System and method for servicing communications using both fixed and mobile wireless networks

• US 7,343,160 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2003
• Issued: 03/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Morton, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung; Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alam; Fayyaz
• Application Number:
  US10/673,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20050070326A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,625 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455436-440, 455442-444, 455/41, 455/552, 455/553.1, 455/11, 370/338, 370/328
• US Class Current: 455/444
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0274 by switching on or off the equipment or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Mobile wireless device(s) roam within and between premises and a vehicle or other mobile platform and interface to wireless local area networks within the premises or vehicle. When using the intra-vehicular network, a communication relay within the vehicle routes communications from the wireless device to a wide area wireless network such as cellular network or satellite network. This allows the power consumption of the mobile wireless device to be greatly reduced as the mobile device need only communicate with the local intra-vehicular WLAN. The vehicle acts as the power supply for the relay. When the coverage area of the intra-vehicular WLAN overlaps that of another WLAN, seamless handoff allows continuous data or voice connectivity between the overlapping wireless networks.

Claims

1. A mobile network relay device operable to facilitate a wireless device handoff that includes existing wireless communications, wherein the handoff of the wireless device and existing communications occurs between an intra-vehicular wireless network and a first extravehicular wireless network, comprising:

a first wireless interface operable to communicate with a wireless device over the intra-vehicular wireless network, the wireless device operable to communicate through a second extravehicular wireless network;

a second wireless interface operable to communicate with the first extravehicular wireless network; and

a vehicular mountable relay that communicatively couples the first wireless interface and the second wireless interface and that routes communications between the wireless device and the first extravehicular wireless network,

wherein a coverage area of the intra-vehicular wireless network overlaps with a coverage area of the second extravehicular wireless network; and

the vehicular mountable relay controls and services the wireless device handoff between the second extravehicular wireless network and the first extravehicular wireless network.

2. The mobile network relay device of claim 1, wherein:

the intra-vehicular wireless network is short-range digital radio network; and

the first extravehicular network and the second extravehicular network are at least one cellular network.

3. The mobile network relay device of claim 2, wherein the short-range digital radio network is a Bluetooth®

network.

4. The mobile network relay device of claim 1, wherein:

a coverage area of the intra-vehicular wireless network overlaps with a coverage area of a premises based wireless network; and

the vehicular mountable relay controls and services handoff of the wireless communications between the premises based wireless network and the first extravehicular wireless network.

5. The mobile network relay device of claim 4, wherein during handoff parallel communication paths exist to service the wireless device, and wherein the parallel communication paths comprise:

a first communication path exists between the wireless device and the premises based wireless network; and

a second communication path exists between the wireless device and the first extravehicular wireless network via the first wireless interface, the vehicular mountable relay, and the second wireless interface.

6. The mobile network relay device of claim 4, wherein the wireless device is a telephone hand set.

7. The mobile network relay device of claim 4, wherein the wireless device is a Personal Data Assistant.

8. The mobile network relay device of claim 4, wherein the vehicular mountable relay services handoff from a first extravehicular wireless network to a cellular network to a second extravehicular wireless network.

9. The mobile network relay device of claim 8, wherein the first extravehicular wireless network and the second extravehicular wireless networks have non-contiguous service coverage areas.

10. The mobile network relay device of claim 4, wherein the first extravehicular wireless network is a satellite based wireless communication network.

11. The mobile network relay device of claim 6, wherein the vehicular mountable relay determines capabilities of the telephone hand set.

12. The mobile network relay device of claim 11, wherein the vehicular mountable relay makes handoff decisions based upon the capabilities of the telephone hand set.

13. The mobile network relay device of claim 12, wherein the telephone hand set has Bluetooth®

, 802.11, and/or cellular interfaces.

14. The mobile network relay device of claim 13, wherein:

a cellular connection through the telephone hand set'"'"'s cellular interface has a first quality of signal;

a communication pathway through the extravehicular wireless network has a second quality of signal; and

a processor directs that communications of the wireless device be serviced by the cellular connection or first extravehicular wireless network based on a comparison of the first quality of signal and the second quality of signal.

15. The mobile network relay device of claim 13, wherein a processor directs that communications of the wireless device be serviced by the Bluetooth®

, 802.11, or cellular interfaces based on power consumption associated with the Bluetooth®

, 802.11, and cellular interfaces.

16. The mobile network relay device of claim 5, wherein the vehicular mountable relay monitors a signal strength of the second extravehicular wireless network and initiates handoff to the first extravehicular wireless network when the signal strength compares unfavorably to a handoff threshold.

17. The mobile network relay device of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is registered with the first wireless interface.

18. A mobile network relay device mounted within a vehicle the mobile network relay device operable to facilitate a wireless device handoff that includes existing wireless communications, wherein the handoff of the wireless device and existing communications occurs between an intra-vehicular Wireless network and a first extravehicular wireless network, comprising:

a first wireless interface operable to communicate with a wireless device over an intra-vehicular wireless network, wherein the intra-vehicular wireless network is a short-range digital radio network, the wireless device operable to communicate through a second extravehicular wireless network;

a second wireless interface operable to establish an communication pathway with an first extravehicular wireless network, wherein the first extravehicular wireless network is a cellular network or a satellite based network; and

a vehicular mountable relay that communicatively couples the first wireless interface and the second wireless interface and that routes communications between the wireless device and the first extravehicular wireless network

wherein a coverage area of the intra-vehicular wireless network overlaps with a coverage area of the second extravehicular wireless network; and

the vehicular mountable relay controls and services the wireless device handoff between the second extravehicular wireless network and the first extravehicular wireless network.

19. The mobile network relay device of claim 18, wherein the short-range digital radio network is a Bluetooth®

network.

20. The mobile network relay device of claim 18, wherein:

a coverage area of the intra-vehicular wireless network overlaps with a coverage area of a second extravehicular wireless network; and

the vehicular mountable relay controls and services handoff of the wireless device between the second extravehicular wireless network and the first extravehicular wireless network.

21. The mobile network relay device of claim 20, wherein during handoff parallel communication paths exist to service the wireless device, and wherein the parallel communication paths comprise:

a first communication path exists between the wireless device and the second extravehicular wireless network; and

a second communication path exists between the wireless device and the first extravehicular wireless network via the first wireless interface, the vehicular mountable relay, and the second wireless interface.

22. The mobile network relay device of claim 20, wherein the wireless device is a telephone hand set.

23. The mobile network relay device of claim 20, wherein the wireless device is a Personal Data Assistant.

24. The mobile network relay device of claim 20, wherein the vehicular mountable relay services handoff from a first second extravehicular wireless network to a cellular network to a second second extravehicular wireless network.

25. The mobile network relay device of claim 24, wherein the first second extravehicular wireless network and the second second extravehicular wireless networks have non-contiguous service coverage areas.

26. The mobile network relay device of claim 18, wherein the vehicular mountable relay determines capabilities of the telephone hand set.

27. The mobile network relay device of claim 26, wherein the vehicular mountable relay makes handoff decisions based upon the capabilities of the telephone hand set.

28. The mobile network relay device of claim 27, wherein the telephone hand set has Bluetooth®

, 802.11, and/or cellular interfaces.

29. The mobile network relay device of claim 28, wherein:

a cellular connection through the telephone handset'"'"'s cellular interface has a first quality of signal;

a communication pathway through the extravehicular wireless network has a second quality of signal; and

a processor directs that communications of the wireless device be serviced by the cellular connection or first extravehicular wireless network based on a comparison of the first quality of signal and the second quality of signal.

30. The mobile network relay device of claim 28, wherein a processor directs that communications of the wireless device be serviced by the Bluetooth®

, 802.11, or cellular interfaces based on power consumption associated with the Bluetooth®

, 802.11, and cellular interfaces.

31. The mobile network relay device of claim 21, wherein the vehicular mountable relay monitors a signal strength of the second extravehicular wireless network and initiates handoff to the first extravehicular wireless network when the signal strength compares unfavorably to a handoff threshold.

32. The mobile network relay device of claim 18, wherein the wireless device is registered with the first wireless interface.