Wireless tune away based upon wireless device location

• US 8,731,605 B1
• Filed: 04/12/2010
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Shetty, Manoj, Vargantwar, Sachin R., Rai, Deveshkumar Narendrapratap, Khanka, Bhagwan Singh
• Primary Examiner(s): DEAN, RAYMOND S
• Application Number:
  US12/758,190
• Time in Patent Office: 1,499 Days
• Field of Search: 455436-444, 455/435.2, 455/448, 455/552.1, 370/331
• US Class Current: 455/552.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• 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

What is disclosed is a method of operating a wireless communication device. The method includes, while at an initial location, entering a first wireless communication mode that requires tuning to a first frequency spectrum. In response to entering the first wireless communication mode, the method includes setting a timer for monitoring a second wireless communication mode. When the timer expires, the method includes determining if a present location of the wireless communication device is beyond a threshold distance from the initial location. If the present location is beyond the threshold distance from the initial location, then the method includes tuning away from the first frequency spectrum to a second frequency spectrum for the second wireless communication mode and monitoring information for the second wireless communication mode, and if the present location is not beyond the threshold distance from the initial location, then resetting the timer for monitoring the second wireless communication mode.

Claims

1. A method of operating a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

while at an initial geographic location, entering a first wireless communication mode that requires tuning to a first frequency spectrum;

in response to entering the first wireless communication mode, setting a tune away timer for periodically tuning to a second frequency spectrum of a second wireless communication mode to check for at least geographic location-dependent network parameter information and paging information of the second wireless communication mode;

when the tune away timer expires, identifying a present geographic location of the wireless communication device and determining if the present geographic location is beyond a threshold geographic distance from the initial geographic location;

when the present geographic location is beyond the threshold geographic distance from the initial geographic location, then responsive to the tune away timer expiring, tuning away from the first frequency spectrum to the second frequency spectrum and monitoring for at least the geographic location-dependent network parameter information and paging information over the second wireless frequency spectrum, and tuning back to the first frequency spectrum; and

when the present geographic location is not beyond the threshold geographic distance from the initial geographic location, then responsive to the tune away timer expiring, ignoring the tune away timer and not monitoring the geographic location-dependent network parameter information and resetting the tune away timer for monitoring at least the geographic location-dependent network parameter information of the second wireless communication mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic location-dependent network parameter information comprises access parameter messages (APM) and system parameter messages (SPM) of the second wireless communication mode.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the present geographic location is not beyond the threshold geographic distance from the initial geographic location, then responsive to the tune away timer expiring, tuning away from the first frequency spectrum to the second frequency spectrum and monitoring only paging information and not monitoring the geographic location-dependent network parameters in the second communication mode and tuning back to the first frequency spectrum.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the present geographic location of the wireless communication device is beyond the threshold geographic distance from the initial geographic location further comprises determining a handoff rate of the wireless communication device to determine if the present geographic location is beyond the threshold geographic distance.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial geographic location comprises a first sector of a wireless access node communicating with the wireless communication device over the first wireless communication mode, and wherein determining if the present geographic location of the wireless communication device is beyond the threshold geographic distance from the initial geographic location further comprises determining a present sector of the wireless communication device to determine if the present geographic location is beyond the threshold geographic distance.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the present geographic location of the wireless communication device is beyond the threshold geographic distance from the initial geographic location further comprises determining a speed of motion of the wireless communication device to determine if the present geographic location is beyond the threshold geographic distance.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the present geographic location of the wireless communication device is beyond the threshold geographic distance from the initial geographic location comprises determining the present geographic location with a global positioning system (GPS) receiver of the wireless communication device and comparing the present geographic location to the initial geographic location.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless communication mode comprises an Evolution Data Optimized (EV-DO) wireless communication mode, and the second wireless communication mode comprises a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) single-carrier radio transmission technology (1xRTT) wireless communication mode.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein setting the tune away timer comprises determining an application type of user communications over the first wireless communication mode and setting the tune away timer based on the application type.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein setting the tune away timer comprises determining a speed of motion of the wireless communication device, and setting the tune away timer based on the speed of motion of the wireless communication device.

11. A wireless communication device, comprising:

while the wireless communication device is at an initial geographic location, a processing system configured to enter a first wireless communication mode that requires tuning a transceiver to a first frequency spectrum;

in response to entering the first wireless communication mode, the processing system configured to set a tune away timer for periodically tuning to a second frequency spectrum of a second wireless communication mode to check for at least geographic location-dependent network parameter information and paging information of the second wireless communication mode;

when the tune away timer expires, the processing system configured to identify a present geographic location of the wireless communication device, and determine if the present geographic location is beyond a threshold geographic distance from the initial geographic location;

when the present geographic location is beyond the threshold geographic distance from the initial geographic location, then responsive to the tune away timer expiring, the transceiver configured to tune away from the first frequency spectrum to the second frequency spectrum and tune back to the first frequency spectrum, and the processing system configured to monitor for at least the geographic location-dependent network parameter information and paging information over the second wireless frequency spectrum while the transceiver is tuned to the second frequency spectrum; and

when the present geographic location is not beyond the threshold geographic distance from the initial geographic location, then responsive to the tune away timer expiring, the processing system configured to ignore the timer and not monitor the geographic location-dependent network parameter information and reset the tune away timer for monitoring at least the geographic location-dependent network parameter information of the second wireless communication mode.

12. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the geographic location-dependent network parameters comprise access parameter messages (APM) and system parameter messages (SPM) for the second wireless communication mode.

13. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein when the present geographic location is not beyond the threshold geographic distance from the initial geographic location, then the transceiver is configured to tune away from the first frequency spectrum to the second frequency spectrum and tune back to the first frequency spectrum, and the processing system is configured to monitor only paging information and not monitor the geographic location-dependent network parameters in the second communication mode while the transceiver is tuned to the second frequency spectrum.

14. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the processing system is further configured to determine a handoff rate of the wireless communication device to determine if the present geographic location is beyond the threshold geographic distance.

15. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the initial geographic location comprises a first sector of a wireless access node communicating with the wireless communication device over the first wireless communication mode, and wherein the processing system is further configured to determine a present sector of the wireless communication device to determine if the present geographic location is beyond the threshold geographic distance.

16. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the processing system is further configured to determine a speed of motion of the wireless communication device to determine if the present geographic location is beyond the threshold geographic distance.

17. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the processing system is configured to determine the present geographic location with a global positioning system (GPS) receiver of the wireless communication device and compare the present geographic location to the initial geographic location to determine if the present geographic location is beyond the threshold geographic distance.

18. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the first wireless communication mode comprises an Evolution Data Optimized (EV-DO) wireless communication mode, and the second wireless communication mode comprises a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) single-carrier radio transmission technology (1xRTT) wireless communication mode.

19. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the processing system is configured to determine an application type of user communications over the first wireless communication mode and set the tune away timer based on the application type.

20. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the processing system is configured to determine a speed of motion of the wireless communication device, and set the tune away timer based on the speed of motion of the wireless communication device.