Method and system for wireless channel selection by a mobile device

• US 7,596,119 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2004
• Issued: 09/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Buckley, Adrian, Kezys, Vytautas Robertas, Dunk, Craig, Owen, Russell
• Primary Examiner(s): Bhattacharya; Sam
• Application Number:
  US10/789,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20050190782A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,041 Days
• Field of Search: 455/442, 455/435, 455/436, 455/438, 455/445, 455/426, 370/331, 370/332, 370/355, 370/389, 370/400, 370/401, 370/390
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/022 Site diversity; Macro-diversity using two or more spaced independent antennas H04B7/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0022 for transferring data sessions between adjacent core network technologies

Abstract

A method and mobile device for performing wireless channel selection that employs more than one concurrent level 2 interface to facilitate a level 3 handoff. The method and device maintain an active service over a first level 3 connection through a first transceiver, establish a second level 3 connection through a second transceiver, and then switch the service over to the second connection. To establish an appropriate level 3 connection, the mobile device may evaluate candidate channels against criteria associated with the active service to ensure quality of service can be maintained over the new connection or may adapt the active service to a candidate channel.

Claims

1. A method of wireless channel selection by a mobile device, the mobile device communicating with a wireless network, comprising the steps of:

creating a first connection with the wireless network over a first channel;

establishing a service between the mobile device and a remote point over said first connection;

creating a second connection with the wireless network over a second channel, wherein said step of creating includes selecting said second channel and evaluating characteristics of said second channel against service criteria associated with said service;

wherein said characteristics of said second channel do not meet said service criteria;

adapting said service to said characteristics of said second channel;

switching said service to said second connection; and

terminating said first connection.

2. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein said characteristics include bandwidth and said service criteria include a minimum bandwidth requirement.

3. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein said characteristics include latency and said service criteria include a latency requirement.

4. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of creating a second connection includes steps of selecting said second channel and requesting resources from the wireless network.

5. The method claimed in claim 4, wherein the wireless network includes an anchor point and wherein said first connection includes a first path to said anchor point, and wherein said step of creating a second connection includes establishing a second path to said anchor point.

6. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein said characteristics include mean bandwidth and said service criteria include a mean bandwidth requirement.

7. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein said characteristics include security settings and said service criteria include security settings requirements.

8. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein said service includes audio and video, and wherein said step of adapting includes dropping said video to transmit said audio only.

9. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein said service includes the transmission of encoded media and wherein said step of adapting includes modifying a codec used to encode and decode said encoded media.

10. A mobile device for wireless channel selection, the mobile device communicating with a wireless network, comprising:

a first transceiver for creating a first connection with the wireless network over a first channel;

a second transceiver for creating a second connection with the wireless network over a second channel;

a memory, said memory containing a list of candidate channels and their characteristics and containing service criteria associated with a service;

wherein characteristics of said second channel do not meet said service criteria; and

a switching module coupled to the first and second transceivers, said switching module directing said first transceiver to create said first connection, establishing said service between the mobile device and a remote point over said first connection, selecting said second channel, adapting said service to said characteristics of said second channel, and directing said second transceiver to create said second connection;

wherein said switching module reads said list of candidate channels and compares their characteristics against said service criteria to select said second channel and wherein said switching module switches said service from said first connection to said second connection.

11. The mobile device claimed in claim 10, wherein said switching module directs said first transceiver to terminate said first connection once said service is switched to said second connection.

12. The mobile device claimed in claim 10, wherein said characteristics include bandwidth and said service criteria include a minimum bandwidth requirement.

13. The mobile device claimed in claim 10, wherein said characteristics include latency and said service criteria include a latency requirement.

14. The mobile device claimed in claim 10, wherein said switching module outputs a request for resources to said second transceiver for transmission to the wireless network to establish said second connection.

15. The mobile device claimed in claim 14, wherein the wireless network includes an anchor point and wherein said first connection includes a first path to said anchor point, and wherein said second connection includes a second path to said anchor point.

16. The mobile device claimed in claim 10, wherein said characteristics include mean bandwidth and said service criteria include a mean bandwidth requirement.

17. The mobile device claimed in claim 10 wherein said characteristics include security settings and said service criteria include security settings requirements.

18. The mobile device claimed in claim 10, wherein said service includes audio and video, and wherein said switching module adapts said service by dropping said video to transmit said audio only.

19. The mobile device claimed in claim 10, wherein said service includes the transmission of encoded media and wherein said switching module adapts said service by modifying a codec used to encode and decode said encoded media.

20. A method of wireless channel selection by a mobile device, the mobile device communicating with a wireless network, and having a first connection with the wireless network over a first channel, the first connection supporting an active service between the mobile device and a remote point, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting a second channel from a set of candidate channels based upon characteristics of said candidate channels and service criteria associated with said active service wherein said characteristic of said second channel do not meet said service criteria;

creating a second connection with the wireless network over said second channel;

adapting said active service to said characteristics of said second channel;

switching said active service to said second connection; and

terminating said first connection.

21. The method claimed in claim 20, wherein said step of creating a first connection and said step of creating a second connection include creating a first level 3 connection and creating a second level 3 connection, respectively, and wherein said step of switching includes switching at level 3.

22. The method claimed in claim 20, wherein said characteristics include bandwidth and said service criteria include a minimum bandwidth requirement.

23. The method claimed in claim 20, wherein said characteristics include latency and said service criteria include a latency requirement.

24. A mobile device for wireless channel selection, the mobile device communicating with a wireless network, the mobile device comprising:

a first transceiver for creating a first connection with the wireless network over a first channel;

a second transceiver for creating a second connection with the wireless network over a second channel;

a memory for storing characteristics for at least one candidate channel and storing service criteria for an active service between the mobile device and a remote point wherein characteristics of said second channel do not meet said service criteria; and

a switching module coupled to the first and second transceivers and to said memory, said switching module selecting said second channel based upon an evaluation of said characteristics of said at least one candidate channel against said service criteria, wherein said switching module adapts said active service set to said characteristics and wherein said switching module switches said service from said first connection to said second connection.

25. The mobile device claimed in claim 24, wherein said switching module directs said first transceiver to terminate said first connection once said active service is switched to said second connection.

26. The mobile device claimed in claim 24, wherein said characteristics include bandwidth and said service criteria include a minimum bandwidth requirement.

27. The mobile device claimed in claim 24, wherein said characteristics include latency and said service criteria include a latency requirement.