Methods, mobile terminals, and computer program products for display of mobile terminal density information

• US 20060105815A1
• Filed: 11/16/2004
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kretz, Martin, Jendbro, Magnus, Hansson, Bjorn
• Granted Patent: US 7,522,940 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A method of providing information on a mobile terminal can include displaying mobile terminal density information on a mobile terminal display according to a selectable context based on parameters reported by mobile terminals operating in a wireless communications network to a server.

Claims

1. A method of providing information on a mobile terminal comprising:

displaying mobile terminal density information on a mobile terminal display according to a selectable context based on parameters reported by mobile terminals operating in a wireless communications network to a server.

2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

receiving the parameters from the mobile terminals at the server via ad-hoc reporting of the mobile terminals;

compiling the parameters to provide the mobile terminal density information; and

transmitting the mobile terminal density information to the mobile terminal for display.

3. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

applying the mobile terminal density information to the selectable context to generate a geographic display associated with the context.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein the geographic display associated with the context comprises a map and a plurality of grid of locations overlaid thereon.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein the density information further comprises velocity information associated with the mobile terminals;

and

wherein selected ones of the plurality of grid locations are rendered with color and opacity values based on mobile terminal density information associated with the selected ones of the plurality of grid locations.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein a maximum opacity value is less than an opaque value so that the underlying map is visible through the plurality of grid locations overlaid thereon at the maximum opacity value.

8. A method according to claim 5 wherein the opacity values comprise a statistical representation of a density of mobile terminals located in a geographic area serviced by the wireless communications network corresponding to respective grid locations.

9. A method according to claim 3 wherein the selectable context comprises a first selectable context selected from a plurality of selectable contexts, wherein some of the mobile terminal density information is suppressed according to the first selectable context and not suppressed according to a second selectable context.

10. A method according to claim 1 wherein the selectable context comprises a shopping context, a commuting context, and/or an entertainment context.

11. A method according to claim 10 wherein the selectable context comprises a sub-context.

12. A method according to claim 1 carried out by a computer program product embodied in a computer readable medium.

13. A method according to claim 1 carried out by a system comprising:

a means for displaying mobile terminal density information on a mobile terminal display according to a selectable context based on parameters reported by mobile terminals operating in a wireless communications network to server.

14. A method according to claim 1 wherein the parameters comprise location information, velocity information, connectivity information, image information, and/ or audio information.

7. A method according to 5 wherein the color values comprise a statistical representation of velocity of mobile terminals located in a geographic area serviced by the wireless communications network corresponding to respective grid locations.

15. A method of providing information to a mobile terminal comprising:

receiving parameters reported by mobile terminals operating in a wireless communications network at a server via ad-hoc reporting of the mobile terminals;

compiling the parameters to provide mobile terminal density information; and

transmitting the mobile terminal density information to a mobile terminal for display according to a selectable context based.

16. A method according to claim 15 further comprising:

applying the mobile terminal density information to the selectable context, at the server, to generate a geographic display associated with the context; and

transmitting the geographic display to the mobile terminal.

17. A method according to claim 15 further comprising:

transmitting the mobile terminal density information to the mobile terminal for generation of a geographic display associated with the context at the mobile terminal.

18. A mobile terminal comprising:

a transceiver circuit configured to transmit/receive communications to/from a wireless communications network that provides service to the mobile terminal including parameters received from a server reported by mobile terminals operating in the wireless communications network to the server;

a processor circuit, coupled to the transceiver, configured to provide mobile terminal density information according to a selectable context based on the parameters received from the server; and

a display, coupled to the processor circuit, configured to display the mobile terminal density information based on the parameters.

19. A mobile terminal according to claim 18 wherein the parameters comprise location information, velocity information, connectivity information, and/ or audio information.

20. A mobile terminal according to claim 18 wherein the processor circuit is further configured to provide a geographic display including the mobile terminal density information associated with the context.

21. A mobile terminal according to claim 20 wherein the geographic display comprises a map and a plurality of grid of locations overlaid thereon.

22. A mobile terminal according to claim 21 wherein the density information further comprises velocity information associated with the mobile terminals;

and

wherein selected ones of the plurality of grid locations are rendered with color and opacity values based on mobile terminal density information associated with the selected ones of the plurality of grid locations.

23. A mobile terminal according to claim 22 wherein a maximum opacity value is less than an opaque value so that the underlying map is visible through the plurality of grid locations overlaid thereon at the maximum opacity value.

25. A mobile terminal according to claim 22 wherein the opacity values comprise a statistical representation of a density of mobile terminals located in a geographic area serviced by the wireless communications network corresponding to respective grid locations.

26. A mobile terminal according to claim 18 wherein the selectable context comprises a first selectable context selected from a plurality of selectable contexts, wherein some of the mobile terminal density information is suppressed according to the first selectable context and not suppressed according to a second selectable context.

27. A mobile terminal according to claim 18 wherein the selectable context comprises shopping, commuting, crowding, parking, entertaining, and/or working.

28. A mobile terminal according to claim 19 wherein the connectivity information comprises a value associated with a number of other devices in communication with the mobile terminal over a channel other than that used to transmit the parameters.

29. A mobile terminal according to claim 19 wherein the velocity information is used as an inversely proportional indicator of the mobile terminal density information.

24. A mobile terminal according to 22 wherein the color values comprise a statistical representation of velocity of mobile terminals located in a geographic area serviced by the wireless communications network corresponding to respective grid locations.

30. A method of providing information on a mobile terminal comprising:

displaying mobile terminal density information on a mobile terminal display according to a selectable context based on parameters including a device type tag that describes characteristics of the mobile terminal reporting the mobile terminal density information.

31. A method according to claim 30 wherein the device type tag comprises a cellphone device type tag, a car device type tag, a laptop device type tag, and/or a PDA device type tag.

32. A method according to claim 30 wherein the selectable context comprises a crowding context and/or a parking context.

33. A method according to claim 30 wherein the device type tag is based on a dynamic use of the mobile terminal.