APPARATUS, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INITIATING WLAN SERVICE USING BEACON SIGNALS

• US 20090213819A1
• Filed: 02/26/2008
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: KALHAN, Amit
• Granted Patent: US 8,233,433 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/32 by location or mobility data, e.g. speed data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

An access point transmits a beacon signal when a multimode communication device is within a maximum proximity of the access point. A wireless wide area network (WWAN) receiver in the access point monitors a WWAN uplink channel used by the multimode wireless communication device to communicate with a WWAN base station. The access point determines, or at least estimates, a proximity of the multimode communication device to the access point based on a received WWAN uplink signal transmitted by the multimode wireless communication device. If the proximity is less than a proximity threshold, the access point transmits the beacon signal. The beacon signal at least indicates the presence of the access point and, in some circumstances, includes instructions or information to assist in a handoff from the WWAN to the WLAN.

Claims

1. An access point comprising:

a wireless local area network (WLAN) interface configured to exchange WLAN signals with a multimode wireless communication device;

a wireless wide area network (WWAN) receiver configured to receive a WWAN uplink signal transmitted from the multimode wireless communication device;

WWAN transmitter configured to transmit a beacon signal within a WWAN frequency band when the WWAN uplink signal indicates that a distance between the multimode wireless communication device and the access point is less than a proximity threshold.

2. The access point of claim 1, wherein the WWAN transmitter is further configured to transmit the beacon signal on an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) tone.

3. The access point of claim 1, wherein the WWAN frequency band is a WWAN downlink frequency band used for transmission of downlink communication signals from a WWAN base station to the multimode wireless communication device.

4. The access point of claim 1, wherein a decision to handoff the multimode wireless communication device from the WWAN to the WLAN is at least partially based on a signal strength of the beacon signal when received at the multimode wireless communication device.

5. The access point of claim 1, further comprising a WWAN interface to receive downlink communication parameters from the WWAN.

6. The access point of claim 5 wherein the WWAN is configured to receive the downlink communication parameters through a wired connection.

7. The access point of claim 5 wherein the WWAN interface is configured to receive the downlink communication parameters through a wireless connection.

8. The access point of claim 7 wherein the WWAN interface comprises the WWAN receiver and is configured to receive the downlink communication parameters through a downlink WWAN control channel.

9. The access point of claim 1, wherein the WWAN transmitter is further configured to code the beacon signal in accordance with an identifier (ID) of the multimode wireless communication device.

10. The access point of claim 1, wherein the WWAN transmitter is further configured to code the beacon signal in accordance with a WLAN identifier (ID) of the access point.

11. A multimode wireless communication device comprising:

a wireless wide area network (WWAN) receiver to receive wireless communication signals within a WWAN downlink frequency band from a WWAN base station and to receive a beacon signal within the WWAN downlink frequency band from an access point;

a WLAN receiver to receive WLAN signals from the access point; and

a processor to activate, in response to a determination that a characteristic of the beacons signal exceeds a threshold, the WLAN receiver to receive the WLAN signals.

12. The multimode wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the beacon signal is received on an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) tone.

13. The multimode wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the WWAN receiver is configured to decode the beacon signal in accordance with an identifier (ID) of the multimode communication device.

14. The multimode wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the characteristic is a signal to noise ratio (SNR) and the processor is configured to activate the WLAN receiver when the SNR is above a SNR threshold.

15. The multimode wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the characteristic is a signal strength and the processor is configured to activate the WLAN receiver when the signal strength is above a signal strength threshold.

16. The multimode wireless communication device of claim 11, further comprising:

a GPS receiver to receive GPS data; and

a WWAN transmitter to transmit GPS information based on the GPS data to the WWAN base station.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the determining the proximity comprises calculating a time difference between a WWAN UL signal transmission time included in the UL transmission control information and a received time of the WWAN UL signal.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the determining the proximity comprises evaluating GPS information transmitted the multimode wireless communication device indicating a geographical location of the multimode wireless communication device.

17. A method performed at an access point configured to communicate with a multimode wireless communication device, the method comprising:

receiving a wireless wide area network (WWAN) down link (DL) signal comprising uplink (UL) transmission control information;

receiving a WWAN UL signal from the multimode wireless communication device;

determining a proximity of the multimode wireless communication device to the access point based on the UL transmission control information and the WWAN RL signal;

transmitting a beacon signal within a WWAN frequency band to the multimode wireless communication device when the proximity is less than a threshold.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the determining the proximity comprises calculating a power difference between a WWAN UL signal transmission power level included in the UL transmission control information and a received power level of the WWAN UL signal.