Methods and apparatus for mobility support between network domains

• US 8,780,857 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2008
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Balasubramanian, Srinivasan, Bharadwaj, Murali
• Primary Examiner(s): Ferris, Derrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Acolatse, Kodzovi
• Application Number:
  US12/244,529
• Publication Number:
  US 20090116447A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,112 Days
• Field of Search: 370/331
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/1446 wherein at least one of the networks is unlicensed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/26 by agreed or negotiated communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/302 due to low signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Described aspects provide for improving the mobility of wireless communication devices between one network domain and another network domain, specifically, but not limited to, between a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) and a cellular network and the like. Present aspects provide for services to be moved seamlessly and in a reliable manner between the cellular and WLAN domains in order to minimize service disruption for the end user and provide the requisite Quality of Service (QoS) for the different applications. The aspects herein presented provide for various mechanisms that serve to improve the decision points related to when and what technology each service is expected to be associated with and provides better techniques to move the wireless communication device between cellular and WLAN domains when in-traffic and when idle.

Claims

1. A method for domain activation during communication device power-up, comprising:

powering-up a communication device that is communicable with at least a first domain and a second domain;

attempting to acquire the first domain upon powering-up the communication device;

attempting to acquire the second domain simultaneous with the attempt to acquire the first domain;

registering on whichever of the first and second domains is acquired first-in-time;

initiating a handoff to and registering on a preferred domain, upon determining the registered domain is a non-preferred domain, while maintaining the registration with the non-preferred domain;

receiving a registered service supported by one of the first domain or the second domain while receiving pages over both the first and second domains;

transferring the registered service to the preferred domain in response to a page being received over the non-preferred domain and upon determining the preferred domain being within a coverage range while maintaining full registrations with both the preferred domain and the non-preferred domain to receive the registered service; and

when the transferring is not allowed, delivering the registered service to the communication device in the non-preferred domain and refreshing the registration with the preferred domain after delivering the registered service to cause subsequent pages to be received over the preferred domain,

wherein the first domain and the second domain comprises at least one of Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), cellular network, Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.16 (WiMax), Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN), ultra-wideband (UWB), Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), and Bluetooth-based Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN), or a combination thereof.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein attempting to acquire the first domain further defines the first domain as a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) domain.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein attempting to acquire the first domain further comprises performing one or more consistency checks to insure consistency of the WLAN domain.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein attempting to acquire the second domain further defines the second domain as a cellular network.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein attempting to acquire the second domain further comprises measuring a pilot Ec/Io signal and determining that a pilot Ec/Io signal add threshold has been met.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining network services in the domain that is acquired first-in-time when the registration is successful.

7. At least one processor configured to provide domain activation during communication device power-up, comprising:

a first module, comprising hardware, for powering-up a communication device that is communicable with a first domain and a second domain;

a second module for attempting to acquire the first domain upon powering-up the communication device;

a third module for attempting to acquire the second domain simultaneous with the attempt to acquire the first domain;

a fourth module for registering on whichever of the first and second domains is acquired first-in-time;

a fifth module for initiating a handoff to and registering on a preferred domain, upon determining the registered domain is a non-preferred domain, while maintaining the registration with the non-preferred domain;

a sixth module for receiving a registered service supported by one of the first domain or the second domain while receiving pages over both the first and second domains;

a seventh module for transferring the registered service to the preferred domain in response to a page being received over the non-preferred domain and upon determining the preferred domain being within a coverage range while maintaining full registrations with both the preferred domain and the non-preferred domain to receive the registered service; and

an eighth module for, when the transferring is not allowed, delivering the registered service to the communication device in the non-preferred domain and refreshing the registration with the preferred domain after delivering the registered service to cause subsequent pages to be received over the preferred domain,

wherein the first domain and the second domain comprises at least one of Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), cellular network, Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.16 (WiMax), Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN), ultra-wideband (UWB), Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), and Bluetooth-based Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN), or a combination thereof.

8. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising;

a first set of codes for causing a computer to power-up a communication device communicable with a first domain and a second domain;

a second set of codes for causing the computer to attempt to acquire the first domain upon powering-up the communication device;

a third set of codes for causing the computer to attempt to acquire the second domain simultaneous with the attempt to acquire the first domain;

a fourth set of codes for causing the computer to register on whichever of the first and second domains is acquired first-in-time;

a fifth set of codes for causing the computer to initiate a handoff to and register on a preferred domain, upon determining the registered domain is a non-preferred domain, while maintaining the registration with the non-preferred domain;

a sixth set of codes for causing the computer to receive a registered service supported by one of the first domain or the second domain while receiving pages over both the first and second domains;

a seventh set of codes for causing the computer to transfer the registered service to the preferred domain in response to a page being received over the non-preferred domain and upon determining the preferred domain being within a coverage range while maintaining full registrations with both the preferred domain and the non-preferred domain to receive the registered service; and

an eighth set of codes for causing the computer to, when the transferring is not allowed, deliver the registered service to the communication device in the non-preferred domain and refresh the registration with the preferred domain after delivering the registered service to cause subsequent pages to be received over the preferred domain,

wherein the first domain and the second domain comprises at least one of Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), cellular network, Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.16 (WiMax), Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN), ultra-wideband (UWB), Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), and Bluetooth-based Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN), or a combination thereof.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

means for powering-up a communication device communicable with a first domain and a second domain;

means for attempting to acquire the first domain upon powering-up the communication device;

means for attempting to acquire the second domain simultaneous with the attempt to acquire the first domain;

means for registering on whichever of the first and second domains is acquired first-in-time;

means for initiating a handoff to and means for registering on a preferred domain, upon determining the registered domain is a non-preferred domain, while maintaining the registration with the non-preferred domain;

means for receiving a registered service supported by one of the first domain or the second domain while receiving pages over both the first and second domains;

means for transferring the registered service to the preferred domain in response to a page being received over the non-preferred domain and upon determining the preferred domain being within a coverage range while maintaining full registrations with both the preferred domain and the non-preferred domain to receive the registered service; and

when the transferring is not allowed, means for delivering the registered service to the communication device in the non-preferred domain and refreshing the registration with the preferred domain after delivering the registered service to cause subsequent pages to be received over the preferred domain,

wherein the first domain and the second domain comprises at least one of Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), cellular network, Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.16 (WiMax), Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN), ultra-wideband (UWB), Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), and Bluetooth-based Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN), or a combination thereof.

10. A communication device, comprising:

a computer platform including a processor and a memory in communication with the processor;

a power-up mechanism in communication with the processor and operable to receive an input to power-up the communication device;

a first domain module stored in the memory and in communication with the processor, wherein the first domain module is operable to attempt to acquire the first domain upon powering-up the communication device;

a second domain module stored in the memory and in communication with the processor, wherein the second domain module is operable to attempt to acquire the second domain simultaneous with the attempt to acquire the first domain;

wherein the first and second domain modules are further operable to register on the corresponding domain if the domain is acquired first-in-time;

a domain handoff module stored in the memory and in communication with the processor, wherein the domain handoff module is operable to initiate a handoff to and register on a preferred domain, upon determining the registered domain is a non-preferred domain, while maintaining the registration with the non-preferred domain; and

wherein the first and second domain modules are further configured to;

receive a registered service supported by one of the first domain or the second domain while receiving pages over both the first and second domains,

transfer the registered service to the preferred domain in response to a page being received over the non-preferred domain and upon determining the preferred domain being within a coverage range while maintaining full registrations with both the preferred domain and the non-preferred domain to receive the registered service, and

when the transferring is not allowed, deliver the registered service to the communication device in the non-preferred domain and refresh the registration with the preferred domain after delivering the registered service to cause subsequent pages to be received over the preferred domain,

wherein the first domain and the second domain comprises at least one of Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), cellular network, Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.16 (WiMax), Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN), ultra-wideband (UWB), Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), and Bluetooth-based Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN), or a combination thereof.

11. The communication device of claim 10, wherein the first domain module is further defined as a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) domain module.

12. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the WLAN domain module is further operable to perform one or more consistency checks to insure consistency of the WLAN domain as part of the attempt to acquire the WLAN network.

13. The communication device of claim 10, wherein the second domain is further defined as a cellular network domain module.

14. The communication device of claim 13, wherein the cellular domain module is further operable to measure a pilot signal and determine that a pilot signal add threshold has been met.

15. The communication device of claim 10, wherein a respective one of the first and second domain modules is further operable to obtain network services in the corresponding domain that is acquired first-in-time when the registration is successful.