System and Method For Preparing And Exhibiting A Network Coverage Map

• US 20100085895A1
• Filed: 05/12/2009
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Bajko, Gabor
• Application Number:
  US12/464,282
• Publication Number:
  US 20100085895A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

Systems and methods by which network coverage in a specific area can be exhibited to a user of a mobile node. Information stored on an information server may be used in an application which is capable of exhibiting the network coverage in a specific area. The network coverage may be based, for example, on an operating carrier, a carrier and its roaming partners or on a specific type of network. The information stored on the information server can be downloaded by a mobile node, thereby permitting to observe the coverage area for a network type(s) in which the user is interested. The coverage information may be exhibited, for example, in the form of a visual coverage map.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving information from an information server, the information relating to a coverage range for at least one network point of attachment; and

creating a coverage map depicting network coverage for the at least one network point of attachment using the received information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

exhibiting the coverage map to a user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the coverage map includes a depiction of network coverage for each network point of attachment in a geographic area corresponding to a particular carrier.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the coverage map includes a depiction of network coverage for each network point of attachment in a geographic area which uses a particular technology.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the coverage map includes a depiction of network coverage for all network point of attachments in a geographic area.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the coverage map depicts network coverage for a first technology differently than network coverage for a second technology.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the coverage map depicts network coverage for a first carrier which requires roaming differently than network coverage for a second carrier which does not require roaming.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the information server comprises an IEEE 802.21 information server.

9. A computer program product, embodied in a computer-readable storage medium, comprising computer code configured to perform the processes of claim 1.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory unit coupled to the processor, the memory unit including;

computer code for receiving information from an information server, the information relating to a coverage range for at least one network point of attachment; and

computer code for creating a coverage map depicting network coverage for the at least one network point of attachment using the received information.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the memory unit further includes:

computer code for exhibiting the coverage map to a user.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the coverage map includes a depiction of network coverage for each network point of attachment in a geographic area corresponding to a particular carrier.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the coverage map includes a depiction of network coverage for each network point of attachment in a geographic area which uses a particular technology.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the coverage map includes a depiction of network coverage for all network point of attachments in a geographic area.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the coverage map depicts network coverage for a first technology differently than network coverage for a second technology.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the coverage map depicts network coverage for a first carrier which requires roaming differently than network coverage for a second carrier which does not require roaming.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the information server comprises an IEEE 802.21 information server.

18. A method, comprising:

collecting information relating to a coverage range for at least one network point of attachment;

providing the collected information to a remote device for use in creating a coverage map depicting network coverage for the at least one network point of attachment.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the information is collected by an information server.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the information server comprises an IEEE 802.21 information server.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the coverage range is identified by distance.

22. A computer program product, embodied in a computer-readable storage medium, comprising computer code configured to perform the processes of claim 18.

23. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory unit coupled to the processor, the memory unit including;

computer code for collecting information relating to a coverage range for at least one network point of attachment;

computer code for providing the collected information to a remote device for use in creating a coverage map depicting network coverage for the at least one network point of attachment.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the coverage range is identified by distance.