Method and apparatus for handing off calls between differing radio telecommunication networks
First Claim
1. A method for supporting a hand-off of a subscriber unit (SU) from a first network to an alternate network, wherein the first network describes a location of the SU using first location information in a first locational format which is used by the first network, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) receiving a request for location information relevant to the hand-off;
b) receiving the first location information in the first locational format;
c) correlating the first location information with location mapping data to determine a list of alternate networks which have coverage areas that encompass the SU, wherein the location mapping data describes the coverage areas of the alternate networks;
d) when at least one alternate network is in the list, sending the list to a device that sent the request; and
e) when no alternate network is in the list, sending an indication to the device that sent the request which indicates that there is no alternate network to which the SU can hand-off.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for handing off calls between differing radio telecommunication networks recognizes (302) a desire for an inter-network hand-off. When a Subscriber Unit (120) (SU) identifies (304) a new network, a hand-off with the new network can be requested (320). When the SU (120) does not identify (304) a new network, the old network requests (314) location information relevant to an inter-network hand-off from a Location Inter-Working Server (200) (LIWS). The LIWS (200) provides information about other networks which provide service to the SU location and, when another network provides service to the SU location, a hand-off with the other network can be requested (320).
158 Citations
38 Claims
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1. A method for supporting a hand-off of a subscriber unit (SU) from a first network to an alternate network, wherein the first network describes a location of the SU using first location information in a first locational format which is used by the first network, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) receiving a request for location information relevant to the hand-off; b) receiving the first location information in the first locational format; c) correlating the first location information with location mapping data to determine a list of alternate networks which have coverage areas that encompass the SU, wherein the location mapping data describes the coverage areas of the alternate networks; d) when at least one alternate network is in the list, sending the list to a device that sent the request; and e) when no alternate network is in the list, sending an indication to the device that sent the request which indicates that there is no alternate network to which the SU can hand-off. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A method for handing-off a subscriber unit (SU) from a first network to an alternate network, wherein the first network describes a location of the SU using first location information in a first locational format which is used by the first network, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) sending the first location information to a location inter-working server (LIWS); b) receiving, from the LIWS in response to sending the first location information, a list of alternate networks which have coverage areas that encompass the SU; c) determining whether the list indicates that at least one alternate network has a coverage area that encompasses the SU; and d) when the list indicates that the at least one alternate network has the coverage area that encompasses the SU, allowing the SU to attempt to hand-off to a second network of the at least one alternate network. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for handing-off a subscriber unit (SU) from a first network to a second network, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) sending, by the first network, a hand-off request to the second network, wherein the hand-off request includes first location information describing a location of the SU converted into a locational standard used by the second network to describe locations of subscriber units; b) receiving from the second network, a decision whether the second network will allow the SU to hand-off to the second network, wherein the decision was based on the first location information; and c) when the decision indicates that the second network will allow the SU to hand-off to the second network, handing-off the SU to the second network. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for handing-off a subscriber unit (SU) from a first network to a second network, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) sending, by the first network, a hand-off request to the second network, wherein the hand-off request includes location information describing a location of the SU converted into a locational standard used by the second network to describe locations of subscriber units; b) receiving from the second network, channel information indicating a channel provided by the second network to which the second network will allow the SU to hand-off, wherein the channel information was determined based on the location information; and c) sending, by the first network, the channel information to the SU so that the SU can hand-off to the channel identified by the channel information.
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20. A method for handing-off a subscriber unit (SU) from a first network to a second network, wherein a first locational format used by the first network to describe a location of the SU differs from a second locational format used by the second network to describe the location of the SU, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) receiving, by the second network, location information describing the location of the SU in the second locational format; b) determining whether the second network has a channel which the second network can allocate to the SU at the location; c) when the second network has the channel, sending a hand-off decision to the first network which indicates that a hand-off is approved; and d) establishing a connection with the SU using the channel. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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23. A method for a subscriber unit (SU) to hand-off from a first network to a second network, wherein the first network describes a location of the SU in a first locational format and the second network describes the location of the SU in a second locational format, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) receiving a hand-off command from the first network which indicates that the SU should hand-off to the second network; b) receiving a channel of the second network to which the SU should hand-off; c) establishing a connection with the second network using the channel; and d) breaking a connection with the first network. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method for a subscriber unit (SU) to hand-off from a first network to a second network, wherein the first network describes a location of the SU using a first locational standard and the second network describes the location of the SU using a second locational standard, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) determining, by the SU, that the SU desires to hand-off to the second network; b) determining that the SU is located within a cell of the second network; c) sending, to the first network, a request to hand-off to the second network; d) sending information identifying the cell to the second network; e) receiving a hand-off command from the first network which indicates that the SU can attempt to hand-off to the second network; f) establishing a connection with the second network within the cell; and g) breaking a connection with the first network.
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30. A method for a subscriber unit (SU) to hand-off from a first network to a second network, wherein the first network describes a location of the SU using a first locational standard and the second network describes the location of the SU using a second locational standard, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) determining, by the SU, that the SU desires to hand-off to the second network because the second network offers a lower service rate than a service rate of the first network; b) sending, to the first network, a request to hand-off to the second network; c) receiving a hand-off command from the first network which indicates that the SU can attempt to hand-off to the second network; d) establishing a connection with the second network; and e) breaking a connection with the first network.
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31. A location inter-working server (LIWS) which is adapted to interface with at least one communication network, the LIWS comprising:
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a processor for receiving a request for location information relevant to a hand-off of a subscriber unit (SU) between a first network and an alternate network, receiving first location information which is in a first location format used by the first network and which describes a location of the SU, and correlating the first location information with location mapping data to determine a list of at least one alternate network which has a coverage area that encompasses the SU, wherein the location mapping data describes the coverage area of the at least one alternate network; a memory device coupled to the processor for storing the location mapping data; and at least one network interface coupled to the processor for interfacing the LIWS with at least the first network so that information can be exchanged between the LIWS and at least the first network.
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32. A gateway adapted to provide communications capabilities to a subscriber unit (SU) in a first communication network, the gateway comprising:
a location inter-working server (LIWS) interface for sending first location information describing a location of the SU to an LIWS, wherein the first location information is in a first location format used by the first communication network, the LIWS interface also for receiving from the LIWS in response to sending the first location information a list of alternate networks which have coverage areas that encompass the SU and, when the list indicates that at least one alternate network in the list has a coverage area that encompasses the SU, allowing the SU to attempt to hand-off to the at least one alternate network.
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33. A subscriber unit (SU) comprising:
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a processor for receiving a hand-off command from a first communication network which indicates that the SU can hand-off to an alternate communication network, wherein the first communication network uses a first locational standard to define a location of the SU and the alternate communication network uses a second locational standard to define the location of the SU and the hand-off command is received when a conversion by a location inter-working server (LIWS) of first location data in the first locational standard to second location data in the second locational standard indicates that the alternate communication network has a coverage area which encompasses the SU, the processor also for receiving a channel of the alternate communication network to which the SU should hand-off, and for establishing a connection with the alternate communication network using the channel; and a radio frequency (RF) interface coupled to the processor for communicating with the first communication network. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36)
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37. A communication network comprising:
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at least one subscriber unit (SU) whose location is described by the communication network in a first locational format; and a gateway for providing communication channels to the at least one SU, the gateway being adapted to interface with a location inter-working server (LIWS) so that, when a hand-off of an SU from the communication network to a second communication network is desired, the gateway can send location data describing the location of the SU in the first locational format to the LIWS and the gateway can receive, from the LIWS, location information relevant to the hand-off and, when the gateway receives the location information from the LIWS, the gateway is further for handing-off the SU to the second communication network when the location information indicates that the second communication network has a coverage area that encompasses the SU. - View Dependent Claims (38)
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Specification