MANAGEMENT OF WLAN AND WWAN COMMUNICATION SERVICES TO A MULTI-MODE WIRELESS COMMUNICATION DEVICE

• US 20110235615A1
• Filed: 06/02/2011
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: KALHAN, Amit
• Granted Patent: US 8,565,204 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/331
• 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 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/12 Access point controller devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A mesh network communication system includes a plurality of access points connected to a wireless local area network (WLAN) controller where at least one of the plurality access points is a detection access point (DAP) that receives reverse link (RL) wireless wide area network (WWAN) signals transmitted from a multi-mode wireless communication device. Based on an intercepted RL WWAN signal, the DAP forwards reverse link (RL) information to the WLAN controller. Based on the RL information, the WLAN controller generates and sends, to the WWAN communication system, a device to access point association list (device-AP association list) comprising one or more device identifiers associated with one or more target access point identifier. The device identifier uniquely identifies a multi-mode wireless communication device within a maximum proximity of a target access point identified by the target access point identifier. The WWAN system applies the device-AP association list to efficiently manage handoffs from the WWAN system to access points in the mesh network.

Claims

1. A wireless wide area network (WWAN) system comprising:

an access gateway configured to receive a device to access point association list (device-AP association list) from a wireless local area network (WLAN) controller connected to a plurality of access points to form a mesh network, the device-AP association list comprising a device identifier associated with a target access point identifier, the device identifier uniquely identifying, based on a reverse link (RL) WWAN signal received at an access point, a target multi-mode wireless communication device within a maximum proximity of a target access point identified by the target access point identifier.

2. The WWAN system of claim 1, further comprising a processor configured to initiate a handoff procedure of the target multi-mode wireless communication device from the WWAN system to the mesh network in response to the device-AP association list.

3. The WWAN system of claim 2, wherein the device-AP association list comprises a plurality of target access point identifiers and a plurality of device identifiers and at least one of the target access point identifiers is associated with two or more target access point identifiers, the processor configured to initiate the handoff procedure to one of the two or more target access point identifiers.

4. The WWAN system of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to determine, based on a quality of service (QoS) requirement of the target multi-mode wireless communication device, whether the handoff procedure.

5. The WWAN system of claim 1, further comprising a processor configured to initiate a procedure to establish wireless communication service between the target multi-mode wireless communication device and the target access point while maintaining communication with the WWAN system to enable the target access point to simultaneously receive wireless service from the WWAN and the WLAN.

6. The WWAN system of claim 1, wherein the access gateway is configured to receive the device-AP association list through an Internet Protocol (IP) network.

7. The WWAN system of claim 1, wherein the access gateway is configured to wirelessly receive the device-AP association list.

8. The WWAN system of claim 7, further comprising a WWAN receiver, wherein the access gateway is configured to wirelessly receive the device-AP association list by receiving another RL WWAN signal comprising the device-AP association list and transmitted by a WWAN transmitter connected to the WLAN controller.

9. The WWAN system of claim 1, wherein the WWAN system provides wireless service in accordance with an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) standard.

10. A wireless wide area network (WWAN) system comprising:

a base station configured to provide wireless service to a plurality of multi-mode wireless communication devices by transmitting forward link (FL) WWAN signals and receiving reverse link (RL) WWAN signals;

an access gateway configured to receive a device to access point association list (device-AP association list) from a wireless local area network (WLAN) controller connected to a plurality of access points forming a mesh network, the device-AP association list comprising a plurality of device identifiers, each device identifier associated with one or more target access point identifiers, each device identifier uniquely identifying a target multi-mode wireless communication device that is within a maximum proximity of one or more target access points identified by the one or more target access point identifiers, wherein the association between the plurality of device identifier and target access point identifiers is based, at least partially, on one or more RL WWAN signals received at detection access points comprising WWAN receivers.

11. The WWAN system of claim 10, further comprising a processor configured to initiate a handoff procedure of each target multi-mode wireless communication device from the WWAN system to the mesh network in response to the device-AP association list.

12. The WWAN system of claim 11, wherein one of the target access point identifiers is associated with two or more target access point identifiers, the processor configured to initiate the handoff procedure to one of the two or more target access point identifiers.

13. A method of managing communication with a wireless wide area network (WWAN) system, the method comprising:

receiving, at an access gateway within the WWAN system, a device to access point association list (device-AP association list) from a wireless local area network (WLAN) controller connected to a plurality of access points forming a mesh network, the device-AP association list comprising a device identifier associated with a target access point identifier, the device identifier uniquely identifying, based on a reverse link (RL) WWAN signal received at an access point, a target multi-mode wireless communication device within a maximum proximity of a target access point identified by the target access point identifier.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

initiating a handoff procedure of the target multi-mode wireless communication device from the WWAN system to the mesh network in response to the device-AP association list.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the device-AP association list comprises a plurality of target access point identifiers and a plurality of device identifiers and at least one of the target access point identifiers is associated with two or more target access point identifiers, the method further comprising initiating the handoff procedure to one of the two or more target access point identifiers.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining, based on a quality of service (QoS) requirement of the target multi-mode wireless communication device, whether the handoff procedure should be initiated.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

initiating a procedure to establish wireless communication service between the target multi-mode wireless communication device and the target access point to enable the target access point to simultaneously receive wireless service from the WWAN and the WLAN.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein receiving the device-AP association list at the access gateway comprises receiving the device-AP association list through an Internet Protocol (IP) network.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein receiving the device-AP association list at the access gateway comprises wirelessly receiving the device-AP association list at the WWAN system.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein wirelessly receiving the device-AP association list comprises wirelessly receiving another RL WWAN signal transmitted by a WWAN transmitter connected to the WLAN controller.