Method, system, and apparatus for a mobile station to sense and select a wireless local area network (WLAN) or a wide area mobile wireless network (WWAN)
First Claim
1. A method of selecting an air interface protocol for a mobile station to use, wherein the mobile station includes (a) logic to communicate according to an 802.xx wireless local area network air interface protocol (WLAN logic), (b) logic to communicate according to a wireless wide area network air interface protocol (WWAN logic), and (c) logic to select one of the WLAN logic and the WWAN logic to communicate on an air interface, the method comprising:
- the mobile station detecting RF energy in a WLAN 802.xx spectrum;
in response to the energy detection step, identifying a 802.xx WLAN that can service the mobile station by performing a passive scanning operation in which the mobile station searches for a beacon frame broadcast by the 802.xx WLAN; and
subsequent to identifying the 802.xx WLAN that can service the mobile station, the mobile station selecting the WLAN logic;
wherein the WWAN has information identifying the areas in which WLANs operate and wherein the WWAN provisions the mobile station with at least a subset of such information, and wherein the mobile station uses such area-identifying information to determine whether to perform the RF energy detection operation.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method, system and apparatus for internetworking WWAN and WLAN are disclosed. More specifically, a method, system, and apparatus for a mobile station to sense and select a WLAN or a WWAN are disclosed. A mobile station may communicate according to an 802.xx wireless local area network air interface protocol via WLAN logic or according to a wireless wide area network air interface protocol via WWAN logic. The mobile station detects RF energy in the 802.xx spectrum and, in response to the energy detection, determines whether there is an 802.xx WLAN capable of servicing the mobile station by performing a scanning operation. If there is an 802.xx WLAN capable of servicing the mobile station, the mobile station selects the WLAN logic so that it may communicate via an air interface. Under some embodiments, WWAN has information identifying the areas in which capable WLANs operate and the WWAN provisions the mobile station with at least a subset of such information. The mobile station uses such area-identifying information to determine whether to perform the RF energy detection operation. The information may be cell ids, or GPS information.
295 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method of selecting an air interface protocol for a mobile station to use, wherein the mobile station includes (a) logic to communicate according to an 802.xx wireless local area network air interface protocol (WLAN logic), (b) logic to communicate according to a wireless wide area network air interface protocol (WWAN logic), and (c) logic to select one of the WLAN logic and the WWAN logic to communicate on an air interface, the method comprising:
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the mobile station detecting RF energy in a WLAN 802.xx spectrum; in response to the energy detection step, identifying a 802.xx WLAN that can service the mobile station by performing a passive scanning operation in which the mobile station searches for a beacon frame broadcast by the 802.xx WLAN; and subsequent to identifying the 802.xx WLAN that can service the mobile station, the mobile station selecting the WLAN logic; wherein the WWAN has information identifying the areas in which WLANs operate and wherein the WWAN provisions the mobile station with at least a subset of such information, and wherein the mobile station uses such area-identifying information to determine whether to perform the RF energy detection operation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of selecting an air interface protocol for a mobile station to use, wherein the mobile station includes (a) logic to communicate according to a wireless local area network air interface protocol (WLAN logic), (b) logic to communicate according to a wireless wide area network air interface protocol (WWAN logic), and (c) logic to select one of the WLAN logic and the WWAN logic to communicate on an air interface, the method comprising:
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the mobile station detecting RF energy in an 802.xx WLAN spectrum; in response to the energy detection step, identifying a 802.xx WLAN that can service the mobile station by performing an active scanning operation in which the mobile station transmits probe request frames and waits for probe responses from the 802.xx WLAN; and subsequent to identifying the 802.xx WLAN that can service the mobile station, the mobile station selecting the WLAN logic; wherein the WWAN has information identifying the areas in which WLANs operate and wherein the WWAN provisions the mobile station with at least a subset of such information, and wherein the mobile station uses such area-identifying information to determine whether to perform the RF enemy detection operation. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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Specification