APPARATUS, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING WIRELESS LOCAL AREA NETWORK SERVICE TO A MULTI-MODE PORTABLE COMMUNICATION DEVICE

• US 20080130555A1
• Filed: 11/30/2006
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: KALHAN, Amit
• Granted Patent: US 9,532,399 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A wireless access point manages wireless service to a multi-mode wireless communication device based on a wireless wide area network (WWAN) signal. The access point transmits a device proximity message to the WWAN based on the proximity of the multi-mode wireless communication device to the access point where the proximity is at least partially based on a WWAN signal. The device proximity message may indicate a request to perform an alternate network acquisition procedure to establish wireless service from an alternate network different than a current network providing service to the multi-mode wireless communication device. Where the current network is WWAN, and the WWAN signal is a WWAN reverse link signal transmitted by the communication device and received at the access point, the access point determines the proximity of the communication device to the access point at least partially based on the WWAN reverse link signal. The access point determines whether to provide WLAN service to the multi-mode wireless communication device at least partially on a characteristic of the WWAN signal such as, for example, a power level or signal quality. The alternate network acquisition procedure may include an instruction from the WWAN to the multi-mode wireless communication device to search for an alternate network, to search for the access point, and/or to acquire an alternate network.

Claims

1. An access point comprising:

a wireless local area network (WLAN) interface configured to exchange WLAN signals with a multi-mode wireless communication device;

a wireless wide area network (WWAN) interface configured to send a device proximity message to a WWAN, the device proximity message based on a proximity of the multi-mode wireless communication device to the access point; and

a controller configured to generate the device proximity message based on a WWAN signal.

2. The access point of claim 1, wherein the device proximity message comprises a request to establish wireless service from an alternate network different than a current network providing service to the multi-mode wireless communication device

3. The access point of claim 2, wherein the device proximity message indicates that service from the current network should be terminated.

4. The access point of claim 2, wherein the device proximity message indicates that service from the current network should be maintained.

5. The access point of claim 2, wherein the current network is the WWAN and the alternate network is the WLAN.

6. The access point of claim 2, wherein the current network is the WLAN and the alternate network is the WWAN.

7. The access point of claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured to generate the proximity message when the proximity is below a WLAN proximity threshold.

8. The access point of claim 2, wherein the WWAN interface comprises a WWAN reverse link receiver configured to receive the WWAN signal transmitted from the multi-mode communication device.

9. The access point of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to generate the device proximity message based on a received power level of the WWAN signal.

10. The access point of claim 9, wherein the WWAN interface further comprises a forward link receiver configured to receive a forward link WWAN signal comprising control data for the multi-mode wireless communication device, the controller further configured to generate the device proximity message based, at least partially, on the control data and the received power level of the WWAN signal.

11. The access point of claim 10, wherein the control data comprises a power level indicator, the controller configured to determine the proximity of the multi-mode wireless communication device to the access point, at least partially on the power level indicator and the received power level of the WWAN signal.

12. The access point of claim 1, wherein the WWAN signal is received at the multi-mode wireless communication device and the WLAN interface is further configured to receive a WWAN status signal from the multi-mode wireless communication device indicating a status of the WWAN signal.

13. The access point of claim 12, wherein the WWAN status signal indicates a received power level of the WWAN signal.

14. The access point of claim 13, wherein the WLAN interface is further configured to receive control information indicative of control data received by the multi-mode wireless communication device from the WWAN.

15. An access point comprising:

a wireless local area network (WLAN) interface configured to exchange WLAN signals with a multi-mode wireless communication device;

WWAN reverse link (RL) receiver configured to receive a WWAN RL signal transmitted from the multi-mode wireless communication device;

a wireless wide area network (WWAN) interface configured to transmit a device proximity message to a WWAN; and

a controller configured to generate the device proximity message based on the WWAN RL signal.

16. The access point of claim 15, further comprising a WWAN forward link (FL) receiver configured to receive a WWAN FL signal transmitted to the multi-mode wireless communication device and comprising RL transmission control information, the controller further configured to generate the device proximity message based on a the RL transmission control information.

17. The access point of claim 16, wherein the RL transmission control information comprises a transmission power level of the WWAN RL signal, the controller configured to determine the proximity on a power difference between the transmission power level and a received power level of the WWAN RL signal.

18. The access point of claim 16, wherein the RL transmission control information comprises a transmission time of the WWAN RL signal, the controller configured to determine the proximity on a time difference between the transmission time and a received time of the WWAN RL signal.

19. A method performed at an access point configured to communicate with a multi-mode wireless communication device, the method comprising:

receiving a wireless wide area network (WWAN) forward link (FL) signal comprising reverse link (RL) transmission control information;

receiving a WWAN RL signal from the multi-mode wireless communication device;

determining a proximity of the multi-mode wireless communication device to the access point based on the RL transmission control information and the WWAN RL signal;

sending a device proximity message to a WWAN system if the proximity is less than a threshold.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the determining the proximity comprises calculating a power difference between a WWAN RL signal transmission power level included in the RL transmission control information and a received power level of the WWAN RL signal.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the determining the proximity comprises calculating a time difference between a WWAN RL signal transmission time included in the RL transmission control information and a received time of the WWAN RL signal.