Method for operating a mobile device and apparatus for handing over a mobile device

• US 9,998,976 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2016
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Peiker Acustic GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: Peiker Acustic GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Richter, Lutz P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jiang, Charles C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Soe, Kyaw Z
• Application Number:
  US15/130,094
• Publication Number:
  US 20160323796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/1446 wherein at least one of the networks is unlicensed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/324 by mobility data, e.g. speed data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

A method for operating a mobile device in a cabin of a vehicle as well as in an environment outside of the vehicle is provided. Additionally an apparatus for handing over a mobile device from one of a multiplicity of base stations of a mobile network to a communication system of a vehicle and for operating the mobile device in a cabin of the vehicle and for handing over the mobile device from the communication system of the vehicle to one of a multiplicity of base station of a mobile network is provided.

Claims

1. A method for operating a mobile device in a cabin of a vehicle as well as in an environment outside of the vehicle, wherein the environment comprises a mobile network with a multiplicity of base stations,

wherein the vehicle comprises a communication system, comprising a network access device and both a femtocell and WiFi-hot-spot respectively connected to the network access device,

wherein the network access device is connected to one of the base stations of the mobile network and

wherein the method comprises, on different occurrences, the steps:

when moving the mobile device from the environment into the cabin of the vehicle a seamless handover of the mobile device from one of the base stations of the mobile network to the femtocell is performed,

wherein once a connection of the mobile device to the femtocell is established, the mobile device is connected only to the femtocell by the communication system, such that this connection is kept alive as long as the mobile device remains in the vehicle and as long as the vehicle is in standstill condition,

when a movement of the vehicle is detected a seamless handover of the mobile device from the femtocell to the WiFi-hot-spot is performed,

wherein once the seamless handover of the mobile device from the femtocell to the WiFi-hot-spot is established, the mobile device is connected only to the WiFi-hot-spot by the communication system as long as the movement of the vehicle is detected, and

when moving the mobile device from the cabin of the vehicle to the environment a seamless handover of the mobile device to one of a multiplicity of base stations of a mobile network is performed.

2. A method for operating a mobile device according to claim 1, wherein a neighborhood cell list is collected by the network access device and is transmitted in a first step to the femtocell each time a standstill of the vehicle is detected or each time a standstill of the vehicle is predicted by a control unit of the vehicle and/or by a control unit of the mobile device.

3. A method for operating a mobile device according to claim 2, wherein in a second step the neighborhood cell list is provided to each mobile device which is logged in the femtocell.

4. A method for operating a mobile device according to claim 1, wherein each time a standstill of the vehicle is detected or each time a standstill of the vehicle is predicted by a control unit of the vehicle and/or by a control unit of the mobile device, the standstill is classified by the control unit as a deboarding-standstill, which is suitable for passengers to leave the vehicle, or as a traffic-caused-standstill, which is not suitable for passengers to leave the vehicle.

5. A method for operating a mobile device according to claim 1, wherein when a standstill of the vehicle is detected, a seamless handover of the mobile device from the WiFi-hot-spot to the femtocell is performed.

6. A method for operating a mobile device according to claim 4, wherein when a deboarding-standstill of the vehicle is detected, a seamless handover of the mobile device from the WiFi-hot-spot to the femtocell is performed.

7. A method for operating a mobile device according to claim 1, using the femtocell functionality when the vehicle is in standstill conditions only, executing all necessary procedures of being connected to the backhaul components and femtocell gateway of the mobile network for being part of a neighborhood cell list, transmitted by the mobile network via a dedicated base station available in the area where the vehicle is standing.

8. A method for operating a mobile device according to claim 1, using the WiFi-hot-spot functionality when the vehicle is moving to allow all mobile devices, used inside the vehicle, for being connected to and communicating with the mobile network.

9. A method for operating a mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the mobile device is provided with neighborhood cell information of the mobile network, which includes parameters of the femtocell before the vehicle is entered.

10. A method for operating a mobile device according to claim 9, wherein the cell information of the mobile network, which includes parameters of the femtocell, is emitted by the mobile network and/or is emitted by the WiFi-hot-spot of the vehicle.

11. An apparatus for handing over a mobile device from one of a multiplicity of base stations of a mobile network to a communication system of a vehicle, and for operating the mobile device in a cabin of the vehicle and for handing over the mobile device from the communication system of the vehicle to one of a multiplicity of base stations of a mobile network,

wherein the communication system of the vehicle comprises a network access device and both a femtocell and a WiFi-hot-spot respectively connected to the network access device,

wherein the network access device is connected to one of a multiplicity of base stations of a mobile network and

wherein the apparatus performs a seamless handover of the mobile device from the base stations of the mobile network to the femtocell during the movement of the mobile device from the environment into the cabin of the vehicle,

wherein once a connection of the mobile device to the femtocell is established by the apparatus, the mobile device is connected only to the femtocell by the communication system, such that the apparatus keeps this connection to the femtocell alive as long as the mobile device remains in the vehicle and as long as the vehicle is in standstill condition,

wherein the apparatus performs a seamless handover of the mobile device from the femtocell to the WiFi-hot-spot when a movement of the vehicle is detected,

wherein once the seamless handover of the mobile device from the femtocell to the WiFi-hot-spot is established by the apparatus, the mobile device is connected only to the WiFi-hot-spot by the communication system as long as the movement of the vehicle is detected, and

wherein the apparatus performs a seamless handover of the mobile device from the communication system to one of a multiplicity of base stations of a mobile network when the mobile device is leaving the vehicle.

12. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the network access device collects a neighborhood cell list and transmits the neighborhood cell list in a first step to the femtocell each time a control unit of the apparatus detects a standstill of the vehicle or each time the control unit of the apparatus predicts a standstill of the vehicle.

13. An apparatus of claim 12, wherein in a second step the femtocell provides the neighborhood cell list to each mobile device which is logged in.

14. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein each time a control unit of the apparatus detects a standstill of the vehicle or each time the control unit of the apparatus predicts a standstill of the vehicle, the control unit classifies the standstill as a deboarding-standstill, which is suitable for passengers to leave the vehicle, or as a traffic-caused-standstill, which is not suitable for passengers to leave the vehicle.

15. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein when a control unit of the apparatus detects a standstill of the vehicle, the apparatus performs a seamless handover of the mobile device from the WiFi-hot-spot to the femtocell.

16. An apparatus of claim 14, wherein when the control unit detects a deboarding-standstill of the vehicle, the apparatus performs a seamless handover of the mobile device from the WiFi-hot-spot to the femtocell.