Method and system for initiating a communication with a network entity to communicate information regarding a fixed wireless device

• US 7,529,544 B1
• Filed: 10/25/2004
• Issued: 05/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2004
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Johnson, Jack R., Walton, Vicki L., Sherwood, Susan, Oh, Dae-Sik
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng; George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miller; Brandon J
• Application Number:
  US10/972,949
• Time in Patent Office: 1,653 Days
• Field of Search: 455/426.2, 455/554.2, 455/440, 455/456.3, 455/572, 455/574, 455/426.1, 455/456.5, 455/435.1
• US Class Current: 455/426.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/04 using triggered events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/14 WLL [Wireless Local Loop]; RLL [Radio Local Loop]

Abstract

A method, system, and apparatus for initiating a communication between a fixed wireless device and a network entity. A wireless local loop hub or other fixed wireless device upon being reconnected to fixed-position power, will determine if fixed-position power was disconnected for a time-duration exceeding a time-threshold, and if so, responsively initiating a communication with a network entity in order to communicate information regarding the wireless local loop hub or other fixed wireless device.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

power logic arranged to detect disconnection of fixed-position power to the system and to detect connection of fixed-position power to the system, wherein the detected connection of fixed-position power occurs after the detected disconnection of fixed-position power to the system;

a back-up power source for operation of the power logic while fixed-position power to the system is disconnected;

location logic arranged to determine a current location of the system;

data storage for storing a time-threshold;

time logic arranged to determine, in response to the detected connection of fixed-position power to the system, that fixed-position power to the system had been disconnected for a time-duration that exceeds the time-threshold; and

a communication interface arranged to provide a network entity with the current location, wherein the communication interface provides the network entity with the current location in response to the determination that fixed-position power to the system had been disconnected for a time-duration that exceeds the time threshold.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a processor, wherein the power logic comprises circuitry that sends (i) a first signal to the processor to indicate when fixed-position power to the system is disconnected, and (ii) a second signal to the processor to indicate when fixed-position power is connected to the system.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication interface comprises a wireless network interface for communicating with the network entity via a radio access network.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication interface comprises a packet-data network interface for acquiring packet-data connectivity with the network entity.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication interface is arranged to communicate information regarding the system by receiving the information from the network entity.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a processor, wherein the power logic, time logic, and location logic each comprise program instructions which are executable by the processor and which are stored in the data storage.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a processor;

wherein, while fixed-position power to the system is disconnected, the back-up power source provides power for operation of the time logic and the processor;

wherein the processor stores (i) a first time stamp that indicates when the fixed-position power to the system is disconnected, and (ii) a second time stamp that indicates when the fixed-position power to the system is reconnected; and

wherein the time logic comprises machine language instructions executable to determine the time-duration by determining a difference between the first time stamp and the second time stamp.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a processor;

wherein the back-up power source provides power for operation of the time logic and the processor while fixed-position power to the system is disconnected,

wherein the time logic comprises machine language instructions executable by the processor;

wherein, in response to the detected disconnection of fixed-position power to the system, the processor starts a timer to begin counting an amount of time that fixed-position power to the system is disconnected, and in response to the detected connection of fixed-position power to the system, the processor stops the timer counting the amount of time that fixed-position power to the system is disconnected; and

wherein, after the processor stops the timer, the processor (i) reads the timer so as to determine the time-duration, and (ii) thereafter compares the time-duration to the time-threshold so as to determine whether the time-duration exceeds the time-threshold.

9. A wireless local loop hub comprising:

data storage for storing a time-threshold;

power logic arranged to detect disconnection of fixed-position power to the wireless local loop hub and to detect connection of fixed-position power to the wireless local loop hub, wherein the detected connection of fixed-position power to the wireless local loop hub occurs after the detected disconnection of fixed-position power to the wireless local loop hub;

a back-up power source for operation of the power logic while fixed-position power to the wireless local loop hub is disconnected;

time logic arranged to determine, in response to the detected connection of fixed-position power to the wireless local loop hub, that fixed-position power to the wireless local loop hub had been disconnected for a time-duration that exceeds the time-threshold;

location logic arranged to determine a current location of the wireless local loop hub; and

a communication interface arranged to provide a network entity with the current location, wherein the communication interface provides the network entity with the current location in response to the determination that fixed-position power to the wireless local loop hub had been disconnected for the time-duration that exceeds the time-threshold.

10. The wireless local loop hub of claim 9, further comprising:

a processor, wherein the power logic comprises circuitry that sends (i) a first signal to the processor to indicate when fixed-position power to the wireless local loop hub is disconnected, and (ii) a second signal to the processor to indicate when fixed-position power is connected to the wireless local loop hub.

11. A method carried out at a wireless local loop hub, the method comprising:

storing a time-threshold at a data storage;

disconnecting fixed-position power to the wireless local loop hub;

while fixed-position power to the wireless local loop hub is disconnected, the wireless local loop hub (i) providing back-up power for the wireless local loop hub to use while fixed-position power is disconnected, and (ii) detecting the disconnection of fixed-position power to the wireless local loop hub;

after detecting the disconnection of fixed-position power to the wireless local loop hub, connecting fixed-position power to the wireless local loop hub,

while fixed-position power is connected to the wireless local loop hub, the wireless local loop hub detecting the connection of fixed-position power to the wireless local loop hub and then determining that fixed-position power to the wireless local loop hub had been disconnected for a time-duration that exceeds the time-threshold stored at the data storage;

determining a current location of the wireless local loop hub; and

in response to determining that fixed-position power to the wireless local loop hub had been disconnected for the time-duration that exceeds the time-threshold, providing to a network entity the current location of the wireless local loop hub.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

storing a first time-stamp in response to detecting disconnection of fixed-position power to the wireless local loop hub, wherein the first time-stamp indicates when the disconnection of fixed-position power to the wireless local loop hub occurs,

storing a second time-stamp in response to detecting connection of fixed-position power to the wireless local loop hub, wherein the second time-stamp indicates when the connection of fixed-position power to the wireless local loop hub occurs, and

determining the time duration that fixed-position power had been disconnected by subtracting the first time-stamp from the second time-stamp.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

in response to determining that fixed-position power to the wireless local loop hub had been disconnected for the time-duration that exceeds the time-threshold, initiating a communication with the network entity,

wherein initiating the communication with the network entity comprises sending an origination message to a wireless network to obtain packed data connectivity and to initiate a packet data session via a packet-switched network.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

wherein detecting disconnection of fixed-position power to the wireless local loop hub comprises receiving a first signal at a processor of the wireless local loop hub and then executing machine language instructions at the processor so as to detect that fixed-position power to the wireless local loop hub has been disconnected, and

wherein detecting connection of fixed-position power to the wireless local loop hub comprises receiving a second signal at the processor and then executing machine language instructions at the processor so as to detect that fixed-position power has been connected to the wireless local loop hub.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the wireless local loop hub comprises a communication interface for providing the network entity with the current location of the wireless local hub.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the wireless local loop hub connects to land-line telephone equipment so as to provide the land-line telephone equipment access to a public switched telephone network via a radio access network.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the land-line telephone equipment is selected from the group consisting of (i) a telephone, (ii) an answering machine, and (iii) a facsimile machine.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the wireless local loop hub provides the land-line telephone equipment with a dial tone and a signal that indicates when the land-line telephone equipment should ring to announce an incoming call.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the wireless local loop hub comprises a global positioning system (GPS) receiver for determining the current location of the wireless local loop hub.