Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for handoff between a wireless local area network (WLAN) and a universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS)

US7120460B2 · kind B2 · utility

12Cited by
9References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 21, 2005
Grant dateOct 10, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 21, 2025

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04W84/12
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Apparatus and method for providing an automatic handoff process of a dual-mods user equipment (UE) from either a wireless local area network (WLAN) to a universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) or from a UMTS to a WLAN. Handoffs may be initiated by the UE, based upon user preference, signal quality, comparison of location coordinates of the UE and the system to be switched to or signal quality. The available channels of one system may be sent to the UE by the other system or the UE may monitor channels of the system to be switched to and lock on to one. The handoff may also be initiated by the UMTS, the selection being power-based.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.