Multiprotocol mobile telephone network having high tier and low tier systems
AssigneeHughes Electronics Corporation
InventorsEnrique Laborde, Lenard S. Golding
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A multiprotocol radio communications network that includes a first plurality of stationary transceivers for handling low-tier traffic and a second plurality of stationary transceivers for handling high-tier traffic. The stationary transceivers communicate information to a mobile transceiver at different information rates. A switching center automatically switches communication between the mobile transceiver and the stationary transceivers as the mobile transceiver moves between areas of different traffic density.
Claims16
A radio communications network having two systems comprising:
- in a first system having a first air interface, a first plurality of stationary transceivers operating in a low tier, each including means for sending information to and receiving information from a mobile transceiver at a first rate during a call;
- in a second system having a second air interface, a second plurality of stationary transceivers operating in a high tier, each including means for sending information to and receiving information from the mobile transceiver at a second rate during a call;
- and
- a switching center, coupled to the first plurality of stationary receivers and to the second plurality of stationary transceivers for routing calls between mobile transceivers and between mobile transceivers and fixed telephones and operable when the mobile transceiver is receiving information from one of the first plurality of stationary transceivers, for causing the mobile transceiver to instead receive the information from a different selected one of the first plurality of stationary transceivers or from one of the second plurality of stationary transceivers.
A method of performing handoff from a low tier to a high tier in a mobile communications network having a first plurality of stationary transceivers in a first system having a first air interface operating in the low tier, each including means for sending information to and receiving information from a mobile transceiver at a first rate during a call, a second plurality of stationary transceivers in a second system having a second air interface operating in the high tier each including means for sending information to and receiving information from the mobile transceiver at a second rate during a call and a switching center coupled to the first and second pluralities of stationary transceivers, the method comprising the steps of:
- maintaining communications with the mobile transceiver in the low tier as long as the mobile transceiver is able to establish communications with a low tier carrier exceeding a predefined threshold;
- receiving a handoff request from the mobile transceiver at a current stationary transceiver when the mobile transceiver is unable to establish communications with low tier carrier exceeding the predefined threshold;
- assigning a channel on the high tier in response to the received handoff request;
- informing the mobile transceiver of the channel assigned;
- and
- switching the communication from the current stationary transceiver of the low tier to the assigned high tier channel.
A method of performing handoff from a high tier to a low tier in a mobile communications network having a first plurality of stationary transceivers in a first system having a first air interface operating in the low tier, each including means for sending information to and receiving information from a mobile transceiver at a first rate during a call, a second plurality of stationary transceivers in a second system having a second air interface operating in the high tier each including means for sending information to and receiving information from the mobile transceiver at a second rate during a call and a switching center coupled to the first and second pluralities of stationary transceivers, the method comprising the steps of:
- monitoring at one of the second plurality of stationary transceivers, the mobile transceiver radio connection with said one of the second plurality of stationary transceivers for quality;
- when the quality of the radio connection deteriorates, commanding the mobile transceiver from said one of the second plurality of stationary transceivers to scan for available low tier channels;
- reserving a low tier channel;
- and
- at the switching center, switching a communication corresponding to the monitored radio connection from said one of the second plurality of stationary transceivers to the reserved low tier channel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.