Mobile device with configurable communication technology modes and geofences

• US 10,064,005 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2015
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Maheswaranathan, Gaithri
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ahsan, Umair
• Application Number:
  US14/963,335
• Publication Number:
  US 20170171703A1
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Many machine-to-machine (M2M) devices and portable user devices have the ability to switch between cellular technology and satellite technology to ensure network connectivity. While the automatic handover is useful, there are situations where it is desirable to have greater control over the configuration of the communication modes of these devices. Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention describe the ability to designate a prioritized list of communication modes, the ability to manually configure communication modes directly on the device, the ability to configure communication modes remotely over the air, and the ability to configure communication modes according to a geofence.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a location-based component, wherein the location-based component provides the current location of the device;

a plurality of communication interfaces;

a control system communicatively coupled to the location-based component and the plurality of communication interfaces and comprising a hardware processor and a memory storing program codes whereby the device is operable to;

receive configuration information comprising one or more geofences, at least one associated geofence region for each of the one or more geofences;

receive input directly from a user interface for a communication interface prioritization for each geofence that specifies the order in which each of the plurality of communication interfaces is to be used for that geofence, and a geofence prioritization that specifies the order in which each of the geofences is to be used for a given geofence region;

receive an event that requires a communication activity of the device;

determine the current location of the device using the location-based component;

determine a geofence region based on the current location of the device;

determine a geofence to use according to the geofence prioritization based on the geofence region;

determine a communication interface to use according to the communication interface prioritization;

responsive to determining that at least one communication interface in the communication interface prioritization is active, use the active communication interface to complete the communication activity;

determine a second communication interface to use according to the communication interface prioritization associated with each geofence and defined by the user input by validating a retry threshold when the active communication interface fails to complete the communication activity, the retry threshold being a defined number of attempts at completing the communication activity using the firstly determined communication interface, and the retry threshold being defined in response to the user input for the communication interface prioritization associated with the geofence; and

use the second communication interface to complete the communication activity.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is further operable to:

responsive to determining that no communication interfaces in the communication interface prioritization are active, determine a communication interface to use according to a manufacturer default; and

responsive to determining that at least one communication interface in the manufacturer default is active, use the active communication interface to complete the communication activity.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is further operable to:

responsive to determining that no communication interfaces on the device are active, entering a power off mode.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is further operable to:

responsive to determining that no communication interfaces on the device are active, entering a sleep state for a designated period of time and waking when the designated period of time is over and retrying the communication interfaces according to the communication interface prioritization, wherein the retrying includes determining a configuration level parameter including the received configuration information comprising the one or more geofences and applying counters and timers applicable for setting a re-try threshold based on the determined configuration level parameters.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of communication interfaces is selected from the group consisting of:

a cellular communication interface, a satellite communication interface, and a Wi-Fi communication interface.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the cellular communication interface is selected from the group consisting of:

Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), High-Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA), High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), and Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE+).

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the satellite communication interface is selected from the group consisting of:

IsatDataPro (IDP) and/or IsatM2M offered by Inmarsat plc, Iridium, Thuraya, and Globalstar.

8. The device of claim 5, wherein the order of use for the plurality of communication interfaces specified by the communication interface prioritization is selected from the group consisting of:

a cellular communication interface to a satellite communication interface, a cellular communication interface to a Wi-Fi communication interface, a satellite communication interface to a cellular communication interface, a satellite communication interface to a Wi-Fi communication interface, a first satellite communication interface to a second satellite communication interface, a first cellular communication interface and a second cellular communication interface, a first Wi-Fi communication interface and a second Wi-Fi communication interface, a cellular communication interface to multiple satellite communication interfaces, a cellular communication interface to multiple Wi-Fi communication interfaces, a satellite communication interface to multiple cellular communication interfaces, a satellite communication interface to multiple Wi-Fi interfaces, cellular interface to Wi-Fi to satellite interface, only a cellular communication interface, only a satellite communication interface, and only a Wi-Fi communication interface.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the configuration information is received from a remote device over a wireless connection.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the wireless connection is selected from the group consisting of:

cellular, satellite, short-range, and proximity.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein cellular wireless connection is selected from the group consisting of:

Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), High-Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA), High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), and Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE+).

12. The device of claim 10, wherein satellite wireless connection is selected from the group consisting of:

IsatDataPro (IDP) and/or IsatM2M offered by Inmarsat plc, Iridium, Thuraya, and Globalstar.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein short-range wireless connection is selected from the group consisting of:

Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Direct.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein proximity wireless connection is Near Field Communications (NFC).

15. The device of claim 9, wherein the configuration information is received via a technology selected from the group consisting of:

e-mail, Short Message Service (SMS), and forward command over the air.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the user input received at the device involves a physical switch on the device.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein the user input received at the device involves a setting in an on-screen menu on the device.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein the user input received at the device involves a setting in an application on the device.

19. The device of claim 1, wherein the configuration information is received from a local device over a direct connection.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the direct connection is selected from the group consisting of:

Universal Serial Bus (USB), serial (RS232), serial (RS485), and serial (RS422).

21. The device of claim 1, wherein the configuration information further comprises an alternative prioritization that specifies the order in which each of the plurality of communication interfaces is to be used when motion of the device is detected.

22. The device of claim 1, wherein the configuration information is received via an application programming interface (API).

23. The device of claim 1, wherein the configuration information is received in response to a region being drawn on a map.

24. A method for determining a communication interface to use on a device, the method comprising:

receiving configuration information comprising one or more geofences, at least one associated geofence region for each of the one or more geofences;

receiving directly from a user a communication interface prioritization for each geofence that specifies the order in which each of the plurality of communication interfaces is to be used for that geofence, and a geofence prioritization that specifies the order in which each of the geofences is to be used for a given geofence region;

receiving an event that requires a communication activity of the device;

determining the current location of the device using the location-based component;

determining a geofence region based on the current location of the device;

determining a geofence to use according to the geofence prioritization based on the geofence region;

determining a communication interface to use according to the communication interface prioritization;

responsive to determining that at least one communication interface in the communication interface prioritization is active, using the active communication interface to complete the communication activity;

determining a second communication interface to use according to the communication interface prioritization associated with each geofence and defined by the user input by validating a retry threshold when the active communication interface fails to complete the communication activity, the retry threshold being a defined number of attempts at completing the communication activity using the firstly determined communication interface, and the retry threshold being defined in response to the user input for the communication interface prioritization associated with the geofence; and

using the second communication interface to complete the communication activity.

25. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing program instructions for causing a device to determine a communication interface to use, the method comprising:

receiving configuration information comprising one or more geofences, at least one associated geofence region for each of the one or more geofences;

receiving directly from a user a communication interface prioritization for each geofence that specifies the order in which each of the plurality of communication interfaces is to be used for that geofence, and a geofence prioritization that specifies the order in which each of the geofences is to be used for a given geofence region;

receiving an event that requires a communication activity of the device;

determining the current location of the device using the location-based component;

determining a geofence region based on the current location of the device;

determining a geofence to use according to the geofence prioritization based on the geofence region;

determining a communication interface to use according to the communication interface prioritization;

responsive to determining that at least one communication interface in the communication interface prioritization is active, using the active communication interface to complete the communication activity;

determining a second communication interface to use according to the communication interface prioritization associated with each geofence and defined by the user input by validating a retry threshold when the active communication interface fails to complete the communication activity, the retry threshold being a defined number of attempts at completing the communication activity using the firstly determined communication interface, and the retry threshold being defined in response to the user input for the communication interface prioritization associated with the geofence; and

using the second communication interface to complete the communication activity.