Electronic apparatus with router device for managing connections

• US 7,873,743 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2006
• Issued: 01/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nelson, Joakim
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng, David Y
• Application Number:
  US11/347,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20070130285A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,807 Days
• Field of Search: 709/238, 709/217, 709/220, 709/223
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

A method and electronic apparatus is provided for establishing a connection in a first electronic apparatus to a second electronic apparatus using one of a plurality of clients. The method comprises determining whether the first electronic apparatus and the second electronic apparatus, to which a connection is requested, is operating in the same network; establishing the connection using a first client if the first and second electronic apparatuses are operating in the same network; and establishing the connection using a second client if the second electronic apparatus is operating in a different network than the first electronic apparatus.

Claims

1. A method, in a first electronic apparatus, for establishing a connection to a second electronic apparatus using one of a plurality of clients, comprising:

determining whether the first electronic apparatus and the second electronic apparatus, to which a connection is requested, are operating in a same network;

establishing the connection using a first client if the first and second electronic apparatuses are operating in the same network; and

establishing the connection using a second, different client if the second electronic apparatus is operating in a different network than the first electronic apparatus.

2. The method according to claim 1, where said determining comprises determining an identifier for a network or network operator for the second electronic apparatus;

and

determining whether the determined identifier matches an identifier for a network or network operator of the first electronic apparatus.

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising setting up a circuit switched connection when the first client is used.

4. The method according to claim 1, comprising setting up a packet switched (PS) connection when the second client is used.

5. The method according to claim 4, comprising using a voice over IP connection to set up the PS connection.

6. The method according to claim 4, comprising using a WLAN connection to set up the PS connection.

7. The method according to claim 2, comprising retrieving said identifier, for the network or network operator for the second electronic apparatus, from a database stored within the first electronic apparatus.

8. The method according to claim 2, comprising retrieving said identifier, for the network or network operator for the second electronic apparatus, from a database stored externally from the first electronic apparatus.

9. The method according to claim 8, comprising retrieving the identifier, for the network or network operator for the second electronic apparatus, from a database provided by the network operator of the first electronic apparatus.

10. The method according to claim 7, where the database is manually created by a user of the first electronic apparatus.

11. The method according to claim 1, where the first client is the client which provides a connection, which is stronger than a connection provided by any other client of the plurality of clients.

12. The method according to claim 1, where the first client is the client which provides a connection, which is cheaper than a connection provided by any other client of the plurality of clients.

13. The method according to claim 1, where the first client is the client which provides the connection with lowest interconnect fees.

14. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

selecting any one client of the plurality of clients when an identifier for the second electronic apparatus can not be determined.

15. A method, in a first electronic apparatus, for establishing a connection using one of a plurality of clients in a communication system, the method comprising:

determining whether the first electronic apparatus and a second electronic apparatus, to which a connection is requested, are operating in a same network;

if the first electronic apparatus and the second electronic apparatus are determined to be operating in the same network,

determining if more than one client of the plurality of clients are available to be used to set up the connection to the second electronic apparatus in the same network; and

if more than one client of the plurality of clients are available, establishing the connection between the first electronic apparatus and the second electronic apparatus using a first selected client from said more than one client, where the first selected client is selected based on predetermined rules; and

if the second electronic apparatus is determined to be operating in a different network than the first electronic apparatus,

determining if more than one client of the plurality of clients are available to be used to set up the connection to the second electronic apparatus in the different network; and

if more than one client of the plurality of clients are available, establishing the connection between the first electronic apparatus and the second electronic apparatus using a second selected client from said more than one client, where the second selected client is selected based on the predetermined rules.

16. The method according to claim 15, comprising selecting the client which provides a connection, which is stronger than a connection provided by any other available client.

17. The method according to claim 15, comprising selecting the client which provides a connection, which is cheaper than a connection provided by any other available client.

18. The method according to claim 15, comprising selecting the client which provides the connection with lowest interconnect fees.

19. An electronic apparatus, which is a first electronic apparatus, comprising:

at least a first and a second client to establish a connection to a second electronic apparatus in a communication system;

a router including or connected to the at least first and second client, a processing device, and a connection device;

where

the router is to determine how to establish a connection to the second electronic apparatus;

the processing device is to determine, when a connection to the second electronic apparatus is requested, whether the first electronic apparatus and the second electronic apparatus are operating in a same network; and

the connection device is to establish the connection from the first electronic apparatus to the second electronic apparatus using the first client if the first and second electronic apparatuses are operating in the same network, and establish the connection from the first electronic apparatus to the second electronic apparatus using the second client if the second electronic apparatus is operating in a different network than the first electronic apparatus.

20. The electronic apparatus according to claim 19, where the processing device is to determine an identifier for a network or network operator for the second electronic apparatus, and determine whether the determined identifier matches an identifier for a network or network operator of the first electronic apparatus.

21. The electronic apparatus according to claim 19, where the connection device is to use the first client to set up a circuit-switched (CS) connection.

22. The electronic apparatus according to claim 19, where the connection device is to use the second client to set up a packet switched (PS) connection.

23. The electronic apparatus according to claim 22, where the connection device is to use a voice over IP connection to set up the PS connection.

24. The electronic apparatus according to claim 22, where the connection device is to use a WLAN connection to set up the PS connection.

25. The electronic apparatus according to claim 20, where the processing device is to retrieve said identifier, for the network or network operator for the second electronic apparatus, from a database stored within the first electronic apparatus.

26. The electronic apparatus according to claim 20, where the processing device is to retrieve said identifier, for the network or network operator for the second electronic apparatus, from a database stored externally from the first electronic apparatus.

27. The electronic apparatus according to claim 26, where the electronic apparatus is a portable or handheld mobile radio communication equipment, a mobile radio terminal, a mobile telephone, a pager, a communicator, an electronic organizer, a smartphone or a computer.

28. A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed by a processor in a first electronic apparatus, cause the first electronic apparatus to perform a method for establishing a connection from the first electronic apparatus to a second electronic apparatus, the method comprising:

determining, by the processor, whether the first electronic apparatus and the second electronic apparatus, to which a connection is requested, are operating in a same network;

establishing, by the processor, the connection from the first electronic apparatus to the second electronic apparatus using a first client if the first and second electronic apparatuses are operating in the same network; and

establishing, by the processor, the connection from the first electronic apparatus to the second electronic apparatus using a second, different client if the second electronic apparatus is operating in a different network than the first electronic apparatus.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 28, where determining whether the first electronic apparatus and the second electronic apparatus are operating in the same network comprises:

submitting a request for an identifier, for a network or network operator for the second electronic apparatus, to a service provider associated with the second electronic apparatus.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 30, further comprising:

receiving, in response to submitting an identifier request, an identifier, for a network or network operator for the second electronic apparatus, from an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) service,

where the IMS provides at least one of network identification information or capabilities identification information.

29. A computer readable medium storing instructions that are executable by a processor in a first electronic apparatus, the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the first electronic apparatus to perform a method, the method comprising:

determining, by the processor, whether the first electronic apparatus and a second electronic apparatus are operating in a same network;

establishing, by the processor, a connection from the first electronic apparatus to the second electronic apparatus using a first client in the first electronic apparatus if the first and second electronic apparatuses are operating in the same network, the first client providing a first type of connection; and

establishing, by the processor, the connection from the first electronic apparatus to the second electronic apparatus using a second client in the first electronic apparatus if the second electronic apparatus is operating in a different network than the first electronic apparatus, the second client providing a second, different type of connection.