Local service handover

• US 6,744,753 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2001
• Issued: 06/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Laitinen, Timo M., Heinonen, Tomi, Lempiö, Jarkko
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): George, Keith M.
• Application Number:
  US09/985,193
• Publication Number:
  US 20030112789A1
• Time in Patent Office: 943 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/331, 370/338, 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 370/356, 370/389, 370/392, 370/395.1, 370/465, 370/478, 370/498, 455/3.01, 455/41, 455/554, 455/555, 455/422, 455/426, 455/41.2, 455/422.1, 455/426.1, 455/426.2, 455/554.1, 455/554.2, 455/436, 455/444
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/16 Central resource management; Negotiation of resources or communication parameters, e.g. negotiating bandwidth or QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0011 for data sessions of end-to-end connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/14 between access point controllers and backbone network device

Abstract

When a mobile wireless device is within the coverage area of a short range wireless access point, it sends a request for service to be obtained over the Internet from a network server. The short range wireless access point receives a response message over the Internet from the server, including a global/local parameter to notify the mobile wireless device whether the requested service is available outside the coverage area of the short range wireless access point. The access point forwards the response message to the mobile wireless device, which uses the information in the message to contact the server over the Internet. If the mobile wireless device detects that it has left the coverage area of the short range wireless access point while in contact with the server, it will determine whether the global/local parameter indicates that the service is global. If the parameter is global, then the mobile wireless device accesses a stored handover address.

Claims

1. A method in a short range wireless access point for enabling a mobile wireless device to resume an Internet service with a network server, the service having been interrupted by moving the mobile device out of the coverage area of the access point, comprising:

forwarding at the short range wireless access point, a request from the mobile wireless device to the network server, the request being for service to be obtained over the Internet from the server, the forwarding occurring during a period when the mobile device is within coverage area of the access point;

forwarding at the access point, a response message from the server to the mobile device, the response message including a global/local parameter that will notify the mobile device whether the requested service is available outside the coverage area of the access point; and

sending from the short range wireless access point to the mobile device, a handover telephone address of a gateway connected between a cellular telephone network and the Internet, thereby enabling a connection to be made by the mobile device via a regional cellular telephone access point to the gateway, to resume the Internet service.

2. The method of claim 1, which further comprises:

including the handover telephone address in the response message from the server.

3. The method of claim 1, which further comprises:

forwarding at the regional cellular telephone access point, a bookmark URL from the mobile wireless device to the network server, thereby enabling a connection to the server to be completed by the gateway, to resume the Internet service.

4. The method of claim 1, which further comprises:

said short-range wireless access point being a Bluetooth access point.

5. The method of claim 1, which further comprises:

said short-range wireless access point being an IrDA Infrared Data Protocol access point.

6. The method of claim 1, which further comprises:

said short-range wireless access point being an IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN access point.

7. The method of claim 1, which further comprises:

said short-range wireless access point being a HiperLAN access point.

8. The method of claim 1, which further comprises:

said mobile wireless device being equipped with both short-range wireless communications circuits and with cellular telephone communications circuits.

9. The method of claim 1, which further comprises:

said mobile wireless device being a Bluetooth-equipped cellular telephone.

10. The method of claim 1, which further comprises:

said regional cellular telephone access point being a GSM base station.

11. The method of claim 1, which further comprises:

said regional cellular telephone access point being a GPRS base station.

12. The method of claim 1, which further comprises:

said regional cellular telephone access point being a UMTS base station.

13. The method of claim 1, which further comprises:

said regional cellular telephone access point being a EDGE base station.

14. The method of claim 1, which further comprises:

said gateway being a wireless application protocol gateway.

15. A method in a mobile wireless device to resume an Internet service with a network server, the service having been interrupted by moving the mobile device out of a coverage area of a short range wireless access point, comprising:

sending a request to the short range wireless access point, for service to be obtained over the Internet from the network server, the sending occurring during a period when the mobile device is within the coverage area of the access point;

receiving from the short range access point, a response message from the server, including a global/local parameter that indicates whether the requested service is available outside the coverage area of the access point;

detecting that the mobile device has left the coverage area of the short-range wireless access point;

determining whether the global/local parameter indicates that the service is global;

displaying an option to the user for continuing the service with the server over a regional cellular telephone network;

receiving a user selection to continue the service with the server;

accessing a stored handover address of a protocol gateway connected between a cellular telephone network and the Internet;

establishing a wireless connection between the mobile wireless device and a regional cellular telephone access point;

placing a cellular telephone call via the regional cellular telephone access point to the protocol gateway using the handover address; and

sending a telephone message to the protocol gateway for forwarding an Internet message to the network server to resume service between the mobile device and the server.

16. The method of claim 15, which further comprises:

receiving from the short-range wireless access point, the handover address of the gateway, thereby enabling a connection to be made by the mobile device via the regional cellular telephone access point to the gateway, to resume the Internet service.

17. The method of claim 16, which further comprises:

including the handover address in the response message from the server.

18. The method of claim 16, which further comprises:

sending a bookmark URL to the gateway via the regional cellular telephone access point, for forwarding to the network server, thereby enabling a connection to the server be completed by the gateway, to resume the Internet service.

19. The method of claim 16, which further comprises:

said regional cellular telephone access point being a GSM base station.

20. The method of claim 16, which further comprises:

said regional cellular telephone access point being a GPRS base station.

21. The method of claim 16, which further comprises:

said regional cellular telephone access point being a UMTS base station.

22. The method of claim 16, which further comprises:

said regional cellular telephone access point being a EDGE base station.

23. The method of claim 16, which further comprises:

said gateway being a wireless application protocol gateway.

24. The method of claim 15, which further comprises:

said short-range wireless access point being a Bluetooth access point.

25. The method of claim 15, which further comprises:

said short-range wireless access point being an IrDA Infrared Data Protocol access point.

26. The method of claim 15, which further comprises:

said short-range wireless access point being an IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN access point.

27. The method of claim 15, which further comprises:

said short-range wireless access point being a HiperLAN access point.

28. The method of claim 15, which further comprises:

said mobile wireless device being equipped with both short-range wireless communications circuits and with cellular telephone communications circuits.

29. The method of claim 15, which further comprises:

said mobile wireless device being an Bluetooth-equipped cellular telephone.

30. A computer program product to enable a mobile wireless device to resume an Internet service with a network server, the service having been interrupted by moving the mobile device out of a coverage area of a short range wireless access point, comprising:

a computer readable medium;

program code in said computer readable medium for sending a request to the short range wireless access point, for service to be obtained over the Internet from the network server, the sending occurring during a period when the mobile device is within the coverage area of the access point;

program code in said computer readable medium for receiving from the short range access point, a response message from the server, including a global/local parameter that indicates whether the requested service is available outside the coverage area of the access point;

program code in said computer readable medium for detecting that the mobile device has left the coverage area of the short range wireless access point;

program code in said computer readable medium for determining whether the global/local parameter indicates that the service is global;

program code in said computer readable medium for displaying an option to the user for continuing the service with the server over a regional cellular telephone network;

program code in said computer readable medium for receiving a user selection to continue the service with the server;

program code in said computer readable medium for accessing a stored handover address of a protocol gateway connected between a cellular telephone network and the Internet;

program code in said computer readable medium for establishing a wireless connection between the mobile wireless device and a regional cellular telephone access point;

program code in said computer readable medium for placing a cellular telephone call via the regional cellular telephone access point to the protocol gateway using the handover address; and

program code in said computer readable medium for sending a telephone message to the protocol gateway for forwarding an Internet message to the network server to resume/service between the mobile device and the server.

31. A computer program product of claim 30, which further comprises:

program code in said computer readable medium for receiving from the short range wireless access point, the handover address of the gateway, thereby enabling a connection to be made by the mobile device via the regional cellular telephone access point to the gateway, to resume the Internet service.

32. A computer program product of claim 31, which further comprises:

said handover address being included in the response message from the server.

33. A computer program product of claim 31, which further comprises:

program code in said computer readable medium for sending a bookmark URL to the gateway via the regional cellular telephone access point, for forwarding to the network server, thereby enabling a connection to the server be completed by the gateway, to resume the Internet service.

34. A computer program product of claim 30, which further comprises:

said short range wireless access point being a Bluetooth access point.

35. A short range wireless access point for enabling a mobile wireless device to resume a service with a network server, the service having been interrupted by moving the mobile device out of the coverage area of the access point, comprising:

a short range wireless transceiver for receiving a request from the mobile wireless device;

a processor coupled to the transceiver, for forwarding the request from the mobile wireless device over a network to a network server, the request being for service to be obtained from the server, the forwarding occurring during a period when the mobile device is within coverage area of the access point;

a network interface coupled to the network, for receiving from the server, a response message including a global/local parameter indicating whether the requested service is available outside the coverage area of the access point wherein said transceiver forwards the response message to the mobile device; and

sending to the mobile device, a handover telephone address of a gateway connected between a cellular telephone network and the network server, thereby enabling a connection to be made by the mobile device via a regional cellular telephone access point to the gateway, to resume service with the server.

36. The short range wireless access point of claim 35, which further comprises:

said response message including the handover telephone address.

37. The short range wireless access point of claim 35, which further comprises:

said short range wireless access point being a Bluetooth access point.

38. The short range wireless access point of claim 35, which further comprises:

said short range wireless access point being an IrDA Infrared Data Protocol access point.

39. The short range wireless access point of claim 35, which further comprises:

said short range wireless access point being an IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN access point.

40. The short range wireless access point of claim 35, which further comprises:

said short range wireless access point being a HiperLAN access point.

41. The short range wireless access point of claim 35, which further comprises:

said mobile wireless device being equipped with both short range wireless communications circuits and with cellular telephone communications circuits.

42. The short range wireless access point of claim 35, which further comprises:

said mobile wireless device being a Bluetooth-equipped cellular telephone.

43. The short range wireless access point of claim 35, which further comprises:

said regional cellular telephone access point being a GSM base station.

44. The short range wireless access point of claim 35, which further comprises:

said regional cellular telephone access point being a GPRS base station.

45. The short range wireless access point of claim 35, which further comprises:

said regional cellular telephone access point being a UMTS base station.

46. The short range wireless access point of claim 35, which further comprises:

said regional cellular telephone access point being an EDGE base station.

47. The short range wireless access point of claim 35, which further comprises:

said gateway being a wireless application protocol gateway.

48. A mobile wireless device to resume a service with a network server, the service having been interrupted by moving the mobile device out of a coverage area of a short range wireless access point, comprising:

a short range wireless transceiver for sending a request to a short range wireless access point, for service to be obtained over a network from a network server, the sending occurring during a period when the mobile device is within the coverage area of a short range wireless access point;

said transceiver receiving from the short range wireless access point, a response message from the server, including a global/local parameter that indicates whether the requested service is available outside the coverage area of the short range wireless access point;

a processor coupled to the short range wireless transceiver, for detecting that the mobile device has left the coverage area of the short range wireless access point;

said processor determining whether the global/local parameter indicates that the service is global;

a user interface coupled to the processor, for displaying an option to the user for continuing the service with the server over a regional cellular telephone network;

said user interface receiving a user selection to continue the service with the server;

said processor accessing a stored handover address of a protocol gateway connected between a cellular telephone network and the Internet;

a cellular telephone transceiver coupled to the processor, for establishing a wireless connection between the mobile wireless device and a regional cellular telephone access point;

said cellular telephone transceiver placing a cellular telephone call via the regional cellular telephone access point to the protocol gateway using the handover address; and

said processor sending a telephone message to the protocol gateway for forwarding a message to the network server to resume service between the mobile device and the server.

49. The mobile wireless device of claim 48, which further comprises:

said short range wireless transceiver receiving from the short range wireless access point, the handover address of the gateway, thereby enabling a connection to be

made by the mobile device via the regional cellular telephone access point to the gateway, to resume the server service.

50. The mobile wireless device of claim 49, which further comprises:

said response message including the handover address.

51. The mobile wireless device of claim 49, which further comprises:

said processor sending a bookmark URL to the gateway via the regional cellular telephone access point, for forwarding to the network server, thereby enabling a connection to the server be completed by the gateway, to resume the server service.

52. The mobile wireless device of claim 49, which further comprises:

said regional cellular telephone access point being a GSM base station.

53. The mobile wireless device of claim 49, which further comprises:

said regional cellular telephone access point being a GPRS base station.

54. The mobile wireless device of claim 49, which further comprises:

said regional cellular telephone access point being a UMTS base station.

55. The mobile wireless device of claim 49, which further comprises:

said regional cellular telephone access point being a EDGE base station.

56. The mobile wireless device of claim 48, which further comprises:

said mobile wireless device being equipped with both short range wireless communications circuits and with cellular telephone communications circuits.

57. The mobile wireless device of claim 48, which further comprises:

said mobile wireless device being a Bluetooth-equipped cellular telephone.

58. A method in a short range wireless access point for enabling a mobile wireless device to resume a network service with a network server, the service having been interrupted by moving the mobile device out of the coverage area of the access point, comprising:

forwarding at the short range wireless access point, information from the mobile wireless device to the network server, the information being associated with service available over the network from the server, the forwarding occurring during a period when the mobile device is within coverage area of the access point;

forwarding at the access point, an APSI message with information from the server to the mobile device, the APSI message including a global/local parameter that will notify the mobile device whether the service is available outside the coverage area of the access point; and

sending from the short range wireless access point to the mobile device, a handover telephone address of a gateway connected between a cellular telephone network and the network, thereby enabling a connection to be made by the mobile device via a regional cellular telephone access point to the gateway, to resume the network service.

59. The method of claim 58, which further comprises:

including the handover telephone address in the APSI message.

60. The method of claim 58, which further comprises:

said short range wireless access point being a Bluetooth access point.

61. The method of claim 58, which further comprises:

said short range wireless access point being an IrDA Infrared Data Protocol access point.

62. The method of claim 58, which further comprises:

said short range wireless access point being an IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN access point.

63. The method of claim 58, which further comprises:

said short range wireless access point being a HiperLAN access point.

64. A method in a mobile wireless device to resume service with a network server, the service having been interrupted by moving the mobile device out of a coverage area of a short range wireless access point, comprising:

sending information to the short range wireless access point during a period when the mobile device is within the coverage area of the access point;

receiving from the short range access point, an APSI message with information from the network server, including a global/local parameter that indicates whether service is available outside the coverage area of the access point;

detecting that the mobile device has left the coverage area of the short range wireless access point;

determining whether the global/local parameter indicates that the service is global;

displaying an option to the user for continuing the service with the server over a regional cellular telephone network;

receiving a user selection to continue the service with the server;

accessing a stored handover address of a protocol gateway connected between a cellular telephone network and the network;

establishing a wireless connection between the mobile wireless device and a regional cellular telephone access point;

placing a cellular telephone call via the regional cellular telephone access point to the protocol gateway using the handover address; and

sending a telephone message to the protocol gateway for forwarding a message to the network server to resume service between the mobile device and the server.

65. The method of claim 64, which further comprises:

receiving from the short range wireless access point, the handover address of the gateway, thereby enabling a connection to be made by the mobile device via the regional cellular telephone access point to the gateway, to resume the network service.

66. The method of claim 65, which further comprises:

including the handover address in the APSI message.

67. The method of claim 65, which further comprises:

sending a bookmark URL to the gateway via the regional cellular telephone access point, for forwarding to the network server, thereby enabling a connection to the server be completed by the gateway, to resume the network service.

68. The method of claim 65, which further comprises:

said regional cellular telephone access point being a GSM base station.

69. The method of claim 65, which further comprises:

said regional cellular telephone access point being a GPRS base station.

70. The method of claim 65, which further comprises:

said regional cellular telephone access point being a UMTS base station.

71. The method of claim 65, which further comprises:

said regional cellular telephone access point being a EDGE base station.

72. The method of claim 65, which further comprises:

said gateway being a wireless application protocol gateway.

73. The method of claim 64, which further comprises:

said short range wireless access point being a Bluetooth access point.

74. The method of claim 64, which further comprises:

said short range wireless access point being an IrDA Infrared Data Protocol access point.

75. The method of claim 64, which further comprises:

said short range wireless access point being an IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN access point.

76. The method of claim 64, which further comprises:

said short range wireless access point being a HiperLAN access point.

77. The method of claim 64, which further comprises:

said mobile wireless device being equipped with both short range wireless communications circuits and with cellular telephone communications circuits.

78. The method of claim 64, which further comprises:

said mobile wireless device being a Bluetooth-equipped cellular telephone.

79. A method for local service handover, comprising:

forwarding at a short range wireless access point operating according to its specification, a request from a mobile wireless device to the network server, the request being for service to be obtained over the Internet from the server, the forwarding occurring during a period when the mobile device is within coverage area of the access point;

forwarding at the access point, a response message from the server to the mobile device, the response message including a global/local parameter that will notify the mobile device whether the requested service is available outside the coverage area of the access point;

sending the mobile device a handover address of a gateway for roaming purposes; and

enabling the mobile device to continue the requested service with the network server in a cellular telephone network operating according to cellular network specifications, the service having been interrupted by moving the mobile device out of the coverage area of the access point.

80. The method of claim 79 comprising:

moving the mobile device from the coverage area of the access point into a cellular network area via the handover address of the gateway.

81. The method of claim 80 wherein continuing the requested service with the network server is at the option of a user of the mobile device.