Media independent handover for mobility

• US 7,933,245 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2006
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Carlton, Alan Gerald
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, IV; William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Toan D
• Application Number:
  US11/463,748
• Publication Number:
  US 20060291423A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,720 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/329, 370/331, 370/335, 370/338, 370/341, 370/342, 370/348, 370/466, 370/467, 370/469, 455/552.1, 455/435.2, 455436-442
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/005 involving radio access media independent information, e.g. MIH [Media independent Hand-off]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/18 for allowing seamless reselection, e.g. soft reselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/36 by user or terminal equipment

Abstract

A media independent handover (MIH) device communicates with an 802 technology medium access control (MAC) layer and an 802 technology physical (PHY) layer utilizing an 802 technology management entity (ME) device. Handover information messages are produced by the MIH device. The handover information messages facilitate handover. The 802 technology ME device facilitates encapsulation of the handover information messages. The 802 technology ME device is coupled to the 802 technology MAC layer and the 802 technology PHY layer. The encapsulated handover information messages is sent to other MIH devices messages via the 802 technology ME device.

Claims

1. A wireless station comprising:

a media independent handover (MIH) device configured to produce handover information messages; and

an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.xx management entity (ME) device coupled to the MIH device, the IEEE 802.xx ME device coupled to an IEEE 802.xx medium access control (MAC) layer device and an IEEE 802.xx physical (PHY) layer device, and an IEEE 802.xx management ME device configured to process handover information messages produced by the MIH device;

wherein the MIH device is further configured to communicate with the IEEE 802.xx MAC layer device and the IEEE 802.xx PHY layer device via the IEEE 802.xx management ME device, and to send the handover information messages to another MIH device,

wherein the IEEE 802.xx ME device comprises;

a MAC ME device configured to communicate with the IEEE 802.xx MAC layer device; and

a PHY ME device configured to communicate with the IEEE 802.xx PHY layer device;

wherein the MIH device is further configured to communicate with at least one of the MAC ME device or the PHY ME device.

2. The station of claim 1 wherein the station is configured to handover from an IEEE 802.xx technology to a cellular technology in response to the information provided by the MIH device to facilitate handover.

3. The station of claim 1 wherein the MIH device is configured to communicate with technologies other than IEEE 802.xx technologies.

4. The station of claim 1 wherein the IEEE 802.xx ME device, the IEEE 802.xx MAC device, and the IEEE 802.xx PHY device operate in accordance with an IEEE 802.11 technology or an IEEE 802.16 technology.

5. The station of claim 1 further comprising:

a cellular device configured to communicate with a cellular network according to a cellular technology, wherein the cellular technology is a Global System for Mobile communication (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) or Third Generation (3G) technology.

6. The station of claim 1 wherein the MIH device is configured as a sublayer between layer 2 and layer 3.

7. The station of claim 1 wherein the MIH device is coupled to layer 3.

8. The wireless station of claim 1, wherein

the media independent handover (MIH) device is further configured to transmit mobility protocol information and resource control protocol information.

9. The wireless station of claim 8, wherein the MIH component is further configured to communicate with an IEEE 802.xx logical link control (LLC) component in the wireless station.

10. The wireless station of claim 8, wherein the mobility protocol information includes a handover command and wherein the wireless station is further configured to perform handover from a first network to a second network in response to the handover command.

11. The wireless station of claim 10, wherein the first network is a cellular network and the second network is an IEEE 802.xx network.

12. The wireless station of claim 10, wherein the first network is an IEEE 802.xx network and the second network is a cellular network.

13. The wireless station of claim 10, wherein the first network is an IEEE 802.xx network and the second network is an IEEE 802.xx network.

14. The wireless station of claim 13, wherein the first network is an IEEE 802.16 network and the second network is an IEEE 802.11 network.

15. The wireless station of claim 13, wherein the first network is an IEEE 802.11 network and the second network is an IEEE 802.16 network.

16. The wireless station of claim 8, wherein the MIH component is configured to transmit mobility protocol information and resource control protocol information to a handover policy function (HPF) of a network infrastructure component.

17. The wireless station of claim 16, wherein the MIH component is further configured to transmit measurement information to the HPF.

18. The wireless station of claim 16, wherein the network infrastructure component is a component in a wireless network.

19. A method for use by a wireless station, the method comprising:

communicating, by a media independent handover (MIH) device, with a medium access control (MAC) management entity (ME) device and a physical (PHY) ME device of an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.xx ME device, wherein the MAC ME device of the IEEE 802.xx ME device is configured to communicate with a IEEE 802.xx MAC layer device, and the PHY ME device of the IEEE 802.xx ME device is configured to communicate with a IEEE 802.xx PHY layer device;

producing handover information messages by the MIH device;

processing the handover information messages by the IEEE 802.xx ME device;

wherein the IEEE 802.xx ME device being coupled to the IEEE 802.xx MAC layer device and the IEEE 802.xx PHY layer device; and

sending the handover information messages to another MIH device via the IEEE 802.xx ME device.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the station performs a handover from an IEEE 802.xx technology to a cellular technology in response to the information provided by the MIH device to facilitate handover.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the MIH device communicates with technologies other than IEEE 802.xx technologies.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein the IEEE 802.xx ME device, the IEEE 802.xx MAC device, and the IEEE 802.xx PHY device operate in accordance with an IEEE 802.11 technology or an IEEE 802.16 technology.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein the MIH device is a sublayer between layer 2 and layer 3.

24. The method of claim 19 wherein the MIH device communicates directly with layer 3.

25. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

transmitting measurement information from the MIH device;

receiving, at the MIH device, a handover command; and

performing a make-then-break handover from a first wireless network to a second wireless network.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

communicating, via the MIH component, with an IEEE 802.xx logical link control (LLC) component.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the first network is a cellular network and the second network is an IEEE 802.xx network.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the first network is an IEEE 802.xx network and the second network is a cellular network.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the first network is an IEEE 802.xx network and the second network is an IEEE 802.xx network.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the first network is an IEEE 802.16 network and the second network is an IEEE 802.11 network.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the first network is an IEEE 802.11 network and the second network is an IEEE 802.16 network.

32. An access point (AP) comprising:

a media independent handover (MIH) device configured to produce handover information messages; and

an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.xx management entity (ME) device coupled to the MIH device, the IEEE 802.xx ME device coupled to an IEEE 802.xx medium access control (MAC) layer device and an IEEE 802.xx physical (PHY) layer device, the IEEE 802.xx ME device configured to process handover information messages produced by the MIH device; and

wherein the MIH device is further configured to communicate with the IEEE 802.xx MAC layer device and the IEEE 802.xx PHY layer device via the IEEE 802.xx ME device, and to send the handover information messages to another MIH device via the IEEE 802.xx ME device, wherein the IEEE 802.xx ME device comprises;

a MAC ME device configured to communicate with the IEEE 802.xx MAC layer device; and

a PHY ME device configured to communicate with the IEEE 802.xx PHY layer device;

wherein the MIH device is further configured to communicate with either the MAC ME device or the PHY ME device.

33. The access point of claim 32 wherein the access point is configured to initiate handover of a station from an IEEE 802.xx technology to a cellular technology in response to the information provided by the MIH device to facilitate handover.

34. The access point of claim 32 wherein the MIH device is configured to communicate with technologies other than IEEE 802.xx technologies.

35. The access point of claim 32 wherein the IEEE 802.xx is an IEEE 802.11 technology or an IEEE 802.16 technology.

36. The access point of claim 32 wherein the cellular technology is a Global System for Mobile communication (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) or Third Generation (3G) technology.

37. The access point of claim 32 wherein the MIH device is configured as a sublayer between layer 2 and layer 3.

38. The access point of claim 32 wherein the MIH device is coupled to layer 3.

39. The access point of claim 32 wherein the MIH device further comprises a handover policy function configured to utilize the MIH information to facilitate handover for a handover decision.

40. The access point of claim 39 wherein the handover decision is made autonomously by the handover policy function.

41. A wireless station comprising:

a media independent handover (MIH) device configured to produce handover information messages; and

an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.xx medium access control (MAC) layer device and an IEEE 802.xx physical (PHY) layer device, and an IEEE 802.xx MAC management device and an IEEE 802.xx PHY management device;

wherein the MIH device is further configured to communicate with the IEEE 802.xx MAC layer device, the IEEE 802.xx MAC management device, and the IEEE 802.xx PHY management device, and to send the handover information messages to another MIH device.

42. The station of claim 41 wherein the media independent handover (MIH) device is further configured to transmit mobility protocol information and resource control protocol information.

43. The station of claim 41, wherein the MIH device is further configured to perform handover from a first network to a second network.

44. The station of claim 43, wherein the first network is a cellular network and the second network is an IEEE 802.xx network.

45. The station of claim 43, wherein the first network is an IEEE 802.xx network and the second network is a cellular network.

46. The station of claim 43, wherein the first network is an IEEE 802.xx network and the second network is an IEEE 802.xx network.

47. The station of claim 46, wherein the first network is an IEEE 802.16 network and the second network is an IEEE 802.11 network.

48. The station of claim 46, wherein the first network is an IEEE 802.11 network and the second network is an IEEE 802.16 network.