Method and device for managing simultaneous connections of a mobile telecommunications device to different networks

• US 8,098,577 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2005
• Issued: 01/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Option Incorporated (Crescent NV)
• Original Assignee: Option Incorporated (Crescent NV)
• Inventors: De Vos, Chris, Schollaert, Axel, Achien, Lambert, Vercruysse, Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): Ferris, Derrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Onamuti, Gbemileke
• Application Number:
  US11/143,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20060013176A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,419 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/127.3, 455/450, 370/316, 370/337, 370/338, 370/352, 370/470, 370/230, 370/345
• US Class Current: 370/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/18 for allowing seamless reselection, e.g. soft reselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

Method and device for managing simultaneous connections of a mobile telecommunications device to at least a wireless local area network and a mobile telephone network via a single terminal of the mobile telecommunications device, the method including the steps of: (a) establishing a first wireless connection of the terminal with the wireless local area network, (b) establishing a second wireless connection of the terminal with the mobile telephone network, (c) responding to each network at predetermined times, such that the first and second wireless connections are maintained, and (d) preventing simultaneous transmittals of data from the terminal to both networks over the first and second wireless connections.

Claims

1. Method for managing simultaneous connections of a mobile telecommunications device to at least a wireless local area network and a mobile telephone network via a single terminal of the mobile telecommunications device, the method comprising the steps of:

a) establishing a first wireless connection of the terminal with the wireless local area network,

b) establishing a second wireless connection of the terminal with the mobile telephone network,

c) responding to each network at predetermined times, such that the first and second wireless connections are maintained active,

d) preventing simultaneous transmittals of data from the terminal to both networks over the first and second wireless connections;

wherein said steps of responding to each network and preventing simultaneous transmittals are implemented by means of operations performed in the physical and data link layer of the terminal,

wherein said operations performed in the physical and data link layer comprise determining a length of each data packet to be transmitted to the wireless local area network such that the transmission of said data packet fits in between timeslots allocated for transmissions to said mobile telephone network,

said determination of said length taking into account the time for gaining access to the wireless local area network, the time for receiving an acknowledgement from the wireless local area network and a charging time of feeding capacitors of the terminal due to a depletion thereof after a mobile telephone transmission.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the method further comprises the steps of defining a hierarchy between different types of data to be transmitted over the first and second wireless connections and that step d) comprises the delaying of the transmittal of one type of data in favour of the transmittal of another type of data, based on the hierarchy.

3. Method according to claim 2, characterised in that voice data is placed higher and that text data is placed lower in said hierarchy.

4. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the first and second connections are placed in a switchable master-slave configuration.

5. Method according to claim 4, characterised in that the first connection has a selectable protocol data frame length and a selectable communication rate and that when the second connection is master said protocol data frame length and communication rate are selected such that data throughput via the first connection is maximised.

6. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the method further comprises the step of handing over a data communication from the first connection to the second connection or vice versa.

7. Method according to claim 6, characterised in that connection parameters of the first and second connections are monitored on the terminal and that the data communication is handed over when the connection parameters no longer meet predetermined values.

8. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that upon receipt of data from the mobile phone network via the second connection, a buffer request is transmitted to an access point of the wireless local area network via the first connection, the buffer request being a request to buffer data to be transmitted to the terminal on the access point.

9. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that said operations performed in the physical and data link layer comprise shutting down a power amplifier of a wireless local area network transmitter of said terminal for said prevention of simultaneous transmittals.

10. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that said operations performed in the physical and data link layer comprise buffering data to be transmitted to the wireless local area network in a media access control transmitter buffer for said prevention of simultaneous transmittals.

11. Mobile telecommunications device comprising:

a single terminal equipped for supporting a first connection to a mobile telephone network and a second connection to a wireless local area network, the terminal comprising a processing means for simultaneously managing the first and second connections,

said processing means being adapted for performing operations in the physical and data link layer of the terminal to respond to each network at predetermined times, such that the first and second wireless connections are maintained active, and

preventing simultaneous transmittals of data from the terminal to both networks over the first and second wireless connections, wherein said processing means is adapted for determining a length of each data packet to be transmitted to the wireless local area network such that the transmission of said data packet fits in between timeslots allocated for transmissions to said mobile telephone network, taking into account the time for gaining access to the wireless local area network, the time for receiving an acknowledgement from the wireless local area network and a charging time of feeding capacitors of the terminal due to a depletion thereof after a mobile telephone transmission.

12. Mobile telecommunications device according to claim 11, characterised in that the terminal comprises separate receivers for each of the first and second connections.

13. Mobile telecommunications device according to claim 11, characterised in that the terminal comprises a single receiver for both the first and second connections.

14. Mobile telecommunications device according to claim 11, characterised in that the device comprises a single transmitter for both the first and second connections.

15. Mobile telecommunications device according to claim 11, characterised in that the device is a Personal Computer Memory Card International Association card.

16. Mobile telecommunications device according to claim 11, characterised in that the terminal is provided with a front-end filter for attenuating frequencies in the frequency band of the mobile telephone network during transmission towards the wireless local area network.

17. Mobile telecommunications device according to claim 11, characterised in that said processing means is adapted for shutting down a power amplifier of a wireless local area network transmitter of said terminal for said prevention of simultaneous transmittals.

18. Mobile telecommunications device according to claim 11, characterised in that the terminal comprises a media access control transmitter buffer for buffering data to be transmitted to the wireless local area network, said processing means being adapted to control said buffering of data in the media access control transmitter buffer for said prevention of simultaneous transmittals.