Personal communications device for multiple communications systems

• US 10,110,463 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2013
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Higher Ground LLC
• Original Assignee: Higher Ground LLC
• Inventors: Reis, Robert S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Holliday, Jaime
• Application Number:
  US14/022,228
• Publication Number:
  US 20170006620A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,869 Days
• Field of Search: 4554261, 455427, 4555521, 4555531
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18517 Transmission equipment in earth stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18578 Satellite systems for providing broadband data service to individual earth stations for selecting H04W; provisions for broadband connection, H04Q11/0478
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72418 for supporting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 by measured or perceived connection quality data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/06 Airborne or Satellite Networks space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185
• 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

A portable communications device (PCD) for communications with two or more communications systems including a power unit, a transceiver unit and a control unit. The power unit is for powering the communications device so as to enable it to be portable. The transceiver unit includes a local unit for communicating with a local communications system and a satellite unit for communicating with a satellite communications system. The control unit is for controlling communications by the local unit and the satellite unit. The control unit includes a sensing algorithm for sensing requests for communications, a selection algorithm for automatically selecting the local unit or the satellite unit for communications. A software controlled transceiver unit is used together with parameter algorithms for automatically controlling communications and modifying the system budget.

Claims

1. A portable communications device (PCD) for communications with two or more communications systems comprising,

a power unit configured to power the portable communications device,

a transceiver unit including,

a local unit configured to communicate with a local communications system,

a satellite unit configured to communicate with a satellite communications system,

a control unit configured to control communications by the local unit and the satellite unit, the control unit including,

a sensing algorithm designed to sense requests for communications,

a selection algorithm designed to automatically select the local unit or the satellite unit for communications,

wherein the control unit is configured to monitor a received signal strength indicator, during communications using the local unit, to determine if the local unit network communication strength is below a threshold, and is further configured to initiate a low signal code algorithm if the local unit network communication strength is intermittently below the threshold, and

wherein the monitoring of the received signal strength indicator comprises monitoring a frequency with which and a duration that the local unit network communication strength is below the threshold, and if the frequency or the duration exceeds a respective low signal control parameter, the control unit is configured to initiate the low signal code algorithm, wherein, as part of the low signal code algorithm, the control unit is further configured to perform a hysteresis test on the local unit network communication strength to determine whether, in a case in which the local unit network communication strength falls below the threshold only intermittently, the frequency with which the local unit network communication strength falls below the threshold is sufficient to exceed the low signal control parameter for frequency,

wherein:

(a) if the low signal code algorithm is not initiated or determines, during the hysteresis test, that the frequency with which the local unit network communication strength falls below the threshold is not sufficient to exceed the low signal control parameter for frequency, the PCD continues communications using the local unit;

(b) if the low signal code algorithm determines, during the hysteresis test, that the frequency with which the local unit network communication strength falls below the threshold is sufficient to exceed the low signal control parameter for frequency, the PCD switches to communications using the satellite unit.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the low signal code algorithm automatically selects satellite communications, switches local communications to OFF and turns satellite communications to ON.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the local communications is cellular and the cellular unit includes a cellular radio that is turned OFF and wherein the satellite unit includes a satellite radio that is turned ON.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the option is one or more of a Google Search, e-mail indexing and MayDay call out.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the control unit includes a parameter algorithm for controlling communications for the device based upon parameters.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein the parameter algorithm is designed to monitor a battery level and to use a low battery parameter to trigger turning off the transceiver local unit so as to reserve battery power for satellite communications.

7. The device of claim 5 wherein the parameter algorithm is designed to use a bandwidth parameter to control data rate.

8. The device of claim 5, wherein the parameter algorithm is further designed to use a low local unit signal strength criterion, in combination with monitoring the battery level, to trigger the turning off the transceiver local unit.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the PCD comprises a smartphone and a satellite device configured to connect to the smartphone via a wired or wireless connection, wherein the satellite device is configured to enable the smartphone to be nested in a case of the satellite device, wherein the satellite device comprises at least the satellite unit and a satellite antenna.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the satellite antenna is swivelably attached to the case of the satellite device.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the satellite antenna is contained in a flap of the case of the satellite device, wherein the flap is configured to swivel with respect to a portion of the case of the satellite device in which the smartphone is enabled to be nested.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the local unit network communication strength corresponds to a local unit network received signal strength.

13. A portable communications device (PCD) for communications with two or more communications systems comprising,

a power unit configured to power the portable communications device,

a transceiver unit including,

a local unit configured to communicate with a local communications system,

a satellite unit configured to communicate with a satellite communications system,

a control unit configured to control communications by the local unit and the satellite unit, the control unit including,

a sensing algorithm designed to sense requests for communications,

a selection algorithm designed to automatically select the local unit or the satellite unit for communications as a selected communication unit,

wherein the control unit is configured to monitor a communication signal quality associated with the selected communication unit, wherein the signal quality is determined using a hysteresis-based testing algorithm on received signal strength to determine a frequency with which the received signal strength falls below or exceeds a threshold parameter and using a duration test to determine a duration during which the received signal strength falls below or exceeds the threshold parameter, wherein satisfying either test triggers selection of the unselected communication unit, and to automatically select the one of the local unit or the satellite unit that is not the selected communication unit if the selected communication unit signal quality fails to meet a predetermined criterion for the hysteresis-based test or a predetermined criterion for the duration test, wherein the automatically selecting of the one of the local unit or the satellite unit that is not the selected communication unit includes automatically initiating a communication with a same party that was called using the selected local unit or satellite unit using the one of the local unit or the satellite unit that is not the selected communication unit.