Methods and apparatus for use in switching communication operations between a wireless wide area network and a wireless local area network

• US 8,005,058 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2009
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Pecen, Mark E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah; Charles N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vu; Michael T
• Application Number:
  US12/366,206
• Publication Number:
  US 20090135798A1
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• Field of Search: 370/338, 370/348, 370/236.2, 370/395.1, 370395-396, 455/441, 455552-553, 455/425, 455/552.1
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/008375 based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/32 by location or mobility data, e.g. speed data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/36 by user or terminal equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for use by a mobile communication device in switching operation for communications from a wireless wide area network (WWAN) to a wireless local area network (WLAN) are disclosed. While providing operation for communications in the WWAN, the mobile device continually maintains visited cell site history information in its memory. The visited cell site history information is indicative of one or more visited cell sites of the WWAN that served the mobile device over a moving time period of its operation. The mobile device continually monitors the visited cell site history information to identify whether it has been contained within a local geographic region over the moving time period. When the mobile device is identified to have been contained within the local geographic region, it is permitted to operate for communications with the WLAN. In response to such permission, the mobile device may enable its WLAN radio transceiver and select the WLAN for communications. Advantageously, switching operation for communications from the WWAN to the WLAN is performed only when appropriate. The WLAN radio transceiver may be enabled only when needed, which reduces power consumption and saves battery life in mobile device.

Claims

1. A method for switching operations in a device from a first network to a second network, the method comprising:

providing operation for communications in the first network with use of a first transceiver portion operative for communications in the first network, while a second transceiver portion operative for communications in the second network is disabled, wherein during operations in the first network;

storing, in memory, visited cell site history information, wherein the visited cell site history information including at least a cell site count of visited cell sites of the first network that served the device over a time period of operation of the device;

determining that the device is not permitted to operate for communications in the second network and maintaining the second transceiver portion as disabled based on identifying that the cell site count is greater than a cell site threshold count; and

determining that the device is permitted to operate for communications in the second network and enabling the second transceiver portion for communications based on identifying that the cell site count is less than the cell site threshold count.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

during operations in the first network;

repeating the recited acts of storing and determining.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the second network is available for communications with the device;

switching operation for communications to the second network with use of the second transceiver portion if it is determined that the device is permitted to operate in the second network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first transceiver portion and the second transceiver portion being in a single transceiver.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the visited cell site history information further comprises a cell reselection count of the number of times a visited cell site was selected by the device over the time period of operation, and the acts of determining that the device is permitted to operate for communications in the second network and enabling the second transceiver portion for communications are based on both identifying that the cell site count is less than the cell site threshold count and identifying that the cell reselection count is greater than a cell reselection threshold count.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the visited cell history information comprises a list of identifiers associated with the visited cell sites that served the device over the time period of operation.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein the visited cell site history information further comprises a cell reselection count of the number of times a visited cell site was selected by the device over the time period of operation;

wherein the acts of determining that the device is permitted to operate for communications in the second network and enabling the second transceiver portion for communications is based on both identifying that the cell site count is less than the cell site threshold count and identifying that the cell reselection count is greater than a cell reselection threshold count; and

determining that the device is not permitted to operate for communications in the second network and maintaining the second transceiver portion as disabled based on identifying that the cell reselection count is less than the cell reselection threshold count.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing an indicator which indicates that the second network is permitted for communications to be displayed in a visual display of the device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network comprises a first communications network and the second network comprises a second communications network.

10. A device, comprising:

a first transceiver portion which is operative for communications with a first network;

a second transceiver portion which is operative for communications with a second network, the second network having a plurality of local area coverage cells which are contained within one or more cells of the first network;

one or more processors coupled to the first and the second transceiver portions, wherein the one or more processors being operative to;

provide operation for communications in the first network with use of the first transceiver portion while the second transceiver portion is disabled;

store, in the memory, visited cell site history information, wherein the visited cell site history information including at least a cell site count of visited cell sites of the first network that served the device over a time period of operation of the device;

determine that the device is not permitted to operate for communications in a second network and therefore maintain the second transceiver portion as disabled based on identifying that the cell site count is greater than a cell site threshold count; and

determine that the device is permitted to operate for communications in the second network to therefore enable the second transceiver portion for communications based on identifying that the cell site count is less than the cell site threshold count.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to:

when the second network is available for communications with the device;

switch operation for communications to the second network if it is determined that the device is permitted to operate in the second network.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to repeat the acts of storing and determining during operations in the first network.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to switch operation for communications from the first network to the second network based on determining that the device is permitted to operate in the second network.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein the visited cell site history information further comprises a cell reselection count of the number of times a visited cell site was selected by the device over the time period of operation, and the one or more processors are further operative to determine that the device is permitted to operate for communications in the second network based on both identifying that the cell site count is less than the cell site threshold count and identifying that the cell reselection count is greater than a cell reselection threshold count.

15. The device of claim 10, wherein the visited cell history information further comprises a list of identifiers associated with the visited cell sites that served the device over the time period of operation.

16. The device of claim 10, wherein the visited cell site history information further comprises a time indicator which is indicative of a time at which a visited cell site served the device over the time period of operation.

17. The device of claim 10, wherein the first network comprises a first communications network and the second network comprises a second communications network.

18. The device of claim 10, wherein the first transceiver portion and the second transceiver portion being within a single transceiver.

19. A method for a device in switching operation for communications from a first network to a second network, the method comprising:

providing operation for communications in the first network with use of a first transceiver portion operative for communications in the first network, while a second transceiver portion operative for communications in the second network is disabled, wherein during operations in the first network;

storing, in memory, visited cell site history information, wherein the visited cell site history information including at least a cell reselection count of the number of times a visited cell site was reselected by the device over a time period of operation of the device;

determining that the device is not permitted to operate for communications in the second network and maintaining the second transceiver portion as disabled based on identifying that the cell reselection count is less than the a cell reselection threshold count; and

determining that the device is permitted to operate for communications in the second network and enabling the second transceiver portion for communications based on identifying that the cell reselection count is greater than the cell reselection threshold count.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first transceiver portion and the second transceiver portion being within a single transceiver.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising during operations in the first network:

repeating the recited acts of storing and determining.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

when the second network is available for communications with the device;

switching operation for communications to the second network with use of the second transceiver portion if it is determined that the device is permitted to operate in the second network.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the first transceiver portion and the second transceiver portion are contained within a single transceiver.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the visited cell site history information further comprises a cell site count of the number of times a visited cell site was selected by the device over the time period of operation, and the acts of determining that the device is permitted to operate for communications in the second network and enabling the second transceiver portion for communications are based both identifying that the cell site count is less than a cell site threshold count and identifying that the cell reselection count is greater than the cell reselection threshold count.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the first network comprises a first communications network and the second network comprises a second communications network.