Hand Over Method For Dual Band/Dual Mode Mobile Communication Terminal

• US 20080254796A1
• Filed: 04/19/2005
• Published: 10/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SK Telecom Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: SK Telecom Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Nam-Gun, Kim, Hyun-Wook, Ihm, Jong-Tae, Kim, Young-Lak
• Granted Patent: US 7,826,846 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/144 over a different radio air interface technology

Abstract

The present invention relates to a handover method for a dual band/dual mode mobile communication terminal between a synchronous mobile communication network and an asynchronous mobile communication network. The method includes the first step of the main processor setting an initial mobile communication network connection to the asynchronous mobile communication network and connecting to the asynchronous mobile communication network when power is applied; the second step of activating the synchronous RF device and setting up a connection to the synchronous mobile communication network when the intensity of a signal from the asynchronous mobile communication network is equal to or lower than a first predetermined reference value; the third step of determining whether the intensity of a signal from the asynchronous mobile communication network is equal to or lower than a second predetermined reference value previously set for the handover; the fourth step of activating the connection to the synchronous mobile communication network set up at the second step if the intensity of the signal from the asynchronous mobile communication network is determined to be equal to or lower than the second predetermined reference value at the third step; and the fifth step of releasing the connection to the asynchronous mobile communication network.

Claims

1. A handover method for a dual band/dual mode mobile communication terminal, the mobile communication terminal including an antenna for transmitting and receiving radio waves to/from an asynchronous mobile communication network and a synchronous mobile communication network, an asynchronous RF device for performing asynchronous communication with the asynchronous mobile communication network via the antenna, a synchronous RF device for performing synchronous communication with the synchronous mobile communication network via the antenna, a main processor for controlling wireless communication with the synchronous and asynchronous mobile communication networks via the synchronous and asynchronous Radio Frequency (RF) devices, and a common module for providing common resources, and being capable of performing wireless communication with the asynchronous mobile communication network and the synchronous mobile communication network, the method comprising:

the first step of the main processor setting an initial mobile communication network connection to the asynchronous mobile communication network and connecting to the asynchronous mobile communication network when power is applied;

the second step of activating the synchronous RF device and setting up a connection to the synchronous mobile communication network when the intensity of a signal from the asynchronous mobile communication network is equal to or lower than a first predetermined reference value;

the third step of determining whether the intensity of a signal from the asynchronous mobile communication network is equal to or lower than a second predetermined reference value previously set for the handover;

the fourth step of activating the connection to the synchronous mobile communication network set up at the second step if the intensity of the signal from the asynchronous mobile communication network is determined to be equal to or lower than the second predetermined reference value at the third step; and

the fifth step of releasing the connection to the asynchronous mobile communication network.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first step comprises:

the asynchronous activation step of the main processor activating the asynchronous RF device when power is applied;

the connection request step of the main processor requesting a connection to the asynchronous mobile communication network via the asynchronous RF device;

the connection performance step of the asynchronous mobile communication network making location registration based on the connection request with a Home Location Register (HLR) of the asynchronous mobile communication network and transmitting a response message to the location registration to the mobile communication terminal;

and the connection completion step of the mobile communication terminal receiving the response at the connection performance step, transmitting a connection setup completion message to the mobile communication network, and receiving a response.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2, wherein the response message of the connection performance step includes information indicating that handover to the synchronous mobile communication network is possible.

4. The method as set forth in claim 3, wherein the connection setup completion message of the connection completion step includes information about the synchronous RF device based on the information indicating that the handover to the synchronous mobile communication network is possible.

5. The method as set forth in claim 4, wherein the connection completion step comprises:

the step of storing the information about the synchronous RF device included in the connection setup completion message in the HLR of the asynchronous mobile communication network, and

the step of the HLR of the asynchronous mobile communication network transferring and registering the information about the synchronous RF device to and with an HLR of the synchronous network.

6. The method as set forth in claim 2, wherein the first step comprises:

the step of the mobile communication terminal transmitting information inquiring about the currently completed connection setup to the asynchronous mobile communication network after the connection completion step, and

the step of the asynchronous mobile communication network receiving the information inquiring about connection setup and transmitting an acknowledgement message to the mobile communication terminal.

7. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the second step comprises:

the step of activating the synchronous RF device,

the step of setting up the connection to the synchronous mobile communication network via the synchronous RF device, and

the step of performing registration of a location of the mobile communication terminal with an HLR of the synchronous mobile communication network.

8. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the fifth step comprises the step of setting the asynchronous RF device in a parking mode after releasing the connection to the asynchronous mobile communication network.

9. A handover method for a dual band/dual mode mobile communication terminal in a mobile communication network in which an asynchronous mobile communication network and a synchronous mobile communication network coexist, the mobile communication terminal having an asynchronous modem unit and a synchronous modem unit, the method comprising:

the step of the asynchronous mobile communication network requesting connection switching to the synchronous mobile communication network as the mobile communication terminal, which connected to and performing call with the asynchronous mobile communication network, moves toward the synchronous mobile communication network and, accordingly, a handover event occurs;

the step of a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) of the synchronous mobile communication network requesting handover by transmitting handover message to a BTS of the synchronous mobile communication network;

the step of the BTS assigning a forward channel to the synchronous modem unit of the mobile communication terminal;

the step of the MSC of the synchronous mobile communication network transmitting a response signal for the connection switching request to the asynchronous mobile communication network;

the step of the asynchronous mobile communication network transmitting a handover instruction message, including channel assignment information, to the asynchronous modem unit of the mobile communication terminal;

the step of the asynchronous modem unit of the mobile communication terminal transmitting the channel assignment information to the synchronous modem unit;

the step of the synchronous modem unit performing a process of preparing for communication, thereby achieving mode switching between the asynchronous modem unit and the synchronous modem unit;

the step of reverse channel assignment being achieved between the synchronous modem unit and the synchronous mobile communication network and the connection being completed; and

the step of the synchronous mobile communication network requesting the asynchronous mobile communication network to release a call with the asynchronous modem unit.

10. The method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the asynchronous mobile communication network transmits an identification number of the mobile communication terminal at the step of the asynchronous mobile communication network requesting the connection switching to the synchronous mobile communication network.

11. The method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the handover instruction message includes a handover message of the synchronous mobile communication network.

12. The method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the process of preparing for communication comprises:

the step of performing switch-on and warm-up processes of the synchronous modem unit;

the step of acquiring a pilot channel and a synchronous channel from the synchronous mobile communication network;

the step of the synchronous modem unit making a transition to an idle state; and

the step of the synchronous modem unit, placed in an idle state, making transition to a traffic state.

13. The method as set forth in claim 9, further comprising:

the step of the mobile communication terminal performing location registration with the asynchronous mobile communication network before connecting to and performing call with the asynchronous mobile communication network; and

the step of the mobile communication terminal transmitting terminal information to the asynchronous mobile communication network after being notified of the fact that the handover to the synchronous mobile communication network is possible by the asynchronous mobile communication network when the location registration is performed.