Variable expiration parameter of a wireless communication device based upon signal strength

• US 7,043,226 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2003
• Issued: 05/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yamauchi, Toshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh, Sonny
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phan, Huy
• Application Number:
  US10/738,861
• Publication Number:
  US 20050136925A1
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• Field of Search: 455/405, 455/423, 455/424, 455/425, 455/452.2, 455/453, 455/513, 455/115.1, 455/115.3, 455/67.11, 455/512, 455/409, 455/406
• US Class Current: 455/405
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A method (300) and an apparatus (800) for determining duration of authorized usage time period are disclosed. A wireless mobile communication device (112) receives (304) a signal, measures (306) signal strength of the signal, determines (308) the duration of authorized usage time period based upon the measured signal strength, and requests (310) registration for the duration of authorized usage time period. A method (900) and a system (1300) for registering a wireless mobile communication device (112) in a wireless local area network (102) for a variable duration based upon wireless signal strength information are also disclosed. The wireless local area network (102) receives (902) a signal (116) including a registration request and an identification of the wireless mobile communication device (112), measures (906) signal strength of the signal, registers (908) the identification of the source of the signal, determines (910) duration of the authorized usage time period based upon the signal strength, assigns (912) the duration of authorized usage time period to the identification of the source of the signal, and un-registers (914) the identification of the source of the signal from the registration upon expiration of the duration of authorized usage time period.

Claims

1. A method in a wireless mobile communication device for determining duration of authorized usage time period, the method comprising:

receiving a signal;

measuring signal strength of the signal;

determining the duration of authorized usage time period relative to the measured signal strength; and

requesting registration for the duration of authorized usage time period.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the duration of the authorized usage time period further comprises:

comparing the measured signal strength to a predetermined upper threshold;

setting a predetermined default time period as the duration of authorized usage time period if the measured signal strength exceeds the predetermined upper threshold; and

reducing the duration of authorized usage time period to less than the predetermined default time period if the measured signal strength fails to exceed the predetermined upper threshold.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the reduced authorized usage time period is proportional to the measured signal strength.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the wireless mobile communication device is in a call upon expiration of the duration of authorized usage time period; and

transmitting an expiration delaying request upon determining the wireless mobile communication device is in a call for delaying the expiration of the duration of authorized usage time period until the call is terminated.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

re-measuring the signal strength of the signal; and

re-determining the duration of the authorized usage time period based upon the re-measured signal strength.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein re-measuring the signal strength of the signal includes at least one of:

re-measuring the signal strength of the signal continuously;

re-measuring the signal strength of the signal upon expiration of a previous authorized usage time period; and

re-measuring the signal strength of the signal upon a predetermined re-measuring time interval.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein re-determining the duration of the authorized usage time period based upon the re-measured signal strength includes at least one of:

ending the authorized usage time period based upon the re-measured signal strength failing to exceed a predetermined minimum level; and

ending the authorized usage time period based upon a difference between the re-measured signal strength and a previously measured signal strength.

8. A wireless mobile communication device configured to determine duration of authorized usage time period, the wireless mobile communication device comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a signal;

a signal strength indicator coupled to the receiver, the signal strength indicator configured to measure signal strength of the signal; and

a duration calculator coupled to the signal strength indicator, the duration calculator configured to determine the duration of authorized usage time period relative to based-open the measured signal strength; and

a transmitter coupled to the duration calculator, the transmitter configured to transmit a registration request wherein the registration is valid for the duration of authorized usage time period.

9. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 8, wherein the duration calculator further comprises:

a comparator coupled to the signal strength indicator, the comparator configured to compare the measured signal strength to a predetermined upper threshold,

wherein the duration calculator is further configured to set a predetermined default time period as the duration of authorized usage time period if the measured signal strength exceeds the predetermined upper threshold, and to reduce the duration of authorized usage time period to less than the predetermined default time period if the measured signal strength falls to exceed the predetermined upper threshold.

10. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 8, further comprising:

a call monitor coupled to the duration calculator and to the transmitter, the call monitor configured to determine whether the wireless mobile communication device is in a call upon expiration of the duration of authorized usage time period,

wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit an expiration delay request designed to delay the expiration of the duration of authorized usage time period until the call is terminated.

11. A method in a wireless local area network for assigning an authorized usage time period, the method comprising:

receiving a signal including a registration request and an identification of a source of the signal;

measuring signal strength of the signal;

determining duration of the authorized usage time period relative to the signal strength;

registering the identification of the source of the signal;

assigning the duration of authorized usage time period to the identification of the source of the signal; and

un-registering the identification of the source of the signal from the registration upon expiration of the duration of authorized usage time period.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein un-registering the identification of the source of the signal from the registration upon expiration of the duration of authorized usage time period further comprises:

determining whether the source associated with the identification is in a call upon the expiration of the duration of authorized usage time period; and

delaying un-registering the identification of the source of the signal from registration until the call is terminated.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein determining the duration of the authorized usage time period further comprises:

comparing the measured signal strength to a predetermined upper threshold;

setting a predetermined default time period as the duration of authorized usage time period if the measured signal strength exceeds the predetermined upper threshold; and

reducing the duration of authorized usage time period to less than the predetermined default time period if the measured signal strength fails to exceed the predetermined upper threshold.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the reduced authorized usage time period is proportional to the measured signal strength.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

re-measuring the signal strength of the signal;

re-determining the duration of the authorized usage time period based upon the re-measured signal strength; and

re-assigning the duration of the authorized usage time period to the identification of the source of the signal.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein re-measuring the signal strength of the signal further comprises:

transmitting a polling request;

receiving a return signal in response to the polling request; and

measuring signal strength of the return signal.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

ending the authorized usage time period if the re-measured signal strength is less than a predetermined lower threshold.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein ending the authorized usage time period includes setting the duration of authorized usage time period to zero.

19. A method in a wireless local area network for un-registering a wireless mobile communication device currently registered and authorized to operate in the wireless local area network for a pre-assigned usage duration;

the method comprising;

receiving a signal from the wireless mobile communication device;

measuring signal strength of the signal;

determining whether the signal strength fails to exceed a minimum threshold;

ending the pre-assigned usage duration if the signal strength fails to exceed the minimum threshold; and

assigning a new authorized usage duration, based upon a difference between the measured signal strength and a previously measured signal strength, to the wireless mobile communication device if the signal strength exceeds the minimum threshold.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the new authorized usage duration is proportional to the measured signal strength.

21. A wireless local area network system configured to assign variable authorized usage duration to a wireless mobile communication device based upon signal strength, the wireless local area network system comprising:

a local area network;

a base station coupled to the local area network;

the base station including a base transceiver configured to communicate with wireless mobile communication devices by wireless communication;

a wireless mobile communication device coupled to the base station, the wireless mobile communication device including a mobile transceiver configured to communicate with the base station by the wireless communication;

a signal strength indicator coupled to at least one of the base station and the wireless mobile communication device, the signal strength indicator configured to measure signal strength of a signal used in the wireless communication between the base station and the wireless mobile communication device;

a duration calculator coupled to at least one of the base station and the wireless mobile communication device, the duration calculator configured to receive measured signal strength information and to calculate duration of the variable authorized usage duration relative to the measured signal strength information; and

a register coupled to the duration calculator, the register configured to maintain registration of the wireless mobile communication device in the wireless local area network system for the variable authorized usage duration.

22. The wireless local area network system of claim 21, wherein:

the signal strength indicator is coupled to the base station, the signal strength indicator configured to measure signal strength of a signal transmitted by the mobile transceiver, and

the duration calculator is coupled to the base station.

23. The wireless local area network system of claim 21, wherein:

the signal strength indicator is coupled to the wireless mobile communication device, the signal strength indicator configured to measure signal strength of a signal transmitted by the base transceiver,

the mobile transceiver is further configured to transmit measured signal strength information to the base station, and

the duration calculator is coupled to the base station.

24. The wireless local area network system of claim 21, wherein:

the signal strength indicator is coupled to the wireless mobile communication device, the signal strength indicator configured to measure signal strength of a signal transmitted by the base transceiver,

the duration calculator is coupled to the wireless mobile communication device, and the mobile transceiver is further configured to transmit the calculate duration of the variable authorized usage duration to the base station.

25. The wireless local area network system of claim 21, wherein the duration calculator further comprises a lookup table including a plurality of correlations between measured signal strength and corresponding duration of the variable authorized usage duration.