Wireless virtual-network systems and methods to operate the same

• US 20070167175A1
• Filed: 01/17/2006
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Lu, Xiaolin, Parikh, Kush, Wong, Tony
• Application Number:
  US11/333,016
• Publication Number:
  US 20070167175A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.500
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

Wireless virtual-network systems and methods to operate the same are disclosed. An example method comprises receiving a positioning system signal identifying a location of a mobile device, determining a service zone for the mobile device by comparing the location to a database identifying geographic locations of service zones, and determining a service parameter for the mobile device based upon the service zone.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a positioning system signal identifying a location of a mobile device;

determining a service zone for the mobile device by comparing the location to a database identifying geographic locations of service zones; and

determining a service parameter for the mobile device based upon the service zone.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the service zone is at least one of a campus zone, a fixed zone, an expanded calling zone, a marketing service zone, a broadcast service zone, or a local information zone.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the service parameter is at least one of a service authorization, a denial of a service request, a service feature, service rate information, a billing rate, a service level, a service type, pushed content, a media content stream, or a media channel identifier.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising requesting the location of the mobile device.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising transmitting the service parameter to the mobile device.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second positioning system signal identifying a second location of the mobile device;

determining if a service zone change has occurred by comparing the location to the database identifying geographic locations of service zones;

if a service zone changed has occurred, determining a second service parameter based upon the service zone change; and

transmitting the second service parameter to the mobile device.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a database mapping service parameters to geographic locations;

a service authorizer to receive location information from a mobile device and to access the database to determine a service parameter associated with the mobile device based upon the location information, wherein the location information is obtained via a positioning system receiver associated with the mobile device; and

a baseband module to communicate the service parameter to the mobile device via a wireless signal.

8. An apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the service authorizer accesses the database to determine a service zone based on the location, and accesses the database to determine the service parameter based on the service zone.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 7, further comprising an interface to receive service information from a service provider, wherein the service authorizer uses the service information and the location information to set the service parameters in the database.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 7, further comprising a radio frequency (RF) module, wherein an output signal of the baseband module is processed by the RF module to communicate the service parameter to the mobile device.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the service authorizer uses the baseband module to receive the location information from the mobile device.

12. A method comprising:

determining a location with a positioning system receiver;

sending a service request and an identification of the location to a wireless basestation transceiver subsystem (BTS); and

receiving a service parameter associated with the service request from the BTS, wherein the service parameter is determined based upon the location.

13. A method as defined in claim 12, wherein sending the location is performed periodically.

14. A method as defined in claim 12, further comprising receiving a changed service parameter.

15. An article of manufacture storing machine readable instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to:

receive a positioning system signal identifying a location of a mobile device;

determine a service zone for the mobile device by comparing the location to a database identifying geographic locations of service zones; and

determine a service parameter for the mobile device based upon the service zone.

16. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 15, wherein the service zone is at least one of a campus, a fixed zone, an expanded calling zone, a marketing service zone, a broadcast service zone, or a local information zone.

17. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 15, wherein the service parameter is at least one of an authorization for a service, a denial of a service request, a service feature, service rate information, a billing rate, a service level, a service type, pushed content, a media content stream, or a media channel identifier.

18. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 15, wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, cause the machine to:

receive a second positioning system signal identifying a second location of the mobile device;

determine if a service zone change has occurred by comparing the location to the database identifying geographic locations of service zones;

if a service zone changed has occurred, determine a second service parameter based upon the service zone change; and

transmit the second service parameter to the mobile device.

19. A method comprising:

providing a plurality of cells in a wireless network, each of the cells corresponding to a respective service area associated with a wireless basestation transceiver subsystem (BTS); and

associating a geographic area with a service zone, wherein the geographic area of the service zone is not coextensive with any of the cells of the network.

20. A method as defined in claim 19, wherein the geographic area of the service zone overlaps at least two of the cells.

21. A method as defined in claim 19, wherein the geographic area of the service zone is located within one of the cells.

22. A method as defined in claim 19, further comprising associating a service parameter with the service zone

23. A method as defined in claim 22, wherein the service parameter is at least one of a service authorization, a denial of a service request, a service feature, service rate information, a billing rate, a service level, a service type, pushed content, a media content stream, or a media channel identifier.

24. A method as defined in claim 22, further comprising:

determining that a mobile device is located in the service zone; and

transmitting the service parameter associated with the service zone to the mobile device.