WIRELESS COMMUNICATION APPARATUS AND HANDOVER METHOD

• US 20090046654A1
• Filed: 03/03/2006
• Published: 02/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Sato, Mitsuru, Hoshi, Yoshiyuki, Matano, Tomohiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,072,937 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0088 Scheduling hand-off measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/1446 wherein at least one of the networks is unlicensed
• 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

A wireless communication apparatus capable of shortening the handover time and preventing the connection from being interrupted during telephone communication. In this apparatus, an HO part (109), when detecting an access point, outputs an handover control signal for performing a handover that is a process of switching from a communication using a third generation mobile communication system to a communication using a WLAN. A positional information acquiring part (112) receives a GPS signal transmitted from a GPS satellite and generates GPS information indicative of the position of the local apparatus. When the GPS information shows that the local apparatus approaches the area of the WLAN by a predetermined distance, a period deciding part (115) decides that the period be shorter than when the local apparatus is at the predetermined distance away from the area of the WLAN. When the local apparatus approaches the area of the WLAN by the predetermined distance, an AP detection period control part (116) controls the operation of access point detection to be performed in the period shorter than when the local apparatus is at the predetermined distance away from the area of the WLAN.

Claims

1. A wireless communication apparatus comprising:

a period control section that controls a period for detecting an access point of a wireless local area network;

an access point detecting section that detects the access point at a period controlled by the period control section; and

a switching section that, when the access point is detected during communication using a third-generation mobile communication system, switches communication using the third-generation mobile communication system to communication using the wireless local area network.

2. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a position information acquiring section that acquires position information showing a current position,

wherein the period control section controls the period based on the position information.

3. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, when a position of the position information is a position that comes close at a predetermined distance to an area where the wireless local area network can be used, the period control section performs control so as to make the period shorter than a case where the position is not a position that does not come close at a predetermined distance to the area.

4. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a call start detecting section that detects that a call in the third-generation mobile communication system is started,

wherein, when the start of the call is detected, the period control section performs control so as to make the period shorter than a case where the start of the call is not detected.

5. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a base station information acquiring section that acquires base station information comprising information for identifying cells,

wherein the period control section controls the period based on the base station information.

6. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 5, wherein, when the base station information showing cells at a predetermined distance closer to an area where the wireless local area network can be used, is acquired, the period control section performs control so as to make the period shorter than a case where the base station information showing cells at a predetermined distance closer to an area where the wireless local area network can be used, is not acquired.

7. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a received quality measuring section that measures received quality in communication using a third-generation mobile communication system,

wherein, when the received quality is lower than a predetermined value, the period control section makes the period shorter than a case where the received quality is equal to or higher than the predetermined value.

8. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a non-contact integrated circuit card section that communicates with an external non-contact integrated circuit card reader apparatus,

wherein, when start of communication between the non-contact integrated circuit card section and the non-contact integrated circuit card reader apparatus is detected, the period control section performs control so as to make the period shorter than a case where the start of communication between the non-contact integrated circuit card section and the non-contact integrated circuit card reader apparatus is not detected.

9. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a Bluetooth communication detecting section that detects that communication is performed by Bluetooth,

wherein, when the Bluetooth communication detecting section detects that communication is performed by Bluetooth, the period control section performs control so as to make the period shorter than a case where the Bluetooth communication detecting section does not detect that communication is performed by Bluetooth.

10. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1 comprising an open state detecting section that detects an open state of a case that is open when communication is performed and is folded when communication is not performed,

wherein, when the open state is detected, the period control section performs control so as to make the period shorter than a case where the open state is not detected.

11. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1 comprising:

a base station information acquiring section that acquires base station information comprising information for identifying cells; and

an activating section that activates a wireless local area network based on the base station information,

wherein the period control section controls the period after the wireless local area network is activated by the activating section.

12. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 11, wherein, when the base station information showing cells at a predetermined distance closer to an area where the wireless local area network can be used, is acquired, the activating section activates the wireless local area network.

13. A handover method comprising the steps of:

controlling a period for detecting an access point of a wireless local area network;

detecting the access point at the controlled period; and

when the access point is detected during communication using a third-generation mobile communication system, switching communication using the third-generation mobile communication system to communication using the wireless local area network.