System and method for enabling wireless data transfer

• US 8,462,693 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2007
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Montemurro, Michael, Durand, Roger
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): Obayanju, Omoniyi
• Application Number:
  US11/676,642
• Publication Number:
  US 20080198818A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,303 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/352, 455/552.1, 455/553.1
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/12 Inter-network notification
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method of enabling wireless data transfer to an electronic device having a transceiver structured to interact in a first mode with a first wireless network and in a second mode with a second wireless network, including repeatedly powering up the transceiver and enabling the second mode to await receipt of a second beacon signal through the second wireless network, receiving an instance of the second beacon signal with an indication of availability of data to be transferred to the electronic device through the first wireless network, and in response to the receiving of the instance of the second beacon signal with the indication of availability of the data, enabling the first mode to receive the data through the first wireless network.

Claims

1. A method of enabling wireless data transfer to an electronic device having a transceiver structured to interact in a first mode with a wireless local area network (WLAN) wherein a first beacon signal is repeatedly transmitted at a first interval and further structured to interact in a second mode with a cellular network wherein a second beacon signal is repeatedly transmitted at a second interval that is longer than the first interval, the method comprising:

powering down the transceiver during a time when no transfer of data is occurring;

repeatedly powering up the transceiver at an interval longer than the first interval and enabling the second mode to await receipt of the second beacon signal through the cellular network;

receiving an instance of the second beacon signal with an indication of availability of data to be transferred to the electronic device through the WLAN; and

in response to the receiving of the instance of the second beacon signal with the indication of availability of the data, enabling the first mode to receive the data through the WLAN.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving another instance of the second beacon signal without an indication of availability of data to be transferred to the electronic device through the WLAN; and

in response to the receiving of the another instance of the second beacon signal without the indication of the availability of data, refraining from enabling the first mode.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, subsequently to the receiving of the instance of the second beacon signal with the indication of availability of the data, disabling the second mode.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information about the data with the instance of the second beacon signal; and

enabling the transceiver to receive the data by signaling the transceiver to use the information in the first mode.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the data through the WLAN; and

checking for an indication of availability of additional data to be transferred to the electronic device through the WLAN.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the checking comprises:

refraining from disabling the second mode; and

awaiting receipt of another instance of the second beacon signal with the indication of availability of the additional data.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the checking comprises:

refraining from disabling the first mode; and

awaiting receipt of an instance of the first beacon signal with the indication of availability of the additional data.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising powering down the transceiver following the receipt of the data.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a first portion of the data through the cellular network; and

receiving a second portion of the data through the WLAN.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising ceasing to receive the first portion of the data subsequent to the first transceiver being powered up.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first interval has a duration of less than a second, and the second interval has a duration of multiple seconds.

12. An electronic device having a transceiver structured to interact in a first mode with a wireless local area network (WLAN) wherein a first beacon signal is repeatedly transmitted at a first interval, and structured to interact in a second mode with a cellular network wherein a second beacon signal is transmitted at a second interval that is longer than the first interval, having a communications routine stored within a storage that when executed by a processor causes the processor to be structured to:

power down the transceiver during a time when no transfer of data is occurring;

repeatedly power up the transceiver at an interval longer than the first interval to await receipt of the second beacon signal through the cellular network;

receive an instance of the second beacon signal with an indication of availability of data to be transferred to the electronic device through the WLAN; and

in response to the receiving of the instance of the second beacon signal with the indication of availability of the data, enable the first mode to receive data through the WLAN.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further structured to:

receive another instance of the second beacon signal without an indication of availability of data to be transferred to the electronic device through the WLAN; and

in response to the receiving of the another instance of the second beacon signal without the indication of availability of the data, refrain from disabling the first mode.

14. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further structured to, subsequently to the receiving of the instance of the second beacon signal with the indication of availability of the data, disable the second mode.

15. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further structured to:

receive information about the data with the instance of the second beacon signal; and

enable the transceiver to receive the data through the WLAN by signaling the transceiver to use information in the first mode.

16. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further structured to:

receive the data through the WLAN; and

check for an indication of availability of additional data to be transferred to the electronic device through the WLAN.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the processor is structured to check for the indication of availability of the additional data by:

refraining from disabling the second mode; and

awaiting receipt of another instance of the second beacon signal with the indication of availability of the additional data.

18. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the processor is structured to check for an indication of availability of the additional data by:

refraining from disabling the first mode; and

awaiting receipt of an instance of the first beacon signal with the indication of availability of the additional data.

19. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the processor is further structured to power down the transceiver following the receipt of the data.

20. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further structured to:

receive a first portion of the data through the cellular network; and

receive a second portion of the data through the WLAN.

21. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein the processor is further structured to cease receiving the first portion of the data subsequent to the first transceiver being powered up.

22. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the first interval has a duration of less than a second, and the second interval has a duration of multiple seconds.

23. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the processor is incorporated into the transceiver.

24. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the transceiver is structured to operate in both the first and second modes, simultaneously.

25. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the transceiver is structured to be signaled by the processor to switching between operating in the first mode and operating in the second mode.