Enterprise location discovery in dual-mode phones

• US 8,068,870 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2008
• Issued: 11/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Aruba Networks Incorporated (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Inventors: Mahajan, Arun, Kumar, Chetan R., Iyer, Pradeep J.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TUAN HOANG
• Application Number:
  US12/102,650
• Publication Number:
  US 20090258668A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,324 Days
• Field of Search: 455/411, 455/414.1, 455/415, 455/426.1, 455/426.2, 455/432.1, 455/550.1, 455/552.1, 455/556.1
• US Class Current: 455/552.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• 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

Enterprise location discovery in dual-mode phones. As dual-mode phones move within the enterprise Wi-Fi network, they track which cell tower they are associated with, reporting this information to an enterprise mobility controller. The enterprise mobility controller builds a list of cell tower identifiers which are associated with enterprise Wi-Fi coverage, and makes this list available to subscribing dual-mode phones. Subscribing dual-mode phones can use this list to only scan for Wi-Fi availability when they are associated with a cell tower which is on the list.

Claims

1. A method of operating a network of a plurality of dual-mode phones each having a first radio for communicating with a cellular network comprising a plurality of cell towers and a second radio for communicating with a mobility controller associated with an enterprise wireless network via at least one of a plurality of access nodes, the method comprising:

collecting cell tower identification information by a dual-mode phone when the dual-mode phone is connected to both the cellular network and the enterprise wireless network;

transferring the cell tower identification information by the dual-mode phone to the mobility controller that collects cell tower identification from the plurality of dual-mode phones to form a list of cell towers having an access node within a coverage area;

increasing scanning for access nodes by the dual-mode phone if the dual-mode phone is in communications with a cell tower on the list of cell towers;

moving the second radio to a lower power state by the dual-mode phone when the dual-mode phone is out of range of the enterprise wireless network; and

moving the second radio to a higher power state by the dual-mode phone when the first radio of the dual-mode phone is connected to a cell tower on the list of cell towers associated with enterprise wireless availability.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing the list of cell lowers to the plurality of dual-mode phones.

3. The method of claim 2 where the providing of the list of cell towers to the plurality of dual-mode phones further comprises pushing the list of cell towers from the mobility controller.

4. The method of claim 2 where the providing of the list of cell towers to the plurality of dual-mode phones further comprises requesting the list of cell towers from the mobility controller by the dual-mode phone.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising maintaining a scanning rate for wireless access nodes by the dual-mode phone if the dual-mode phone is in communications with a cell tower that is not listed on the list of cell towers.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising initiating a call handover to the cellular network as the dual-mode phone moves outside a coverage area of the enterprise wireless network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the enterprise wireless network is an enterprise Wi-Fi network.

8. The method of claim 1 where the second radio is powered off when out of range of the enterprise wireless network.

9. The method of claim 1 where the second radio is powered on when the first radio of the dual-mode phone is connected to a cell tower on the list of cell towers associated with enterprise wireless availability.