Apparatus and method for improving paging performance while simultaneously operating in different types of communication networks

• US 7,953,424 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2006
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Turner, Simon, Neufeld, Arthur James, Glazko, Serguei A., Lie, Gregory Robert, Ciccarelli, Steven C., Joshi, Abhay Arvind
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah; Charles N
• Assistant Examiner(s): STEPHEN, EMEM O
• Application Number:
  US11/357,667
• Publication Number:
  US 20060189346A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,929 Days
• Field of Search: 455/458, 455556-557, 455/422.1, 455/561, 370/338, 370/359, 370/397
• US Class Current: 455/458
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/02 Arrangements for increasing efficiency of notification or paging channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A system and method of improving wireless communications between a wireless communication device and both a first network supporting voice and data services and a second network supporting packet data services. The method comprises providing the WCD with a primary transceiver and a secondary receiver for conducting wireless communications in both a simultaneous-mode and a hybrid-mode; performing simultaneous-mode-to-hybrid-mode and hybrid-mode-to-simultaneous-mode transitions based on a performance metric; and evaluating the performance metric to determine whether to perform the mode transitions. In the simultaneous-mode, the primary transceiver conducts wireless communications in the second network and the secondary receiver conducts wireless communications in the first network. In the hybrid-mode, the primary transceiver use is time multiplexed during all of the first and second networks communications combinations. When the metric measures below a threshold, the WCD reverts from one mode to another mode at paging slot wake-ups.

Claims

1. A method of improving wireless communications between a wireless communication device and both a first communication network and a second communication network, the method comprising:

providing the wireless communication device with a primary transceiver and a secondary receiver that are configured to conduct wireless communications in both a simultaneous-mode and a hybrid-mode, wherein in the simultaneous-mode the wireless communication device is configured to communicate with the second network via both the primary transceiver and the secondary receiver during a first time slot, wherein in the simultaneous-mode the wireless communication device is further configured to communicate with the second network via the primary transceiver and with the first network via the secondary receiver during a second time slot that is different than the first time slot, and wherein in the hybrid-mode the wireless communication device is configured to communicate via the primary transceiver with only one of the first network and the second network at any given time;

performing simultaneous-mode-to-hybrid-mode and hybrid-mode-to-simultaneous-mode transitions based on a performance metric; and

evaluating the performance metric to determine whether to perform the mode transitions, wherein a first performance metric comprises a first threshold level at which the hybrid-mode-to-simultaneous-mode transition is performed, wherein a second performance metric comprises a second threshold level at which the simultaneous-mode-to-hybrid-mode transition is performed, and wherein the first threshold level is different than the second threshold level,

wherein the performance metric is a total received power (I_o) detected on the secondary receiver, and

wherein a ping-pong effect is prevented by setting the difference between the first threshold level and the second threshold level to be greater than the difference between a primary antenna gain of the primary transceiver and a secondary antenna gain of the secondary receiver.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein in the hybrid-mode, the primary transceiver use is time multiplexed during all of the first and second networks communications combinations.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance metric evaluation is done periodically.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device reverts to the hybrid-mode when the performance metric measures below the second threshold level.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the wireless communication device reverts at paging slot wake-ups.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device reverts to the simultaneous-mode when the performance metric measures above the first threshold level.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the wireless communication device reverts at paging slot wake-ups.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network is an IS-2000 network and the second network is an IS-856 network.

9. A method of conducting wireless communications between a wireless communication device and both a first communication network and a second communication network, the method comprising:

providing the wireless communication device with a primary transceiver and a secondary receiver that are configured to conduct wireless communications in both a simultaneous-mode and a hybrid-mode, wherein in the simultaneous-mode the wireless communication device is configured to communicate with the second network via both the primary transceiver and the secondary receiver during a first time slot, wherein in the simultaneous-mode the wireless communication device is further configured to communicate with the second network via the primary transceiver and with the first network via the secondary receiver during a second time slot that is different than the first time slot, and wherein in the hybrid-mode the wireless communication device is configured to communicate via the primary transceiver with only one of the first network and the second network at any given time,

wherein applications operating with the second network are able to invoke a high priority traffic mode in the wireless communication device invoking the wireless communication device to operate in the simultaneous-mode,

evaluating a performance metric to determine whether to perform the mode transitions, wherein a first performance metric comprises a first threshold level at which the hybrid-mode-to-simultaneous-mode transition is performed, wherein a second performance metric comprises a second threshold level at which the simultaneous-mode-to-hybrid-mode transition is performed, and wherein the first threshold level is different than the second threshold level,

wherein the performance metric is a total received power (I_o) detected on the secondary receiver, and

wherein a ping-pong effect is prevented by setting the difference between the first threshold level and the second threshold level to be greater than the difference between a primary antenna gain of the primary transceiver and a secondary antenna gain of the secondary receiver.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first network is an IS-2000 network and the second network is an IS-856 network.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the wireless communication device uses the secondary receiver for spatial diversity for the second network while no first network activities are performed.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the wireless communication device does not perform hybrid-mode-to-simultaneous-mode transitions based on a performance metric.

13. An apparatus for improving wireless communications with both a first communication network and a second communication network, the apparatus comprising:

means for conducting wireless communications in both a simultaneous-mode and a hybrid-mode, the means for conducting comprising a first means and a second means, wherein in the simultaneous-mode the means for conducting wireless communications is configured to communicate with the second network via both the first means and the second means during a first time slot, wherein in the simultaneous-mode the means for conducting wireless communications is further configured to communicate with the second network via the first means and with the first network via the second means during a second time slot that is different than the first time slot, and wherein in the hybrid-mode the means for conducting wireless communications is configured to communicate via the first means with only one of the first network and the second network at any given time;

means for performing simultaneous-mode-to-hybrid-mode and hybrid-mode-to-simultaneous-mode transitions based on a performance metric; and

means for evaluating the performance metric to determine whether to perform the mode transitions, wherein a first performance metric comprises a first threshold level at which the hybrid-mode-to-simultaneous-mode transition is performed, wherein a second performance metric comprises a second threshold level at which the simultaneous-mode-to-hybrid-mode transition is performed, and wherein the first threshold level is different than the second threshold level,

wherein the performance metric is a total received power (I_o) detected on the secondary receiver, and

wherein a ping-pong effect is prevented by setting the difference between the first threshold level and the second threshold level to be greater than the difference between a primary antenna gain of the primary transceiver and a secondary antenna gain of the secondary receiver.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first means comprises a primary transceiver and the second means comprises a secondary receiver.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein in the hybrid-mode, the first means use is time multiplexed during all of the first and second networks communications combinations.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the evaluating means periodically evaluates the performance metric.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the performing means reverts to the hybrid-mode when the performance metric measures below the second threshold level.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the performing means reverts at paging slot wake-ups.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the performing means reverts to the simultaneous-mode when the performance metric measures above the first threshold level.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the performing means reverts at paging slot wake-ups.

21. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first network is an IS-2000 network and the second network is an IS-856 network.

22. An apparatus for conducting wireless communications with both a first communication network and a second communication network, the apparatus comprising:

a primary transceiver and a secondary receiver for conducting wireless communications in both a simultaneous-mode and a hybrid-mode, wherein in the simultaneous-mode the primary transceiver and the secondary receiver are configured to communicate with the second network during a first time slot, wherein in the simultaneous-mode the primary transceiver is configured to communicate with the second network and the secondary receiver is configured to communicate with the first network during a second time slot that is different than the first time slot, and wherein in the hybrid-mode the primary transceiver is configured to communicate with only one of the first network and the second network at any given time,

wherein applications operating with the second network are able to invoke a high priority traffic mode in the wireless communication device invoking the wireless communication device to operate in the simultaneous-mode,

evaluating a performance metric to determine whether to perform the mode transitions, wherein a first performance metric comprises a first threshold level at which the hybrid-mode-to-simultaneous-mode transition is performed, wherein a second performance metric comprises a second threshold level at which the simultaneous-mode-to-hybrid-mode transition is performed, and wherein the first threshold level is different than the second threshold level,

wherein the performance metric is a total received power (I_o) detected on the secondary receiver, and

wherein a ping-pong effect is prevented by setting the difference between the first threshold level and the second threshold level to be greater than the difference between a primary antenna gain of the primary transceiver and a secondary antenna gain of the secondary receiver.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the first network is an IS-2000 network and the second network is an IS-856 network.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the secondary receiver is used for spatial diversity for the second network while no first network activities are performed.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the apparatus does not perform hybrid-mode-to-simultaneous-mode transitions based on a performance metric.

26. A non-transitory computer readable media embodying a method of improving wireless communications between a wireless communications device and both a first communication network and a second communication network, the wireless communication device having a primary transceiver and a secondary receiver for conducting wireless communications in both a simultaneous-mode and a hybrid-mode, the method comprising:

performing simultaneous-mode-to-hybrid-mode and hybrid-mode-to-simultaneous-mode transitions, wherein in the simultaneous-mode the wireless communication device is configured to communicate with the second network via both the primary transceiver and the secondary receiver during a first time slot, wherein in the simultaneous-mode the wireless communication device is further configured to communicate with the second network via the primary transceiver and with the first network via the secondary receiver during a second time slot that is different than the first time slot, and wherein in the hybrid-mode the wireless communication device is configured to communicate via the primary transceiver with only one of the first network and the second network at any given time; and

evaluating a performance metric to determine whether to perform the mode transitions, wherein a first performance metric comprises a first threshold level at which the hybrid-mode-to-simultaneous-mode transition is performed, wherein a second performance metric comprises a second threshold level at which the simultaneous-mode-to-hybrid-mode transition is performed, and wherein the first threshold level is different than the second threshold level,

wherein the performance metric is a total received power (I_o)detected on the secondary receiver, and

wherein a ping-pong effect is prevented by setting the difference between the first threshold level and the second threshold level to be greater than the difference between a primary antenna gain of the primary transceiver and a secondary antenna gain of the secondary receiver.

27. A non-transitory computer readable media embodying a method of improving wireless communications between a wireless communication device and both a first communication network and a second communication network, the wireless communication device having a primary transceiver and a secondary receiver for conducting wireless communications in both a simultaneous-mode and a hybrid-mode, the method comprising:

invoking a high priority traffic mode in second network applications operating on the wireless communication device invoking the wireless communication device to operate in the simultaneous-mode, wherein in the simultaneous-mode the wireless communication device is configured to communicate with the second network via both the primary transceiver and the secondary receiver during a first time slot, wherein in the simultaneous-mode the wireless communication device is further configured to communicate with the second network via the primary transceiver and with the first network via the secondary receiver during a second time slot that is different than the first time slot, and wherein in the hybrid-mode the wireless communication device is configured to communicate via the primary transceiver with only one of the first network and the second network at any given time,

evaluating a performance metric to determine whether to perform the mode transitions, wherein a first performance metric comprises a first threshold level at which the hybrid-mode-to-simultaneous-mode transition is performed, wherein a second performance metric comprises a second threshold level at which the simultaneous-mode-to-hybrid-mode transition is performed, and wherein the first threshold level is different than the second threshold level,

wherein the performance metric is a total received power (I_o) detected on the secondary receiver, and

wherein a ping-pong effect is prevented by setting the difference between the first threshold level and the second threshold level to be greater than the difference between a primary antenna gain of the primary transceiver and a secondary antenna gain of the secondary receiver.