Patent ID: 8254986
Filing Date: 2012-08-28
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
1. A method for automatically adapting a multi-protocol wireless device to facilitate a seamless multistage handoff, the method comprising: (a) generating a seamless multistage handoff request initiated by a multi-protocol wireless device when the multi-protocol wireless device crosses a boundary area into an overlapping region where the multi-protocol wireless device is capable of simultaneously accessing a plurality of networks; (b) providing the multi-protocol wireless device comprising: (c) performing the homogeneous handoff between a first network operating on a first communication protocol and a second network operating on a second communication protocol, wherein the first network is an existing network in use by the multi-protocol wireless device at a time of crossing the boundary area and the first communication protocol and the second communication protocol having compatible transmission technologies, and the first network and the second network are different networks of the plurality of networks; and (d) performing the heterogeneous handoff within the second network between the second protocol and a third communication protocol, wherein the second communication protocol and the third communication protocol having incompatible transmission technologies.