PROACTIVE HANDOVER POLICY

• US 20100167741A1
• Filed: 12/30/2008
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Corporate Resources Group LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Lee, Jay J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,064,910 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00 Hand-off or reselection arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0083 Determination of parameters used for hand-off, e.g. generation or modification of neighbour cell lists
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/008357 Determination of target cell based on access point [AP] properties, e.g. AP service capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00837 Determination of triggering parameters for hand-off
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/563 of the wireless resources

Abstract

An exemplary system and method for determining handovers for a mobile device are disclosed. An exemplary system may generally include a handover server in communication with a communication network configured to support initiated communications from a mobile device. The handover server is configured to detect an initiated communication between the mobile device and a first communication link, determine a value for each of a plurality of factors associated with each of a plurality of available communication links, and assign a desired communication link to the mobile device from the plurality of available communication using a generally simultaneous assessment of the plurality of factors.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

detecting an initiated communication between a mobile device and a first communication link;

determining a value for each of a plurality of factors associated with each of a plurality of available communication links; and

assigning a desired communication link from the plurality of available communication links based upon a generally simultaneous assessment of the plurality of factors.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

classifying each of the factors as one of a positive factor and a negative factor;

establishing the factors as a positive factor when a maximum value associated with the factor increases a probability of selecting the communication link associated with the positive factor; and

establishing the factors as a negative factor when a maximum value associated with the factor decreases a probability of selecting the communication link associated with the negative factor.

3. The method of claim 2, establishing selecting the desired communication link from the plurality of available communication links based upon the plurality of factors as determining a handover index for each of the available communication links, and establishing the handover index as a numerical comparison of the positive and negative factors for each of the communication links.

4. The method of claim 3, establishing the numerical comparison as one of a ratio of the positive factors to the negative factors, and a ratio of the negative factors to the positive factors.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

normalizing the plurality of factors to create a plurality of normalized factors;

establishing the normalizing of the plurality of factors as scaling each of the plurality of factors between a minimum magnitude associated with each of the plurality of factors and a maximum magnitude associated with each of the plurality of factors; and

establishing determining the desired communication link as determining the desired communication link based upon at least the plurality of normalized factors.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising weighting each of the factors according to a predetermined relative importance of each of the factors.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the plurality of available communication links.

8. The method of claim 1, establishing the plurality of available communication links as having a predetermined link signal strength with the mobile device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the signal transmission at the first communication link.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving the signal transmission at the desired communication link.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating a handover of the signal transmission from the first communication link to the desired communication link.

12. The method of claim 1, establishing the initiated communication as a phone call.

16. The communication system of claim 12, wherein the initiated communication is a phone call.

13. A communication system, comprising:

a handover server storing a heuristic for determining handovers for a mobile device;

wherein the handover server is configured to detect an initiated communication between the mobile device and a first communication link, the handover server further configured to determine a value for each of a plurality of factors associated with each of a plurality of available communication links, the handover server further configured to assign a desired communication link to the mobile device from the plurality of available communication using a simultaneous assessment of the plurality of factors.

14. The communication system of claim 13, wherein the handover server is configured to classify each of the factors as one of a positive factor and a negative factor, the handover server further configured to classify the factors as a positive factor when a maximum value associated with the factor increases a probability of selecting the communication link associated with the positive factor, and classify the factors as a negative factor when a maximum value associated with the factor decreases a probability of selecting the communication link associated with the negative factor.

15. The communication system of claim 14, wherein the handover server is configured to select the desired communication link from the plurality of available communication links based upon a handover index for each of the available communication links, the handover index including a generally simultaneous numerical comparison of the positive and negative factors for each of the communication links.

17. A system, comprising:

a handover server in communication with a communication network configured to support initiated communications from a mobile device;

wherein the handover server is configured to detect an initiated communication between the mobile device and a first communication link, the handover server further configured to determine a value for each of a plurality of factors associated with each of a plurality of available communication links, the handover server further configured to assign a desired communication link to the mobile device from the plurality of available communication using a simultaneous assessment of the plurality of factors.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the handover server is configured to classify each of the factors as one of a positive factor and a negative factor, the handover server further configured to classify the factors as a positive factor when a maximum value associated with the factor increases a probability of selecting the communication link associated with the positive factor, and classify the factors as a negative factor when a maximum value associated with the factor decreases a probability of selecting the communication link associated with the negative factor.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the handover server is configured to select the desired communication link from the plurality of available communication links based upon a handover index for each of the available communication links, the handover index including a generally simultaneous numerical comparison of the positive and negative factors for each of the communication links.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the initiated communication is a phone call, and the primary data line is a primary phone number.