INFRASTRUCTURE-UNASSISTED INTER-DEVICE WIRELESS WIDE AREA NETWORK HANDOFF

• US 20120294275A1
• Filed: 05/19/2011
• Published: 11/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Krishnaswamy, Dilip, Subrahmanya, Parvathanathan
• Granted Patent: US 8,913,587 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/006 Call diverting means
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0055 Transmission or use of information for re-establishing the radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0064 of control information between different access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• 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

Aspects describe infrastructure unassisted inter-device handoff. A method performed by a wireless communications apparatus for inter-device handoff is disclosed. A wireless communications apparatus that performs a network unassisted inter-device handoff is disclosed. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium that includes codes for carrying out inter-device handoff is disclosed. At least one processor configured to perform a network unassisted communication handoff is disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for inter-device handoff, comprising:

determining a communication is to be handed off from a first communications device;

selecting a second communications device from a plurality of communications devices to which the communication is to be handed off;

observing a synchronization period phase;

transferring information to the second communications device;

using a common identity associated with a wireless wide area network (WWAN) for the first communications device and the second communications device; and

handing off the communication to the second communications device, wherein the first communications device comprises a first WWAN modem and the second communications device comprises a second WWAN modem wherein one of the first WWAN modem or the second WWAN modem is used for the communication with a WWAN, wherein the WWAN does not assist with the handing off.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the WWAN is aware of the handing off.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the WWAN is unaware of the handing off.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication that the communication is to be transferred from the second communications device to the first communications device;

exchanging information related to the handoff from the second communications device; and

continuing the communication handed off from the second communications device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication is a two-way communication facilitated by the first communications device or the second communications device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein a device that does not facilitate the communication is receiving the communication.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the common identity is a shared among the plurality of communications devices.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the common identity is associated with the first communications device and shared with the second communications device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the common identity is associated with the second communications device and shared with the first communications device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the common identity is a software identity.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the observing further comprises at least one of:

suspending a network communication;

or

inactivating at least one of a wireless wide area network radio and a protocol stack.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the transferring information further comprises:

transferring at least one of bearer information, temporary mobile subscriber identity information, session encryption keys, packet processing state information, timing information, system information blocks, an identity of the first communications device, information regarding one or more base stations with which to communicate, wireless technology to utilize for the communication, wireless channel frequency band for the communication, time slots for the communication with base stations, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access time-frequency resource blocks, preferred roaming lists, frequency offset information for synchronization, timing skew differential for synchronization, primary synchronization codes, secondary synchronization codes, packet data protocol context information, transport control protocol information, Transmission Control Protocol or User Datagram Protocol socket information, applications being executed, application state information, application data, encryption keys associated with applications, or combinations thereof.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining further comprises at least one of estimating an energy consumption mitigation of the first communications device, estimating a direct link connection strength, estimating an amount of energy consumed by the first communications device to communicate over a direct link, or combinations thereof.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting further comprises at least one of estimating an energy level of each communications device of the plurality of communications devices, estimating an amount of energy consumed by each communications device of the plurality of communications devices to communicate over respective indirect links, estimating a connection strength for each indirect link, or combinations thereof.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retaining at least one of radio resource control signaling or non-access stratum signaling on the first communications device.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing timing synchronization between the first communications device and the second communications device using a common signal associated with the WWAN.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

supporting a wireless wide area network sniffing mode after the handing off; and

monitoring wireless wide area network receive signal information.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining a wireless wide area network dormant mode after the handing off; and

receiving periodic quasi-static updates of wireless wide area network receive protocol state information and wireless wide area network transmit protocol state information.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sustaining a wireless wide area network sleeping mode after the handing off.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the selecting comprises selecting the second communications device from the plurality of communications devices that are within a wireless or wired short-range peer-to-peer link.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing a state transfer during the synchronization period phase.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

starting a timer after the selecting, wherein the timer has a duration that is less than a network call drop time;

identifying an expiration of the timer; and

resuming the communication, wherein the communication is not successfully handed off to the second communications device.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

conveying an identity of the first communications device to the second communications device, wherein the first communications device initiated the communication; and

releasing the communication, wherein the second communications device utilizes the identity of the first communications device to continue the communication over a network.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the handing off comprises handing off at least one of a voice call, a data call, or an application without assistance from the WWAN.

25. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

a memory that retains instructions related to deciding to transfer a communication to a selected node, conveying information to the selected node during a synchronization period, and attempting a handoff of at least one function to the selected node, wherein the selected node comprises a wireless wide area network (WWAN) modem for the communication with a WWAN, and wherein a common identity is used by the selected node to communicate with the WWAN, which does not assist with the handoff; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, configured to execute the instructions retained in the memory.

26. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 25, the memory retains further instructions related to suspending the communication with the WWAN during the synchronization period.

27. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 26, the memory retains further instructions related to starting a timer before the conveying and resuming the communication with the WWAN if the timer expires before completion of the handoff, wherein a value of the timer is less than a network call drop time value.

28. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 25, the memory retains further instructions related to maintaining a WWAN sniffing mode if the handoff is successful, wherein the WWAN sniffing mode comprises monitoring WWAN receive signal information.

29. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 25, the memory retains further instructions related to maintaining a WWAN dormant mode if the handoff is successful, wherein the WWAN dormant mode comprises receiving periodic quasi-static updates of WWAN receive protocol state information and WWAN transmit protocol state information.

30. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 25, the memory retains further instructions related to maintaining a WWAN sleeping mode if the handoff is successful, wherein the WWAN sleeping mode comprises inactivating at least one of a WWAN radio and a protocol stack.

31. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 25, the memory retains further instructions related to receiving a notification that the communication is to be handed off from the selected node, exchanging information related to the communication from the selected node, and continuing the communication handed off from the selected node.

32. A wireless communications apparatus that performs a network unassisted inter-device handoff, comprising:

means for deciding to transfer at least one function to a node that comprises a wireless wide area network (WWAN) modem for communication with a WWAN;

means for selecting the node for the transfer;

means for transferring to the node common identity information and information related to the at least one function; and

means for determining the at least one function is successfully handed off to the node, wherein the WWAN does not assist with the handoff.

33. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 32, further comprising:

means for starting a timer after the means for deciding determines the at least one function is to be transferred; and

means for discontinuing the transfer if the timer expires before the at least one function is successfully handed off to the node.

34. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 32, further comprising:

means for suspending a network communication; and

means for resuming the network communication if the at least one function is not successfully handed off to the node.

35. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

a first set of codes for causing a computer to decide to transfer a communication;

a second set of codes for causing the computer to select a node for a communication transfer, wherein the node comprises a wireless wide area network modem;

a third set of codes for causing the computer to discontinue a network communication;

a fourth set of codes for causing the computer to convey information to the node, wherein the information comprises at least a common identity; and

a fifth set of codes for causing the computer to release the communication to the node, wherein the communication is released without assistance from the network.

36. The computer program product of claim 35, the computer-readable medium further comprising:

a sixth set of codes for causing the computer to monitor a time between discontinuing the network communication and the release of the communication to the node; and

a seventh set of codes for causing the computer to discontinue the transfer if the time is longer than a portion of a network call drop time.

37. At least one processor configured to perform a network unassisted communication handoff, comprising:

a first module that determines a communication is to be handed off;

a second module that selects a node from a plurality of nodes to which the communication is to be handed off, wherein the node comprises a wireless wide area network (WWAN) modem used for communications with a WWAN;

a third module that starts a timer that has a duration that is less than a network call drop time;

a fourth module that observes a silence period phase;

a fifth module that transfers information to the node;

a sixth module that hands off the communication to the node, wherein the WWAN does not assist with the handoff, and wherein the silence period phase continues until expiration of the timer or until the communication is successfully handed off to the node.

38. The at least one processor of claim 37, further comprising a seventh module for observing one of a wireless wide area network (WWAN) sniffing mode, a WWAN dormant mode, or a WWAN sleeping mode after the communication is successfully handed off to the node.