Mobile station randomizing of message transmission timing to mitigate mass message event

• US 7,379,705 B1
• Filed: 09/08/2004
• Issued: 05/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Neisinger, Chris S., Rados, Steven R.
• Primary Examiner(s): VO, NGUYEN THANH
• Application Number:
  US10/935,280
• Time in Patent Office: 1,357 Days
• Field of Search: 455/2.01, 455/466, 455/550.1, 370/346, 370/432, 725/9, 725/10, 725/13
• US Class Current: 455/2.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1041 Televoting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks

Abstract

To mitigate the impact of a mass communication event, such as a mass voting event, on the resources of the mobile wireless communication network, each user'"'"'s mobile station is adapted to appropriately adjust its timing of the transmission during the mass communication event. In a voting example, the mobile station delays sending the user'"'"'s vote by a random time interval. When implemented in a substantial number of mobile stations, the mobile stations randomly delay their individual transmissions, effectively spreading the traffic over a larger time window, thereby reducing the instantaneous peak load on the wireless network. However, since the solution is implemented in the mobile stations, there is no added overhead traffic related to the event at or around the time of the event. Consequently, handling of the event requires less network capacity to account for this bursty traffic.

Claims

1. A method of conducting a mass communication event via a wireless communication network, comprising steps of:

(a) at a time prior to and independent of time of the mass communication event, programming users'"'"' mobile stations with one or more parameters for control of a random delay calculation function related to the mass communication event;

(b) at each respective one of the mobile stations, executing steps comprising;

(i) during the time of the mass communication event, prompting a user of the respective mobile station for and receiving an input from the user relating to the mass communication event;

(ii) calculating a random delay interval to extend from the time of receiving the user input, based on the programmed one or more control parameters;

(iii) delaying for the calculated random interval; and

(iv) after expiration of the calculated random delay interval following receipt of the user input, attempting a communication through the wireless communication network regarding the input from the user relating to the mass communication event; and

(c) processing randomly delayed communications from the mobile stations through the wireless communication network regarding the user inputs relating to the mass communication event.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the attempted communication comprises a transmission selected from the group consisting of:

dialing a number associated with the mass communication event through the wireless communication network;

sending a short message service (SMS) message regarding the input from the user through the wireless communication network; and

sending a packet data communication regarding the input from the user through the wireless communication network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of programming comprises downloading the one or more parameters for control of the random delay calculation function to the users'"'"' mobile stations over the air through the wireless communication network, and the downloading occurs.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising downloading application software to each of the mobile stations over the air through the wireless communication network, wherein execution of the downloaded software causes each respective mobile station to perform the steps (i) through (iv).

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the downloaded application software includes programming for implementing the random delay calculation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the mass communication event is a voting event, and each communication through the wireless communication network regarding user input indicates a user'"'"'s vote.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile stations implement the calculating, delaying and attempting communication steps without receiving any messages through the wireless communication network regarding programming of delay control parameters around or during the time of the mass communication event.

8. A product comprising a machine readable storage medium and application software embodied in the machine readable storage medium, for controlling operations of a mobile station through a wireless communication network, the application software comprising programming causing the mobile station to perform steps related to a mass communication event, comprising:

at a time prior to and independent of time of the mass communication event, storing in the mobile station one or more parameters for control of a random delay calculation function related to the mass communication event;

during the time of the mass communication event, prompting a user of the mobile station for and receiving an input from the user relating to the mass communication event;

calculating a random delay interval based at least in part on the one or more parameters;

waiting for the calculated random delay interval; and

after expiration of the calculated random delay interval following receipt of the user input, initiating a communication through the wireless communication network regarding the input from the user relating to the mass communication event.

9. The product of claim 8, wherein the step of calculating comprises:

calculating a random value;

adding a fixed minimum delay value to the random value, to calculate the random delay interval; and

converting the calculated random delay interval to a time by adding the calculated random delay interval to a time of receiving the input from the user relating to the mass communication event, for comparison to current time to determine the expiration of the calculated random delay interval.

10. The product of claim 8, wherein the one or more parameters comprise predetermined minimum and maximum delay values, and the step of calculating comprises calculating a random value for delay between the predetermined minimum and maximum delay values.

11. The product of claim 10, wherein the software also causes the mobile station to obtain the predetermined minimum and maximum delay values via a communication through the wireless communication network at the time prior to and independent of the time of the mass communication event.

12. The product of claim 8, wherein the mass communication event relates to voting and the input from the user relating to the mass communication event comprises a user'"'"'s vote.

13. The product of claim 8, wherein the input from the user further comprises a selection of a venue from among a plurality of possible voting venues served via the wireless communication network.

14. The product of claim 8, wherein the programming is adapted for downloading to the mobile station via a communication through the wireless communication network.

15. A mobile station comprising:

a memory storing programming, including application software;

a processor coupled to the memory, for accessing and executing the programming; and

a wireless transceiver controlled by the processor, for digital communication over-the-air via a wireless mobile communication network,

wherein execution of the application software causes the processor to control operations of the mobile station so as to perform steps in relation to a mass communication event, comprising;

at a time prior to and independent of time of the mass communication event, storing in the mobile station one or more parameters for control of a random delay calculation function related to the mass communication event;

during the time of the mass communication event, prompting a user of the mobile station for and receiving an input from the user relating to the mass communication event;

calculating a random delay interval based at least in part on the one or more parameters;

waiting for the calculated random delay interval; and

after expiration of the calculated random delay interval following receipt of the user input, initiating a communication through the wireless communication network regarding the input from the user relating to the mass communication event.

16. A method of sending a communication relating to a mass communication event through a wireless communication network, comprising steps of:

at a time prior to and independent of time of the mass communication event, storing in a mobile station one or more parameters for control of a random delay calculation function related to the mass communication event;

during the time of the mass communication event, prompting a user of the mobile station for and receiving an input from the user relating to the mass communication event;

calculating a random delay interval based at least in part on the one or more parameters;

waiting for the calculated random delay interval after receiving the user input; and

after expiration of the calculated random delay interval, initiating a communication from the mobile station through the wireless communication network regarding the input from the user relating to the mass communication event.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the mobile station implements the calculating, waiting and initiating communication steps without receiving any messages through the wireless communication network regarding programming of delay control parameters around or during the time of the mass communication event.