Out-of-band power down notification

• US 10,117,173 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2015
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parallel Wireless, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Parallel Wireless, Inc.
• Inventors: Garg, Sumit
• Primary Examiner(s): Pancholi, Rina C
• Application Number:
  US14/923,392
• Publication Number:
  US 20160119867A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40215 Controller Area Network CAN
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40273 the transportation system being a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0206 in access points, e.g. base stations access point devices per se H04W88/08
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A mobile base station is disclosed, comprising: a vehicle bus notification module; an access interface for communicating with a mobile device; a backhaul interface for communicating with an operator core network; and a processor, in communication with the vehicle bus notification module, the access interface, and the backhaul interface, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform steps comprising: receiving a vehicle bus low power alert at the vehicle bus notification module; and sending a message via the backhaul interface to the operator core network to request a notification to be sent to the mobile device regarding power off of the mobile base station.

Claims

1. A mobile base station for reducing coverage interruptions for users connected thereto, comprising:

a vehicle bus notification module coupled to a vehicle electrical power system and configured to determine a vehicle battery power level, the vehicle electrical power system powering the mobile base station;

a first radio access network interface for communicating with mobile devices using a first radio access technology;

a backhaul interface for communicating with an operator core network;

a processor, in communication with the vehicle bus notification module, the first radio access network interface, and the backhaul interface; and

a memory, further comprising instructions that when executed by the processor, perform steps comprising;

receiving a vehicle bus low power alert at the vehicle bus notification module;

requesting, in response to receiving the vehicle bus low power alert, from a network server, a mobile device detach procedure for the mobile devices;

sending, in response to receiving the vehicle bus low power alert, to the network server, a message to cause the network server to perform power control of a neighboring base station to increase or decrease transmission power; and

sending a message via the backhaul interface to the operator core network to request a notification to be sent to the mobile devices, the notification configured to include human-readable information regarding the vehicle battery power level of the mobile base station,

thereby enabling the mobile devices to be notified via the operator core network when the vehicle battery power level is low.

2. The mobile base station of claim 1, the steps further comprising requesting, from the operator core network, a mobile device detach procedure for the mobile devices and initiating a handover of the mobile devices in communication with the first radio access network interface to a neighboring base station.

3. The mobile base station of claim 1, wherein the vehicle bus notification module is coupled to a controller area network (CAN) bus.

4. The mobile base station of claim 1, wherein the notification includes a projected time that the mobile base station will be powered down.

5. A method, comprising:

receiving, at an in-vehicle base station, a low power alert from a vehicle controller network regarding a vehicle battery power level of the in-vehicle base station;

sending, at the in-vehicle base station, a request to a network server to message mobile devices attached to the in-vehicle base station informing the mobile devices that the in-vehicle base station will be powering down;

requesting, in response to receiving the low power alert, from the network server, a mobile device detach procedure for the mobile devices;

sending, in response to receiving the low power alert, to the network server, a message to cause the network server to perform power control of a neighboring base station to increase or decrease transmission power; and

sending, from the network server, notifications to the mobile devices, the notifications configured to include human-readable information regarding the vehicle battery power level of the in-vehicle base station,

thereby enabling the mobile devices to be notified via the network server when the vehicle battery power level is low.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the notifications are short message service (SMS) messages or non-SMS text notifications or audio notifications.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising initiating power control for neighboring nodes at the in-vehicle base station or at the network server.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the vehicle controller network is a controller area network (CAN) bus.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the request includes a projected time that the in-vehicle base station will be powered down.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising sending, from the network server, periodic notifications to the mobile devices providing updates on a power status of a vehicle battery power level.

11. The method of claim 5, further comprising sending, from the network server, notifications to the mobile devices regarding an immediate shutdown of the in-vehicle base station.

12. The method of claim 5, wherein the notifications include information about whether connectivity will continue.

13. The method of claim 5, wherein the network server is a core network server, a gateway server between the in-vehicle base station and a core network, a coordinating server, or a proxy server.

14. The method of claim 5 further comprising communicating using an X2 protocol between the in-vehicle base station and the network server, communicating using the X2 protocol between the network server and other base stations or nodes, and communicating using an S1 protocol to handle mobility communications with a core network.

15. The method of claim 5, further comprising initiating, at the network server, a text message request via a short message service (SMS) gateway server, or initiating a text message request directly by creating an SMS request.

16. The method of claim 5, further comprising increasing a transmit power of a neighboring base station and initiating a handover of the mobile devices to the neighboring base station.

17. The method of claim 5, further comprising sending periodic notifications with updates on a power status of the in-vehicle base station, wherein the power status further comprises a battery percentage, a time remaining, or an immediate power-down status.

18. The method of claim 5, further comprising coordinating, if the in-vehicle base station has powered down or is in preparation to power down, an increase in transmission power for a neighboring base station, thereby extending a range of the neighboring base station to cover a gap in coverage created by powering down the in-vehicle base station.