Mobility Server for Seamless Handoff Across Heterogeneous Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current networking architectures face challenges in providing seamless connectivity across multiple devices and networks, as existing protocols are often incompatible, leading to limitations in service continuity and device flexibility, particularly in wireless networks.
Innovation Solution
A mobility server is introduced to coordinate communication sessions between devices and networks, managing signal strength information and user preferences to enable seamless communication leg transfers, ensuring service continuity across various devices and networks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If proprietary handover techniques are used in wireless networks, then service coverage in adjacent and overlapping physical spaces is improved, but compatibility between different cellular and IP network protocols deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
A mobility server is introduced as an intermediary component that mediates between multiple network protocols and devices. The mobility server receives communication sessions from different networks (cellular, IP, wireless), manages protocol conversions, and coordinates handovers, thereby enabling service continuity across incompatible networks without requiring direct protocol compatibility between them.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple network protocols are supported to accommodate diverse end users, then adaptability to different devices and networks is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mobility server acts as a central intermediary that handles protocol conversions and session management, isolating the complexity from the end devices. Devices only need to communicate with the mobility server using standardized interfaces, while the server manages the complexity of multiple protocol stacks and network types internally.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobility server provides universal functionality by supporting multiple network protocols (cellular, IP, wireless networks) and device types through a single centralized component. This multi-functional approach allows the system to accommodate diverse end users and devices without requiring separate specialized systems for each protocol or device type.
3Ease of operation
If seamless connectivity across multiple devices is implemented, then user flexibility is improved, but coordination overhead and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mobility server serves as a coordinating intermediary that manages communication sessions across multiple devices. It tracks active sessions, determines optimal device selections based on signal strength and user preferences, and executes handovers automatically, thereby providing user flexibility without requiring complex coordination logic in each device.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes operational parameters such as signal strength thresholds, device selection criteria, and handover timing based on real-time network conditions and user preferences. The mobility server adjusts these parameters to optimize connectivity while managing coordination complexity through adaptive control rather than rigid predefined rules.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for providing connectivity is provided that includes a mobility server operable to coordinate a communication session between a first and a second end-user device. The first end-user device is associated with a first call leg and the second end-user device is associated with a second call leg. A handoff is executed in transferring the communication session from the first end-user device to the second end-user device. In more particular embodiments, the mobility server is operable to receive signal strength information from the first end-user device and to execute the handoff based on the signal strength information. In addition, the handoff is executed based on an end-user preference that is provided in a subscription that is accessed by the mobility server.