Proximity Offloading and Service Continuity Support for Mobile Communication Devices

• US 20140192667A1
• Filed: 01/08/2014
• Published: 07/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Medapalli, Kamesh, KALAPATAPU, Dutt H., Belghoul, Farouk
• Granted Patent: US 9,998,987 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided to facilitate direct wireless communication between mobile communication devices while avoiding the need for mobile communication devices to periodically scan for in-range devices and avoiding unwanted breaks in traffic caused by changes in the source and/or destination IP address of packets. Mobile communication devices periodically update their positions to a server, which can send a notification when a mobile communication device comes within range. Further, mobile communication devices can encapsulate packets with an IP address used for direct wireless communication to facilitate this direct wireless communication without disrupting traffic over a core network.

Claims

1. A mobile communication device, comprising:

a processor configured to;

send information regarding a geographic location of the mobile communication device to a server, and

receive a message from the server indicating that a second mobile communication device is within a predetermined range of the geographic location; and

a wireless local area network (WLAN) module configured to;

establish a direct wireless communication link with the second mobile communication device.

2. The mobile communication device of claim 1, further comprising:

a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) module configured to generate the information regarding the geographic location of the mobile communication device.

3. The mobile communication device of claim 1, farther comprising:

a memory configured to store a peer-to-peer (P2P) application, wherein the P2P application is configured to send information to the second mobile communication device over the direct wireless communication link.

4. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

send a list of devices to the server, wherein the list of devices comprises the second mobile communication device.

5. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

generate a first Internet Protocol (IP) address used for direct wireless communication over the direct wireless communication link;

use the first IP address to encapsulate a packet containing a second IP address used for indirect communication over a network, so as to form an encapsulated packet; and

transmit the encapsulated packet, via the direct wireless communication link, to the second mobile communication device.

6. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive an encapsulated packet having a first Internet Protocol (IP) address used for direct wireless communication over the direct wireless communication link;

decapsulate the encapsulated packet to remove the first IP address to reveal an underlying packet having a second IP address used for indirect communication over a network; and

transmit the underlying packet via the network.

7. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

update, based on the message, an application indicating which mobile communication devices are within the predetermined range of the geographic location.

8. The mobile communication device of claim 1, farther comprising:

a modem configured to initiate indirect communication, over a network, with the second mobile communication device.

9. The mobile communication device of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:

monitor a signal performance metric associated with the direct wireless communication link; and

determine that the indirect communication should be initiated in response to determining that the signal performance metric has fallen below a predetermined threshold.

10. The mobile communication device of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a second message from the server indicating that the second mobile communication device is no longer within the predetermined range of the geographic location; and

determine that the indirect communication should be initiated in response to determining that the second mobile communication device is no longer within the predetermined range of the geographic location.

11. A server, comprising:

a database configured to;

store a plurality of geographic locations associated with a plurality of mobile communication devices; and

a proximity detection module configured to;

determine, based on a message received from a first mobile communication device in the plurality of mobile communication devices, whether the first mobile communication device is geographically close enough to a second mobile communication device in the plurality of mobile communication devices for direct wireless communication, and

notify the first mobile communication device that the first mobile communication device is geographically close enough to the second mobile communication device for direct wireless communication.

12. The server of claim 11, wherein the message contains an update to a first geographic location, in the plurality of geographic locations, that is associated with the first mobile communication device.

13. The server of claim 11, wherein the database is further configured to store a list of devices associated with the first mobile communication device, and wherein the proximity detection module is further configured to:

determine, based on the list of devices, whether the second mobile communication device is associated with the first mobile communication device, and

notify the first mobile communication device that the first mobile communication device is geographically close enough to the second mobile communication device for direct wireless communication when the proximity detection module determines that the second mobile communication device is associated with the first mobile communication device.

14. The server of claim 11, wherein the proximity detection module is further configured to:

determine, based on a second message received from the second mobile communication device or the first mobile communication device, that the first mobile communication device is not geographically close enough to the second mobile communication device for direct wireless communication; and

notify the first mobile communication device that the first mobile communication device is no longer geographically close enough to the second mobile communication device for direct wireless communication.

15. A method, comprising:

sending, using a processing device, information regarding a geographic location of a first mobile communication device to a server;

receiving, using the processing device, a message from the server indicating that a second mobile communication device is within a predetermined range of the geographic location; and

establishing, using the processing device, a direct wireless communication link with the second mobile communication device.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

sending, using a peer-to-peer (P2P) application, information over the direct wireless communication link to the second mobile communication device.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

sending a list of devices to the server, wherein the list of devices comprises the second mobile communication device.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

generating a first Internet Protocol (IP) address used for direct wireless communication over the direct wireless communication link;

using the first IP address to encapsulate a packet containing a second IP address used for indirect communication over a network, so as to form an encapsulated packet; and

transmitting the encapsulated packet, via the direct wireless communication link, to the second mobile communication device.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving an encapsulated packet having a first Internet Protocol (IP) address used for direct wireless communication over the direct wireless communication link;

decapsulating the encapsulated packet to remove the first IP address to reveal an underlying packet having a second IP address used for indirect communication over a network; and

transmitting the underlying packet via the network.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

monitoring a signal performance metric associated with the direct wireless communication link; and

establishing indirect communication, over a network, with the second mobile communication device in response to determining that the signal performance metric has fallen below a predetermined threshold.