SCHEDULING COMMUNICATIONS IN A MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20110317631A1
• Filed: 06/24/2010
• Published: 12/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Navda, Vishnu, Ramjee, Ramachandran, Padmanabhan, Venkata N., Schulman, Aaron, Jain, Kamal
• Granted Patent: US 8,345,616 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/004 in the uplink, i.e. towards network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A method scheduling outgoing communication in a mobile device is provided. The method includes receiving a signal quality profile for an area in which the device is located. The method further includes receiving a signal from a user application stored on the device that requests the mobile device to make the outgoing communication. Additionally, the method includes determining a current location, a speed, a direction, and a signal quality associated with the device and determining whether the signal quality is above a certain threshold. If not, the method includes predicting a future time at which the signal quality will be above the threshold based at least on the current location, the speed, the direction, the signal quality, and the signal quality profile. Finally, the method includes scheduling the outgoing communication from the mobile device at the future time.

Claims

1. A method for scheduling outgoing communication from a mobile device, comprising:

receiving a request to send an outgoing communication from the mobile device;

determining whether a signal quality of the mobile device is above a predetermined threshold;

if the signal quality is less than the predetermined threshold, predicting a future time at which the signal quality will be above the predetermined threshold based on a current location, a speed, a direction of the mobile device, a signal quality profile for an area in which the mobile device is located, or combinations thereof; and

scheduling the outgoing communication from the mobile device at the future time.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising immediately sending the outgoing communication out of the mobile device if the signal quality is above the predetermined threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the outgoing communication is received from a user application stored on the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal quality profile is stored on a cloud server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the future time is within a timeout period associated with the user application.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal quality profile for the area provides a plurality of signal qualities at a plurality of Global Positioning System coordinates within the area.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal quality profile is overlaid over an existing geographical database.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the mobile device has not sent or received data for a predetermined period of time; and

placing a wireless radio of the mobile device into an idle state.

9. A method for scheduling incoming communication to a mobile device, comprising:

receiving a request to send an incoming communication to the mobile device;

determining whether a signal quality of the mobile device is above a predetermined threshold;

if the signal quality is not above the predetermined threshold, then predicting a future time at which the signal quality will be above the predetermined threshold based on a current location, a speed, a direction of the mobile device, a signal quality profile for an area in which the mobile device is located, or combinations thereof; and

scheduling the incoming communication to the mobile device at the future time.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the request is received by a cloud server before the incoming communication reaches the mobile device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the signal quality profile is stored on the cloud server.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising immediately sending the incoming communication to the mobile device if the signal quality is above the predetermined threshold.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising predicting a future location associated with the future time at which the signal quality will be above the predetermined threshold.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising updating the cloud server with a new location associated with the mobile device if at the future time, the new location does not match the future location.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the future time is within a timeout period associated with the user application.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the signal quality profile for the area provides a plurality of signal qualities at a plurality of Global Positioning System coordinates within the area.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the signal quality profile is overlaid an existing geographical database.

18. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining that the mobile device has not sent or received data for a predetermined period of time; and

placing a wireless radio of the mobile device into an idle state.

19. A mobile device, comprising:

a processor;

a wireless radio; and

a memory comprising program instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive a request from a user application to send an outgoing communication out of the mobile device;

determine a plurality of signal qualities of the mobile device over a predetermined period of time in the past;

determine if the signal qualities are above a predetermined threshold; and

delay sending the outgoing communication if the signal qualities are less than the predetermined threshold.

20. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the memory further comprises program instructions configured to:

determine that the mobile device has not sent or received data for a predetermined period of time; and

place the wireless radio of the mobile device into an idle state.