Imminent change warning

• US 6,018,655 A
• Filed: 11/19/1997
• Issued: 01/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: OKI Telecom, Inc. (OKI Electric Industry Company Limited)
• Inventors: Erickson, George D., Bartle, Alden S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Kimberly A.
• Application Number:
  US08/974,525
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• Field of Search: 455/567, 455/421, 455/436, 455/422, 455/127, 455/517, 455/438, 455/524, 455/442, 371/2.1, 371/5.1
• US Class Current: 455/421
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/302 due to low signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/30 Connection release
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A cellular telephone, in its most preferred embodiment, performs a method for notifying a digital cellular telephone user of an imminent communication disconnection. The preferred method includes, at least, generating at least one condition indication representative of at least one communication condition, analyzing the condition indication, determining whether a communication disconnection is imminent, enhancing quality of received communication signals when possible, and notifying the user of an imminent communication disconnection. Exemplary condition indications include, at least, continuous count and rate indications of frame checksum errors, insufficient quality frames, symbol errors, and chip errors, output power level indication, received signal strength indication, soft handoff status indication, other pilot signal indication, and current pilot signal strength indication. One exemplary analysis technique of determining when a communication disconnection is imminent includes evaluating whether any of a set of condition indications violates a predefined threshold indication, while other exemplary analysis techniques include evaluating whether fixed or historically adaptive combinations of condition indications violate run predefined thresholds, and evaluating combinations of condition indications weighted according to the degree of threshold violation. The process further uses a memory flag in a delayed redundant comparison before enabling a warning, examples of which include visual, sensory, and audible notification methods, including adding generated noise to the received audio signal. Alternate methods of the invention include notifying a user of an imminent inter-system handoff or an imminent change in communication mode.

Claims

1. A method of notifying a cellular telephone user during cellular communication of an imminent communication disconnection, said method comprising the steps of:

generating a condition indication representative of a communication condition, including generating a communication error condition, including generating a transmitter output power level indication;

analyzing the condition indication to determine whether a communication disconnection is imminent, including determining whether the transmitter output power level indication is greater than a predefined high power threshold level; and

notifying the user that a communication disconnection is imminent responsive to determining a communication disconnection is imminent.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the analyzing step includes determining whether the transmitter output power level indication is less than a predefined low power threshold level.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating a condition indication step includes

generating a received signal strength indication, and

wherein the analyzing step includes determining whether the received signal strength indication is less than a predefined low received signal strength indication.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the notifying step includes the steps of

generating an audible noise sound, and

adding the noise to received audio signals.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the notifying step includes generating an audible sound.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the notifying step includes generating a visual warning indication.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the notifying step includes activating a vibration device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of enhancing received communication signal quality responsive to determining a communication disconnection is imminent.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the enhancing step includes allocating power to additional cellular telephone receiver components.

10. A method of notifying a cellular telephone user during cellular communication of an imminent communication disconnection, said method comprising the steps of:

generating a condition indication representative of a communication condition, wherein the generating a condition indication step includes, at least, the steps of

evaluating current frame validity, including, at least, the steps of calculating a current frame checksum, and comparing the calculated frame checksum to a predefined frame checksum,

generating a frame checksum error responsive to the calculated frame checksum differing from the predefined frame checksum, and

generating a count of continuous frame checksum errors indication;

analyzing the condition indication to determine whether a communication disconnection is imminent;

continually repeating the generating and analyzing steps during a telephone call; and

notifying the user that a communication disconnection is imminent responsive to determining a communication disconnection is imminent.

11. A method of notifying a cellular telephone user during cellular communication of an imminent communication disconnection, said method comprising the steps of:

generating a condition indication representative of a communication condition, wherein the generating a condition indication step includes, at least, the steps of

evaluating current frame validity, including, at least, the steps of calculating a current frame checksum, and comparing the calculated frame checksum to a predefined frame checksum,

generating a frame checksum error responsive to the calculated frame checksum differing from the predefined frame checksum, and

generating a rate of frame checksum errors indication;

analyzing the condition indication to determine whether a communication disconnection is imminent;

continually repeating the generating and analyzing steps during a telephone call; and

notifying the user that a communication disconnection is imminent responsive to determining a communication disconnection is imminent.

12. A method of notifying a cellular telephone user during cellular communication of an imminent communication disconnection, said method comprising the steps of:

generating a condition indication representative of a communication condition, wherein the generating a condition indication step includes, at least, the steps of

evaluating current frame quality to determine whether the current frame is of insufficient quality,

generating a current insufficient quality frame error responsive to determining the current frame is of insufficient quality, and

generating a count of continuous insufficient quality frame errors indication;

analyzing the condition indication to determine whether a communication disconnection is imminent;

continually repeating the generating and analyzing steps during a telephone call; and

notifying the user that a communication disconnection is imminent responsive to determining a communication disconnection is imminent.

13. A method of notifying a cellular telephone user during cellular communication of an imminent communication disconnection, said method comprising the steps of:

generating a condition indication representative of a communication condition, wherein the generating a condition indication step includes, at least, the steps of

evaluating current frame quality to determine whether the current frame is of insufficient quality,

generating a current insufficient quality frame error responsive to determining the current frame is of insufficient quality, and

generating a rate of insufficient quality frame errors indication;

analyzing the condition indication to determine whether a communication disconnection is imminent;

continually repeating the generating and analyzing steps during a telephone call; and

notifying the user that a communication disconnection is imminent responsive to determining a communication disconnection is imminent.

14. A method of notifying a cellular telephone user during cellular communication of an imminent communication disconnection, said method comprising the steps of:

generating a condition indication representative of a communication condition, wherein the generating a condition indication step includes, at least, the steps of

evaluating current symbol quality to determine whether the current symbol is of insufficient quality,

generating a current insufficient quality symbol error responsive to determining the current symbol is of insufficient quality, and

generating a count of continuous insufficient quality symbol errors indication;

analyzing the condition indication to determine whether a communication disconnection is imminent;

continually repeating the generating and analyzing steps during a telephone call; and

notifying the user that a communication disconnection is imminent responsive to determining a communication disconnection is imminent.

15. A method of notifying a cellular telephone user during cellular communication of an imminent communication disconnection, said method comprising the steps of:

generating a condition indication representative of a communication condition, wherein the generating a condition indication step includes, at least, the steps of

evaluating current symbol quality to determine whether the current symbol is of insufficient quality,

generating a current insufficient quality symbol error responsive to determining the current symbol is of insufficient quality, and

generating a rate of insufficient quality symbol errors indication;

analyzing the condition indication to determine whether a communication disconnection is imminent;

continually repeating the generating and analyzing steps during a telephone call; and

notifying the user that a communication disconnection is imminent responsive to determining a communication disconnection is imminent.

16. A method of notifying a cellular telephone user during cellular communication of an imminent communication disconnection, said method comprising the steps of:

generating a condition indication representative of a communication condition, wherein the generating a condition indication step includes, at least, the steps of

evaluating current chip quality to determine whether the current chip is of insufficient quality,

generating a current insufficient quality chip error responsive to determining the current chip is of insufficient quality, and

generating a count of continuous insufficient quality chip errors indication;

analyzing the condition indication to determine whether a communication disconnection is imminent;

continually repeating the generating and analyzing steps during a telephone call; and

notifying the user that a communication disconnection is imminent responsive to determining a communication disconnection is imminent.

17. A method of notifying a cellular telephone user during cellular communication of an imminent communication disconnection, said method comprising the steps of:

generating a condition indication representative of a communication condition, wherein the generating a condition indication step includes, at least, the steps of

evaluating current chip quality to determine whether the current chip is of insufficient quality,

generating a current insufficient quality chip error responsive to determining the current chip is of insufficient quality, and

generating a rate of insufficient quality chip errors indication;

analyzing the condition indication to determine whether a communication disconnection is imminent;

continually repeating the generating and analyzing steps during a telephone call; and

notifying the user that a communication disconnection is imminent responsive to determining a communication disconnection is imminent.

18. A method of notifying a cellular telephone user during cellular communication of an imminent communication disconnection, said method comprising the steps of:

generating a condition indication representative of a communication condition;

analyzing the condition indication to determine whether a communication disconnection is imminent;

continually repeating the generating and analyzing steps during a telephone call; and

notifying the user that a communication disconnection is imminent responsive to determining a communication disconnection is imminent, including generating an audible noise by generating random data words with a random pattern generator and adding the noise to received audio signals by summing the random data words with received digitized audio data.

19. A method of notifying a cellular telephone user during cellular communication of an imminent communication disconnection, said method comprising the steps of:

generating a condition indication representative of a communication condition, wherein the generating a condition indication step includes generating a condition indication representative of a communication condition in a code division multiple access digital cellular telephone;

analyzing the condition indication to determine whether a communication disconnection is imminent;

continually repeating the generating and analyzing steps during a telephone call;

enhancing received communication signal quality responsive to determining a communication disconnection is imminent, wherein the enhancing step includes operating additional demodulator fingers to enhance received communication quality; and

notifying the user that a communication disconnection is imminent responsive to determining a communication disconnection is imminent.

20. A method of notifying a cellular telephone user during cellular communication of an imminent communication disconnection, said method comprising the steps of:

generating a condition indication representative of a communication condition, wherein the generating a condition indication step includes generating a condition indication representative of a communication condition in a code division multiple access digital cellular telephone;

analyzing the condition indication to determine whether a communication disconnection is imminent;

continually repeating the generating and analyzing steps during a telephone call;

enhancing received communication signal quality responsive to determining a communication disconnection is imminent, wherein the enhancing step includes operating additional echo cancellers to cancel additional inter-symbol interference; and

notifying the user that a communication disconnection is imminent responsive to determining a communication disconnection is imminent.

21. A method of notifying a cellular telephone user during cellular communication of an imminent communication disconnection, said method comprising the steps of:

generating a condition indication representative of a communication condition, wherein the generating a condition indication step includes generating a condition indication representative of a communication condition in a code division multiple access digital cellular telephone;

analyzing the condition indication to determine whether a communication disconnection is imminent;

continually repeating the generating and analyzing steps during a telephone call;

enhancing received communication signal quality responsive to determining a communication disconnection is imminent, wherein the enhancing step includes substituting previous frames for current frames; and

notifying the user that a communication disconnection is imminent responsive to determining a communication disconnection is imminent.

22. A method of notifying a cellular telephone user during cellular communication of an imminent communication disconnection, said method comprising the steps of:

generating a condition indication representative of a communication condition of a current communication signal, including generating a communication error condition;

analyzing the condition indication to determine whether a communication disconnection is imminent;

notifying the user that a communication disconnection is imminent responsive to determining a communication disconnection is imminent; and

enhancing received communication signal quality of the current communication signal responsive to determining a communication disconnection is imminent.

23. The method of claim 22,

wherein the generating a condition indication step includes generating a transmitter output power level indication, and

wherein the analyzing step also includes determining whether the transmitter output power level indication is less than a predefined low power threshold level.

24. The method of claim 22,

wherein the generating a condition indication step includes generating a received signal strength indication, and

wherein the analyzing step includes determining whether the received signal strength indication is less than a predefined low received signal strength indication.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the notifying step includes the steps of

generating an audible noise sound, and

adding the noise to received audio signals.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the notifying step includes generating an audible sound.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the notifying step includes generating a visual warning indication.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein the notifying step includes activating a vibration device.

29. The method of claim 22, wherein the enhancing step includes allocating power to additional cellular telephone receiver components.