METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR POWER AND HANDOVER MANAGEMENT IN A MULTIPLE WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY COMMUNICATION DEVICE

• US 20110086638A1
• Filed: 10/08/2010
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Beceem Communications, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Medapalli, Kameswara
• Granted Patent: US 8,761,829 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0016 Hand-off preparation specially adapted for end-to-end data sessions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/226 using past references to control power, e.g. look-up-table
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/24 using SIR [Signal to Interference Ratio] or other wireless path parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/262 taking into account adaptive modulation and coding [AMC] scheme AMC per se H04L1/0001
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/40 during macro-diversity or soft handoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/42 in systems with time, space, frequency or polarisation diversity
• 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

Method and apparatuses for power and handoff management in a multiple wireless technology communication device are disclosed. One method includes a wireless device communicating using a first technology, and detecting availability of a second technology. Logic control of the wireless device receives a power level indicator of communication signals of the first technology, and determining an acceptable power level of communication signals of the second technology based on the power level indicator. The logic control determines a requested power level of communication signals of the second technology based on a request from a base station. The logic control provides a modified link quality representation to the base station if the requested power level is greater than the acceptable power level. The wireless device transmits to the base station with the second technology at the acceptable power level.

Claims

1. A method of wireless technology handoff, comprising:

a wireless device communicating using a first technology;

the wireless device detecting availability of a second technology;

logic control of the wireless device receiving a power level indicator of communication signals of the first technology;

the logic control determining an acceptable power level of communication signals of the second technology based on the power level indicator;

the logic control determining a requested power level of communication signals of the second technology based on a request from a base station;

if the requested power level is greater than the acceptable power level, then the logic control providing a modified link quality representation to the base station; and

the wireless device transmitting to the base station with the second technology at the acceptable power level.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the logic control determining an acceptable power level of communication signals of the second technology comprises the logic control referencing a look-up-table (LUT) to determine an acceptable power level of communication signals of the second technology based on the power level indicator.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the LUT provides the acceptable power level for maintaining power consumption of the wireless device below a threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the logic control determining an acceptable power level of communication signals of the second technology comprises the logic control adaptively calculating an acceptable power level of communication signals of the second technology based on the power level indicator.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the base station selecting a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) for the wireless device based on the modified link quality representation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second technology utilizes multi-carrier signals, and further comprising the base station selecting a sub-channel allocation for the wireless device based on the modified link quality representation.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a modified link quality representation to the base station comprises providing a modified head room indication to the base station.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the logic control resides within a modem of the first technology or a modem of the second technology.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the logic control is not located within a host controller of the wireless device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the wireless device determining whether to communicate through the second technology based on a value of the requested power level.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the wireless device determining whether to communicate through the second technology based on a value of the requested power level, and an estimated quality of a second technology wireless link.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the wireless device ceases communication with the first technology when successful communication with the second technology has been established.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting availability of the second technology comprises an autonomous low power scanning mode which requires no intervention from a host controller or a first technology modem.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting availability of the second technology can occur when a host controller and a first technology modem are in a low power state.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting availability of the second technology can occur when a host controller or a first technology modem triggers detection based on a location of the mobile device or a location identifier of the first technology.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising the mobile device masking underlying network changes by exposing a single virtual network interface to an application layer thereby enabling an application session of the mobile device to not be interrupted during an inter-technology handover.

17. A method of wireless technology handoff, comprising:

a wireless device communicating using a first technology;

the wireless device detecting availability of a second technology;

logic control of the wireless device receiving a power level indicator of communication signals the first technology;

the logic control determining an acceptable power level of communication signals of the second technology based on the power level indicator;

the logic control calculating a maximum power level of communication signals of the second technology;

if the maximum power level is greater than the acceptable power level, then the logic control providing a modified link quality representation to the base station; and

the wireless device transmitting to the base station with the second technology at the acceptable power level.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the wireless device determining whether to communicate through the second technology based on a value of the maximum power level, and an estimated quality of a second technology wireless link.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the wireless device ceases communication with the first technology when successful communication with the second technology has been established.

20. A wireless apparatus, comprising:

a first modem operative to wirelessly communicate using a first wireless technology;

a second modem operative to wirelessly communicate using a second wireless technology;

means for detecting availability of a second wireless technology;

logic control of the wireless apparatus receiving a power level indicator of communication signals of the first technology, the logic control operative to determine an acceptable power level of communication signals of the second technology based on the power level indicator, the logic control operative to determine a requested power level of communication signals of the second technology based on a request from a base station, the logic control providing a modified link quality representation to the base station if the requested power level is greater than the acceptable power level; and

the wireless apparatus operative to transmit to the base station at the acceptable power level.

21. The wireless apparatus of claim 20, further comprising the wireless device operative to determine whether to communicate through the second technology based on a value of the requested power level, and an estimated quality of a second technology wireless link.

22. The wireless apparatus of claim 20, wherein the wireless device is operative to cease communication with the first technology when successful communication with the second technology has been established.

23. A method of concurrent multiple wireless technology communication, comprising:

a wireless device communicating using a first technology;

the wireless device establishing communication using a second technology;

logic control of the wireless device receiving a power level indicator of communication signals of the first technology;

the logic control determining an acceptable power level of communication signals of the second technology based on the power level indicator;

the logic control determining a requested power level of communication signals of the second technology based on a request from a base station;

if the requested power level is greater than the acceptable power level, then the logic control providing a modified link quality representation to the base station; and

the wireless device transmitting to the base station at the acceptable power level.

24. A wireless apparatus, comprising:

a first modem operative to wirelessly communicate using a first wireless technology;

a second modem operative to wirelessly communicate using a second wireless technology;

logic control of the wireless apparatus receiving a power level indicator of communication signals of the first technology, the logic control operative to determine an acceptable power level of communication signals of the second technology based on the power level indicator, the logic control operative to determine a requested power level of communication signals of the second technology based on a request from a base station, the logic control providing a modified link quality representation to the base station if the requested power level is greater than the acceptable power level; and

the wireless apparatus operative to transmit to the base station at the acceptable power level.

25. A method of wireless technology handoff, comprising:

a wireless device communicating using a second technology;

the wireless device detecting a loss of second technology coverage, and a second technology modem of the wireless device directly communicating a trigger to a first technology modem of the wireless device that a handoff from second technology communication to first technology communication is anticipated;

upon receiving the trigger, the first technology modem ramping up from a low-power state and scanning for first technology signals;

upon receiving first technology signals, the first technology modem sending a signal to the second technology modem indicating the first technology modem was successful in receiving first technology signal;

the first technology modem attempting registration to a first technology network;

the second technology modem entering a low-power state.