Communication environment switchover

• US 8,351,444 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2009
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hicks, John Alson III, Worsham, James A. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, MAN U
• Application Number:
  US12/626,167
• Publication Number:
  US 20100074228A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• Field of Search: 370318-328, 370331-352, 455405-415, 455418-422, 455436-550, 709203-229
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/1446 wherein at least one of the networks is unlicensed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/302 due to low signal strength
• 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

Communication environment switchover may be provided. A received signal strength level may be determined corresponding to a signal sent from a first device and received at a second device. The received signal strength level may be measured at the second device. In addition, the first device may be re-provisioned. For example, the first device may be re-provisioned to communicate in a second environment if the first device is provisioned to communicate in a first environment and if the received signal strength level is greater than a first threshold value. Furthermore, the first device to be re-provisioned to communicate in the first environment if the first device is provisioned to communicate in the second environment and if the received signal strength level is less than a second threshold value. The second threshold value may be less than the first threshold value.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a memory that retains a set of program modules; and

a processing unit that executes the set of program modules, and in response to the execution, causes the device to;

determine a signal strength level of a transmitted signal based on a query of a measured strength level at a wireless access point;

determine that the device is not provisioned to communicate in a first communication environment;

in response to the device not being provisioned to communicate in the first communication environment, determine that the device is provisioned to communicate in a second communication environment;

in response to the device being provisioned to communicate in the second communication environment, determine that the signal strength level is less than a second threshold, wherein the second threshold is lower than a first threshold for communication in the second communication environment; and

in response to the device being provisioned to communicate in the second communication environment and the signal strength level being less than the second threshold, re-provision the device to communicate in the first communication environment.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the processing unit further causes the device to:

determine that the device is provisioned to communicate in the first communication environment;

determine that the signal strength level is greater than the first threshold; and

in response to the device being provisioned to communicate in the first communication environment and the signal strength level being greater than the first threshold, re-provision the device to communicate in the second communication environment.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the first communication environment comprises a cellular wireless network associated with a service provider.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the second communication environment comprises a packetized data network not associated with a service provider.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is re-provisioned via an in-call handover during an active call.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the processing unit further causes the device to provide an indication that the signal strength level is approaching the second threshold.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the first threshold comprises a value not greater than −

70 decibel-milliwatts.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the second threshold comprises a value not greater than −

50 decibel-milliwatts.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the wireless access point is a wireless fidelity access point.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein the processing unit further causes the device to establish a three-party call between the first communication environment and the second communication environment to re-provision the device.

10. A method, comprising:

employing a computer processor to execute code instructions retained in a computer-readable medium to perform operations, comprising;

determining a strength level of a signal that is transmitted by a device by querying a wireless access point to obtain a measurement of strength of the signal as received at the wireless access point;

determining that the device is not provisioned to communicate in a first environment;

in response to the device not being provisioned to communicate in the first environment, determining that the device is provisioned to communicate in a second environment and that the strength level is less than a second threshold, wherein the second threshold is lower than a first threshold for communication in the second environment; and

in response to the device being provisioned to communicate in the second environment and the strength level being less than the second threshold, re-provisioning the device to communicate in the first environment.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the determining that the device is provisioned to communicate in the first environment includes determining that the device is provisioned to communicate in a cellular wireless network.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the determining that the device is provisioned to communicate in the second environment includes determining that the device is provisioned to communicate in a wireless fidelity network.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the determining that the strength level is greater than a first threshold includes determining that the strength level is greater than −

70 decibel-milliwatts.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the determining that the strength level is less than the second threshold includes determining that the strength level is less than −

50 decibel-milliwatts.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the re-provisioning the device includes triggering an in-call handover.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein causing the device to be re-provisioned includes triggering roaming.

19. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining that the device is provisioned to communicate in the first environment and the strength level is greater than the first threshold, and in response to the device being provisioned to communicate in the first environment and the strength level being greater than a first threshold, re-provisioning the device to communicate in the second environment.

16. A computer readable storage medium comprising computer executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a computing system to perform operations, comprising:

determining a strength level of a signal that is transmitted by a first device and received by a second device by querying the second device to obtain a measurement of the strength level of the signal that is received at the second device;

determining that the first device is not provisioned to communicate in the first environment;

in response to the device not being provisioned to communicate in the first environment, determining that the first device is provisioned to communicate in a second environment and determining that the strength level of the signal is less than a second threshold, wherein the second threshold is lower than the first threshold for communication in the second environment; and

in response to the first device being provisioned to communicate in the second environment and the strength level of the signal being less than the second threshold, re-provisioning the first device to communicate in the first environment.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, further comprising determining that the first device is provisioned to communicate in the first environment and determining the strength level of the signal is greater than the first threshold, and in response to the device being provisioned to communicate in the first environment and the strength level of the signal being greater than the first threshold, re-provisioning the device to communicate in the second environment.