Management of WLAN and WWAN communication services to a multi-mode wireless communication device

• US 7,978,667 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2006
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Kalhan, Amit
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid; Lester
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gu; Yu (Andy)
• Application Number:
  US11/565,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20080130598A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,685 Days
• Field of Search: 370/338
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/12 Access point controller devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A mesh network communication system includes a plurality of access points connected to a wireless local area network (WLAN) controller where at least one of the plurality access points is a detection access point (DAP) that receives reverse link (RL) wireless wide area network (WWAN) signals transmitted from a multi-mode wireless communication device. Based on an intercepted RL WWAN signal, the DAP forwards reverse link (RL) information to the WLAN controller. Based on the RL information, the WLAN controller generates and sends, to the WWAN communication system, a device to access point association list (device-AP association list) comprising one or more device identifiers associated with one or more target access point identifier. The device identifier uniquely identifies a multi-mode wireless communication device within a maximum proximity of a target access point identified by the target access point identifier. The WWAN system applies the device-AP association list to efficiently manage handoffs from the WWAN system to access points in the mesh network.

Claims

1. A mesh network communication system for providing wireless local area network (WLAN) service within a mesh network service area, the mesh network communication system comprising:

a plurality of access points configured to provide WLAN service within the mesh network communication system, the plurality of access points comprising a plurality of detection access points (DAPS) configured to receive reverse link (RL) wireless wide area network (WWAN) signals transmitted by multi-mode wireless communication devices; and

a WLAN controller connected to the plurality of access points through a backhaul and configured to;

generate a device to access point association list (device-AP association list), based on the RL WWAN signals, comprising a plurality of target access point identifiers and a plurality of device identifiers, each target access point identifier associated with at least one device identifier, each device identifier uniquely identifying, based on the RL WWAN signals, a target multi-mode wireless communication device within a maximum proximity of a target access point identified by one of the plurality of target access point identifiers, and

send the device-AP association list to a wireless wide area network (WWAN).

2. The system of claim 1, the WLAN controller comprising:

an access point interface configured to receive reverse link information from the plurality of DAPs, the reverse link information based on the RL WWAN signals; and

a processor configured to identify the target multi-mode wireless communication device from the multi-mode communication devices based on the reverse link information.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to estimate the proximity of the target multi-mode wireless communication device to the target access point based on the reverse link information and to determine the target multi-mode wireless communication device is within a target access point service area based on the proximity.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to estimate the proximity based on a received power level of one or more RL WWAN signals received at one or more DAPs.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein at least one of the DAPs further comprises a forward link WWAN receiver configured to receive a forward link WWAN signal comprising control data for the target multi-mode wireless communication device, the processor further configured to generate the device-AP association list based, at least partially, on the control data and the received power level of the one or more WWAN signals.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to generate the device-AP association list indicating the association of the device identifier to the target access point identifier based on the determination that the target multi-mode wireless communication device is within the target access point service area.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the target access point is a DAP.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the target access point identifiers is associated with two or more device identifiers.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the DAPs comprises a WWAN reverse link receiver.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the WLAN controller is an access point.

11. A wireless local area network (WLAN) controller configured to communicate with a plurality of access points to form a mesh network providing WLAN service within a mesh network service area, the WLAN controller comprising:

an access point interface configured to receive reverse link information related to reverse link (RL) wireless wide area network (WWAN) signals transmitted by multi-mode wireless communication devices and received at one or more detection access points (DAPs) providing WLAN service within DAP service areas;

a processor configured to generate a device to access point association list (device-AP association list), based on the RL WWAN signals, comprising a plurality of target access point identifiers and a plurality of device identifiers, each target access point identifier associated with at least one device identifier, each device identifier uniquely identifying, based on the RL WWAN signals, a target multi-mode wireless communication device within a maximum proximity of a target access point identified by one of the plurality of target access point identifiers; and

a WWAN interface configured to send the device-AP association list to a wireless wide area network (WWAN).

12. The WLAN controller of claim 11, further comprising:

a processor configured to identify the target multi-mode wireless communication device based on the reverse link information.

13. The WLAN controller of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to estimate the proximity of the target multi-mode wireless communication device to the target access point based on the reverse link information and to determine the target multi-mode wireless communication device is within a target access point service area based on the proximity.

14. The WLAN controller of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to estimate the proximity based on a received power level of one or more WWAN signals received at one or more DAPs.

15. The WLAN controller of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to generate the device-AP association list at least partially based on reverse link control data and the received power level.

16. The WLAN controller of claim 15, wherein the reverse link control data is received at a DAP having a forward link (FL) WWAN receiver.

17. The WLAN controller of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to generate the device-AP association list indicating the association of the device identifier to the target access point identifier based on the determination that the target multi-mode wireless communication device is within the target access point service area.

18. The WLAN controller of claim 11, wherein at least one of the target access point identifiers is associated with two or more device identifiers.

19. The WLAN controller of claim 11, wherein the WLAN controller is an access point.