Seamless wireless mobility

• US 7,574,207 B1
• Filed: 01/27/2006
• Issued: 08/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hicks, John Alson III, O'Neil, Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; David Q
• Application Number:
  US11/275,783
• Time in Patent Office: 1,292 Days
• Field of Search: 455/435.1, 455/445, 455/560, 455/461, 707/10
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/12 Inter-network notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks

Abstract

Seamless wireless mobility is described. In one embodiment, a mobility manager can query a subscriber catalog for a current registration status of a handset. The mobility manager can then use the registration status to send a first signal to the handset over either a wireless network or an Internet protocol-based network.

Claims

1. A system for seamless wireless mobility comprising:

a mobility manager; and

a subscriber catalog coupled to communicate with the mobility manager, the mobility manager being configured to;

query the subscriber catalog for a current registration status of a handset;

send a first signal to the handset over either a wireless network or an Internet protocol-based network based on the current registration status of the handset;

cause the handset to ring in response to a second signal being addressed to a device other than the handset, wherein the handset and the device are registered with an access point in the Internet protocol-based network;

send to the handset instant messages addressed to a computer registered with the access point.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobility manager causes the handset and the device to ring in response to the first signal when the handset is registered on the access point.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobility manager causes the first signal intended for the handset to be sent via a broadband connection to an access point when the handset is registered on the access point.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the subscriber catalog comprises at least one of a home location registry or a home subscription subsystem.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobility manager is located in an Internet protocol multimedia subsystem.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the device is selected from a group comprising a second handset, an IP phone, an analog phone, and a plain old telephone system (POTS) phone, a game console, a personal digital assistant, and a computer.

7. A method comprising:

receiving, at a mobility manager, information regarding a first signal addressed to a handset;

querying, by the mobility manager, a subscriber catalog to acquire a current registration status of the handset, the current registration status being determined by whether the handset is registered to a wireless network or an access point;

transmitting, from the mobility manager, the first signal to the handset over either a wireless network or an Internet protocol-based network based on the current registration status of the handset;

the mobility manager causing the handset to ring in response to a second signal being received at the mobility manager, the second signal being addressed to a device other than the handset, wherein the handset and the device are registered with the access point; and

the mobility manager sending to the handset instant messages addressed to a computer registered with the access point.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein transmitting the first signal to the handset includes transmitting the first signal to the access point via a network using Internet protocol when the handset is registered on the access point.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein transmitting the first signal to the access point includes transmitting the first signal to the handset, and the device associated with the access point.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein transmitting the first signal to the handset includes transmitting the signal to a base station controller when the handset is registered on the base station controller.

11. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform acts comprising:

receiving information regarding a first signal addressed to a handset;

obtaining registration information regarding the handset;

sending the first signal to the handset over a wireless network if the handset is registered to the wireless network;

sending the first signal to the handset over an Internet protocol-based network if the handset is registered to an access point;

causing the handset to ring in response to a second signal being sent to a device other than the handset, the device being associated with the access point when the handset is registered on the access point; and

sending to the handset instant messages addressed to a computer registered with the access point.

12. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 11, wherein obtaining registration information regarding the handset comprises querying a subscriber catalog.

13. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 11, the acts further comprising sending the first signal to the handset and the device.

14. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 11, wherein the device is coupled to a POTS line.