Network selection for multiple network platforms

Abstract

Embodiments provide methods, systems, and apparatuses to generate and send a command message to a mobile device connected to a first wireless network to command the mobile device to connect to one of one or more candidate wireless networks. The message includes embedded service flow context information of the candidate networks including one or more attributes of the candidate wireless networks that are of potential interest to the mobile device in determining a performance or security impact if the mobile device switches to the one or more wireless networks. The mobile device can conditionally refuse the command if the candidate wireless networks are unable to meet one or more service level requirements of the apparatus. Other embodiments are disclosed and described.

1 . A method comprising:
 obtaining, by a network manager system, service flow context information associated with a plurality of candidate wireless networks from an information service system communicatively coupled to the plurality of candidate wireless networks,   generating, by the network manager system, a message for the mobile device including the obtained service flow context information associated with the plurality of candidate networks;   sending, by the network manager system, the message to the mobile device via a wireless network to instruct the mobile device to switch to one of the plurality of candidate wireless networks; and   upon a successful switch to one of the plurality of candidate wireless networks by the mobile device, repeating, by the network manager system, said obtaining, generating, and sending to instruct the mobile device to switch to another one of the plurality of candidate wireless networks.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising determining, by the network manager system based on network management parameters, whether the mobile device should be redirected to one of the plurality of candidate wireless networks. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising receiving, from the mobile device, a refusal message in response to the sent message indicating refusal of the mobile device to connect to any of the plurality of candidate wireless networks due to the mobile device concluding, based on the service flow context information embedded in the sent message, that none of the plurality of candidate wireless networks is able to meet the one or more service level requirements of the mobile device. 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the service flow context information includes one or more of an available Quality of Service (QoS), an available throughput, an available bandwidth, delay information of the plurality of candidate wireless networks, or jitter information of the plurality of candidate wireless networks. 
     
     
         6 . An apparatus comprising:
 a transceiver configured to transmit and receive data over at least a first wireless network; and   a processor coupled to the transceiver and configured to cause the apparatus to:   determine whether a mobile device communicatively coupled to the first wireless network is to be instructed to switch to one of a plurality of candidate wireless networks;   obtain attributes of the plurality of candidate wireless networks from a information service system communicatively coupled to the plurality of candidate wireless networks;   integrally instruct the mobile device to switch to one of the plurality of candidate wireless networks, and to provide the mobile device with the obtained attributes of the plurality of candidate wireless networks to enable the mobile device to determine whether to switch to one of the plurality of candidate wireless networks; and   upon a successful switch to one of the plurality of candidate wireless networks by the mobile device, repeat said determine and said integrally instruct to instruct the mobile device to switch to another one of the plurality of candidate wireless networks.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6  wherein the processor is further configured to cause the apparatus to periodically obtain the attributes of the plurality of candidate wireless networks from the information service system. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 6  wherein the processor is further configured to cause the apparatus to obtain the attributes of the plurality of candidate wireless networks in real time, after determining to instruct the mobile device to switch. 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . An apparatus comprising:
 one or more radios configured to transmit and receive modulated wireless signals to and from a plurality of wireless networks; and   a processor coupled to the one or more radios and configured to cause the apparatus to:   receive, from a network manager system via the one or more radios through a wireless network of the plurality of wireless networks, a message instructing the apparatus to connect to one of a first plurality of candidate wireless networks among the plurality of wireless networks, the message including service flow context information of at least one of the first plurality of candidate wireless networks obtained by the network manager system from an information service system communicatively coupled to the plurality of wireless networks;   select, based on the received service flow context information, one of the first plurality of candidate wireless networks able to meet one or more service level requirements of the apparatus;   switch to the selected one of the first plurality of candidate wireless networks; and   receive, from the network manager system through the selected one of the first plurality of candidate wireless networks, another message instructing the apparatus to connect to one of a second plurality of candidate wireless networks.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the processor is further configured to cause the apparatus to connect to the selected one of the first plurality of candidate wireless networks via the one or more radios. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the wireless network and the selected one of the first plurality of candidate wireless networks comprise a 802.11 wireless network and a 802.16 wireless network. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the processor is disposed on a chipset. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the apparatus comprises one of a portable computing device, a personal digital assistant, a mobile phone, a game player, a media player, ultra mobile portable computer (UMPC), Mobile Internet Device (MID), or a desktop computer. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the message includes service flow context information of only one candidate wireless network. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more candidate wireless networks includes more than one types of wireless networks. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the service flow context information includes attributes of the plurality of candidate wireless networks that are of potential interest to the mobile device in determining, by the mobile device, whether any one of the plurality of candidate wireless networks is able to meet one or more service level requirements of the mobile device.