Location Based Handoff

• US 20090203394A1
• Filed: 02/12/2008
• Published: 08/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Bich Tu, Patel, Labhesh, Jagadeesan, Ramanathan T., Pelton, Gregory D., Shaffer, Shmuel
• Granted Patent: US 8,249,596 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/525
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/32 by location or mobility data, e.g. speed data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/322 by location data

Abstract

A method includes determining a coverage area for each of a plurality of base stations. The method also includes receiving a first location parameter indicative of a mobile unit'"'"'s location. The method further includes transitioning a first connection between the mobile unit and a first base station of the plurality of base stations to a second connection between the mobile unit and a second base station of the plurality of base stations. The transition is based on the coverage areas of the first base station and the second base station and the first location parameter.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a coverage area for each of a plurality of base stations;

receiving a first location parameter indicative of a mobile unit'"'"'s predicted location; and

facilitating a transition of a first connection between the mobile unit and a first base station of the plurality of base stations to a second connection between the mobile unit and a second base station of the plurality of base stations based on the coverage areas of the first base station and the second base station and the first location parameter.

2. The method of claim 1:

further comprising determining a second location parameter indicative of a destination of the mobile unit; and

wherein facilitating the transition of the first connection to the second connection based on the coverage areas of the first base station and the second base station and the first location parameter comprises facilitating the transition of the first connection to the second connection based on the coverage areas of the first base station and the second base station, the first location parameter and the second location parameter.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein facilitating the transition of the first connection to the second connection based on the coverage areas of the first base station and the second base station and the first location parameter comprises facilitating the transition of the first connection to the second connection based on the coverage areas of the first base station and the second base station, the first location parameter and at least one optimization parameter.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one optimization parameter is selected from a group consisting of at least one optimization parameter for optimizing a user experience, at least one optimization parameter for optimizing a capacity parameter of at least one base station of the plurality of base stations, and at least one optimization parameter for optimizing a load parameter of at least one base station of the plurality of base stations.

5. The method of claim 1:

further comprising determining a load parameter for at least one base station of the plurality of base stations; and

wherein facilitating the transition of the first connection to the second connection based on the coverage areas of the first base station and the second base station and the first location parameter comprises facilitating the transition of the first connection to the second connection based on the coverage areas of the first base station and the second base station, the first location parameter, and the load parameter.

6. A method comprising:

establishing a first connection with a first base station of a plurality of base stations;

determining a coverage area for at least the first base station and a second base station;

determining a first location parameter; and

requesting a handoff from the first base station to a second base station of the plurality of base stations based on the coverage areas for the first base station and the second base station and the first location parameter.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining a second location parameter indicative of a destination;

determining a coverage area for at least a third base station of the plurality of base stations; and

requesting a reservation of at least one connection resource from the third base station based on the second location parameter and the coverage area of the third base station.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein determining the first location parameter comprises determining the first location parameter using a global positioning system.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein determining the first location parameter comprises determining the first location parameter using wireless-networking location information.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein requesting a handoff from the first base station to a second base station of the plurality of base stations based on the coverage areas for the first base station and the second base station and the first location parameter comprises requesting a handoff from the first base station to the second base station based on the coverage areas for the first base station and the second base station, the first location parameter and at least one optimization parameter.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one optimization parameter is selected from a group consisting of at least one optimization parameter for optimizing a user experience and at least one optimization parameter for optimizing a user cost parameter.

12. The method of claim 6,

further comprising:

determining the coverage area for at least a third base station; and

determining a second location parameter indicative of a destination; and

wherein requesting a handoff from the first base station to a second base station of the plurality of base stations comprises requesting a handoff from the first base station to a second base station of the plurality of base stations based on the coverage areas for the first base station, the second base station, and the third base station, and the first and second location parameters.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a processor operable to determine a coverage area for each of a plurality of base stations; and

an interface coupled to the processor and operable to receive a first location parameter indicative of a mobile unit'"'"'s predicted location; and

wherein the processor is further operable to facilitate a transition of a first connection between the mobile unit and a first base station of the plurality of base stations to a second connection between the mobile unit and a second base station of the plurality of base stations based on the coverage areas of the first base station and the second base station and the first location parameter.

14. The apparatus of claim 13:

wherein the processor is further operable to determine a second location parameter indicative of a destination of the mobile unit; and

wherein the processor operable to facilitate the transition of the first connection to the second connection based on the coverage areas of the first base station and the second base station and the first location parameter comprises a processor operable to facilitate the transition of the first connection to the second connection based on the coverage areas of the first base station and the second base station, the first location parameter and the second location parameter.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor operable to facilitate the transition of the first connection to the second connection based on the coverage areas of the first base station and the second base station and the first location parameter comprises a processor operable to facilitate the transition of the first connection to the second connection based on the coverage areas of the first base station and the second base station, the first location parameter and at least one optimization parameter.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one optimization parameter is selected from a group consisting of at least one optimization parameter for optimizing a user experience, at least one optimization parameter for optimizing a capacity parameter of at least one base station of the plurality of base stations, and at least one optimization parameter for optimizing a load parameter of at least one base station of the plurality of base stations.

17. The apparatus of claim 13:

wherein the processor is further operable to determine a load parameter for at least one base station of the plurality of base stations; and

wherein the processor operable to facilitate the transition of the first connection to the second connection based on the coverage areas of the first base station and the second base station and the first location parameter comprises a processor operable to facilitate the transition of the first connection to the second connection based on the coverage areas of the first base station and the second base station, the first location parameter, and the load parameter.

18. An apparatus comprising:

an interface operable to establish a first connection with a first base station of a plurality of base stations; and

a processor coupled to the interface and operable to;

determine a coverage area for at least the first base station and a second base station;

determine a first location parameter; and

request a handoff from the first base station to a second base station of the plurality of base stations based on the coverage areas for the first base station and the second base station and the first location parameter.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the processor is further operable to:

determine a second location parameter indicative of a destination;

determine a coverage area for at least a third base station of the plurality of base stations; and

request a reservation of at least one connection resource from the third base station based on the second location parameter and the coverage area of the third base station.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the processor operable to determine the first location parameter comprises a processor operable to determine the first location parameter using a global positioning system.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the processor operable to determine the first location parameter comprises a processor operable to determine the first location parameter using wireless-networking location information.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the processor operable to request a handoff from the first base station to a second base station of the plurality of base stations based on the coverage areas for the first base station and the second base station and the first location parameter comprises a processor operable to request a handoff from the first base station to the second base station based on the coverage areas for the first base station and the second base station, the first location parameter and at least one optimization parameter.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the at least one optimization parameter is selected from a group consisting of at least one optimization parameter for optimizing a user experience and at least one optimization parameter for optimizing a user cost parameter.

24. The apparatus of claim 18:

wherein the processor is further operable to;

determine the coverage area for at least a third base station; and

determine a second location parameter indicative of a destination; and

wherein the processor operable to request a handoff from the first base station to a second base station of the plurality of base stations comprises a processor operable to request a handoff from the first base station to a second base station of the plurality of base stations based on the coverage areas for the first base station, the second base station, and the third base station, and the first and second location parameters.