Method and apparatus for the handover

• US 8,620,321 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2008
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Jee, Junghoon, Park, Chang-Min
• Primary Examiner(s): HAILE, AWET A
• Application Number:
  US12/741,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20100260144A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,880 Days
• Field of Search: 370/329, 370331-334, 455/432.3, 455/436, 455/437, 455/438, 455/439, 455/441, 455/442, 455/443, 455/444
• US Class Current: 455/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0066 of control information between different types of networks in order to establish a new radio link in the target network

Abstract

Consistent handover can be provided between a plurality of objects by providing handover mode control information defining an object for initiating handover from among at least one object in a system environment including the at least one object, wherein the at least one object is able to initiate handover between heterogeneous networks.

Claims

1. A method of selecting a handover target network in a terminal, the method comprising:

transmitting a first query regarding a handover mode to an information server, and receiving a response to the first query from the information server, wherein the response to the first query from the information server comprises handover mode control information that indicates whether the terminal is a handover initiator;

transmitting a handover mode notification message to a network point of service (PoS) that is currently connected to the terminal, when the handover mode control information indicates that the terminal is the handover initiator;

requesting the information server for information regarding a candidate network that is subject to handover, and receiving the information regarding the candidate network that is subject to handover in response to the request;

determining a signal strength of a current network link between the terminal and the network PoS that is currently connected to the terminal;

determining a signal strength of the candidate network;

determining that handover is required based on a first comparison of the signal strength of the current network link to a first threshold, and based on a second comparison of the signal strength of the candidate network to a second threshold;

in response to the determining that handover is required, transmitting a second query to the candidate network regarding whether a resource of the candidate network is available to support the terminal'"'"'s handover, and receiving a response to the second query from the candidate network;

in response to the receiving the response to the second query from the candidate network, determining that the candidate network is a target network; and

in response to the determining that the candidate network is the target network, requesting the target network to perform handover and receiving a response to the request to perform handover from the target network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the terminal receives information regarding a state where handover is completed in the network PoS that is currently connected to the terminal from the target network, responding to the information regarding the state.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the terminal receives a third query regarding whether the resource of the candidate network is available from the network PoS that is currently connected to the terminal, transmitting a fourth query regarding whether a resource for initiating handover of the terminal is available in the candidate network.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

when the candidate network receives the fourth query regarding whether the resource for initiating handover of the terminal is available, transmitting a response to the fourth query to the network PoS that is currently connected to the terminal.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the terminal receives a request for handover from the network PoS that is currently connected to the terminal, requesting the target network to perform resource assignment for handover of the terminal.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

reporting that the request for handover is accepted in response to the request to perform the resource assignment for handover of the terminal, wherein the reporting is performed by the target network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the terminal comprises at least one interface for performing handover between heterogeneous networks.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining that handover is required comprises determining that handover is required when the signal strength of the current network link is less than the first threshold and when the signal strength of the candidate network is greater than the second threshold.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the candidate network is a different kind of network than the network to which the network PoS that is currently connected to the terminal belongs.

10. A method of selecting a handover target network, the method comprising:

transmitting a first query regarding a handover mode to an information server, and receiving a response to the first query from the information server, wherein the transmitting the first query regarding the handover mode and the receiving the response to the first query from the information server are performed by a network point of service (PoS) that is currently connected to a terminal, and wherein the response to the first query from the information server comprises handover mode control information that indicates whether the network PoS currently connected to the terminal is a handover initiator;

transmitting a handover mode notification message to the terminal from the network PoS that is currently connected to the terminal, when the handover mode control information indicates that the network PoS that is currently connected to the terminal is the handover initiator;

requesting the information server for information regarding a candidate network that is subject to handover, and receiving the information regarding the candidate network that is subject to handover in response to the request, wherein the requesting and the receiving the information regarding the candidate network that is subject to handover are performed by the network PoS that is currently connected to the terminal;

determining a signal strength of a current network link between the terminal and the network PoS that is currently connected to the terminal;

determining a signal strength of the candidate network;

determining that handover is required based on a first comparison of the signal strength of the current network link to a first threshold, and based on a second comparison of the signal strength of the candidate network to a second threshold;

transmitting a second query to the terminal regarding whether the terminal intends to perform handover initiated by the network PoS, which is currently connected to the terminal, and receiving a response to the second query from the terminal;

transmitting a third query regarding whether a resource of the candidate network is available to the candidate network that is selected according to the response to the second query regarding whether the terminal intends to perform handover and the information regarding the candidate network that is subject to handover, and receiving a response to the third query regarding whether the resource of the candidate network is available, wherein the transmitting the third query to the candidate network and the receiving the response to the third query regarding whether the resource of the candidate network is available are performed by the network PoS that is currently connected to the terminal;

in response to the receiving the response to the third query regarding whether the resource of the candidate network is available, determining that the candidate network is a target network; and

in response to the determining that the candidate network is the target network, requesting the target network to perform handover, and receiving a response to the request to perform handover from the target network.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

transmitting information regarding a state where handover is completed in the network PoS that is currently connected to the terminal from the target network to the terminal, and receiving a response to the information regarding the state.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the terminal comprises at least one interface for performing handover between heterogeneous networks.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the determining that handover is required comprises determining that handover is required when the signal strength of the current network link is less than the first threshold and when the signal strength of the candidate network is greater than the second threshold.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the candidate network is a different kind of network than the network to which the network PoS that is currently connected to the terminal belongs.

15. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprises computer-readable code that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to:

transmit a first query regarding a handover mode to an information server, and receive a response to the first query from the information server, wherein the response to the first query from the information server comprises handover mode control information that indicates whether a terminal is a handover initiator;

transmit a handover mode notification message to a network point of service (PoS) that is currently connected to the terminal, when the handover mode control information indicates that the terminal is the handover initiator;

request the information server for information regarding a candidate network that is subject to handover, and receive the information regarding the candidate network that is subject to handover in response to the request;

determine a signal strength of a current network link between the terminal and the network PoS that is currently connected to the terminal;

determine a signal strength of the candidate network;

determine that handover is required based on a first comparison of the signal strength of the current network link to a first threshold, and based on a second comparison of the signal strength of the candidate network to a second threshold;

in response to the determining that handover is required, transmit a second query regarding whether a resource of the candidate network is available to support the terminal'"'"'s handover;

in response to receiving a response to the second query, determine that the candidate network is a target network; and

in response to the determining that the candidate network is the target network, transmit a request to perform handover involving the target network.