Method and system for location-based dynamic radio selection

• US 8,521,178 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2010
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Abraham, Charles, Buer, Mark, Garrett, David, Karaoguz, Jeyhan, Lundgren, David Albert, Murray, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Beamer, Temica M
• Application Number:
  US12/722,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20110201347A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,265 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/67.11, 455/226.1
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 by measured or perceived connection quality data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/32 by location or mobility data, e.g. speed data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

A multi-radio mobile device comprises a plurality of different radios. When a location update occurs, the multi-radio mobile device, at a specific location, acquires location-based radio information from a remote location server. The multi-radio mobile device selects a radio for use in the specific location based on the acquired location-based radio information comprising available radios in the specific location and radio weights. The radio is selected from the available radios based on the radio weights in the specific location. Transmissions of a desired service are received in the specific location utilizing the selected radio. Location-based radio measurements reports to the remote location server are generated utilizing signal strength measurements for the received signals. Radio quality information of the available radios is calculated by the location server utilizing location-based radio measurement reports from associated users. The radio weights of the available radios are determined based on the calculated radio quality information.

Claims

1. A method for communication by a multi-radio mobile device, the multi-radio mobile device including a first radio designated for use with a first radio access technology and a second radio designated for use with a second radio access technology, the method comprising:

wirelessly acquiring, from an external device, location-based radio information for a specific location of the multi-radio mobile device, the acquired location-based radio information including radio weights corresponding to the first radio and the second radio; and

selecting the first radio or the second radio that has a preferred radio weight for use in the specific location based on the acquired location-based radio information,

wherein the radio weights are indicative of a communication quality of corresponding available radio access technologies at the specific location, and

wherein at least one of the above steps is performed by a processor.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

selecting the first radio access technology or the second radio access technology from the available radio access technologies based on the corresponding radio weights; and

selecting a radio, from among the first radio and the second radio, whose radio access technology corresponds to the selected radio access technology.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

receiving, at the specific location, signals of a desired service utilizing, the selected radio; and

measuring, at the specific location, signal strengths of the received signals of the desired service over the selected radio.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising generating a location-based radio measurement report for the selected radio utilizing the signal strength measurements in the specific location, information on the selected radio in the specific location, and information on the specific location of the multi-radio mobile device.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising receiving a location update of the multi-radio mobile device from a remote location server.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising communicating the generated location-based radio measurement report to the remote location server.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the location-based radio information for the specific location is received from the remote location server.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the radio weights and the available radio access technologies of the location-based radio information is determined by the remote location server based on the generated location-based radio measurement report.

18. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

scanning a current location for available radio access technologies;

measuring signal strengths of the available radio access technologies;

generating a report that includes the available radio access technologies in correspondence with their signal strengths and their current location; and

forwarding the report to a location server for future reference.

9. A system for communication, the system comprising:

a multi-radio mobile device, including;

a first radio designated for use with a first radio access technology;

a second radio designated for use with a second radio access technology; and

one or more processors configured to;

wirelessly acquire, from an external device, location-based radio information for a specific location of the multi-radio mobile device, the acquired location-based radio information including radio weights corresponding to the first radio and the second radio; and

select the first radio or the second radio that has a preferred radio weight for use in the specific location based on the acquired location-based radio information,

wherein the radio weights are indicative of a communication quality of corresponding available radio access technologies at the specific location.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are configured to select the first radio access technology or the second radio access technology from the available radio access technologies based on their corresponding radio weights in the specific location;

and

wherein the one or more processors are configured to select a radio, from among the first radio and the second radio, based on whose radio access technology corresponds to the selected radio access technology.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are configured to receive, at the specific location, signals of a desired service utilizing the selected radio;

and

wherein the one or more processors are configured to measure, at the specific location, signal strengths of the received signals of the desired service over the selected radio.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are configured to generate a location-based radio measurement report for the selected radio utilizing the signal strength measurements in the specific location, information on the selected radio in the specific location, and information on the specific location of the multi-radio mobile device.

13. The system according to claim 12, further comprising:

a remote location server configured to send a location update to the multi-radio mobile device.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the one or more processors of the multi-radio mobile device are configured to communicate the generated location-based radio measurement report to the remote location server.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the remote location server is configured to receive the generated location-based radio measurement report and a plurality of location-based radio measurement reports corresponding to the specific location of the multi-radio mobile device from other mobile devices.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the remote location server is configured to calculate radio quality information of the available radio access technologies in the specific location of the multi-radio mobile device utilizing the received generated location-based radio measurement report and the plurality of location-based radio measurement reports.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the remote location server determines the radio weights of the available radio access technologies in the specific location based on the calculated radio quality information.