Intelligent heterogeneous wireless handoff
Provided are methods and systems of managing vertical handoffs in a wireless communication network. Embodiments include analyzing wireless device usage to determine usage patterns, which may include locations and times at which the wireless device is typically accessing the network. The network may recognize points in the usage patterns at which signal quality parameters are typically reduced. Such reductions in signal quality parameters may lead to inefficient vertical handoffs. The network may decrease adverse effects of inefficient vertical handoffs by reducing ping ponging, selecting links between wireless devices and network nodes, or indicating to a user of the wireless device that delays and/or data loss may occur.
1. A system for managing vertical handoffs in a wireless communication system, wherein the system comprises:
a processor configured to:
generate a predicted path of an individual wireless device based on a location of the individual wireless device and usage patterns of the individual wireless device;
analyze the predicted path of the individual wireless device to determine a predicted communication path of the individual wireless device along the predicted path;
predict a segment in the predicted path having a predicted reduced signal quality in the predicted communication path based on the usage patterns of the individual wireless device; and
control vertical handoffs in an actual communication path of the individual wireless device by designating a communication link that avoids the segment having the predicted reduced signal quality, wherein the communication link is designated based on a communication type of a communication of the individual wireless device in the predicted reduced signal quality segment, wherein the communication type is a voice communication and wherein the predicted reduced signal quality used to designate the communication link is relative to a threshold signal quality for the voice communication on the communication link, wherein the threshold signal quality set for the voice communication is lower than a threshold set for a data transfer signal quality for a data transfer communication type.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the communication type is a voice communication or a data transfer.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor designates the communication link for the communication comprising a voice communication based at least in part on a function of a signal quality and a cost of the communication link, wherein the function weights the cost more heavily than the signal quality.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the signal quality is a predicted signal quality.
5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the designed communication link for the communication is based on a predicted communication link cost below a maximum communication cost threshold.
6. The system of claim 1 , comprising a control mechanism configured to set parameters for the processor to control the vertical handoffs along the segment for the individual wireless device based a least in part on user input.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the parameters comprise a voice signal quality threshold or a maximum communication cost threshold.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to designate additional communication links along the segment based on a function of signal quality and cost of the communication link.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to initiate a vertical handoff to the designated communication link before the segment in the predicted path having the predicted reduced signal quality.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the communication type is a first communication type and wherein the designated linked based on the first communication type is based on quality of service control mechanisms for the first communication type that are different than for a second communication type.
11. A system for managing vertical handoffs in a wireless communication system, wherein the system comprises:
a processor configured to:
generate a predicted path of an individual wireless device based on a location of the individual wireless device and usage patterns of the individual wireless device;
analyze the predicted path of the individual wireless device to determine a predicted communication path of the individual wireless device along the predicted path;
predict a segment in the predicted path having a predicted reduced signal quality in the predicted communication path based on the usage patterns of the individual wireless device; and
control vertical handoffs in an actual communication path of the individual wireless device by designating a communication link that avoids the segment having the predicted reduced signal quality, wherein the communication link is designated based on a communication type of a communication of the individual wireless device in the predicted reduced signal quality segment, wherein the communication link is a communication comprising a data transfer and the designating is based at least in part on a function of a signal quality and a cost of the communication link, wherein the function weights the signal quality more heavily than the cost.