Method and apparatus for persistent connections to a device through the use of multiple physical network connections and connection hand-offs between multiple bands, modes and networks

• US 9,277,376 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2015
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CoCo Communications, Corp.
• Original Assignee: CoCo Communications, Corp.
• Inventors: Tucker, Mark L., Bruestle, Jeremy
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tammy
• Application Number:
  US14/673,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20150208212A1
• Time in Patent Office: 337 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 370/310, 370/338, 455/433
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0011 for data sessions of end-to-end connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0022 for transferring data sessions between adjacent core network technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/28 involving a plurality of connections, e.g. multi-call or multi-bearer connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• 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

Embodiments communicate messages between mobile devices and destination devices. An exemplary embodiment includes a first border server operable to establish a first communication connection to the mobile device over a first network operating under a first protocol, a second border server operable to establish a second communication connection to the mobile device over a second network operating under a second protocol, and a transport management server communicatively coupled to the first border server and the second border server, and operable to establish a third communication connection to the destination device over a third network operating under a third protocol. The first protocol is configured to communicate a first encapsulated portion of the message. The second protocol is configured to communicate a second encapsulated portion of the message. The third protocol is configured to communicate the first encapsulated portion of the message and the second encapsulated portion of the message.

Claims

1. A method of communicating a message between a mobile device and a destination device via a network operations center,

wherein the network operations center is communicatively coupled to a first border server that is concurrently communicatively coupled to the mobile device over a first connection of a first communication system operating under a first protocol,

wherein the network operations center is communicatively coupled to a second border server,

wherein the network operations center is communicatively coupled to the destination device, and

wherein the message comprises a series of message portions that are encapsulated as packets by the mobile device for communication,

the method comprising:

encapsulating, at the mobile device, a first portion of the message into an encapsulated first packet using the first protocol;

communicating the encapsulated first packet of the message from the mobile device to the first border server over the first connection;

monitoring signal strength of communications over the first connection;

in response to a weakening of the signal strength of communications over the first connection, communicatively coupling the mobile device to a second border server over a second connection of a second communication system operating under a second protocol,

wherein the second protocol is different from the first protocol, and

wherein the second communication system is different from the first communication system,

encapsulating, at the mobile device, a subsequent second portion of the message into an encapsulated second packet using the first protocol and into an encapsulated third packet using the second protocol; and

substantially concurrently communicating the encapsulated second packet of the message from the mobile device to the first border server over the first connection and communicating the encapsulated third packet of the message from the mobile device to the second border server over the second connection.

2. The method of claim 1, where in response to a loss of signal over the first connection, the method further comprising:

closing the first connection between the mobile device and the first border server.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first connection fails when a capacity of the first connection decreases below the threshold.

4. The method of claim 2, where in response to closing the first connection, the method further comprising:

encapsulating, at the mobile device, a subsequent third portion of the message into an encapsulated fourth packet using the second protocol; and

communicating the encapsulated fourth packet of the message from the mobile device to the second border server over the second connection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a cellular phone.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first protocol of the first connection is a CDMA protocol, and wherein communicatively coupling the mobile device to the second border server over the second connection of the second communication system operating under the second protocol comprises:

communicatively coupling the mobile device to the second border server over the second connection of the second communication system operating under a WiFi protocol.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first protocol of the first connection is a CDMA protocol, and wherein communicatively coupling the mobile device to the second border server over the second connection of the second communication system operating under the second protocol comprises:

communicatively coupling the mobile device to the second border server over the second connection of the second communication system operating under a GSM protocol.

8. A method of communicating a message between a mobile device and a destination device via a network operations center,

wherein the network operations center is communicatively coupled to a first border server that is concurrently communicatively coupled to the mobile device over a first connection of a first communication system operating under a first protocol,

wherein the network operations center is communicatively coupled to a second border server,

wherein the network operations center is communicatively coupled to the destination device, and

wherein the message comprises a series of message portions that are encapsulated as packets by the mobile device for communication,

the method comprising:

encapsulating, at the mobile device, a first portion of information into an encapsulated first packet using the first protocol;

communicating the encapsulated first packet from the mobile device to the first border server over the first connection;

monitoring bandwidth over the first connection;

in response to a decrease in the bandwidth over the first connection, communicatively coupling the mobile device to a second border server over a second connection of a second communication system operating under a second protocol,

wherein the second protocol is different from the first protocol, and

wherein the second communication system is different from the first communication system,

encapsulating, at the mobile device, a subsequent second portion of the information into an encapsulated second packet using the first protocol;

encapsulating, at the mobile device, a subsequent third portion of the information into an encapsulated third packet using the second protocol, wherein encapsulated information in the encapsulated second packet is different from encapsulated information in the third packet; and

substantially concurrently communicating the encapsulated second packet of the message from the mobile device to the first border server over the first connection and communicating the encapsulated third packet of the message from the mobile device to the second border server over the second connection.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the encapsulated information of the first packet and the subsequent encapsulated second packet correspond to voice information, and wherein the encapsulated information of the third packet corresponds to data.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the first connection fails when a capacity of the first connection decreases below a threshold.

11. The method of claim 8, where in response to a loss of signal over the first connection, the method further comprising:

closing the first connection between the mobile device and the first border server.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the encapsulated information of the first packet and the subsequent encapsulated second packet correspond to a first packet with voice information and a second packet with voice information, wherein the encapsulated information of the third packet corresponds to data, and where in response to closing the first connection, the method further comprising:

encapsulating, at the mobile device, a subsequent third portion with voice information into an encapsulated fourth packet using the second protocol;

encapsulating, at the mobile device, a subsequent second portion of the data into an encapsulated fifth packet using the second protocol; and

communicating the encapsulated fourth packet and the encapsulated fifth packet from the mobile device to the second border server over the second connection.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first protocol of the first connection is a CDMA protocol, and wherein communicatively coupling the mobile device to a second border server over a second connection of a second communication system operating under a second protocol comprises:

communicatively coupling the mobile device to the second border server over the second connection of the second communication system operating under a WiFi protocol,

wherein the first packet with voice information and the second packet with voice information are communicated using the CDMA protocol, and

wherein the third packet with data is communicated using the WiFi protocol.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the first protocol of the first connection is a CDMA protocol, and wherein communicatively coupling the mobile device to the second border server over the second connection of the second communication system operating under the second protocol comprises:

communicatively coupling the mobile device to the second border server over the second connection of the second communication system operating under a GSM protocol,

wherein the first packet with voice information and the second packet with voice information are communicated using the CDMA protocol, and

wherein the third packet with data is communicated using the GSM protocol.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the mobile device is a cellular phone.

16. A mobile device that communicates messages with a destination device via a network operations center,

wherein the network operations center is communicatively coupled to a first border server that is concurrently communicatively coupled to the mobile device over a first connection of a first communication system operating under a first protocol,

wherein the network operations center is communicatively coupled to a second border server,

wherein the network operations center is communicatively coupled to the destination device, and

wherein the message comprises a series of message portions that are encapsulated as packets by the mobile device for communication,

the mobile device comprising at least two of:

a CDMA driver, wherein when the CDMA driver is selected to communicate messages with the destination device, the CDMA driver is operable to encapsulate a first portion of the message into an encapsulated first packet using a CDMA protocol as the first protocol, wherein the first connection of the first communication system is a CDMA connection of a CDMA communication system;

a 802.11 driver, wherein when the 802.11 driver is selected to communicate messages with the destination device, the 802.11 driver is operable to encapsulate the first portion of the message into the encapsulated first packet using a 802.11 protocol as the first protocol, wherein the first connection of the first communication system is a WiFi connection of a WiFi communication system; and

a GDM driver, wherein when the GDM driver is selected to communicate messages with the destination device, the GDM driver is operable to encapsulate the first portion of the message into the encapsulated first packet using a GDM protocol as the first protocol, wherein the first connection of the first communication system is a GDM connection of a GDM communication system,

wherein during operation when the CDMA driver is selected to communicate the messages with the destination device, the CDMA driver is operable to communicate the encapsulated first packet of the message from the mobile device to the first border server over the first connection, and the mobile device is operable to;

monitor signal strength of communications over the CDMA connection;

communicatively couple one of the 802.11 driver or the GDM driver to the second border server over a second connection of a second communication system operating under a second protocol in response to a weakening of the signal strength of communications over the CDMA connection,

wherein when the 802.11 driver is selected, the second protocol is the 802.11 protocol, and wherein the second communication system is the WiFi communication system, and

wherein when the GDM driver is selected, the second protocol is the GDM protocol, and wherein the second communication system is the GDM communication system;

encapsulate a subsequent second portion of the message into an encapsulated second packet using the CDMA protocol;

encapsulate the subsequent second portion of the message into an encapsulated third packet using the 802.11 protocol when the 802.11 driver is selected or the GDM protocol when the GDM driver is selected; and

substantially concurrently communicate the encapsulated second packet of the message from the mobile device to the first border server over the CDMA connection and communicate the encapsulated third packet of the message from the mobile device to the second border server over the WiFi communication system when the 802.11 driver is selected or over the GDM communication system when the GDM driver is selected.

17. The mobile device of claim 16, where in response to a loss of signal over the CDMA connection, the mobile device is operable to close the CDMA connection between the mobile device and the first border server.

18. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the CDMA connection fails when a capacity of the CDMA connection decreases below a threshold.

19. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the mobile device is a cellular phone.