Redirecting a wireless communication device to a different frequency

• US 8,825,044 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2011
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Oroskar, Siddharth S., Vargantwar, Sachin R., Shah, Maulik K., Singh, Jasinder P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lai, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US13/044,794
• Publication Number:
  US 20120231827A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,272 Days
• Field of Search: 4554321-444, 455/453, 455572-574, 370/331, 370/311
• US Class Current: 455/432.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/008375 based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point

Abstract

A wireless communication device (WCD) may be able to acquire wireless service from preferred wireless coverage areas that are managed by the WCD'"'"'s service provider. In some cases, the WCD may instead use wireless service from non-preferred wireless coverage areas of the service provider'"'"'s roaming partners. In order to save roaming fees, the service provider'"'"'s RAN may determine when the WCD is likely to roam to a non-preferred wireless coverage area. In response to this determination, the RAN may transmit a redirect message to the WCD, causing the WCD to switch from one preferred wireless coverage area to another preferred wireless coverage area. In some situations, the RAN may transmit such a redirect message because the WCD has reported that it has a low remaining battery life.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

a radio access network (RAN) determining that a wireless communication device (WCD) is likely to begin roaming, wherein the RAN serves the WCD via a first preferred wireless coverage area that is defined by the RAN on a first frequency, wherein the first preferred wireless coverage area is operated by a home wireless service provider of the WCD;

based on at least the WCD being likely to begin roaming, the RAN transmitting to the WCD a redirect message that causes the WCD to (i) de-register from the first preferred wireless coverage area, and (ii) register with a second preferred wireless coverage area that is defined by the RAN on a second frequency, wherein the second preferred wireless coverage area is operated by the home wireless service provider, and

wherein determining that the WCD is likely to begin roaming comprises determining that roaming data indicates that the WCD is likely to be handed off from the first preferred wireless coverage area to any one of a group of one or more non-preferred wireless coverage areas that are not operated by the home wireless service provider,

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 any one of the group of one or more non-preferred wireless coverage areas comprises;

determining a given WCD identifier of the WCD, looking up the determined given WCD identifier in the table, 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 any one of the group of one or more non-preferred wireless coverage areas.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second frequency is lower than the first frequency, and wherein the RAN transmitting the redirect message to the WCD is also based on the second frequency being lower than the first frequency.

3. The method of claim 1, 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 any one of the group of one or more non-preferred wireless coverage areas, and wherein determining that, in the past, the WCD has been handed off from the first preferred wireless coverage area to any one of the group of one or more non-preferred wireless coverage areas comprises:

the RAN determining that the percentage is greater than a handoff frequency threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the WCD is likely to begin roaming 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.

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

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

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the RAN transmitting the redirect message to the WCD is also based on (i) the RAN receiving a measurement of a remaining battery life of the WCD, and (ii) the RAN determining that the remaining battery does not meet a battery life threshold.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the RAN transmitting the redirect message to the WCD occurs while the WCD is engaged in a call, the method further comprising:

the RAN receiving an indication that the WCD registered with the second preferred wireless coverage area after the call was concluded.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after serving the WCD via the second preferred wireless coverage area, the RAN determining that the WCD is unlikely to begin roaming when served by a third preferred wireless coverage area, wherein the RAN defines the third preferred wireless coverage area on the first frequency, and wherein the third preferred wireless coverage area is controlled by the home wireless service provider; and

based on the WCD being unlikely to begin roaming when served by the third preferred wireless coverage area, the RAN transmitting to the WCD a second redirect message that causes the WCD to (i) de-register from the second preferred wireless coverage area, and (ii) register with the third preferred wireless coverage area.

9. 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) device, cause the RAN device to perform operations comprising:

determining that a wireless communication device (WCD) is likely to begin roaming, wherein the RAN radiates to define a first preferred wireless coverage area on a first frequency and a second preferred wireless coverage area on a second frequency, wherein the RAN serves the WCD via the first preferred wireless coverage area, and wherein the first preferred wireless coverage area and second preferred wireless coverage area are operated by a home wireless service provider of the WCD;

based on at least the WCD being likely to begin roaming, transmitting to the WCD a redirect message that causes the WCD to (i) de-register from the first preferred wireless coverage area, and (ii) register with the second preferred wireless coverage area, wherein determining that the WCD is likely to begin roaming comprises determining that roaming data indicates that the WCD is likely to be handed off from the first preferred wireless coverage area to any one of a group of one or more non-preferred wireless coverage areas that are not operated by the home wireless service provider;

after serving the WCD via the second wireless coverage area, determining that the WCD is unlikely to begin roaming when served by a third preferred wireless coverage area, wherein the RAN defines the third preferred wireless coverage area on the first frequency and wherein the third preferred wireless coverage area is controlled by the home wireless service provider; and

based on the WCD being unlikely to begin roaming when served by the third preferred wireless coverage area, transmitting to the WCD a second redirect message that causes the WCD to (i) de-register from the second preferred wireless coverage area, and (ii) register with the third preferred wireless coverage area.

10. The article of manufacture of claim 9, wherein the second frequency is lower than the first frequency, and wherein transmitting the redirect message to the WCD is also based on the second frequency being lower than the first frequency.

11. The article of manufacture of claim 9, 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 any one of the group of one or more non-preferred wireless coverage areas 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 any one of the group of one or more non-preferred wireless coverage areas.

12. The article of manufacture of claim 11, 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 any one of the group of one or more non-preferred wireless coverage areas, and wherein determining that, in the past, the WCD has been handed off from the first preferred wireless coverage area to any one of the group of one or more non-preferred wireless coverage areas comprises:

the RAN determining that the percentage is greater than a handoff frequency threshold.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 9, wherein determining that the WCD is likely to begin roaming 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.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 9, wherein determining that the WCD is likely to begin roaming comprises:

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

15. The article of manufacture of claim 9, wherein transmitting the redirect message to the WCD is also based on (i) receiving a measurement of a remaining battery life of the WCD, and (ii) determining that the remaining battery does not meet a battery life threshold.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 9, wherein transmitting the redirect message to the WCD occurs while the WCD is engaged in a call, and wherein the program instructions, when executed by the RAN, cause the RAN to perform operations further comprising:

receiving an indication that the WCD registered with the second preferred wireless coverage area after the call was concluded.