Method, system and apparatus for providing a warning when a mobile terminal may lose service

• US 6,349,206 B1
• Filed: 12/30/1998
• Issued: 02/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Syed, Inayat, Reichelt, Martin, Shakil, Nauman
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): West, Z.
• Application Number:
  US09/223,630
• Time in Patent Office: 1,147 Days
• Field of Search: 455/421, 455/456, 455/435, 455/436
• US Class Current: 455/421
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• 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

A method, system, and apparatus enables a subscriber to be warned via the mobile terminal (MT) when the MT has moved into an invalid area during a call. The network monitors the location/position of the MT during a call. When the MT enters a region (e.g., a cell) that is invalid because it is located within an invalid area, the network sends a message to the MT. The message may be, for example, a novel cause code in a Direct Transfer Application Part (DTAP) message that triggers a warning action by the MT when the network does not have access to the transmission reaching the MT. The message may alternatively be an announcement or tone sent directly to the MT when the network does have direct access to the transmission reaching the MT. The network also begins a timer. If the MT is returned to a valid area before the is timer expires, the call may be continued (and a message so indicating may optionally be sent to the MT from the network). Otherwise, the network disconnects the call at the expiration of the timer.

Claims

1. A method for providing a warning of invalid position to a user of a mobile terminal, comprising the steps of:

determining whether said mobile terminal is located at an invalid position during an ongoing call;

sending a message to said mobile terminal responsive to a determination that said mobile terminal is located at an invalid position;

providing an invalid position indication to the user at said mobile terminal responsive to said message;

starting a timer responsive to the determination that said mobile terminal is located at an invalid position;

receiving a regional identifier, the regional identifier including indicia regarding at least one of a valid status and an invalid status for a new position into which said mobile terminals has entered;

determining whether said mobile terminal has returned to a valid position;

terminating said timer responsive to reception of the regional identifier, said regional identifier corresponding to a valid position into which said mobile terminal has entered;

allowing the ongoing call to continue;

sending another message to said mobile terminal responsive to the determination that said mobile terminal has returned to said valid position; and

providing a valid position indication to the user at said mobile terminal responsive to said another message.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of sending a message to said mobile terminal further comprises the step of sending at least one of an announcement and a tone to said mobile terminal and said step of providing an invalid position indication to the user at said mobile terminal further comprises the step of playing said at least one of an announcement and a tone to the user at said mobile terminal.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of sending a message to said mobile terminal further comprises the step of sending a code to said mobile terminal and said step of providing an invalid position indication to the user at said mobile terminal further comprises the step of playing at least one of an announcement and a tone stored in said mobile terminal to the user at said mobile terminal.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of determining whether said mobile terminal is located at an invalid position further comprises the step of receiving a region identifier for a region in which said mobile terminal is located.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said step of determining whether said mobile terminal is located at an invalid position further comprises the step of comparing said region identifier to at least one entry in a data structure, said data structure including indicia regarding at least one of a valid status and an invalid status for each of a plurality of regions.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of disconnecting the ongoing call that includes said mobile terminal responsive to expiration if said timer.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a first regional identifier corresponding to a first larger region;

determining whether said first larger region includes at least one smaller invalid region;

requesting a position update when said mobile terminal enters a second larger region, responsive to a determination that said first larger region does not include at least one smaller invalid region; and

requesting a position update whenever said mobile terminal enters a smaller region, responsive to a determination that said first larger region does include at least one smaller invalid region.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

receiving a regional identifier that corresponds to an invalid region; and

wherein said step of determining whether said mobile terminal is located at an invalid position further comprises the step of determining that said mobile terminal is located at an invalid position responsive to receiving said regional identifier that corresponds to said invalid region.

9. A system for a wireless communications network for providing a warning of invalid position to a user of a mobile terminal, comprising;

means for determining whether said mobile terminal is located at an invalid position during an ongoing call;

means for sending a message to said mobile terminal responsive to a determination that said mobile terminal is located at an invalid position;

means for providing an invalid position indication to the user at said mobile terminal responsive to said message;

means for starting a timer responsive to the determination that said mobile terminal is located at an invalid position;

means for receiving a regional identifier, the regional identifier including indicia regarding at least one of a valid status and an invalid status for a new position into which said mobile terminals has entered;

means for determining whether said mobile terminal has returned to a valid position;

means for terminating said timer responsive to reception of the regional identifier, said regional identifier corresponding to a valid position into which said mobile terminals has entered;

means for allowing the ongoing call to continue;

means for sending another message to said mobile terminal responsive to the determination that said mobile terminals has returned to said valid position; and

means for providing a valid position to the user at said mobile terminal responsive to said another message.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein said means for sending a message to said mobile terminal comprises means for sending at least one of an announcement and a tone to said mobile terminal and said means for providing an invalid position indication to the user at said mobile terminal comprises means for playing said at least one of an announcement and a tone to the user at said mobile terminal.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein said means for sending a message to said mobile terminal comprises means for sending a code to said mobile terminal and said means for providing an invalid position indication to the user at said mobile terminal comprises means for playing at least one of an announcement and a tone store in said mobile terminal to the user at said mobile terminal.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein said means for determining whether said mobile terminal is located at an invalid position comprises means for receiving a region identifier for a region in which said mobile terminal is located.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein said means for determining whether said mobile terminal is located at an invalid position comprises means for comparing said region identifier to at least one entry in a data structure, said data structure including indicia regarding at least one of a valid status and an invalid status for each of a plurality of regions.

14. The system according to claim 9, further comprising means for disconnecting the ongoing call that includes said mobile terminal responsive to expiration of said timer.

15. The system according to claim 9, further comprising:

means for receiving a first regional identifier corresponding to a first larger region;

means for determining whether said first larger region includes at least one smaller invalid region;

means for requesting a position update when said mobile terminal enters a second larger region, responsive to a determination that said first larger region does not include at least one smaller invalid region; and

means for requesting a position update whenever said mobile terminal enters a smaller region, responsive to a determination that said first larger region does include at least one smaller invalid region.

16. The system according to claim 9, further comprising:

means for receiving a regional identifier that corresponds to an invalid region; and

wherein said means for determining whether said mobile terminal is located at an invalid position comprises means for determining that said mobile terminal is located at an invalid position responsive to receiving said regional identifier that corresponds to said invalid region.

17. The system according to claim 9, wherein said means for determining whether said mobile terminal is located at an invalid position and said means for sending a message to said mobile terminal are associated with one or more nodes in said wireless communications network and said means for providing an invalid position indication to the user at said mobile terminal is associated with said mobile terminal.

18. A mobile terminal for use in a wireless network system that provides a warning of invalid position to a user of said mobile terminal, comprising:

a memory, said memory storing an invalid position indication, said invalid position indication comprising at least one of a tone, an announcement, and a text message;

means for receiving a first message from the wireless network, said message including a first code;

means for providing said invalid position indication to the user responsive to said first code, said means for providing said invalid position indication operatively connected to said memory and said means for receiving a first message;

means for receiving a second message from the wireless network, said message including a second code;

means for providing said invalid position indication to the user responsive to said second code, said means for providing said invalid position indication operatively connected to said memory and said means for receiving a second message; and

wherein the first message and second message may be received directly when the wireless network does not have direct access to the transmission being sent to the mobile terminal.

19. The mobile terminal according to claim 18, wherein the first message is a ‘

Progress’

Direct Transfer Application Part (DTAP) message.

20. The mobile terminal according to claim 19, wherein the first code in the ‘

Progress’

DTAP message is a progress indicator which triggers at least one of the tone, the announcement, or the text message stored in memory.

21. The mobile terminal according to claim 18, wherein the second code in the second message is a DTAP cause code which triggers at least one of the tone, the announcement, or the text message stored in memory.

22. A mobile terminal for use in a wireless network system that provides a warning of invalid position to a user of said mobile terminal, comprising:

a memory, said memory storing an invalid position indication, said invalid position indication comprising at least one of a tone, an announcement, and a text message;

means for receiving a first message from the wireless network, said message including a first code;

means for providing said invalid position indication to the user responsive to said first code, said means for providing said invalid position indication operatively connected to said memory and said means for receiving a first message;

means for receiving a second message from the wireless network, said message including a second code;

means for providing said invalid position indication to the user responsive to said second code, said means for providing said invalid position indication operatively connected to said memory and said means for receiving a second message; and

wherein the first code is a Base Station System (BSS) Management Application Part (BSSMAP) code.

23. A mobile terminal for use in a wireless network system that provides a warning of invalid position to a user of said mobile terminal, comprising:

a memory, said memory storing an invalid position indication, said invalid position indication comprising at least one of a tone, an announcement, and a text message;

means for receiving a first message from the wireless network, said message including a first code;

means for providing said invalid position indication to the user responsive to said first code, said means for providing said invalid position indication operatively connected to said memory and said means for receiving a first message;

means for receiving a second message from the wireless network, said message including a second code;

means for providing said invalid position indication to the user responsive to said second code, said means for providing said invalid position indication operatively connected to said memory and said means for receiving a second message; and

wherein the second message is a ‘

Disconnect’

DTAP message if the mobile terminal does not enter a valid position before a timer expires, otherwise, the timer is terminated and the second message is a ‘

Progress’

DTAP message.