LTE DATA CONNECTIVITY SOLUTION

• US 20130310022A1
• Filed: 05/18/2012
• Published: 11/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: DANIEL, Tom
• Granted Patent: US 9,031,606 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/423
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• 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 method and system is provided to control a mobile device. The method includes initially determining whether 4G network service is available. The network switch is set to a 4G baseband processor upon determining that 4G network service is available. The 4G network connection is monitored to determine whether a fault occurs. If so, the 4G baseband processor is reset. However, if 4G network service is not available, whether 3G network service is available is determined. If so, the network switch is set to a 3G baseband processor. When in 3G mode, the 3G network connection is monitored to determine whether a fault occurs. If so, whether a 4G network service is available is determined. Even if there is no fault with the 3G network, the mobile device switches to use the 4G network when the 4G network becomes available.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

an application processor;

a network switch coupled to the application processor;

a 3G baseband processor coupled to the switch;

a 4G baseband processor coupled to the switch;

a 3G transceiver coupled to the 3G baseband processor;

a 4G transceiver coupled to the 4G baseband processor;

wherein the application processor is configured to;

determine whether a 4G network service is available;

upon determining that the 4G network service is available;

set the network switch to connect the application processor with the 4G baseband processor;

monitor whether there is at least one fault with the 4G network connection; and

upon determining that there is at least one fault with the 4G network connection, initiate a reset of the 4G baseband processor;

upon determining that the 4G network service is not available;

determine whether a 3G network service is available;

upon determining that the 3G network service is available;

set the network switch to connect the application processor with the 3G baseband processor;

monitor whether there is at least one fault with the 3G network connection;

upon detecting at least one fault with the 3G network connection, going back to the step of determining whether the 4G network service is available;

otherwise, setting the network switch to the 4G network service upon determining that the 4G network service is available.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the application processor is configured to determine the availability of the 3G or 4G network service by determining whether a 3G signal is above a first predetermined threshold and a 4G signal is above a second predetermined threshold, respectively.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the application processor is further configured to initiate communication with a 3G or 4G authentication server upon determining that the 3G or 4G network service is available, respectively.

4. The mobile device of claim 3, wherein the at least one fault with the 3G or 4G network connection is indicated by at least one of a (i) failure to receive a confirmation from the respective authentication server within a first predetermined time;

(ii) toggling more than a predetermined number of times between the 3G and 4G network within a second predetermined time;

or (iii) failure of the application processor to acknowledge transmission to or from the 3G or 4G network within the first predetermined time.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the application processor is configured to initiate a reset by at least one of:

(i) providing a notification on a user interface of the mobile device to manually reset the 4G baseband processor;

or

(ii) automatically resetting the 4G baseband processor.

6. The mobile device of claim 5, wherein the application processor is configured to reset the 4G baseband processor by at least resetting a clock of the 4G baseband processor.

7. The mobile device of claim 5, wherein the application processor is configured to reset the 4G baseband processor by at least turning off a power supply to the 4G baseband processor for a predetermined time.

8. The mobile device of claim 5, wherein the application processor is configured to reset the 3G baseband processor at the same time as the 4G baseband processor.

9. The mobile device of claim 5, wherein the notification includes one of at least a message on a screen of the mobile device, an audible tone, a haptic signal, or any combination thereof

10. A method comprising:

determining whether a 4G network service is available;

upon determining that the 4G network service is available;

setting a network switch to connect an application processor with a 4G baseband processor;

monitoring whether there is at east one fault with a 4G network connection; and

upon determining that there is at least one fault with the 4G network connection, initiating a reset of the 4G baseband processor;

upon determining that the 4G network service is not available;

determining whether a 3G network service is available;

upon determining that the 3G network service is available;

setting a network switch to connect the application processor with a 3G baseband processor;

monitoring whether there is at least one fault with a 3G network connection;

upon detecting at least one fault with the 3G network connection, going back to the step of determining whether the 4G network service is available;

otherwise, setting the network switch to the 4G network service upon determining that the 4G network service is available.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining whether 3G or 4G network service is available comprises determining whether a 3G signal is above a first predetermined threshold and a 4G signal is above a second predetermined threshold, respectively.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising initiating communication with the 3G or 4G authentication server upon determining that the 3G or 4G network service is available, respectively.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one fault with the 3G or 4G network connection is indicated by at least one of a (i) failure to receive a confirmation from the respective authentication server within a first predetermined time;

(ii) toggling more than a predetermined number of times between the 3G and 4G network within a second predetermined time;

or (iii) failure of the application processor to acknowledge transmission to or from the 3G or 4G network within the first predetermined time.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising initiating a reset by at least one of:

(i) providing a notification on a user interface of the mobile device to manually reset the 4G baseband processor;

or

(ii) automatically resetting the 4G baseband processor.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein resetting the 4G baseband processor comprises at least resetting a clock of the 4G baseband processor.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein resetting the 4G baseband processor comprises at least turning off a power supply to the 4G baseband processor for a predetermined time.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising resetting the 3G baseband processor at the same time as the 4G baseband processor.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein providing the notification comprises providing one of at least a message on a screen of the mobile device, an audible tone, a haptic signal, or any combination thereof.