Switching between radio access technologies at a multi-mode access point
First Claim
1. An access point for wireless communication, comprising:
- a first communication component configured to provide service to an access terminal connected to the access point in a coverage area associated with the access point using at least a first transceiver that supports a radio access technology having a first type;
a processing system configured to determine, at the access point, at least one indication indicative of traffic conditions associated with the radio access technology having the first type based on one or more network attributes that are visible to the access point without explicit support from the connected access terminal, to switch, at the access point, the radio access technology that the access point uses to provide the service to the connected access terminal to a second type instead of the first type based on the at least one indication, and to send a message to the connected access terminal via the radio access technology having the first type, the message configured to cause the connected access terminal to disable communication via the radio access technology having the first type and to enable communication via the radio access technology having the second type; and
a second communication component configured to provide the service to the access terminal connected to the access point in the coverage area associated with the access point using at least a second transceiver that supports the radio access technology having the second type as a result of the switch in the radio access technology that the access point uses to provide the service to the connected access terminal, wherein the access point corresponds to one node on a wireless network.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A multi-mode access point supports different radio access technologies (e.g., Wi-Fi and cellular) for serving multi-mode access terminals. To provide improved service for such an access terminal, the access point may redirect the access terminal from a first type of radio access technology to a second type of radio access technology under certain circumstances. A decision to invoke such a redirection may be based on, for example, at least one of: traffic conditions on the first type of radio access technology, traffic conditions on the second type of radio access technology, and whether a backhaul for the access point is currently a bottleneck for access point communication.
34 Citations
63 Claims
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1. An access point for wireless communication, comprising:
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a first communication component configured to provide service to an access terminal connected to the access point in a coverage area associated with the access point using at least a first transceiver that supports a radio access technology having a first type; a processing system configured to determine, at the access point, at least one indication indicative of traffic conditions associated with the radio access technology having the first type based on one or more network attributes that are visible to the access point without explicit support from the connected access terminal, to switch, at the access point, the radio access technology that the access point uses to provide the service to the connected access terminal to a second type instead of the first type based on the at least one indication, and to send a message to the connected access terminal via the radio access technology having the first type, the message configured to cause the connected access terminal to disable communication via the radio access technology having the first type and to enable communication via the radio access technology having the second type; and a second communication component configured to provide the service to the access terminal connected to the access point in the coverage area associated with the access point using at least a second transceiver that supports the radio access technology having the second type as a result of the switch in the radio access technology that the access point uses to provide the service to the connected access terminal, wherein the access point corresponds to one node on a wireless network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method of communication for a multi-mode access point, comprising:
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providing, by the multi-mode access point, service to an access terminal connected to the multi-mode access point in a coverage area associated with the multi-mode access point using at least a first transceiver that supports a radio access technology having a first type; determining, by the multi-mode access point, at least one indication indicative of traffic conditions associated with the radio access technology having the first type based on one or more network attributes that are visible to the multi-mode access point without explicit support from the connected access terminal; switching, by the multi-mode access point, the radio access technology that the multi-mode access point uses to provide the service to the connected access terminal to a second type instead of the first type based on the at least one indication; sending, to the connected access terminal, a message via the radio access technology having the first type, the message configured to cause the connected access terminal to disable communication via the radio access technology having the first type and to enable communication via the radio access technology having the second type; and providing, by the multi-mode access point, the service to the access terminal connected to the multi-mode access point in the coverage area associated with the multi-mode access point using at least a second transceiver that supports the radio access technology having the second type as a result of the multi-mode access point switching the radio access technology used to provide the service to the connected access terminal, wherein the multi-mode access point corresponds to one node on a wireless network. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. An access point for wireless communication, comprising:
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means for providing service to an access terminal connected to a multi-mode access point in a coverage area associated with the multi-mode access point using a radio access technology having a first type; means for determining at least one indication indicative of traffic conditions associated with the radio access technology having the first type based on one or more network attributes that are visible to the multi-mode access point without explicit support from the connected access terminal; means for switching the radio access technology that the multi-mode access point uses to provide the service to the connected access terminal to a second type instead of the first type based on the at least one indication; means for sending, to the connected access terminal, a message via the radio access technology having the first type, the message configured to cause the connected access terminal to disable communication via the radio access technology having the first type and to enable communication via the radio access technology having the second type; and means for providing the service the access terminal connected to the multi-mode access point in the coverage area associated with the multi-mode access point using the radio access technology having the second type as a result of the multi-mode access point switching the radio access technology used to provide the service to the connected access terminal, wherein the multi-mode access point corresponds to one node on a wireless network. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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54. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code for causing a multi-mode access point to:
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provide service to an access terminal connected to the multi-mode access point in a coverage area associated with the multi-mode access point using at least a first transceiver that supports a radio access technology having a first type; determine at least one indication indicative of traffic conditions associated with the radio access technology having the first type based on one or more network attributes that are visible to the multi-mode access point without explicit support from the connected access terminal; switch the radio access technology that the multi-mode access point uses to provide the service to the connected access terminal to a second type instead of the first type based on the at least one indication; send, to the connected access terminal, a message via the radio access technology having the first type, the message configured to cause the connected access terminal to disable communication via the radio access technology having the first type and to enable communication via the radio access technology having the second type; and provide the service to the access terminal connected to the multi-mode access point in the coverage area associated with the multi-mode access point using at least a second transceiver that supports the radio access technology having the second type as a result of the switch in the radio access technology used at the multi-mode access point to provide the service to the connected access terminal, wherein the multi-mode access point corresponds to one node on a wireless network. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
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Specification