WLAN and WWAN connection migration methods and apparatus

• US 8,750,263 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2007
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited, Mcmaster University
• Inventors: Kezys, Vytautas Robertas, Todd, Terence D.
• Primary Examiner(s): SIVJI, NIZAR N
• Application Number:
  US11/741,028
• Publication Number:
  US 20070265003A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,601 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 455/435, 455/452, 455/420, 455/446, 370/338, 370/231, 370/328
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/125 involving different types of service backbones
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/1446 wherein at least one of the networks is unlicensed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/304 due to measured or perceived resources with higher communication quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/22 Manipulation of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

Intra-enterprise wireless handset (WH) calls between WHs operating in a wireless local area network (WLAN) are established directly between the WHs via a call connection that is maintained within the LAN without being routed through the cellular network (CN). This eliminates the cost of placing and maintaining calls through the CN for intra-enterprise calls, and also enables use of capabilities that are available in the enterprise telecomm equipment. Upon detection of a trigger condition, if and when it is more likely that a complete vertical handover (VHO) may be needed, the call connection between the WHs in the LAN is replaced by one that is routed through the CN. Thereafter, a VHO may occur (if at all) upon detection of a radio handover condition.

Claims

1. A method for use in switching communication operations between a wireless local area network (WLAN) of a LAN and a wireless wide area network (WWAN) of a WAN which utilizes a Generic Access Network (GAN) or Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) controller, the method comprising:

causing a first call connection of a first call for communications to be established and maintained between a first communication device and a second communication device which are both connected in the LAN, the first call connection being maintained via a WLAN interface of the first communication device and contained within the LAN without being routed to the WAN via the GAN or UMA controller, wherein the WLAN and WWAN comprise networks selected from a list comprising;

a Bluetooth-based network, an IEEE 802.11-based network, a WiMAX network, and a cellular telecommunications network; and

in response to identifying a predetermined condition;

causing a second call connection of a second call for continuing the communications to be established and maintained between the first and the second communication devices which remain connected in the LAN, the second call connection being maintained via the WLAN interface of the first communication device and routed through the LAN out to the WAN via the GAN or UMA controller.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing the second call connection of the second call to replace the first call connection of the first call for continuing the communications.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to identifying a radio handover condition;

causing a radio handover to occur for the first communication device such that the first communication device switches from utilizing the WLAN interface for the communications with the WLAN to a WWAN interface for the communications with the WWAN.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second call connection of the second call is established and maintained without a radio handover occurring between the WLAN and the WWAN.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined condition comprises a condition where a signal strength between the WLAN and the first communication device falls below a predetermined threshold.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying that both the first and the second communication devices are connected in the LAN; and

causing the first call connection of the first call to be established and contained within the LAN without being routed to the WAN via the GAN or UMA controller based on identifying that both the first and the second communication devices are connected in the LAN.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the GAN or UMA controller comprises a UMA Network Controller (UNC).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the GAN or UMA controller comprises a GAN Controller (GANC).

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the WLAN comprises an IEEE 802.11-based network and the WWAN comprises a cellular telecommunication network.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second Communication device comprises one of a voice over internet protocol (VoIP), a public branch exchange (PBX) or a public switched telephone network (PSTN) communication device having no WLAN radio interface for communications with the WLAN.

11. The method of claim 1, which is embodied as a computer program product comprising a computer readable memory and computer instructions stored in the computer readable memory which execute the method.

12. A mobile communication device configured to switch communication operations between a wireless local area network (WLAN) of a LAN and a wireless wide area network (WWAN) of a WAN which includes a Generic Access Network (GAN) or Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) controller, the mobile communication device comprising:

one or more processors;

a WLAN radio interface configured to communicate via the WLAN;

a WWAN radio interface configured to communicate via the WWAN, wherein the WLAN and WWAN comprise networks selected from a list comprising;

a Bluetooth-based network, an IEEE 802.11-based network, a WiMAX network, and a cellular telecommunications network;

the one or more processors being configured to cause a first call connection of a first call for communications to be established and maintained, via the WLAN using the WLAN radio interface, with a communication device connected in the LAN, the first call connection being contained within the LAN without being routed to the WAN via the GAN or UMA controller; and

the one or more processors being configured to cause a second call connection of a second call for continuing the communications to be established and maintained, via the WLAN using the WLAN radio interface, with the communication device connected in the LAN in response to detecting a predetermined condition, the second call connection being routed through the LAN out to the WAN via the GAN or UMA controller.

13. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the second call connection of the second call to replace the first call connection of the first call for continuing the communications.

14. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to, in response to identifying a radio handover condition, cause a radio handover to occur such that the mobile communication device switches from utilizing the WLAN radio interface for the communications with the WLAN to the WWAN radio interface for the communications with the WWAN.

15. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the second call connection of the second call to replace the first call connection of the first call for continuing the communications and, in response to identifying a radio handover condition, cause a radio handover to occur such that the mobile communication device switches from utilizing the WLAN radio interface for the communications with the WLAN to the WWAN radio interface for the communications with the WWAN.

16. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the predetermined condition comprises a condition where a signal strength with the WLAN falls below a predetermined threshold.

17. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to identify that both the first and the second communication devices are connected in the LAN and to cause the first call connection of the first call to be contained within the LAN without being routed to the WAN via the GAN or UMA controller based on the identifying.

18. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the GAN or UMA controller comprises a UMA Network Controller (UNC).

19. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the GAN or UMA controller comprises a GAN Controller (GANC).

20. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the WLAN comprises an IEEE 802.11-based network and the WWAN comprises a cellular telecommunication network.

21. A network component configured to switch communication operations between a wireless local area network (WLAN) of a LAN and a wireless wide area network (WWAN) of a WAN which utilizes a Generic Access Network (GAN) or Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) controller, the network component comprising:

one or more processors;

the one or more processors being configured to cause a first call connection of a first call for communications to be established and maintained between a first communication device and a second communication device which are both connected in the LAN, the first call connection being maintained via a WLAN interface of the first communication device and contained within the LAN without being routed to the WAN via the GAN or UMA controller, wherein the WLAN and WWAN comprise networks selected from a list comprising;

a Bluetooth-based network, an IEEE 802.11-based network, a WiMAX network, and a cellular telecommunications network; and

the one or more processors being configured to cause a second call connection of a second call for continuing the communications to be established and maintained between the first and the second communication devices which remain connected in the LAN in response to identifying a predetermined condition, the second call connection being maintained via the WLAN interface of the first communication device and routed through the LAN out to the WAN via the GAN or UMA controller.

22. The network component of claim 21, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the second call connection of the second call to replace the first call connection of the first call for continuing the communications.

23. The network component of claim 21, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause a radio handover to occur for the first communication device, such that the first communication device switches from utilizing the WLAN interface for the communications with the WLAN to a WWAN radio interface for the communications with the WWAN, in response to identifying a radio handover condition.

24. The network component of claim 21, wherein the second call connection of the second call is established and maintained without a radio handover occurring between the WLAN and the WWAN for the first communication device.

25. The network component of claim 21, wherein the predetermined condition comprises a condition where a signal strength between the WLAN and the first communication device having a WLAN radio interface falls below a predetermined threshold.

26. The network component of claim 21, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to identify whether both the first and the second communication devices are connected in the LAN and to cause the first call connection of the first call to be contained within the LAN without being routed to the WAN via the GAN or UMA controller based on identifying that both the first and the second communication devices are connected in the LAN.

27. The network component of claim 21, wherein the GAN or UMA controller comprises a UMA Network Controller (UNC).

28. The network component of claim 21, wherein the GAN or UMA controller comprises a GAN Controller (GANC).

29. The network component of claim 21, further comprising an internet protocol public branch exchange (IP PBX) of the LAN.

30. The network component of claim 21, wherein the second communication device comprises one of a voice over internet protocol (VoIP), a public branch exchange (PBX) or a public switched telephone network (PSTN) communication device having no WLAN radio interface for communications with the WLAN.