System and method for re-routing communications based on wireless communication link quality

• US 7,146,186 B1
• Filed: 08/27/2004
• Issued: 12/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Malcolm M., Moon, Billy G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAO, MINH D
• Application Number:
  US10/928,852
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/445, 455/426.1, 455/67.11, 370/328, 370/332, 370/333, 370/338, 370/252
• US Class Current: 455/552.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/24 Multipath
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/18 for allowing seamless reselection, e.g. soft reselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/12 based on transmission quality or channel quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/34 Modification of an existing route
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/38 adapting due to varying relative distances between nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

A method for re-routing communications based on link quality includes establishing a first wireless communication link with a mobile station. The first wireless communication link is included in a first communication path used for communications between the mobile station and a destination device. The method also includes monitoring, from the mobile station, the link quality of the first wireless link and determining, at the mobile station, that the link quality of the first communication link has decreased below a low link quality threshold. The method further includes routing, using a router at the mobile station, communications between the mobile station and the destination device to a second communication path that includes a second wireless communication link to the mobile station. The second communication path is selected by the router based on one or more metrics.

Claims

1. A method for re-routing communications based on link quality, comprising:

establishing a first wireless communication link and a second wireless communication link with a mobile station, the first wireless communication link included in a first communication path used for communications between the mobile station and a destination device, the second wireless communication link included in a second communication path used for communications between the mobile station and the destination device;

monitoring, from the mobile station, the link quality of the first wireless link;

determining, at the mobile station, that the link quality of the first communication link has decreased below a low link quality threshold;

using a router at the mobile station, routing communications between the mobile station and the destination device to the second communication path that includes the second wireless communication link to the mobile station, the second communication path selected by the router based on an instantaneous internetwork topology and one or more routing metrics.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein routing communications comprises transmitting the communications to a communication interface of the mobile station associated with the second wireless communication link.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein routing communications comprises communicating routing information associated with the second communication path to one or more routers coupling the mobile station and the destination device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising abandoning the first wireless communication link after initiating routing of the communications to the second communication path.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second communication links use different wireless communication protocols.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein at least one of the wireless communication protocols is not a cellular telephone communication protocol.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein both the first and second communication links support packet-based communications.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication link supports packet-based communications and the second communication link supports circuit-switched communications.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the link quality of the first wireless communication link comprises measuring the bit error rate of the wireless communication link.

10. A mobile station, comprising:

a first communication interface operable to enable a first wireless communication link with the mobile station, the first wireless communication link included in a first communication path used for communications between the mobile station and a destination device;

a second communication interface operable to enable a second wireless communication link with the mobile station, the second wireless communication link included in a second communication path used for communications between the mobile station and the destination device; and

a router operable to;

monitor the link quality of the first wireless link;

determine that the link quality of the first communication link has decreased below a low link quality threshold; and

route communications between the mobile station and the destination device to the second communication path that includes the second wireless communication link with the mobile station, the second wireless communication link enabled using the second communication interface, the second communication path selected by the router based on an instantaneous internetwork topology and one or more routing metrics.

11. The mobile station of claim 10, wherein routing communications comprises transmitting the communications to the second communication interface.

12. The mobile station of claim 10, wherein routing communications comprises communicating routing information associated with the second communication path to one or more routers coupling the mobile station and the destination device.

13. The mobile station of claim 10, wherein the router is further operable to initiate the abandonment of the first wireless communication link after initiating routing of the communications to the second communication path.

14. The mobile station of claim 10, wherein the first and second communication interfaces use different wireless communication protocols.

15. The mobile station of claim 14, wherein at least one of the wireless communication protocols is not a cellular telephone communication protocol.

16. The mobile station of claim 10, wherein both the first and second communication links support packet-based communications.

17. The mobile station of claim 10, wherein the first communication link supports packet-based communications and the second communication link supports circuit-switched communications.

18. The mobile station of claim 10, wherein the router is further operable to determine the bit error rate of the wireless communication link to monitor the link quality.

19. Communication software embodied in a computer-readable medium and operable to:

establish a first wireless communication link and a second wireless communication link with a mobile station, the first wireless communication link included in a first communication path used for communications between the mobile station and a destination device, the second wireless communication link included in a second communication path used for communications between the mobile station and the destination device;

monitor, from the mobile station, the link quality of the first wireless link;

determine, at the mobile station, that the link quality of the first communication link has decreased below a low link quality threshold; and

route communications between the mobile station and the destination device the second communication path that includes the second wireless communication link to the mobile station, the second communication path selected by the router based on an instantaneous internetwork topology and one or more routing metrics.

20. The software of claim 19, wherein routing communications comprises transmitting the communications to a communication interface of the mobile station associated with the second wireless communication link.

21. The software of claim 19, wherein routing communications comprises communicating routing information associated with the second communication path to one or more routers coupling the mobile station and the destination device.

22. The software of claim 19, further operable to abandon the first wireless communication link after initiating routing of the communications to the second communication path.

23. The software of claim 19, wherein the first and second communication links use different wireless communication protocols.

24. The software of claim 23, wherein at least one of the wireless communication protocols is not a cellular telephone communication protocol.

25. The software of claim 19, wherein both the first and second communication links support packet-based communications.

26. The software of claim 19, wherein the first communication link supports packet-based communications and the second communication link supports circuit-switched communications.

27. The software of claim 19, wherein monitoring the link quality of the first wireless communication link comprises measuring the bit error rate of the wireless communication link.

28. A system for re-routing communications based on link quality, comprising:

means for establishing a first wireless communication link and a second wireless communication link with a mobile station, the first wireless communication link included in a first communication path used for communications between the mobile station and a destination device, the second wireless communication link included in a second communication path used for communications between the mobile station and the destination device;

means for monitoring, from the mobile station, the link quality of the first wireless link;

means for determining, at the mobile station, that the link quality of the first communication link has decreased below a low link quality threshold; and

means for routing communications between the mobile station and the destination device to the second communication path that includes the second wireless communication link to the mobile station, the second communication path selected based on an instantaneous internetwork topology and one or more routing metrics.