System and method for dual mode communication
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of communication, the method comprising:
- substantially continuously detecting, by a dual-mode device (DMD), a signal level of a cell tower of the 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, the cell phone communicating over the air directly between the cell phone and the cell tower; and
if the detected signal level of the cellular phone network falls below a specified threshold, presenting a cellular transceiver in the DMD to the cell phone as a cell tower in communication with a satellite of a second network to enable the cell phone to hand over the established telephone call to the DMD to provide an uninterrupted service.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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.
9 Citations
16 Claims
-
1. A method of communication, the method comprising:
-
substantially continuously detecting, by a dual-mode device (DMD), a signal level of a cell tower of the 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, the cell phone communicating over the air directly between the cell phone and the cell tower; and if the detected signal level of the cellular phone network falls below a specified threshold, presenting a cellular transceiver in the DMD to the cell phone as a cell tower in communication with a satellite of a second network to enable the cell phone to hand over the established telephone call to the DMD to provide an uninterrupted service. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A dual-mode device (DMD) comprising:
-
a cell phone port that communicates with a cell phone communication link; a satellite port that communicates with a satellite communication network; a processing engine that (a) continuously detects a signal level of service from a cell tower of a cellular phone network to said cell phone over the cell phone port, wherein the cell phone communicates over the air directly between the cell phone and the cell tower, (b) if the detected signal level falls below a specified threshold, present the DMD to the cell phone as a cell tower through the cell phone port to enable the cell phone to hand over the established telephone call to the DMD, and (c) transfers a telephone call in progress on said cell phone from the cellular phone network to said satellite communication network through the satellite port to provide an uninterrupted service. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. 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 about to become unavailable to the cell phone, the method comprising:
-
continuously detecting, by a processing engine of a dual-mode device (DMD), a signal level of a cell tower of a land-based cellular phone network available to a cell phone that has established a telephone call through the cellular phone network, the cell phone communicating over the air directly between the cell phone and the cell tower, the DMD including a cellular transceiver for communicating with the cell phone through a wireless cellular link and a satellite transceiver 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 transceiver in the DMD to the cell phone as a cell tower in communication with the satellite to enable the cell phone to hand over the established telephone call to the DMD to maintain a continuity of the established telephone call. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
-
Specification