METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANAGEMENT OF LOW-BATTERY MOBILE STATIONS

• US 20070091836A1
• Filed: 10/24/2006
• Published: 04/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kelley, Sean, Harris, John, Oprescu-Surcobe, Valentin, Benes, Stanley
• Granted Patent: US 7,570,975 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/318
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0225 using monitoring of external events, e.g. the presence of a signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A communication system provides network-based battery power management that may be transparent to a user of a mobile station (MS). When one or more elements of a network of the communication system determines that the MS is operating at a low power supply charge level and/or has experienced a significant change in a charging level of the power supply, the one or more network elements may arrange for postponement of delivery of a delay-tolerant service to the MS or for adjustment of one or more of a characteristic of a service provided to the MS and a parameter of a radio communication with the MS, including restoration of full services to an MS whose power supply charge level has been restored.

Claims

1. A method for managing a charge level of a power supply of a mobile station comprising:

determining, by a network element, that the mobile station is operating at a low power supply charge level; and

in response to the determination, performing one or more of adjusting a characteristic of a service provided to the mobile station, adjusting a parameter of a radio communication with the mobile station, and postponing a service being delivered to the mobile station.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, by a network element, that the mobile station is operating at a low power supply charge level comprises receiving a specific signal from a mobile station.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving a specific signal comprises receiving a message indicating a charging level of the power supply of the mobile station.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving a specific signal comprises receiving a message indicating a pre-stored service profile, the service profile corresponding to the power supply charge level.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising retrieving a pre-stored service profile by the network element, the service profile corresponding to the power supply charge level.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

maintaining in a network a plurality of profiles corresponding to a plurality of charge levels; and

maintaining in the mobile station identifiers associated with the plurality of profiles.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving a specific signal comprises receiving a message comprising a service profile corresponding to the power supply charge level.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving signaling from the mobile station when the power supply charge level has been restored.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the signaling received from the mobile station when the power supply charge level has been restored comprises one or more of an explicit message, a message selecting a different service profile, or a message uploading a different service profile.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting comprises one or more of an adjustment of signaling between the mobile station and a network serving the mobile station, delaying a connection of an incoming call by alerting on a common channel and connecting the call only upon acceptance of the call by a target mobile station, placing the originating mobile station in a semi-dormant state while awaiting a response from the target mobile station, and disabling a ring tone of the originating mobile station.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting comprises one or more of reducing a quantity of message alerts provided to the mobile station, reducing a quantity of call alerts provided to the mobile station, and queuing and combining one or more call alerts and messages for conveyance to the mobile station in a combined message.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting comprises one or more of automatically directing a voice call to a voice mailbox associated with the mobile station, speeding up voicemail playback when a user of the mobile station is on the voice channel, automatically reducing an amount of information provided to the mobile station with respect to voicemail messages, replacing real-time voice with “

voice messaging”

, automatically eliminating a video component of a multimedia stream and sending only an audio component, and increasing an interval between updates for services that require periodic refreshing of information.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting comprises redirecting the mobile station to one or more of a different network, a different communication system, or a different wireless technology.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting comprises one or more of changing a technique for managing an active set of the mobile station, operating the mobile station at a different forward error rate, operating the mobile station with different retransmission parameters, selecting a channel for further communications with the mobile station based on an amount of power consumed for transmission over each such channel, applying resource allocation strategies that minimize power consumption by the mobile station, controlling radio configuration and gating to minimize power consumption by the mobile station, and prohibiting speculative active behavior related to the mobile station.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting one or more of a characteristic of a service provided to the mobile station and a parameter of a radio frequency communication with the mobile station is based on one or more of a type of the mobile station, a capability of the mobile station, a service subscribed to by the mobile station, a profile of power consumption of the mobile station, and battery characteristics of the mobile station.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein postponing delivery of a service comprises postponing delivery of one or more of a Short Messaging Service, an Enhanced Messaging Service, a Multimedia Messaging Service, a push service, a “

To Go”

service, and an over-the-air provisioning of a software update to the mobile station.

17. A method for managing a charge level of a power supply of a mobile station comprising:

detecting transitions to one or more of low levels of battery charging and high levels of battery charging; and

in response to detecting the transition, notifying a network of the transition via over-the-air signaling.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein notifying comprises sending a message indicating a charging level of the power supply.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein notifying comprises sending a message identifying a service profile, the service profile corresponding to the power supply charge level.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising maintaining identifiers associated with profiles stored in a network that correspond to different levels of battery charging and wherein notifying a network of the transition comprises signaling the network to use a new service profile that is identified via one of the maintained identifiers.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising storing service profiles corresponding to different levels of battery charging, and wherein notifying a network of the transition comprises uploading to the network a new service profile corresponding to the battery charging level.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising signaling, by the mobile station, when the power supply charge level has been restored.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein signaling by the mobile station when the power supply charge level has been restored comprises signaling by one or more of an explicit message, a message selecting a different service profile, or a message uploading a different service profile.

24. A Services Battery Manager that resides in a telecommunications network and is configured to determine that a mobile station is operating at a low power supply charge level and, in response to the determination, perform one or more of adjusting a characteristic of a service being delivered to the mobile station and postponing a service being delivered to the mobile station.

25. The Services Battery Manager of claim 24, wherein the Services Battery Manager determines that the mobile station is operating at a low power supply charge level based on a signal received from the mobile station.

26. The Services Battery Manager of claim 25, wherein the signal received from the mobile station comprises a message indicating a charging level of the power supply of the mobile station.

27. The Services Battery Manager of claim 25, wherein the signal received from the mobile station comprises a message to select a pre-stored service profile and wherein the service profile corresponds to the power supply charge level.

28. The Services Battery Manager of claim 27, wherein the Services Battery Manager further retrieves a service profile, the service profile corresponding to the power supply charge level.

29. The Services Battery Manager of claim 28, wherein the Services Battery Manager further maintains a plurality of profiles corresponding to a plurality of charge levels.

30. The Services Battery Manager of claim 25, wherein the signal received from the mobile station comprises a message comprising a service profile corresponding to the power supply charge level.

31. The Services Battery Manager of claim 24, wherein the Services Battery Manager further receives a message from the mobile station when the power supply charge level has been restored.

32. The Services Battery Manager of claim 31, wherein the message received from the mobile station when the battery charge level has been restored comprises one or more of an explicit message, a message selecting a different service profile, or a message uploading a different service profile.

33. The Services Battery Manager of claim 24, wherein the Service Battery Manager adjusts a characteristic of a service delivered to the mobile station by one or more of adjusting signaling between the mobile station and a network serving the mobile station, delaying a connection of an incoming call by alerting on a common channel and connecting the call only upon acceptance of the call by a target mobile station, placing the originating mobile station in a semi-dormant state while awaiting a response from the target mobile station, and disabling a ring tone of the originating mobile station.

34. The Services Battery Manager of claim 24, wherein the Service Battery Manager adjusts a characteristic of a service being delivered to the mobile station by performing one or more of reducing a quantity of message alerts being delivered to the mobile station, reducing a quantity of call alerts being delivered to the mobile station, queuing and combining one or more call alerts and messages for conveyance to the mobile station in a combined message, automatically directing a call to a voice mailbox associated with the mobile station, speeding up voicemail playback when a user of the mobile station is on the voice channel, automatically reducing an amount of information being delivered to the mobile station with respect to voicemail messages, replacing real-time voice with “

voice messaging”

increasing an interval between updates for services that require periodic refreshing of information, and redirecting the mobile station to one or more of a different network, a different communication system, or a different wireless technology.

35. The Services Battery Manager of claim 24, wherein the Service Battery Manager postpones delivery of a service provided to the mobile station by postponing delivery of one or more of a Short Message Service, an Enhanced Messaging Service, a Multimedia Messaging Service, a push service, a “

To Go”

service, and an over-the-air delivering of a software update to the mobile station.

36. The Services Battery Manager of claim 24, wherein the Services Battery Manager performs one or more of adjusting a characteristic of a service being delivered to the mobile station and postponing a service being delivered to the mobile station based on one or more of a type of the mobile station, a capability of the mobile station, a service subscribed to by the mobile station, a profile of power consumption of the mobile station, and battery characteristics of the mobile station.

37. An application service comprising the Services Battery Manager of claim 24.

38. A core network element comprising the Services Battery Manager of claim 24.

39. A Radio Battery Manager that resides in a Radio Access portion of a telecommunications network and is configured to determine that a mobile station is operating at a low power supply charge level and, in response to the determination, adjust a parameter of a radio frequency communication with the mobile station.

40. The Radio Battery Manager of claim 39, wherein the Radio Battery Manager adjusts a parameter of a radio frequency communication by one or ore of changing a technique for managing an active set of the mobile station, operating the mobile station at a different forward error rate, operating the mobile station with different retransmission parameters, selecting a channel for further communications with the mobile station based on an amount of power consumed for transmission over each such channel, applying resource allocation strategies that minimize power consumption by the mobile station, controlling radio configuration and gating to minimize power consumption by the mobile station, and prohibiting speculative behavior related to the mobile station.

41. The Radio Battery Manager of claim 39, wherein the Radio Battery Manager adjusts a parameter of a radio frequency communication based on one or more of a type of the mobile station, a capability of the mobile station, a service subscribed to by the mobile station, a profile of power consumption of the mobile station, and battery characteristics of the mobile station.

42. A Base Station Controller comprising the Battery Manager of the Radio Access portion of the network of claim 39.

43. A Packet Control Function comprising the Battery Manager of the network in claim 39.

44. A mobile station that detects transitions to one or more of low levels of power supply charging and high levels of power supply charging and, in response to detecting the transition, notifies a network of the transition via over-the-air signaling.

45. The mobile station of claim 44, wherein the mobile station notifies the network by sending a message indicating a charging level of the power supply.

46. The mobile station of claim 44, wherein the mobile station notifies the network by sending a message identifying a stored service profile, the service profile corresponding to the power supply charge level.

47. The mobile station of claim 44, wherein the mobile station maintains identifiers associated with profiles maintained in the network that correspond to different levels of battery charging and wherein the mobile station notifies the network of the transition by signaling the network to use a new service profile that is identified via one of the stored identifiers.

48. The mobile station of claim 44, wherein the mobile station stores service profiles corresponding to different levels of battery charging and wherein the mobile station notifies the network of the transition by uploading to the network a new service profile corresponding to the battery charging level.

49. The mobile station of claim 44, wherein the mobile station further signals the network when the power supply charge level has been restored.

50. The mobile station of claim 49, wherein the mobile station signals the network when the power supply charge level has been restored by one or more of an explicit message, a message selecting a different service profile, or a message uploading a different service profile.