VERTICAL HANDOVER COMPOSITE QUALITY MEASURES

• US 20110085518A1
• Filed: 12/17/2010
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tahoe Research Limited (f/k/a Learndale Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Pouya Taaghol, Vivek Gupta
• Inventors: Gupta, Vivek, Taaghol, Pouya
• Granted Patent: US 8,880,071 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/332
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/04 Reselecting a cell layer in multi-layered cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 by measured or perceived connection quality data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/302 due to low signal strength

Abstract

A composite quality measure helps determine a target for a vertical handover between different connection types. Various measurements are normalized, weighted and summed to produce composite quality measures. A composite quality measure may be compared to a target value and the corresponding connection may be added to a feasibility table if the composite quality measure is above the target.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

communicating across a first wireless network of a first type;

identifying a second wireless network of a second type, the second type different from the first type;

prior to a handover decision, performing an authentication procedure with the second wireless network;

based on the handover decision, performing a vertical handover from the first wireless network to the second wireless network,

wherein said handover decision is based at least on a signal measurement corresponding to the second wireless network and a hysteresis parameter; and

wherein the second wireless network is a WiMAX network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless network is an IEEE 802.11 network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second wireless network is included in a feasibility table.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising gathering signal measurements for a plurality of wireless connection types, wherein the plurality of connection types includes the second wireless network.

5. An apparatus, comprising:

a first interface to communicate across a first wireless network of a first type;

a second interface to communicate across a second wireless network of a second type;

a decision module to make a handover decision to perform a vertical handover from the first wireless network to the second wireless network; and

a control module to, prior to the handover decision, perform an authentication procedure with the second wireless network;

wherein the second wireless network is a WiMAX network.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the decision module is to make the handover decision based at least on a signal measurement corresponding to the second wireless network and a hysteresis parameter.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first wireless network is an IEEE 802.11 network.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a storage medium store a table of feasible wireless networks, the table including the second wireless network.

9. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a control module to gathering signal measurements for a plurality of wireless connection types, wherein the plurality of connection types includes the second wireless network.

10. An article having a machine readable medium with instructions stored thereon that when accessed result in a mobile communications device:

communicating across a first wireless network of a first type;

identifying a second wireless network of a second type, the second type different from the first type;

prior to a handover decision, performing an authentication procedure with the second wireless network;

based on the handover decision, performing a vertical handover from the first wireless network to the second wireless network,

wherein said handover decision is based at least on a signal measurement corresponding to the second wireless network and a hysteresis parameter; and

wherein the second wireless network is a WiMAX network.

11. The article of claim 10, wherein the first wireless network is an IEEE 802.11 network.

12. The article of claim 10, wherein the second wireless network is included in a feasibility table.

13. The article of claim 10, further comprising gathering signal measurements for a plurality of wireless connection types, wherein the plurality of connection types includes the second wireless network.