Wireless network-controlled enabling of user device transceiver
View Patent ↗A method of operating a wireless communication system is disclosed. The method includes exchanging first wireless communication signals with a user device over a first wireless communication network to provide a communication service, where the user device has a selection mode for a second wireless communication network that a user may set to one of: on, off, and automatic. If the network selection mode in the user device is set to automatic, then processing location information for the user device to determine potential service quality from the second wireless communication network for the user device, and if the potential service quality is higher than a threshold, then wirelessly transferring a control signal to the user device over the first wireless communication network, where the control signal drives the user device to automatically enable a wireless transceiver for the second wireless communication network.
1. A method of operating a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
exchanging first wireless communication signals with a user device over a first wireless communication network to provide a communication service, wherein the user device has a selection mode for a second wireless communication network that a user may set to one of: on, off, and automatic;
wirelessly receiving a status signal from the user device over the first wireless communication network indicating if the network selection mode for the second wireless communication network is set to automatic;
when the network selection mode in the user device is set to automatic, then processing location information for the user device to determine signal quality information for the second wireless communication network via measuring in the first wireless communication network a radio frequency (RF) signal quality for the second wireless communication network near to a geographic location of the user device, and determining potential service quality from the second wireless communication network for the user device based on at least the signal quality information and the geographic location of the user device; and
when the potential service quality is higher than a threshold, then wirelessly transferring a control signal to the user device over the first wireless communication network, wherein the control signal drives the user device to automatically enable a wireless transceiver for the second wireless communication network; and
exchanging second wireless communication signals with the user device over the second wireless communication network to provide the communication service.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first wireless communication network comprises a third-generation (3G) cellular voice and data network, and the second wireless communication network comprises a fourth-generation (4G) cellular voice and data network.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the wireless transceiver for the second wireless communication network comprises a 4G transceiver, and wherein driving the user device to automatically enable the wireless transceiver for the second wireless communication network comprises instructing the user device to enable the 4G transceiver.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein wirelessly receiving the status signal from the user device over the first wireless communication network comprises receiving the status signal during handoff communications of the first wireless communication network from the user device.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein processing the location information comprises processing a database of estimated wireless coverage for the second wireless communication network with the geographic location for the user device.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the signal quality information for the second wireless communication network comprises determining the signal quality information based on service quality of other user devices communicating over the second wireless communication network proximate to the user device.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in the second wireless communication network, identifying further signal quality information for the second wireless communication network and transferring the further signal quality information for delivery to the first wireless communication network, wherein the first wireless communication network processes the further signal quality information to determine the potential service quality for the user device.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the control signal further drives the user device to exchange the second wireless communication signals with the second wireless communication network and disable a transceiver for the first wireless communication network.
9. A wireless communication system, comprising:
a wireless access node of a first wireless communication network configured to exchange first wireless communication signals with a user device over a first wireless communication network to provide a communication service, wherein the user device has a selection mode for a second wireless communication network that a user may set to one of: on, off, and automatic;
a switchover processor configured to receive a status signal transferred from the user device over the first wireless communication network indicating if the network selection mode for the second wireless communication network is set to automatic;
when the network selection mode in the user device is set to automatic, then the switchover processor is configured to process location information for the user device to determine signal quality information for the second wireless communication network by measuring in the first wireless communication network a radio frequency (RF) signal quality for the second wireless communication network near to a geographic location of the user device, and determine potential service quality from the second wireless communication network for the user device based on at least the signal quality information and the geographic location of the user device; and
when the potential service quality is higher than a threshold, then the switchover processor is configured to wirelessly transfer a control signal to the user device over the first wireless communication network, wherein the control signal drives the user device to automatically enable a wireless transceiver for the second wireless communication network; and
a wireless access node of the second wireless communication network configured to exchange second wireless communication signals with the user device over the second wireless communication network to provide the communication service.
10. The wireless communication system of claim 9 , wherein the first wireless communication network comprises a third-generation (3G) cellular voice and data network, and the second wireless communication network comprises a fourth-generation (4G) cellular voice and data network.
11. The wireless communication system of claim 10 , wherein the wireless transceiver for the second wireless communication network comprises a 4G transceiver, and wherein the first wireless communication network is configured to instruct the user device to automatically enable the 4G transceiver.
12. The wireless communication system of claim 9 , wherein the first wireless communication network is configured to receive the status signal during handoff communications of the first wireless communication network from the user device.
13. The wireless communication system of claim 9 , wherein the first wireless communication network is configured to process a database of estimated wireless coverage for the second wireless communication network with the geographic location for the user device to process the location information.
14. The wireless communication system of claim 9 , wherein the first wireless communication network is configured to identify the signal quality information for the second wireless communication network by determining the signal quality information based on service quality of other user devices communicating over the second wireless communication network proximate to the user device.
15. The wireless communication system of claim 9 , comprising:
the second wireless communication network configured to identify further signal quality information for the second wireless communication network and transfer the further signal quality information for delivery to the first wireless communication network, wherein the first wireless communication network processes the further signal quality information to determine the potential service quality for the user device.
16. The wireless communication system of claim 9 , wherein the control signal further drives the user device to exchange the second wireless communication signals with the second wireless communication network and disable a transceiver for the first wireless communication network.