Systems, methods and apparatus for switching networks in active mode

• US 9,485,696 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2014
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Turakhia, Chintan Pravin, Ng, Alvin Siu-Chung, Curtiss, Troy Russell, Wu, Tak-Wai, Sang, Cheong Tsun, Chan, Chun Chung Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): CASCA, FRED A
• Application Number:
  US14/339,274
• Publication Number:
  US 20160029274A1
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 455/436, 455/437, 455/411, 455/438, 455/552.1, 455/418, 455/432.1, 455/434, 455/435.2, 455/440, 455/444, 370/331, 370/332, 370/252
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3816 Mechanical arrangements for accommodating identification devices, e.g. cards or chips; with connectors for programming identification devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2227 Quality of service monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/066 where the auxiliary connection is via an Internet Protocol network interworking of signalling system number 7 (SS7) with Internet Protocol-based session control protocols H04M7/1265, H04M7/127
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00837 Determination of triggering parameters for hand-off
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 by measured or perceived connection quality data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• 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

Systems, methods, and apparatuses for switching networks in active mode are described herein. In one aspect a method of wireless communication is provided. The method includes communicating with a device over a first network. The method further includes monitoring for a second network during the communication with the device, the second network having a higher throughput than the first network. The method further includes determining an application usage history of the device. The method further includes selectively transitioning the communication from the first network to the second network based on a parameter of the first network, a parameter of the second network, and an application usage history of the device.

Claims

1. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

a first antenna configured to communicate with a device over a first network utilizing a first radio technology;

a second antenna configured to monitor for a second network during the communication with the device according to a first periodicity, the first periodicity being determined based on at least one of a variable time offset and a characteristic of the first radio technology, the second network having a higher throughput than the first network; and

a processor coupled to the first antenna and the second antenna, the processor configured to;

determine an application usage history of the device;

selectively transition the communication from the first network to the second network based on a parameter of the first network, a parameter of the second network, the application usage history of the device, and a threshold application usage history of the device associated with the first network;

wherein the second antenna is further configured to tune to a third network according to a second periodicity, the second antenna being further configured to monitor for a second network according to a third periodicity, the third periodicity being offset from the second periodicity.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the parameter of the first network comprises a radio technology, a reference signal received power (RSRP), a reference signal received quality (RSRQ), a received signal strength indicator (RSSI), a traffic load, a signal-to-interference-plus-noise-ratio (SINR), a throughput, an estimated throughput, a latency, and/or a hysteresis.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the parameter of the second network comprises a radio technology, a reference signal received power (RSRP), a reference signal received quality (RSRQ), a received signal strength indicator (RSSI), a traffic load, a signal-to-interference-plus-noise-ratio (SINR), a throughput, an estimated throughput, a latency, and/or a hysteresis.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the third periodicity is based on a radio technology of the first network, a signal strength of the second network, a battery level of the device, and/or a size of a multimode system selection (MMSS) preferred roaming list (PRL).

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first antenna is further configured to monitor for the second network according to the third periodicity when the second antenna power satisfies a threshold or when a signal difference between the first antenna and the second antenna satisfies a threshold.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to selectively transition the communication from the second network to the first network based on a parameter of the first network, a parameter of the second network, and the application usage history of the device.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the parameter of the first network comprises a radio technology, a reference signal received power (RSRP), a reference signal received quality (RSRQ), a received signal strength indicator (RSSI), a traffic load, a signal-to-interference-plus-noise-ratio (SINR), a throughput, an estimated throughput, or a hysteresis, the parameter of the second network comprises a radio technology, a reference signal received power (RSRP), a reference signal received quality (RSRQ), a received signal strength indicator (RSSI), a traffic load, a signal-to-interference-plus-noise-ratio (SINR), a throughput, an estimated throughput, a latency, and/or a hysteresis, and the application usage history comprises a download throughput requirement, and/or an upload throughput requirement.

8. A method for wireless communication, comprising:

communicating with a device over a first network utilizing a first radio technology;

monitoring, by a processor, for a second network during the communication with the device according to a first periodicity, the first periodicity being determined based on at least one of a variable time offset and a characteristic of the first radio technology, the second network having a higher throughput than the first network;

determining, by the processor, an application usage history of the device;

selectively transitioning the communication from the first network to the second network based on a parameter of the first network, a parameter of the second network, the application usage history of the device, and a threshold application usage history of the device associated with the first network; and

tuning to a third network according to a second periodicity, wherein monitoring for a second network comprises monitoring for a second network according to a third periodicity, the third periodicity being offset from the second periodicity.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the threshold application usage history comprises one or more thresholds based on the throughput of the first network, and wherein selectively transitioning comprises selectively transitioning the communication from the first network to the second network when the application usage history satisfies the one or more thresholds.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the parameter of the first network comprises a radio technology, a reference signal received power (RSRP), a reference signal received quality (RSRQ), a received signal strength indicator (RSSI), a traffic load, a signal-to-interference-plus-noise-ratio (SINR), a throughput, an estimated throughput, a latency, and/or a hysteresis.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the parameter of the second network comprises a radio technology, a reference signal received power (RSRP), a reference signal received quality (RSRQ), a received signal strength indicator (RSSI), a traffic load, a signal-to-interference-plus-noise-ratio (SINR), a throughput, an estimated throughput, a latency, and/or a hysteresis.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the third periodicity is based on the first radio technology, a signal strength of the second network, a battery level of the device, and/or a size of a multimode system selection (MMSS) preferred roaming list (PRL).

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising selectively transitioning the communication from the second network to the first network based on a parameter of the first network, a parameter of the second network, and the application usage history of the device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the parameter of the first network comprises a radio technology, a reference signal received power (RSRP), a reference signal received quality (RSRQ), a received signal strength indicator (RSSI), a traffic load, a signal-to-interference-plus-noise-ratio (SINR), a throughput, an estimated throughput, or a hysteresis, the parameter of the second network comprises a radio technology, a reference signal received power (RSRP), a reference signal received quality (RSRQ), a received signal strength indicator (RSSI), a traffic load, a signal-to-interference-plus-noise-ratio (SINR), a throughput, an estimated throughput, a latency, and/or a hysteresis, and the application usage history comprises a download throughput requirement and/or an upload throughput requirement.

15. An apparatus for wireless communication, the apparatus comprising:

means for communicating with a device over a first network utilizing a first radio technology;

means for monitoring for a second network during the communication with the device according to a first periodicity, the first periodicity being determined based on at least one of a variable time offset and a characteristic of the first radio technology, the second network having a higher throughput than the first network;

means for determining an application usage history of the device;

means for selectively transitioning the communication from the first network to the second network based on a parameter of the first network, a parameter of the second network, the application usage history of the device, and a threshold application usage history of the device associated with the first network and

means for tuning to a third network according to a second periodicity, the monitoring means comprising means for monitoring for a second network according to a third periodicity, the third periodicity being offset from the second periodicity.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein means for communicating comprises an antenna, wherein the means for monitoring comprises an antenna, wherein the means for determining comprises a processor, wherein the means for selectively transitioning comprises a processor.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the parameter of the first network or the parameter of the second network comprises a radio technology, a reference signal received power (RSRP), a reference signal received quality (RSRQ), a received signal strength indicator (RSSI), a traffic load, a signal-to-interference-plus-noise-ratio (SINR), a throughput, an estimated throughput, a latency, and/or a hysteresis.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the third periodicity is based on the first radio technology, a signal strength of the second network, a battery level of the device, and/or a size of a multimode system selection (MMSS) preferred roaming list (PRL).

19. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising means for selectively transitioning the communication from the second network to the first network based on a parameter of the first network, a parameter of the second network, and the application usage history of the device.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein means for selectively transitioning the communication from the second network to the first network comprises means for selectively transitioning from the second network to the first network when the application usage history indicates that the application performs better on the first network than on the second network.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code that, when executed causes an apparatus for wireless communication to:

communicate with a device over a first network utilizing a first radio technology;

monitor for a second network during the communication with the device according to a first periodicity, the first periodicity being determined based On at least one of a variable time offset and a characteristic of the first radio technology, the second network having a higher throughput than the first network;

determine an application usage history of the device; and

selectively transition the communication from the first network to the second network based on a parameter of the first network, a parameter of the second network, the application usage history of the device, and a threshold application usage history of the device associated with the first network; and

tune to a third network according to a second periodicity, the second antenna being further configured to monitor for a second network according to a third periodicity, the third periodicity being offset from the second periodicity.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the code, when executed, causes the apparatus to selectively transition the communication from the second network to the first network based on a parameter of the first network, a parameter of the second network, and the application usage history of the device.