Method and apparatus for a source-initiated handoff from a source cellular wireless network to a target non-cellular wireless network
First Claim
1. An access gateway able to facilitate handoff from a cellular wireless network to a non-cellular wireless network, the access gateway comprising:
- a network interface; and
a cellular interworicing device, communicatively coupled to the network interface, that receives a handin request from a mobile station (MS) via a non-cellular access point and the network interface, that sends a handin request acknowledgment to the MS via the non-cellular access point and the network interface in response to the handin request, that receives a handoff indication from a mobile switching center (MSC) associated with the MS, that receives a handoff complete indication from the MS via the non-cellular access point and the network interface, and that sends an indication to the MSC that the MS is on channel, in response to the hand off complete indication.
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Accused Products
Abstract
To address the need for an apparatus and method for handoff from a cellular wireless network to a non-cellular wireless network (WLAN, e.g.), the present application describes an access gateway (214) and a dual mode mobile station (201) that enable such handoffs. Dual mode MSs can determine when a handoff to a non-cellular network is preferred and request a handin (302) from the non-cellular network. The access gateway provides information to the MS (304) so that it can initiate a handoff through the serving cellular network. Triggering handoffs in this manner, allows cellular networks to handle handoffs to non-cellular networks in much the same way they handle inter-MSC handoffs today, i.e., source initiated.
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Citations
47 Claims
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1. An access gateway able to facilitate handoff from a cellular wireless network to a non-cellular wireless network, the access gateway comprising:
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a network interface; and
a cellular interworicing device, communicatively coupled to the network interface, that receives a handin request from a mobile station (MS) via a non-cellular access point and the network interface, that sends a handin request acknowledgment to the MS via the non-cellular access point and the network interface in response to the handin request, that receives a handoff indication from a mobile switching center (MSC) associated with the MS, that receives a handoff complete indication from the MS via the non-cellular access point and the network interface, and that sends an indication to the MSC that the MS is on channel, in response to the hand off complete indication. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for facilitating handoff of a mobile station (MS) from a cellular wireless network to a non-cellular wireless network comprising:
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receiving, by an access gateway, a handin request from the MS via a non-cellular access point;
sending, by the access gateway in response to the handin request, a handin request acknowledgment to the MS via the non-cellular access point;
receiving, by the access gateway, a handoff indication from a mobile switching center (MSC) associated with the MS;
receiving, by the access gateway, a handoff complete indication from the MS via the non-cellular access point; and
sending, by the access gateway in response to the handoff complete indication, an indication that the MS is on channel to the MSC associated with the MS. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A mobile station (MS) able to handoff from a cellular wireless network to a non-cellular wireless network, the MS comprising:
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a transmitter;
a receiver; and
a processor, communicatively coupled to the transmitter and receiver, that sends, via the transmitter, a handin request to an access gateway via a non-cellular access point, that receives, via the receiver, a handin request acknowledgment from the access gateway via the non-cellular access point, that sends, via the transmitter after receiving the handin request acknowledgment, a signal strength message to a serving cellular base site, wherein the signal strength message comprises values intended to trigger a handoff determination, that receives, via the receiver, a handoff release indication from a serving cellular base site, and that sends, via the transmitter and after receiving the handoff release indication, a handoff complete indication to the access gateway via the non-cellular access point.
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24. A method for handing off from a cellular wireless network to a non-cellular wireless network comprising:
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sending, by a mobile station (MS), a handin request to an access gateway via a non-cellular access point;
receiving, by the MS, a handin request acknowledgment from the access gateway via the non-cellular access point;
sending, by the MS after receiving the handin request acknowledgment, a signal strength message to a serving cellular base site, wherein the signal strength message comprises values intended to trigger a handoff determination;
receiving, by the MS, a handoff release indication from the serving cellular base site; and
sending, by the MS after receiving the handoff release indication, a handoff complete indication to the access gateway via the non-cellular access point. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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Specification