Mobile device with cellular-wlan offlaod using passive load sensing of wlan
AssigneeBroadcom Corporation
InventorKamesh MEDAPALLI
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus and methods are provided for switching between a wireless local area network (LAN) and a cellular network for a user equipment's (UE) data communication by passively sensing the load on the wireless LAN. A method is disclosed that includes detecting an access point associated with a wireless LAN and receiving packets that are transmitted by other devices that are using the wireless LAN. The method can further include examining the received packets to estimate a data load of the wireless LAN and selecting between the wireless LAN and a cellular network based on the estimated data load.
Claims20
A method of signal processing in a user equipment (UE) to select between a wireless local area network (LAN) and a cellular network for data transmission, comprising:
- detecting, by the UE, an access point associated with the wireless LAN;
- receiving, by the UE, packets that are transmitted by other devices that are using the wireless LAN;
- examining, by the UE, the received packets to estimate a data load of the wireless LAN;
- and
- selecting between the wireless LAN and the cellular network based on the estimated data load.
A user equipment (UE), comprising:
- a radio transceiver configured to transmit signals to a wireless local area network (LAN);
- and
- a control logic configured to:
- detect an access point associated with the wireless LAN;
- receive packets that are transmitted by other devices that are using the wireless LAN;
- examine the received packets to estimate a data load of the wireless LAN;
- and
- select between the wireless LAN and a cellular network based on the estimated data load.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.