DUAL MODE UNIT FOR SHORT RANGE, HIGH RATE AND LONG RANGE, LOWER RATE DATA COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20130143551A1
• Filed: 01/29/2013
• Published: 06/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IPR Licensing Incorporated (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: IPR Licensing Incorporated (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gorsuch, Thomas E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,420,632 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/426.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/30 Connection release
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• 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 technique for communication with a local area network (LAN) via a wireless connection determines whether a first short-range, high-speed, wireless communication path is available and connects to the LAN using a longer range, lower speed wireless communication path if the short-range, high-speed wireless communication path is not available. The low-range, high-speed wireless communication path is a wireless communication path is a wireless LAN connection such as an IEE 802.11-compliant wireless LAN and the long-range, low-sped wireless communication mode is a cellular CDMA-type connection. Determining whether the first IEEE 802.11 mode is available can be done by detecting a beacon signal, or transmitting a probe request message and detecting a probe response message in response to the probe request, indicating the presence or availability of the short-range, high-speed wireless communication path. Alternatively, the availability of short-range, high-speed wireless communication path can be detected by simply detecting activity on it.

Claims

1. A subscriber unit comprising:

a first transceiver configured to communicate with a first wireless network via a plurality of assigned physical layer channels;

a second transceiver configured to communicate with a second wireless network; and

a processor coupled to the first transceiver and the second transceiver, and configured to maintain a communication session, above a physical layer, with the first wireless network in the absence of the plurality of assigned physical layer channels.

2. The subscriber unit of claim 1, wherein the first wireless network is a cellular wireless network and the second wireless network is an IEEE 802.11 compliant wireless network.

3. The subscriber unit of claim 2, wherein the second wireless network is an IEEE 802.11x compliant wireless network.

4. The subscriber unit of claim 1, wherein the second transceiver is configured to transmit transmission control protocol and Internet protocol (TCP/IP) data to the second wireless network while the communication session above the physical layer is maintained.

5. The subscriber unit of claim 1, wherein the communication session above the physical layer is a transmission control protocol (TCP) layer session, an Internet protocol (IP) layer session, or a network layer session.

6. The subscriber unit of claim 2, further comprising:

a detector configured to detect the IEEE 802 compliant wireless network; and

a circuit configured to select the second transceiver in response to the detector detecting the IEEE 802 compliant wireless network.

7. The subscriber unit of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to release the plurality of assigned physical layer channels.

8. The subscriber unit of claim 6, wherein the detector is configured to detect a beacon frame or a probe response frame received by the second transceiver from the IEEE 802 compliant wireless network.

9. The subscriber unit of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of physical layer channels is a data channel.

10. The subscriber unit of claim 2, wherein the first wireless network is a code division multiple access (CDMA) wireless network and the second wireless network is an IEEE 802.11x compliant wireless network, and the first transceiver is a cellular code division multiple access (CDMA) transceiver and the second transceiver is an IEEE 802.11x compliant transceiver.

11. A method for use in a dual mode subscriber unit, the method comprising:

establishing a non-physical layer communication session with a first wireless network;

maintaining the non-physical layer communication session in the absence of any physical layer channels associated with the first wireless network; and

communicating with a second wireless network while maintaining the non-physical layer communication session with the first wireless network.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first wireless network is a cellular wireless network and the second wireless network is an IEEE 802 compliant wireless network.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the second wireless network is an IEEE 802.11x compliant wireless network.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein communicating with the second wireless network comprises transmitting transmission control protocol and Internet protocol (TCP/IP) data.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the non-physical layer communication session is a transmission control protocol (TCP) layer session, an Internet protocol (IP) layer session, or a network layer session.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

detecting the IEEE 802 compliant wireless network; and

communicating with the IEEE 802 compliant wireless network in response to detecting the IEEE 802 compliant wireless network.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

releasing any of the assigned physical layer channels associated with the first wireless network.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein detecting the IEEE 802 compliant wireless network comprises receiving a beacon frame or a probe response frame from the IEEE 802 compliant wireless network.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one of the physical layer channels is a data channel.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the first wireless network is a code division multiple access (CDMA) wireless network and the second wireless network is an IEEE 802.11x compliant wireless network.