System and method to improve WLAN handover behavior at entry/exit points
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- detecting a first signal from an egress portal, the first signal associated with indicating passage through the egress portal, wherein the egress portal resides within a cell of a wireless local area network and occupies a region that is smaller than the cell;
initiating, in response to detecting the first signal from the egress portal, a registration sequence with a second wireless communication system; and
conducting a present or a subsequent call via the second wireless communication system.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system, wireless device (306) and method determine that a wireless device (306) is detecting a triggering event. The triggering event includes detecting a WLAN border cell (210), detecting a first signal from an egress portal (302), or detecting a degradation in signal quality. The wireless device (306) then detects at least one signal from an egress portal (302), determines that the wireless device (306) is moving from the coverage area of a first communications system to the coverage area of a second communications system according to the order of signals received from the egress portal (302), initiates a registration sequence with the second wireless communication system in response to determining that the wireless device (306) is moving from the coverage area of the first communications system to the coverage area of the second communications system, and conducts present and subsequent calls via the second wireless communication system.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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detecting a first signal from an egress portal, the first signal associated with indicating passage through the egress portal, wherein the egress portal resides within a cell of a wireless local area network and occupies a region that is smaller than the cell; initiating, in response to detecting the first signal from the egress portal, a registration sequence with a second wireless communication system; and conducting a present or a subsequent call via the second wireless communication system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method comprising:
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determining that a wireless device, operating in a first communication system is detecting a wireless local area network inner border cell of the first communication system, wherein the inner border cell broadcasts an inner border cell indicator; initiating a registration sequence with a second wireless communication system in response to determining that the wireless device is detecting the wireless local area network inner border cell; detecting a second wireless local area network outer border cell, wherein the outer border cell broadcasts an outer border cell indicator; determining that the wireless device is moving from a coverage area of the first communications system to a coverage area of the second communications system in response to detecting the second wireless local area network outer border cell; and conducting a present or a subsequent call via the second wireless communication system. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. A method comprising:
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detecting a triggering event; detecting a signal from an egress portal in response to detecting a triggering event, the signal associated with indicating passage through the egress portal, wherein the egress portal resides within a cell of a wireless local area network and occupies a region that is smaller than the cell; obtaining available wide area network information from a wireless local area network access point; and scanning, in response to the detecting, for at least one wide area network listed in the available wide area network information. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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18. A mobile communication device comprising:
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at least two transceivers, each transceiver designed to operate on a separate wireless communications system, for transmitting and receiving wireless information; a controller, communicatively coupled to each transceiver, for managing the operation of the mobile communication device; a first wireless communications system stack, communicatively coupled to the controller, having instructions for communicating according to its respective protocol; a second wireless communications system stack, communicatively coupled to the controller, having instructions for communicating according to its respective protocol; a means for receiving signals from an egress portal, the signals associated with indicating passage through the egress portal; and a handover manager, communicatively coupled to the controller, the first wireless communications system stack, the second wireless communications system stack, and the means for receiving signals from an egress portal, the handover manager for determining, in response to determining that the means for receiving signals from an egress portal has received at least one signal from the egress portal indicating passage therethrough, when to handover from a first wireless communication system to a second wireless communication system, wherein the egress portal resides within a cell of a wireless local area network and occupies a region that is smaller than the cell. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A mobile communication system comprising:
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a structure having at least one entry/exit point; at least one egress portal located at the at least one entry/exit point, the egress portal for transmitting signals to a mobile communications device, wherein the signals are associated with indicating passage through the at least one egress portal; at least one cell of a wireless local area network communications system, the cell providing communication coverage within the structure, wherein the egress portal resides within the cell of the wireless local area network communications system and occupies a region that is smaller than the cell; and at least one coverage cell of a second communications system, overlapping the at least one cell of the wireless local area network, for providing communication coverage outside the structure; wherein at least one mobile subscriber device can be communicatively coupled with the at least one cell of the wireless local area network communications system and the at least one cell of the second communications system, the device for determining, in response to determining that the device has received the signals from the at least one egress portal indicating passage therethrough, when to handover from one wireless communication system to the second wireless communication system. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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23. A memory comprising computer instructions for performing the steps of:
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detecting a first signal from an egress portal, the first signal associated with indicating passage through the egress portal, wherein the egress portal resides within a cell of a wireless local area network and occupies a region that is smaller than the cell; initiating, in response to detecting the first signal from the egress portal, a registration sequence with a second wireless communication system; and conducting a present or a subsequent call via the second wireless communication system. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A memory comprising computer instructions for performing the steps of:
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determining that a wireless device, operating in a first communication system is detecting a wireless local area network inner border cell of the first communication system, wherein the inner border cell broadcasts an inner border cell indicator; initiating a registration sequence with a second wireless communication system in response to determining that the wireless device is detecting a wireless local area network inner border cell; detecting a second wireless local area network outer border cell, wherein the outer border cell broadcasts an outer border cell indicator; determining that the wireless device is moving from a coverage area of the first communications system to a coverage area of the second communications system in response to detecting the second wireless local area network outer border cell; and conducting a present or a subsequent call via the second wireless communication system. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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31. At an egress portal, a method to improve handover behavior of a mobile device between a wireless local area network (WLAN) containing a plurality of WLAN access points and a wireless wide area network (WAN) containing a plurality of WAN cells, the egress portal being located at an entry/exit point of the WLAN and not including a WLAN access point or a cell for a WAN, the method comprising:
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conducting a call via a first network, the first network being either the WLAN or the WAN; detecting by the egress portal a movement of the mobile device from a coverage area of the first network to a coverage area of a second network, the second network being the other one of the WLAN or the WAN; in response to detecting the movement of the mobile device, advising the mobile device to switch to the second network; and conducting, in response to advising the mobile device to switch to the second network, the call via the second network.
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Specification