Selective simultaneous communication with a wireless communication device based on likelihood of roaming

• US 8,565,759 B1
• Filed: 05/04/2011
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Oroskar, Siddharth S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Application Number:
  US13/100,756
• Time in Patent Office: 902 Days
• Field of Search: 4554321-445
• US Class Current: 455/432.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0083 Determination of parameters used for hand-off, e.g. generation or modification of neighbour cell lists
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/008375 based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

In situations in which a wireless communication device (WCD) is likely to roam, a radio access network (RAN) serving the WCD may increase the extent of simultaneous communication between the RAN and the WCD. In this way, the WCD is more likely to receive sufficiently strong signals from at least one wireless coverage area with which the WCD is communicating, potentially resulting in a decrease of the likelihood that the WCD roams. A determination that the WCD is likely to roam may be based on, for example, historical roaming data that was collected during the WCD'"'"'s previous session(s) with the RAN or other RANs.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

a radio access network (RAN) determining that roaming data indicates that a wireless communication device (WCD) is likely to begin roaming to a non-preferred wireless coverage area, wherein the RAN defines a first preferred wireless coverage area, and wherein the RAN currently serves the WCD via the first preferred wireless coverage area; and

based on at least the roaming data indicating that the WCD is likely to begin roaming, the RAN (i) selecting a second preferred wireless coverage area, wherein the second preferred wireless coverage is also defined by the RAN, and (ii) communicating with the WCD substantially simultaneously via the first and second preferred wireless coverage areas, wherein communicating substantially simultaneously via the first and second preferred wireless coverage areas comprises during establishment of a call in which the WCD participates, the RAN transmitting a respective channel assignment message to the WCD via each of the first and second preferred wireless coverage areas.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the roaming data indicates that the WCD is likely to begin roaming comprises:

determining that the WCD is likely to be handed off from the first preferred wireless coverage area to the non-preferred wireless coverage area.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the RAN has access to a table that maps WCD identifiers to respective handoff data associated with each respective WCD identifier, and wherein determining that the WCD is likely to be handed off from the first preferred wireless coverage area to the non-preferred wireless coverage area comprises:

determining a given WCD identifier of the WCD;

looking up the determined given WCD identifier in the table; and

based on given respective handoff data that is stored in the table and associated with the given WCD identifier, determining that, in the past, the WCD has been handed off from the first preferred wireless coverage area to the non-preferred wireless coverage area.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the given respective handoff data comprises a percentage, associated with the given WCD identifier, representing how frequently the WCD has been handed off from the first preferred wireless coverage area to the non-preferred wireless coverage area, and wherein determining that, in the past, the WCD has been handed off from the first preferred wireless coverage area to the non-preferred wireless coverage area comprises:

the RAN determining that the percentage is greater than a threshold value.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the WCD is likely to be handed off from the first preferred wireless coverage area to the non-preferred wireless coverage area comprises:

determining that a strength at which the WCD receives pilot signals from the first preferred wireless coverage area does not meet a threshold pilot signal strength.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the WCD is likely to be handed off from the first preferred wireless coverage area to the non-preferred wireless coverage area comprises:

determining that channel utilization of the first preferred wireless coverage area meets a channel utilization threshold.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating substantially simultaneously via the first and second preferred wireless coverage areas further comprises:

during establishment of a call in which the WCD participates, the RAN assigning, to the WCD, a respective traffic channel from each of the first and second preferred wireless coverage areas; and

during an initial portion of the call, the RAN exchanging bearer traffic with the WCD via each of the assigned traffic channels.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the RAN transmits and receives identical copies of the same bearer traffic via each of the assigned traffic channels.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating substantially simultaneously via the first and second preferred wireless coverage areas further comprises:

the substantially simultaneous communications traversing each of the first and second preferred wireless coverage areas at approximately the same time.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the RAN determining that roaming data indicates that the WCD is no longer likely to begin roaming to the non-preferred wireless coverage area, wherein the RAN currently serves the WCD via the first and second preferred wireless coverage areas; and

based on at least the roaming data indicating that the WCD is no longer likely to begin roaming, the RAN communicating with the WCD via exactly one of the first and second preferred wireless coverage areas.

11. A method comprising:

a radio access network (RAN), that defines a plurality of preferred wireless coverage areas, determining that roaming data indicates a likelihood of roaming for a wireless communication device (WCD), wherein the RAN currently serves the WCD via a first extent of preferred wireless coverage areas of the plurality of preferred wireless coverage areas; and

based on at least the roaming data indicating the likelihood of roaming, the RAN (i) selecting a second extent of preferred wireless coverage areas from the plurality of preferred wireless coverage areas, wherein the first extent of preferred wireless coverage areas is different from the second extent of preferred wireless coverage areas, and (ii) communicating with the WCD substantially simultaneously via the second extent of preferred wireless coverage areas, wherein communicating substantially simultaneously via the second extent of preferred wireless coverage areas comprises (a) during establishment of a call in which the WCD participates, the RAN assigning, to the WCD, a respective traffic channel from each wireless coverage area in the second extent of preferred wireless coverage areas, and (b) during an initial portion of the call, the RAN exchanging bearer traffic with the WCD via each of the assigned traffic channels.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein communicating substantially simultaneously via the second extent of preferred wireless coverage areas further comprises:

during establishment of a call in which the WCD participates, the RAN transmitting a respective channel assignment message to the WCD via each wireless coverage area in the second extent of preferred wireless coverage areas.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein communicating substantially simultaneously via the second extent of preferred wireless coverage areas further comprises:

the substantially simultaneous communications traversing each wireless coverage area in the second extent of preferred wireless coverage areas at approximately the same time.

14. An article of manufacture including a non-transitory computer-readable medium, having stored thereon program instructions that, when executed by a radio access network (RAN), cause the RAN to perform operations comprising:

determining that roaming data indicates that a wireless communication device (WCD) is likely to begin roaming to a non-preferred wireless coverage area, wherein the RAN defines a first preferred wireless coverage area, and wherein the RAN currently serves the WCD via the first preferred wireless coverage area; and

based on at least the roaming data indicating that the WCD is likely to begin roaming, (i) selecting a second preferred wireless coverage area, wherein the second preferred wireless coverage is also defined by the RAN, and (ii) communicating with the WCD substantially simultaneously via the first and second preferred wireless coverage areas, wherein communicating substantially simultaneously via the first and second preferred wireless coverage areas comprises during establishment of a call in which the WCD participates, the RAN transmitting a respective channel assignment message to the WCD via each of the first and second preferred wireless coverage areas.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 14, wherein determining that the roaming data indicates that the WCD is likely to begin roaming comprises:

determining that the WCD is likely to be handed off from the first preferred wireless coverage area to the non-preferred wireless coverage area.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the RAN has access to a table that maps WCD identifiers to respective handoff data associated with each respective WCD identifier, and wherein determining that the WCD is likely to be handed off from the first preferred wireless coverage area to the non-preferred wireless coverage area comprises:

determining a given WCD identifier of the WCD;

looking up the determined given WCD identifier in the table; and

based on given respective handoff data that is stored in the table and associated with the given WCD identifier, determining that, in the past, the WCD has been handed off from the first preferred wireless coverage area to the non-preferred wireless coverage area.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein the given respective handoff data comprises a percentage, associated with the given WCD identifier, representing how frequently the WCD has been handed off from the first preferred wireless coverage area to the non-preferred wireless coverage area, and wherein determining that, in the past, the WCD has been handed off from the first preferred wireless coverage area to the non-preferred wireless coverage area comprises:

the RAN determining that the percentage is greater than a threshold value.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 14, wherein communicating substantially simultaneously via the first and second preferred wireless coverage areas further comprises:

during establishment of a call in which the WCD participates, the RAN assigning, to the WCD, a respective traffic channel from each of the first and second preferred wireless coverage areas; and

during an initial portion of the call, the RAN exchanging bearer traffic with the WCD via each of the assigned traffic channels.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 14, wherein communicating substantially simultaneously via the first and second preferred wireless coverage areas further comprises:

the substantially simultaneous communications traversing each of the first and second preferred wireless coverage areas at approximately the same time.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 14, wherein the computer-readable medium, also has stored thereon program instructions that, when executed by the RAN, cause the RAN to perform operations further comprising:

determining that roaming data indicates that the WCD is no longer likely to begin roaming to the non-preferred wireless coverage area, wherein the RAN currently serves the WCD via the first and second preferred wireless coverage areas; and

based on at least the roaming data indicating that the WCD is no longer likely to begin roaming, communicating with the WCD via exactly one of the first and second preferred wireless coverage areas.