System and method for maintaining communication channels through coverage gaps

• US 7,603,115 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2005
• Issued: 10/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Banavar, Guruduth Somasekhara, Ebling, Maria Rene
• Primary Examiner(s): Harper; Vincent P
• Assistant Examiner(s): SANTIAGO CORDERO, MARIVELISSE
• Application Number:
  US11/078,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20060205402A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,677 Days
• Field of Search: 455/421, 455/445
• US Class Current: 455/421
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/00 Network planning, e.g. coverage or traffic planning tools; Network deployment, e.g. resource partitioning or cells structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/19 Connection re-establishment

Abstract

A system and method for restoring communications through breaks in wireless coverage includes identifying a coverage gap in a wireless coverage area and notifying system users of the existence of the coverage gap. Connection information is distributed to other base stations to automatically reconnect parties upon exiting the coverage gap.

Claims

1. A method for restoring communications through breaks in wireless coverage, comprising:

identifying a coverage gap in a wireless coverage area;

notifying system users of the existence of a coverage gap;

requesting a callee from among the system users to hold during the coverage gap;

offering the callee access to a voicemail of a caller from among the system users when the callee is unwilling to hold during the coverage gap; and

reconnecting parties upon exiting the coverage gap;

wherein the step of identifying a coverage gap includes;

observing, by an infrastructure of a communication system to which the caller is subscribed, patterns of movement over time by the caller; and

making predictions, by the infrastructure, of a route of travel of a current trip by the caller based on file observed patterns of movement over time;

wherein the step of identifying a coverage gap further includes;

recording a time and a base station from which a cell phone off the caller loses coverage;

recording a time and a base station to which the cell phone of the caller resumes coverage;

repeating said recording steps with respect to a plurality of different base stations;

calculating a range of gap lengths based on the plurality of different base stations;

averaging the gap lengths in the range of gap lengths; and

specifying to the callee an average gap length based on a result of said averaging step.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of identifying a coverage gap includes calculating a gap length between coverage areas, wherein the gap length is calculated based on at least weather conditions.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the step of notifying includes notifying users of the gap length.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of notifying includes displaying information regarding the coverage gap on a display of a mobile communication device.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of notifying includes audibly rendering information regarding the coverage gap on a speaker of a mobile communication device.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the coverage gap includes a region where signal strength is below a threshold value.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of reconnecting includes distributing connection information to other base stations.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the step of distributing includes distributing the connection information to probable next base stations.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining the probable next base stations based on speed, direction of motion and proximity to the caller.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of collecting unused connection information from base stations for disposal.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of identifying a coverage gap in a wireless coverage area includes employing positioning information to detect a coverage gap.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of providing user options for taking action while in the coverage gap.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying a coverage gap further includes receiving shared information regarding the route of travel of the current trip from a mapping service that is independent of the method.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying a coverage gap further includes repeating said recording steps with respect to a plurality of users, and wherein the step of calculating a range of gap lengths based on the plurality of different base stations is further based on the plurality of users.

15. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for restoring communications through breaks in wireless coverage as recited in claim 1.

16. A method for restoring communications through breaks in wireless coverage, comprising:

detecting a coverage gap in a wireless coverage area;

notifying system users of the existence of the coverage gap prior to entering the coverage gap;

prompting system users entering the coverage gap to select an option for handling a current communication in view of the coverage gap;

distributing connection information to possible next cell stations; and

automatically reconnecting the communication based on the connection information distributed to the next cell stations upon exiting the coverage gap,

wherein the option includes requesting a callee from among the system users to hold during the coverage gap and offering the callee access to a voicemail of a caller from among the system users when the callee is unwilling to hold during the coverage gap; and

wherein the step of detecting a coverage gap includes;

observing, by an infrastructure of a communication system to which the caller is subscribed, patterns of movement over time by the caller; and

making predictions, by the infrastructure, of a route of travel of a current trip by the caller based on file observed patterns of movement over time;

wherein the step of detecting a coverage gap further includes;

recording a time and a base station from which a cell phone off the caller loses coverage;

recording a time and a base station to which the cell phone of the caller resumes coverage;

repeating said recording steps with respect to a plurality of different base stations;

calculating a range of gap lengths based on the plurality of different base stations;

averaging the gap lengths in the range of gap lengths; and

specifying to the callee an average gap length based on a result of said averaging step.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the step of detecting a coverage gap includes employing statistical data for predicting when a coverage gap is entered.

18. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the step of detecting a coverage gap includes calculating a gap length between coverage areas, wherein the gap length is calculated based on at least weather conditions.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein the step of notifying includes notifying users of the gap length.

20. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the step of notifying includes visually displaying information regarding the coverage gap on a mobile communication device.

21. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the step of notifying includes audibly rendering information regarding the coverage gap on a speaker of a mobile communication device.

22. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the coverage gap includes a region where signal strength is below a threshold value.

23. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the step of distributing includes distributing the connection information to adjacent base stations.

24. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising the step of collecting unused connection information from base stations for disposal.

25. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the step of detecting a coverage gap in a wireless coverage area includes employing positioning information to detect a coverage gap.

26. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for restoring communications through breaks in wireless coverage as recited in claim 16.

27. A system for restoring communications through breaks in wireless coverage, comprising:

a location module, which determines a position of a user relative to a coverage gap region and provides notification that a coverage gap is approaching;

a selection mechanism, which records a user option and triggers an action upon notification of the existence office approaching coverage area gap;

a distribution mechanism, which distributes connection information to candidate cells such that when the user exits the coverage gap communications interfered with by entering the coverage gap region are reestablished; and

means for observing patterns of movement over time by the caller; and

means for making predictions of a route of travel of a current trip by the caller based on the observed patterns of movement over time,

means for recording a time and a base station from which a cell phone off the caller loses coverage;

means for recording a time and a base station to which the cell phone of the caller resumes coverage;

means for repeating said recording steps with respect to a plurality of different base stations;

means for calculating a range of gap lengths based on the plurality of different base stations;

means for averaging the gap lengths in the range of gap lengths; and

means for specifying to the callee an average gap length based on a result of said averaging step;

wherein the user option includes requesting a callee from among the system users to hold during file coverage gap and offering the callee access to a voicemail of the user when the callee is unwilling to hold during the coverage gap and

wherein the means for observing and the means for making predictions are included in an infrastructure of a communication system to which the caller is subscribed.

28. The system as recited in claim 27, wherein the location module includes a program that determines a position of a user based on at least one of map information, global position satellite, signal strength, e911 and distances between cell stations.

29. The system as recited in claim 27, wherein the location module anticipates a coverage gap based upon a comparison between a coverage area map and a user'"'"'s position.

30. The system as recited in claim 27, wherein the location module further provides an estimation of gap length or time based on at least weather conditions.

31. The system as recited in claim 27, wherein the system includes a plurality of mobile devices, each mobile device including an alert mechanism to alert a user of an approaching coverage gap.

32. The system as recited in claim 27, wherein the selection mechanism permits a user to select terminating a call upon entry into the coverage area gap.

33. The system as recited in claim 27, wherein the selection mechanism permits a user to select to reconnect a call upon exiting the coverage area gap.

34. The system as recited in claim 27, wherein the distribution mechanism collects additional copies of connection information in the candidate cells where the connection information was not used to reestablish the connection.

35. A method for communicating breaks in wireless coverage, comprising:

identifying a coverage gap in a wireless coverage area;

notifying system users of the existence of a coverage gap;

requesting a callee from among the system users to hold during the coverage gap; and

offering the callee access to a voicemail of a caller from among the system users when the callee is unwilling to hold during the coverage gap, and

wherein the step of identifying a coverage gap includes;

observing, by an infrastructure of a communication system to which the caller is subscribed, patterns of movement over time by the caller; and

making predictions, by the infrastructure, of a route of travel of a current trip by the caller based on the observed patterns of movement over time;

wherein the step of identifying a coverage gap further includes;

recording a time and a base station from which a cell phone off the caller loses coverage;

recording a time and a base station to which the cell phone of the caller resumes coverage;

repeating said recording steps with respect to a plurality of different base stations;

calculating a range of gap lengths based on the plurality of different base stations;

averaging the gap lengths in the range of gap lengths; and

specifying to the callee an average gap length based on a result of said averaging step.