Apparatus and method for multimode device handover
View Patent ↗Systems and methods of operating multimode 3G/4G communications devices in an overlapping 3G/4G coverage area (e.g., WiMAX or LTE/CDMA EvDO) include determining if a number associated with temporarily-disabled sectors of an available sector set of the multimode device while the device is operational with a 3G base station is at least equal to a threshold number. If the number is at least equal to the threshold number, a scan for a sector in the 4G network to handover the operation of the multimode device from the 3G base station associated with the 3G coverage to a 4G base station associated with the 4G coverage is initiated. A scan for a fixed period of time for a new available sector in the 3G network to be added in the available sector set may be initiated; and, if a new available sector is added to the sector set, it may be redetermined if the number associated with the temporarily-disabled sectors is at least equal to the threshold number, before initiating the scan for a sector in the 4G network.
1. A method of operating a multimode third generation (3G) and fourth generation (4G) communications device capable of operating in either a 4G network or a 3G network when in an area with overlapping 3G and 4G coverage, the method comprising:
determining, using a processor, if a number associated with temporarily-disabled sectors of an available sector set of the multimode device is at least equal to a threshold number, wherein the available sector set of the multimode device is stored in a memory operatively coupled to the processor, while the multimode device is operational with a 3G base station in the 3G network; and
initiating a scan for a sector in the 4G network to handover the operation of the multimode device from the 3G base station associated with the 3G coverage to a 4G base station associated with the 4G coverage if the number is at least equal to the threshold number.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the number associated with the temporarily-disabled sectors is a ratio of a number of temporarily-disabled sectors of the available sector set to the total number of sectors in the available sector set.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the 3G base station comprises a CDMA/EvDO base station.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the 4G base station comprises a WiMAX base station.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the 4G base station comprises an LTE base station.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multimode device comprises a dual-mode CDMA/EvDO-4G device.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the multimode device comprises a dual-mode CDMA/EvDO-LTE device or a dual-mode CDMA/EvDO-WiMax device.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multimode device comprises a device associated with a user priority determined by at least one of an application QoS or a user rate plan.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein a multiple access scheme of the 4G network comprises an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) modulation scheme.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the temporarily-disabled sectors are disabled by the 3G base station by enabling Data Rate Control Lock (DRCLock).
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
responsive to the determination that the number is at least equal to the threshold number, scanning, using the processor, for a fixed time period for a new available sector in the 3G network to be added in the available sector set.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the scanning for the fixed time period is performed before initiating the scan for a sector in the 4G network.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the scanning for the fixed time period is performed in tandem with the scanning for a sector in the 4G network.
14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
redetermining, before initiating the scan for a sector in the 4G network, if the number associated with the temporarily-disabled sectors of the available sector set is at least equal to the threshold number, if the scanning results in the addition of a new available sector in the available sector set.
15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the new available sector is added to the available sector set based on either a frequency of the new available sector, a signal strength of the new available sector, or both.
16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the fixed time period is configurable by a user through an interface with the processor.
17. A multimode third generation (3G) and fourth generation (4G) communications apparatus capable of operating in either a 3G network or a 4G network when in an area with overlapping 3G and 4G coverage, the apparatus comprising:
a 3G transceiver configured to transmit and receive information over a 3G network;
a 4G transceiver configured to selectively transmit and receive data over a 4G network;
a memory device configured to store an available sector set associated with the 3G transceiver, while the apparatus is in communication with a 3G base station in the 3G network; and
a processor operatively coupled to the memory device, the 3G transceiver and the 4G transceiver, wherein the processor is configured to:
determine if a number associated with temporarily-disabled sectors in the available sector set is at least equal to a threshold number, and
if the number is determined to be at least equal to the threshold number, enable control signals configured to initiate a scan for a sector in the 4G network and handover the communication of the multimode apparatus from the 3G base station associated with the 3G coverage to a 4G base station associated with the 4G coverage.
18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the number associated with the temporarily-disabled sectors is a ratio of a number of temporarily-disabled sectors of the available sector set to the total number of sectors in the available sector set.
19. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein, responsive to the determination that the number is at least equal to the threshold number, the processor is further configured to enable control signals to scan for a fixed time period for a new available sector in the 3G network to be added in the available sector set of the 3G transceiver.
20. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the processor is further configured to enable the control signals to scan for a new available sector in the 3G network before enabling the control signals to scan for a sector in the 4G network.
21. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the processor is further configured to enable the control signals to scan for a new available sector in the 3G network in tandem with the enabling of the control signals to scan for a sector in the 4G network.
22. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein, before enabling the control signals to scan for a sector in the 4G network, the processor is further configured to redetermine if the number associated with the temporarily-disabled sectors of the available sector set is at least equal to a threshold number responsive to a new available sector being added in the available sector set.
23. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein processor is further configured to add the new available sector to the available sector set based at least on a frequency of the new available sector, signal strength of the new available sector, or both.
24. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine the fixed time period for the scan in response to a user input.
25. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the 3G transceiver comprises a CDMA/EvDO transceiver.
26. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the 4G transceiver comprises a WiMAX transceiver.
27. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the 4G transceiver comprises an LTE transceiver.
28. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer readable code physically embodied thereon which, when executed by a processor arranged in a multimode third generation (3G) and fourth generation (4G) communications device capable of operating in either a 4G network or a 3G network mode, causes the processor to carry out operations comprising:
determining if a number associated with temporarily-disabled sectors of an available sector set of the multimode device is at least equal to a threshold number, wherein the available sector set is stored in a memory operatively coupled to the processor, while the multimode device is operational with a 3G base station in the 3G network; and
initiating a scan for a sector in the 4G network to handover the operation of the multimode device from the 3G base station associated with the 3G coverage to a 4G base station associated with the 4G coverage if the number is at least equal to the threshold number.
29. The computer-readable medium of claim 28 , wherein the number associated with the temporarily-disabled sectors is a ratio of a number of temporarily-disabled sectors of the available sector set to the total number of sectors in the available sector set.
30. The computer-readable medium of claim 28 , wherein the multimode device comprises a dual-mode CDMA/EvDO-LTE device.
31. The computer-readable medium of claim 28 , wherein the multimode device comprises a dual-mode CDMA/EvDO-WiMAX device.
32. The computer-readable medium of claim 28 , the operations further comprising, responsive to a determination that the number is at least equal to the threshold number, scanning for a fixed time period for a new available sector in the 3G network to be added in the available sector set.
33. The computer-readable medium of claim 32 , wherein said scanning operation comprises scanning for a fixed time period for a new available sector in the 3G network to be added in the available sector set before initiating the scan for a sector in the 4G network.
34. The computer-readable medium of claim 32 , wherein said scanning operation comprises scanning for a fixed time period for a new available sector in the 3G network to be added in the available sector set in tandem with initiating the scan for a sector in the 4G network.
35. The computer-readable medium of claim 32 , the operations further comprising:
re-determining, before initiating the scan for a sector in the 4G network, if the number associated with the temporarily-disabled sectors of the available sector set is at least equal to the threshold number, if said scanning for a fixed time period results in the addition of a new available sector in the available sector set.
36. The computer-readable medium of claim 32 , the operations further comprising: adding the new available sector to the available sector set based on a frequency of the new available sector, a signal strength of the new available sector, or both.