Proximity of User Equipment to a Home Local Network

• US 20090093234A1
• Filed: 10/05/2007
• Published: 04/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: SUZUKI, Takashi, WU, Wei, CAI, Zhijun, WOMACK, James Earl, YOUNG, Gordon Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,619,601 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A system is provided that includes a user equipment configured to attempt a quality measure of a signal from a home local network only when the user equipment is within range of the home local network.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a user equipment configured to attempt a quality measure of a signal from a home local network only when the user equipment is within range of the home local network.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the user equipment is determined to be within range of the home local network by at least one of:

a comparison of one or more known identifiers of one or more cells, the home local network within at least of the one or more cells, with an identifier of a current cell with which the user equipment is communicating, the comparison establishing whether the user equipment is within range of the home local network and whether the user equipment should attempt measurement of the signal of the home local network;

a comparison of a first location of the home local network with a second location of the user equipment as determined by positioning capability of the user equipment, the comparison establishing that the user equipment is within range of the home local network based on the first location and the second location;

an input received by the user equipment to inform the user equipment that the user equipment is within range of the home local network; and

a comparison of a first physical location of the home local network, as determined by a telecommunications network component, with a second physical location of the user equipment, as determined by the telecommunications network component, the comparison establishing that the user equipment is within range of the home local network based on the first physical location and the second physical location correspond.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the action is one of:

pressing a button on the user equipment;

selecting an icon on the user equipment;

selecting a menu item on the user equipment; and

activating a switch on the user equipment.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the telecommunications network component is an information server that provides media independent handover services.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the information server compares the first location to the second location upon receiving a query from the user equipment.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the home local network is one of a Wireless Fidelity network;

a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access network;

a wireless local access network using a home base station;

a wireless local access network using a home Enhanced Node B; and

a Wireless Local Area Network.

7. A method for determining when to attempt a measurement of a signal of a home local network, comprising:

a user equipment receiving a signal indicating its location;

determining a location of the home local network;

comparing the locations of the user equipment and the home local network; and

attempting the measurement of the signal of the home local network when the comparison indicates that the user equipment is within range of the home local network.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein comparing the locations of the user equipment and the home local network comprises comparing one or more known identifiers of one or more cells, the home local network within at least of the one or more cells, with an identifier of a current cell with which the user equipment is communicating, the comparison establishing whether the user equipment is within range of the home local network and whether the user equipment should attempt measurement of the signal of the home local network.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein comparing the locations of the user equipment and the home local network comprises comparing a first physical location of the home local network with a second physical location of the user equipment as determined by a global positioning system capability of the user equipment.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein comparing the locations of the user equipment and the home local network comprises performing an action on the user equipment to indicate that the user equipment is within range of the home local network.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the input is one of:

pressing a button on the user equipment;

selecting an icon on the user equipment;

selecting a menu item on the user equipment; and

activating a switch on the user equipment.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein comparing the locations of the user equipment and the home local network comprises comparing a first physical location of the home local network, as determined by a telecommunications network component, with a second physical location of the user equipment, as determined by the telecommunications network component to determine that the user equipment is within range of the home local network.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the telecommunications network component is an information server that provides media independent handover services.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the information server compares the first location to the second location upon receiving a query from the user equipment.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein the home local network is one of

a Wireless Fidelity network;

a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access network;

a wireless local access network using a home base station;

a wireless local access network using a home Enhanced Node B; and

a Wireless Local Area Network.

16. A system, comprising:

a processor programmed to promote determining a location of the user equipment, and based on a location of a home local network, the processor further programmed to compare the location of the user equipment with the location of the home local network and determine whether the user equipment should attempt measurement of a signal quality of the home local network.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the comparison determines based on the locations of the user equipment and the home local network whether the user equipment should attempt the measurement of the signal of the home local network based on at least one of:

a comparison of one or more known identifiers of one or more cells, the home local network within at least of the one or more cells, with an identifier of a current cell with which the user equipment is communicating, the comparison establishing whether the user equipment is within range of the home local network and whether the user equipment should attempt measurement of the signal of the home local network;

a comparison of a first location of the home local network with a second location of the user equipment as determined by positioning capability of the user equipment, the comparison establishing that the user equipment is within range of the home local network based on the first location and the second location;

an input received by the user equipment to inform the user equipment that the user equipment is within range of the home local network; and

a comparison of a first physical location of the home local network, as determined by a telecommunications network component, with a second physical location of the user equipment, as determined by the telecommunications network component, the comparison establishing that the user equipment is within range of the home local network based on the first physical location and the second physical location correspond.

18. The user equipment of claim 17, wherein the telecommunications network component is an information server that provides media independent handover services.

19. The user equipment of claim 18, wherein the information server compares the first location to the second location upon receiving a query from the user equipment.

20. The user equipment of claim 17, wherein the home local network is one of

a Wireless Fidelity network;

a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access network;

a wireless local access network using a home base station;

a wireless local access network using a home Enhanced Node B; and

a Wireless Local Area Network.