Fast handover through proactive registration

• US 7,266,101 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2003
• Issued: 09/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dorenbosch, Jheroen P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phunkulh; Bob A.
• Application Number:
  US10/610,500
• Publication Number:
  US 20040264414A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,527 Days
• Field of Search: 370/311, 370/328, 370/329, 370/331, 370/332, 370/335, 370/336, 370/338, 370/341
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/1446 wherein at least one of the networks is unlicensed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/06 De-registration or detaching

Abstract

A method and apparatus for a fast handover of a link with a communications unit between a first and a second wireless communications network includes a receiving device (203, 231) for receiving signals from a first and a second wireless communications network (106, 120), a controller (207) for detecting a condition indicative of initiating a communication over the first network, and a transmitting device (205, 233) operating cooperatively with the receiving device and the controller to operate exclusively on the first wireless communications network and to facilitate registration with the second wireless communications network when the condition is detected.

Claims

1. A communications unit comprising:

a receiving device for receiving signals from a first and a second wireless communications network;

a controller, coupled to and controlling the receiving device, for detecting a condition indicative of initiating communication over the first wireless communications network; and

a transmitting device, coupled to and controlled by the controller, and cooperatively operating with the receiving device and the controller for facilitating the communication over the first wireless communications network and for facilitating registration with the second wireless communications network when the controller detects the condition.

2. The communications unit of claim 1, wherein the receiving device is further for receiving a beacon signal;

wherein the controller is further for detecting beacon information included with the beacon signal, the beacon information indicative of a location of the communications unit; and

wherein the registration with the second wireless communications network is facilitated when the controller detects both the condition and the beacon information.

3. The communications unit of claim 1, wherein the controller is further for determining a coverage quality corresponding to the first wireless communications network, and wherein the registration with the second wireless communications network is facilitated when the controller detects the condition and when the controller determines that the coverage quality satisfies a predetermined threshold.

4. The communications unit of claim 1, wherein the controller is further for determining a coverage quality corresponding to the second wireless communications network, and wherein the registration with the second wireless communications network is facilitated when the controller detects the condition and when the controller determines that the coverage quality satisfies a predetermined threshold.

5. The communications unit of claim 1, wherein the controller is further for detecting an other condition indicative of one of a completion of the communication over the first wireless communications network, a completion of a communication over the second wireless communications network, and when the communication was never initiated, and wherein the controller cooperatively with the transmitting device and the receiving device facilitates deregistration from at least one of the first wireless communications network and the second wireless communications network when the controller detects the other condition indicative of the completion of the communication.

6. The communications unit of claim 1, wherein the controller is further for detecting a location of the communications unit, and wherein the registration with the second wireless communications network is facilitated when the controller detects the condition and that the location of the communications unit is within a first predetermined range.

7. The communications unit of claim 6, wherein the controller is further for detecting if the location of the communications unit is within a second predetermined range, and wherein the registration with the second wireless communications network is facilitated when the controller detects the condition and that the location of the communications unit has changed from the first predetermined range to the second predetermined range within a predetermined time period.

8. The communications unit of claim 1, further comprising a motion detector in communication with the controller for detecting a motion of the communications unit, and wherein the registration with the second wireless communications network is facilitated when the controller detects the condition and that the motion of the communications unit exceeds a predetermined motion threshold.

9. The communications unit of claim 1, wherein the condition comprises at least one of:

accessing a communications unit phone book;

dialing a number;

opening a hinged cover of the communications unit; and

entering a key for access to the communications unit.

10. The communications unit of claim 1, wherein the first wireless communications network comprises a first one of a wireless local area network (WLAN) and a wireless wide area network (WAN) and wherein the second wireless communications network comprises a second one of the WLAN and the WAN.

11. A computer-readable medium containing computer instructions for instructing a processor to perform a method for facilitating a fast handover of a link with a communications unit between a first and a second wireless communications network, the instructions comprising:

registering with the first wireless communications network;

detecting a condition indicative of initiating a communication over the first wireless communications network; and

registering with the second wireless communications network upon the detecting of the condition.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising:

detecting a beacon signal indicative of a location of the communications unit; and

registering with the second wireless communications network upon the detecting of the condition and the detecting of the beacon signal.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising:

determining a coverage quality corresponding to at least one of the first and the second wireless communications networks; and

registering with the second wireless communications network upon the detecting of the condition and the determining of the coverage quality.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising:

initiating the communication over the first wireless communications network.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, further comprising:

completing the communication over the first wireless communications network; and

deregistering from at least one of the first and the second wireless communications networks upon the completing of the communication.

16. A method for facilitating handover of a link with a communications unit between wireless communications networks employing different technologies, the method comprising:

operating exclusively on a first wireless communications network;

detecting an action preparatory to initiating a call;

initiating the call using the first wireless communications network; and

upon the detecting of the action, registering with a second wireless communications network.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

observing beacon information transmitted by the first wireless communications network near a border of a coverage area of the first wireless communications network;

registering with the second wireless communications network upon the detecting of the action and the observing of the beacon information transmitted by the first wireless communications network.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

detecting coverage quality corresponding to the first wireless communications network; and

registering with the second wireless communications network upon the detecting of the action and the detecting of the coverage quality.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

detecting coverage quality corresponding to the second wireless communications network; and

registering with the second wireless communications network upon the detecting of the action and the detecting of the coverage quality.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

completing the call over the first wireless communications network; and

de-registering from at least one of the first and the second wireless communications networks upon the completing of the call.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the operating exclusively on the first wireless communications network further comprises starting up a first stack corresponding to the first wireless communications network;

wherein the registering with the second wireless communications network further comprises starting up a second stack corresponding to the second wireless communications network; and

wherein the de-registering from the at least one of the first and the second wireless communications networks comprises dropping at least one of the first and the second stacks.

22. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

detecting a location of the communications unit;

determining if the location of the communications unit is within a first predetermined range; and

registering with the second wireless communications network upon the detecting of the action and the determining if the location of the communications unit is within the first predetermined range.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

determining if the location of the communications unit changes from the first predetermined range to a second predetermined range within a predetermined time period; and

registering with the second wireless communications network upon the detecting of the action and the determining if the location of the communications unit changes from the first predetermined range to the second predetermined range within the predetermined time period.

24. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

detecting a motion of the communications unit; and

registering with the second wireless communications network upon the detecting of the action and the detecting of the motion of the communications unit.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the first wireless communications network comprises a first one of a wireless local area network (WLAN) and a wireless wide area network (WAN) and wherein the second wireless communications network comprises a second one of the WLAN and the WAN.