Wireless communication out of range indication

• US 7,630,707 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2006
• Issued: 12/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: McKillop, Christopher, Lee, Michael M., Schell, Stephan Vincent
• Primary Examiner(s): Harper; Vincent P
• Assistant Examiner(s): SANTIAGO CORDERO, MARIVELISSE
• Application Number:
  US11/563,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20080125106A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,107 Days
• Field of Search: 455/421, 455/422.1
• US Class Current: 455/421
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination

Abstract

With respect to a wireless network, an out of range warning provides an estimate of an amount of time remaining until a wireless device is out of range of the wireless network. In this way, the user is presented with an opportunity to take corrective measures, if desired.

Claims

1. A method of providing an out of range warning by a wireless device with respect to a wireless network, comprising:

receiving a wireless transmission;

determining a current quality metric for the received wireless transmission;

estimating a period of time until the wireless device is out of range of the wireless network;

issuing the out of range warning that includes the estimated period of time;

associating a time stamp with the current quality metric;

storing the current quality metric and the associated time stamp as a previous quality metric;

updating the current quality metric and the time stamp; and

calculating a time rate of change of the quality metric;

wherein the calculating the time rate of change of the quality metric, comprises;

subtracting the updated current quality metric from the previous quality metric to form a delta quality metric; and

dividing the delta quality metric by a time interval corresponding to difference between the current time stamp and the previous time stamp; and

wherein calculating the estimated period of time until the wireless device is out of range of the wireless network, comprises;

determining a difference between the current quality metric and a quality metric corresponding to the effective boundary of the wireless network; and

dividing the difference by the time rate of change of the quality metric.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising;

issuing the out of range warning without the estimated period of time if the current quality metric is less than a first threshold.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the first threshold value corresponds to a quality metric indicative of the wireless device approaching a wireless network effective range.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein if the estimated a period of time is greater than a second threshold value corresponding to a period of time longer than which operation of the wireless device would not be substantially affected by a loss of the wireless signal, then the out of range warning is not issued.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein in an inactive mode, the second threshold value is set to an inactive second threshold value.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless network is a wireless communication system and wherein the wireless device is a cellular telephone.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the quality metric is based upon a wireless transmission signal strength.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless network is a data packet based wireless network.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the quality metric is based upon a ping/response model error rate statistic.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the error rate statistic is related to an actual number of received response packets relative to a number of transmitted request commands for a particular period of time.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the warning is selected from a group comprising:

an audible warning, a vibratory warning, a visual warning, a tactile warning, and any combination.

12. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless device is GPS enabled.

13. Computer program product executable by a processor for providing an out of range warning by a wireless device with respect to a wireless network, comprising:

computer code for receiving a wireless transmission;

computer code for determining a current quality metric for the received wireless transmission;

computer code for estimating a period of time until the wireless device is out of range of the wireless network;

computer code for issuing the out of range warning that includes the estimated period of time;

computer code for associating a time stamp with the current quality metric;

computer code for storing the current quality metric and the associated time stamp as a previous quality metric;

computer code for updating the current quality metric and the time stamp; and

computer code for calculating a time rate of change of the quality metric;

wherein the calculating the time rate of change of the quality metric, comprises;

computer code for subtracting the updated current quality metric from the previous quality metric to form a delta quality metric; and

computer code for dividing the delta quality metric by a time interval corresponding to difference between the current time stamp and the previous time stamp; and

wherein calculating the estimated period of time until the wireless device is out of range of the wireless network, comprises;

computer code for determining a difference between the current quality metric and a quality metric corresponding to the effective boundary of the wireless network; and

computer code for dividing the difference by the time rate of change of the quality metric; and

computer readable medium for storing the computer code.

14. Computer program product as recited in claim 13, further comprising;

computer code for issuing the out of range warning without the estimated period of time if the current quality metric is less than a first threshold.

15. Computer program product as recited in claim 14, wherein the first threshold value corresponds to a quality metric indicative of the wireless device approaching a wireless network effective range.

16. Computer program product as recited in claim 13, wherein if the estimated a period of time is greater than a second threshold value corresponding to a period of time longer than which operation of the wireless device would not be substantially affected by a loss of the wireless signal, then the out of range warning is not issued.

17. Computer program product as recited in claim 16, wherein in an inactive mode, the second threshold value is set to an inactive second threshold value.

18. Computer program product as recited in claim 13, wherein the wireless network is a wireless communication system and the wireless device is a cellular telephone.

19. Computer program product as recited in claim 18, wherein the quality metric is based upon a wireless transmission signal strength.

20. Computer program product as recited in claim 13, wherein the wireless network is a data packet based wireless network.

21. Computer program product as recited in claim 20, wherein the quality metric is based upon a ping/response model error rate statistic.

22. Computer program product as recited in claim 21, wherein the error rate statistic is related to an actual number of received response packets relative to a number of transmitted request commands for a particular period of time.

23. A mobile wireless apparatus arranged to issue an out of range warning with respect to a wireless network, comprising;

a receiving unit arranged to receive a wireless transmission; and

a processing unit coupled to the receiving unit arranged to determine a current quality metric for the received wireless transmission, estimate a period of time until the wireless apparatus is out of range of the wireless network, issue the out of range warning that includes the estimated period of time;

associate a time stamp with the current quality metric;

store the current quality metric and the associated time stamp as a previous quality metric;

update the current quality metric and the time stamp; and

calculate a time rate of change of the quality metric;

wherein the calculating the time rate of change of the quality metric, comprises;

subtracting the updated current quality metric from the previous quality metric to form a delta quality metric; and

dividing the delta quality metric by a time interval corresponding to difference between the current time stamp and the previous time stamp; and

wherein calculating the estimated period of time until the wireless device is out of range of the wireless network, comprises;

determining a difference between the current quality metric and a quality metric corresponding to the effective boundary of the wireless network; and

dividing the difference by the time rate of change of the quality metric.

24. An apparatus as recited in claim 23, wherein the out of range warning does not include the estimated time if the current quality metric is less than a first threshold that corresponds to a quality metric indicative of the wireless device approaching a wireless network effective range.

25. An apparatus as recited in claim 23, wherein if the estimated a period of time is greater than a second threshold value corresponding to a period of time longer than which operation of the wireless device would not be substantially affected by a loss of the wireless signal, then the out of range warning is not issued.

26. An apparatus as recited in claim 25, wherein in an inactive mode, the second threshold value is set to an inactive second threshold value.

27. An apparatus as recited in claim 23, wherein the wireless network is a wireless communication system and wherein the wireless device is a cellular telephone.

28. An apparatus as recited in claim 27, wherein the quality metric is based upon a wireless transmission signal strength.

29. An apparatus as recited in claim 23, wherein the apparatus is incorporated into a wireless portable consumer product.

30. An apparatus as recited in claim 29, wherein the wireless portable consumer product is selected from a group comprising:

a cellular telephone, a wireless multimedia player, a PDA.

31. An apparatus as recited in claim 23, wherein the wireless network is a data packet based wireless network.

32. An apparatus as recited in claim 31, wherein the quality metric is based upon a ping/response model error rate statistic.

33. An apparatus as recited in claim 32, wherein the error rate statistic is related to an actual number of received response packets relative to a number of transmitted request commands for a particular period of time.