System and method for multiple mode communication

• US 8,849,274 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2012
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WorldVu Satellites Limited
• Original Assignee: WorldVu Satellites Limited
• Inventors: Wyler, Gregory Thane
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu, Jinsong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Jean
• Application Number:
  US13/353,472
• Publication Number:
  US 20130189975A1
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• Field of Search: 455/427, 455/571, 455/436
• US Class Current: 455/427
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/142 over the same radio air interface technology
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/18 for allowing seamless reselection, e.g. soft reselection
• 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

Abstract

A system and method of communication disclosed which may include establishing a telephone call for a cell phone at a first end of the call to a second end of the call, the cell phone receiving communication service from a cellular phone network; substantially continuously detecting a signal level of the cellular phone network available to the cell phone; and transferring the telephone call from the cellular phone service to a second network having a link back to a core network of said cellular phone network only if the detected signal level of the cellular phone service falls below a specified threshold.

Claims

1. A method of communication, the method comprising:

substantially continuously detecting, by a dual-mode device (DMD), a signal level of a land-based cellular phone network available to a cell phone that has established a telephone call at a first end of the call to a second end of the call through the cellular phone network;

if the detected signal level of the cellular phone network falls below a specified threshold, presenting the DMD to the cell phone as a cell tower to enable the cell phone to hand over the established telephone call to the DMD; and

transferring, by the DMD, the established telephone call from the cellular phone network to a satellite of a second network having a link back to a core network of said cellular phone network to provide an uninterrupted service.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the DMD is located within a vehicle.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the cell phone is in communication with the DMD located in the vehicle, the DMD having a first communication link to the cell phone and a second communication link to the second network and wherein the transferring step comprises:

the DMD connecting the established telephone call to the second network.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the detecting step comprises:

the DMD, detecting the signal level of the cellular phone network, and wherein the transferring step comprises;

the DMD increasing its transmission power and notifying the cell phone of a need to transfer operation of the established telephone call to the second network.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the transferring step further comprises:

the cell phone directing the DMD to transfer operation of the established telephone call to the second network.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the detecting step comprises:

the DMD, detecting the signal level of the cellular phone network, and wherein the transferring step comprises;

the DMD reporting the low signal strength to one of (a) a core network of the DMD, and (b) the core network of said cellular phone network; and

one of (a) the core network of the DMD and (b) the core network of said cellular phone network requesting the DMD to increase its signal strength to an acceptable level and the network commanding the cell phone to switch to the DMD.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the transferring step further comprises:

the DMD increasing an indication of the signal strength of the second network to the cell phone, to prompt the cell phone to transfer the call to the second network, only if the DMD determines that the signal level of the cellular phone network has fallen below the acceptable threshold.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the transferring step comprises:

providing the DMD on a vehicle for enabling access by said cell phone to said second network.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

said core network of said cellular phone network monitoring a congestion level of a cell tower servicing said telephone call for said cell phone;

said core network of said cellular phone network notifying a core network of said DMD if the congestion level of said cell tower exceeds an acceptable threshold; and

said core network of said DMD instructing said DMD on said vehicle to prompt the cell phone to transfer the telephone call to said second network if the congestion level of said cell tower exceeds said acceptable threshold.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a cellular communication port that communicates with a land-based cellular communication network;

a satellite communication port that communicates with a satellite communication network;

a processing engine that (a) continuously detects a signal level of service from a cellular phone network to a cell phone over the cellular communication port, (b) if the detected signal level falls below a specified threshold, present the apparatus to the cell phone as a cell tower through the cellular communication port to enable the cell phone to hand over an established telephone call to the apparatus and (c) transfers the established telephone call on said cell phone from the cellular phone network to said satellite communication network through the satellite communication port to provide an uninterrupted service.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the cellular communication port comprises a 3G (third generation wireless mobile communication technology) communication port incorporated within a dual-mode device (DMD).

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the DMD comprises:

a conversion circuit for enabling data received at the 3G communication port of said DMD to be configured to flow out the satellite communication port of the DMD and for enabling data received at the satellite communication port of the DMD to be transmitted to and out of the 3G communication port of the DMD.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the processing engine is incorporated within a dual-mode device (DMD) in communication with said cell phone.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the processing engine is incorporated within said cell phone.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein an entirety of said apparatus is incorporated on or within a motor vehicle.

16. A method for a cell phone to communicate using a land-based cellular phone network and a satellite when the land-based cellular phone network is unavailable to the cell phone, the method comprising:

continuously detecting, by a processing engine of a dual-mode device (DMD), a signal level of the land-based cellular phone network available to the cell phone that has established a telephone call through the cellular phone network, the DMD including a cellular communication port for communicating with the cell phone through a wireless cellular link and a satellite communication port for communicating with a satellite through a satellite link; and

if the detected signal level of the cellular phone network falls below a specified threshold, presenting the cellular communication port in the DMD to the cell phone as a cell tower to enable the cell phone to hand over the established telephone call to the DMD;

transferring, by the DMD, the established telephone call from the cellular phone network to the satellite having a link back to a core network of the cellular phone network.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of presenting the cellular communication port in the DMD to the cell phone as a cell tower includes increasing the power of a wireless signal between the cell phone and the cellular communication port in the DMD to encourage the cell phone to switch the established telephone call to the DMD.