off. Various aspects may additionally, for example, comprise (e.g., after determining to perform the particular hand-off) accessing the stored beam-forming information associated with the particular hand-off to be performed. Various aspects may further, for example, comprise utilizing the accessed beam-forming information to form a communication beam to utilize for performing the particular hand-off.

Claims

1. In a communication system, a method for performing communication device hand-off, the method comprising:

determining to perform a particular hand-off;

accessing stored beam-forming information associated with the particular hand-off to be performed; and

utilizing the accessed beam-forming information to form a communication beam to utilize for performing the particular hand-off.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing beam-forming information associated with the particular hand-off before determining to perform the particular hand-off, and wherein accessing stored beam-forming information associated with the particular hand-off to be performed comprises accessing the stored beam-forming information associated with the particular hand-off after determining to perform the particular hand-off.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein storing beam-forming information associated with the particular hand-off before determining to perform the particular hand-off comprises storing beam-forming information associated with the particular hand-off before determining that performance of the particular hand-off is imminent.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein storing beam-forming information associated with the particular hand-off comprises storing the beam-forming information at an access point of a communication network.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein storing beam-forming information associated with the particular hand-off comprises storing the beam-forming information in a manner that is accessible by hand-off location.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein storing beam-forming information associated with the particular hand-off comprises storing the beam-forming information in a manner that is accessible by network identification.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing stored beam-forming information associated with the particular hand-off to be performed comprises:

determining a location associated with the particular hand-off to be performed; and

utilizing information of the determined location to access the stored beam-forming information associated with the particular hand-off to be performed.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining a location associated with the particular hand-off to be performed comprises predicting a location associated with the particular hand-off to be performed.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing stored beam-forming information associated with the particular hand-off to be performed comprises:

identifying a communication network associated with the particular hand-off to be performed; and

utilizing the identity of the identified communication network to access the stored beam-forming information associated with the particular hand-off to be performed.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein utilizing the accessed beam-forming information to form a communication beam to utilize for performing the particular hand-off comprises utilizing the accessed beam-forming information to form a communication beam to utilize for performing the particular hand-off prior to determining when to perform the particular hand-off.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising after utilizing the accessed beam-forming information to form a communication beam to utilize for performing the particular hand-off, adapting the stored beam-forming information associated with the particular hand-off.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising after utilizing the accessed beam-forming information to form a communication beam to utilize for performing the particular hand-off, switching from a beam-forming configuration to a Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) configuration.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

utilizing the formed communication beam to hand off a mobile communication device from a first communication network to a second communication network different from the first communication network;

prior to performing the hand-off, providing a communication service to the mobile communication device with the first communication network; and

after performing the hand-off, continuing to provide the communication service to the mobile communication device with the second communication network.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the communication service is a voice communication service.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the communication service is one of a plurality of communication services being provided to the mobile communication device at the time of the hand-off, less than all of which are associated with the hand-off.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular hand-off concerns handing off a mobile communication device comprising cellular telephone capability.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising utilizing the formed communication beam to perform the particular hand-off, where the particular hand-off comprises handing off a mobile communication device from a first communication network to a second communication network different from the first communication network.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising utilizing the formed communication beam to perform the particular hand-off, where the particular hand-off comprises handing off a mobile communication device from a first communication network of a first type to a second communication network of a second type different from the first type.

19. A processor for facilitating communication device hand-off, the processor comprising at least one module that operates to, at least:

determine to perform the particular hand-off;

access stored beam-forming information associated with the particular hand-off to be performed; and

utilize the accessed beam-forming information to form a communication beam to utilize for performing the particular hand-off.

20. The processor of claim 19, wherein:

the at least one module operates to store beam-forming information associated with the particular hand-off before determining to perform the particular hand-off; and

the at least one module operates to access stored beam-forming information associated with the particular hand-off to be performed by, at least in part, operating to access the stored beam-forming information associated with the particular hand-off after determining to perform the particular hand-off.

21. The processor of claim 20, wherein the at least module operates to store beam-forming information associated with the particular hand-off before determining to perform the particular hand-off by, at least in part, operating to store beam-forming information associated with the particular hand-off before determining that performance of the particular hand-off is imminent.

22. The processor of claim 20, wherein the at least one module operates to store beam-forming information associated with the particular hand-off by, at least in part, operating to store the beam-forming information at an access point of a communication network.

23. The processor of claim 20, wherein the at least one module operates to store beam-forming information associated with the particular hand-off by, at least in part, operating to store the beam-forming information in a manner that is accessible by hand-off location.

24. The processor of claim 20, wherein the at least one module operates to store beam-forming information associated with the particular hand-off by, at least in part, operating to store the beam-forming information in a manner that is accessible by network identification.

25. The processor of claim 19, wherein the at least one module operates to access the stored beam-forming information associated with the particular hand-off to be performed by, at least in part, operating to:

determine a location associated with the particular hand-off to be performed; and

utilize information of the determined location to access the stored beam-forming information associated with the particular hand-off to be performed.

26. The processor of claim 25, wherein the at least one module operates to determine a location associated with the particular hand-off to be performed by, at least in part, operating to predict a location associated with the particular hand-off to be performed.

27. The processor of claim 19, wherein the at least one module operates to access the stored beam-forming information associated with the particular hand-off to be performed by, at least in part, operating to:

identify a communication network associated with the particular hand-off to be performed; and

utilize the identity of the identified communication network to access the stored beam-forming information associated with the particular hand-off to be performed.

28. The processor of claim 19, wherein the at least one module operates to utilize the accessed beam-forming information to form a communication beam to utilize for performing the particular hand-off by, at least in part, operating to utilize the accessed beam-forming information to form a communication beam to utilize for performing the particular hand-off prior to determining when to perform the particular hand-off.

29. The processor of claim 19, wherein after operating to utilize the accessed beam-forming information to form a communication beam to utilize for performing the particular hand-off, the at least one module operates to adapt the stored beam-forming information associated with the particular hand-off.

30. The processor of claim 19, wherein after operating to utilize the accessed beam-forming information to form a communication beam to utilize for performing the particular hand-off, the at least one module operates to switch from a beam-forming configuration to a Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) configuration.

31. The processor of claim 19, wherein the at least one module further operates to, at least:

utilize the formed communication beam to hand off a mobile communication device from a first communication network to a second communication network different from the first communication network;

prior to performing the hand-off, provide a communication service to the mobile communication device with the first communication network; and

after performing the hand-off, continue to provide the communication service to the mobile communication device with the second communication network.

32. The processor of claim 31, wherein the communication service is a voice communication service.

33. The processor of claim 31, wherein the communication service is one of a plurality of communication services being provided to the mobile communication device at the time of the hand-off, less than all of which are associated with the hand-off.

34. The processor of claim 19, wherein the particular hand-off concerns handing off a mobile communication device comprising cellular telephone capability.

35. The processor of claim 19, wherein the at least one module further operates to utilize the formed communication beam to perform the particular hand-off, where the particular hand-off comprises handing off a mobile communication device from a first communication network to a second communication network different from the first communication network.

36. The processor of claim 19, wherein the at least one module further operates to utilize the formed communication beam to perform the particular hand-off, where the particular hand-off comprises handing off a mobile communication device from a first communication network of a first type to a second communication network of a second type different from the first type.

37. The processor of claim 19, wherein the processor comprises hardware and software.

38. The processor of claim 19, wherein the processor is a baseband processor.

39. The processor of claim 19 wherein the processor is an application-specific integrated circuit.