System and method for connecting to a voice network, such as wirelessly connecting to a UMA network
First Claim
1. A mobile device capable of communicating with a cellular telephone network over a licensed spectrum, and capable of accessing alternate wireless access networks, the mobile device comprising:
- a connection subsystem capable of connecting the mobile device to multiple alternate wireless networks, wherein the alternate wireless networks operate on a licensed, semilicensed or unlicensed wireless spectrum,wherein the alternate wireless networks are wireless local area networks, and wherein the connection subsystem comprises;
a connection invocation component configured to receive a connection request from a user and initiate a voice connection to an alternate wireless network;
a scanning component configured to determine one or more available alternate wireless networks to be connected to the mobile device after the connection invocation component receives a connection request from a user and initiate a voice connection to an alternate wireless network; and
a network ordering component configured to order the determined one or more alternate wireless networks based on a measure of signal strength, wherein the network ordering component also measures respective signal strengths for the determined alternate wireless networks;
wherein the connection subsystem connects to one of the alternate wireless networks highest in the order of alternate wireless networks; and
a quality measurement subsystem, wherein the quality measurement subsystem is configured to initially check a voice connection to a determined alternate wireless network to determine if a quality of the voice connection is above a pre-determined threshold value, and is configured to periodically check the connected network to determine if the quality of the connected network remains above the pre-determined threshold value;
wherein the mobile device operates in an alternate wireless network mode when the quality of the voice connection is above the pre-determined threshold value, and wherein the mobile device, in the alternate wireless network mode, communicates with a core network through the one alternate wireless network for the voice connection.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods for connecting a mobile device to an alternate wireless network are disclosed. The method includes determining alternate wireless networks available to access by the mobile device, ordering the available alternate wireless networks by signal strength, connecting the mobile device to the alternate wireless network with a highest signal strength, measuring a quality of the connected alternate wireless network and, when the quality of the connected alternate wireless network is above a predetermined threshold, operating the mobile device over the connected alternate wireless network.
26 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A mobile device capable of communicating with a cellular telephone network over a licensed spectrum, and capable of accessing alternate wireless access networks, the mobile device comprising:
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a connection subsystem capable of connecting the mobile device to multiple alternate wireless networks, wherein the alternate wireless networks operate on a licensed, semilicensed or unlicensed wireless spectrum, wherein the alternate wireless networks are wireless local area networks, and wherein the connection subsystem comprises; a connection invocation component configured to receive a connection request from a user and initiate a voice connection to an alternate wireless network; a scanning component configured to determine one or more available alternate wireless networks to be connected to the mobile device after the connection invocation component receives a connection request from a user and initiate a voice connection to an alternate wireless network; and a network ordering component configured to order the determined one or more alternate wireless networks based on a measure of signal strength, wherein the network ordering component also measures respective signal strengths for the determined alternate wireless networks; wherein the connection subsystem connects to one of the alternate wireless networks highest in the order of alternate wireless networks; and a quality measurement subsystem, wherein the quality measurement subsystem is configured to initially check a voice connection to a determined alternate wireless network to determine if a quality of the voice connection is above a pre-determined threshold value, and is configured to periodically check the connected network to determine if the quality of the connected network remains above the pre-determined threshold value; wherein the mobile device operates in an alternate wireless network mode when the quality of the voice connection is above the pre-determined threshold value, and wherein the mobile device, in the alternate wireless network mode, communicates with a core network through the one alternate wireless network for the voice connection. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14)
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12. A method of connecting a mobile device to a core network via an alternate wireless network, wherein the mobile device is also capable of connecting wirelessly with a cellular telephone network, the method comprising:
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determining alternate wireless networks available to access by the mobile device, wherein the alternate wireless networks are wireless local area networks, and ordering the available alternate wireless networks by signal strength; connecting the mobile device to the available alternate wireless network with a highest signal strength; measuring a quality of the connected alternate wireless network, wherein the measured quality is associated with a quality of communications provided by the connected alternate wireless network; and when the quality of the connected alternate wireless network is above a pre-determined threshold, operating the mobile device on the core network via the connected alternate wireless network. - View Dependent Claims (13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A portable apparatus for establishing communications with at least one cellular telephone system and with an access point of at least one of multiple alternative wireless networks, the apparatus comprising:
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an antenna; at least one wireless transceiver, coupled to the antenna, for wirelessly exchanging signals between the apparatus and at least one access point of one or more alternative wireless networks, and between the apparatus and the cellular telephone system; at least one memory for storing data; at least one portable power generation subsystem; at least one audio portion for processing voice signals; processor means, coupled among the transceiver, the audio portion, the portable power generation subsystem and the memory, for permitting wireless communication with the alternate wireless network; a housing configured to carry the antenna, transceiver, portable power generation subsystem, memory, audio portion and processor means; and a user interlace means, carried by the housing and coupled to the processor means, for providing a user interlace to permit user activation of an alternate wireless connection process, and wherein the processor means includes; means for automatically identifying any available alternate wireless network in response to manual activation of the alternate wireless connection process, wherein the alternate wireless networks are wireless local area networks (WLANs), and wherein at least some of the WLANs are not operated by an operator of the cellular telephone network; means for automatically establishing a predetermined connection with an access point of an identified available alternate wireless network; means for automatically determining if the identified available alternate wireless network provides a connection of acceptable quality for voice communications over the identified network; and means for automatically establishing voice communications over the identified available alternate wireless network. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A tangible computer-readable medium whose contents cause at least one mobile device to perform a method to automatically establish communications with at least one cellular telephone system through at least one of multiple alternate wireless networks, the method comprising:
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at the mobile device, automatically identifying any available alternate wireless network while the mobile device has a connection with the cellular telephone system, wherein the alternate wireless networks are wireless local area networks, and at the mobile device, automatically establishing a predetermined connection with an access point of an identified available alternate wireless network; at the mobile device, automatically determining if the identified available alternate wireless network provides a connection of acceptable quality; and at the mobile device, automatically establishing voice communications through the identified available alternate wireless network as opposed to directly over the cellular telephone system. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification