Method of Seamless Roaming Between Wireless Local Area Networks and Cellular Carrier Networks

• US 20100323665A1
• Filed: 09/01/2010
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kraasten Bros Fund BV LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Ibe, Oliver C., Zeng, Jianyu
• Granted Patent: US 8,041,360 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0022 for transferring data sessions between adjacent core network technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 by measured or perceived connection quality data
• 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 scheme that enables seamless roaming between the WLAN and the cellular carrier network by enabling a user that originates a call in the WLAN and happens to go outside the range of the WLAN to automatically switch over to the cellular carrier network without losing connection with the other party. This solution assumes that the mobile device has the capability to operate in at least two modes that include the WLAN mode and one of the cellular carrier modes, such as the GSM, IS-95 CDMA, IS-136 TDMA, and iDEN.

Claims

1-9. -9. (canceled)

10. A method, comprising:

a gateway receiving a message from a mobile device, wherein the message comprises one or more parameters about an in-progress call;

the gateway establishing a connection with the mobile device via a wireless local area network;

the gateway listening on a channel of a cellular carrier network used by the mobile device in the in-progress call; and

the gateway relaying at least one parameter of the one or more parameters about the in-progress call between the mobile device and the cellular carrier network.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the message is a short message service (SMS) message.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

the gateway sending an authentication message to an authentication server to authenticate the mobile device;

the gateway receiving a location of the mobile device and network configuration parameters from the authentication server; and

the gateway establishing the connection to the mobile device based on the location of the mobile device.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

after the in-progress call has terminated, the gateway listening on a paging channel of the cellular carrier network for calls destined for the mobile device.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

the gateway receiving, via the paging channel, a new call destined for the mobile device; and

the gateway delivering the new call to the mobile device via the wireless local area network.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the message further comprises information identifying the mobile device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the information identifying the mobile device comprises at least one telephone number associated with the mobile device.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more parameters identify the channel of the cellular carrier network used by the mobile device in the in-progress call.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more parameters identify a power level.

19. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

the gateway maintaining a record of a cellular carrier network associated with the mobile device.

20. A device, comprising:

a fixed radio terminal; and

a gateway configured to;

receive a message from a mobile device via the fixed radio terminal, wherein the message comprises one or more parameters about an in-progress call,

establish a connection with the mobile device via a wireless local area network,

listen on a channel of a cellular carrier network used by the mobile device in the in-progress call, and

relay at least one parameter of the one or more parameters about the in-progress call between the mobile device and the cellular carrier network.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein the message is a short message service (SMS) message.

22. The device of claim 20, wherein the gateway is further configured to:

send an authentication message to an authentication server to authenticate the mobile device;

receive a location of the mobile device and network configuration parameters from the authentication server; and

establish the connection to the mobile device based on the location of the mobile device.

23. The device of claim 20, wherein the gateway is further configured to:

after the in-progress call has terminated, listen on a paging channel of the cellular carrier network for calls destined for the mobile device.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein the gateway is further configured to:

receive, via the paging channel, a new call destined for the mobile device; and

deliver the new call to the mobile device.

25. The device of claim 20, wherein the message further comprises information identifying the mobile device.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein the information identifying the mobile device comprises at least one telephone number associated with the mobile device.

27. The device of claim 20, wherein the one or more parameters identify the channel of the cellular carrier network used by the mobile device in the in-progress call.

28. The device of claim 20, wherein the fixed radio terminal comprises one or more radios, each radio configured to communicate with one or more cellular carrier networks.

29. The device of claim 20, wherein the fixed radio terminal is configured to communicate using any of a plurality of cellular network technologies.