Device location transition awareness in a wireless modem

• US 7,864,048 B1
• Filed: 09/27/2007
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Green, Douglas R., Cope, Warren B.
• Primary Examiner(s): BLOUNT, ERIC
• Application Number:
  US11/862,768
• Time in Patent Office: 1,195 Days
• Field of Search: 340/568.1, 340/539.1, 340/539.13
• US Class Current: 340/568.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0069 comprising a residential gateway, e.g. those which provide an adapter for POTS or ISDN terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

A method is provided in a communication system for determining a relative position change of a wireless modem. The first location of the wireless modem is determined, and then the wireless modem reports the first location to a service node. A dead reckoning device within the wireless modem then determines a second location of the wireless modem. If the second location is greater than a predetermined distance from the first location, then the wireless modem reports the second location to the service node.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a service node;

a wireless modem configured to determine a first location of the wireless modem and report the first location of the wireless modem to the service node in response to the wireless modem entering an initial powered on state;

the wireless modem further comprising a dead reckoning device configured to receive power from a battery when the wireless modem enters a powered off state and determine a positional displacement of the wireless modem during transit from the first location while the wireless modem is in the powered off state;

in response to the wireless modem being moved further than a predetermined positional displacement from the first location and entering a subsequent powered on state, the wireless modem is configured to determine a second location of the wireless modem based on the positional displacement and report the second location to the service node;

wherein if the wireless modem successfully reports the second location to the service node, then the wireless modem is configured to enable voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) circuitry of the wireless modem, and wherein if the wireless modem fails to report the second location to the service node, then the wireless modem is configured to disable the VoIP circuitry and prompt a user of the wireless modem for a present location of the wireless modem.

2. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the dead reckoning device comprises Micro-Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) sensors.

3. The communication system of claim 1 wherein a user manually reports the first location in response to a prompt from the wireless modem.

4. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the wireless modem is configured to automatically report the first location.

5. The communication system of claim 1 wherein, in response to reporting the second location, the second location becomes the new first location.

6. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the service node comprises 911 Emergency Services.

7. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the predetermined positional displacement is greater than 100 yards.

8. A method for determining a relative position change of a wireless modem, the method comprising:

in response to the wireless modem entering an initial powered on state, determining a first location of the wireless modem and reporting the first location to a service node;

determining a positional displacement of the wireless modem during transit from the first location while the wireless modem is in a powered off state, wherein the positional displacement is determined utilizing a dead reckoning device configured to receive power from a battery when the wireless modem enters the powered off state;

in response to the wireless modem being moved further than a predetermined positional displacement from the first location and the wireless modem entering a subsequent powered on state, determining a second location of the wireless modem based on the positional displacement and reporting the second location to the service node;

wherein if reporting the second location to the service node is successful, then enabling voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) circuitry of the wireless modem, and wherein if reporting the second location to the service node fails, then disabling the VoIP circuitry and prompting a user of the wireless modem for a present location of the wireless modem.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the dead reckoning device comprises Micro-Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) sensors.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein reporting the first location comprises a user manually reporting the first location in response to a prompt from the wireless modem.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein reporting the first location comprises the wireless modem automatically reporting the first location.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein, in response to reporting the second location, the second location becomes the new first location.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the service node comprises 911 Emergency Services.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the predetermined positional displacement is greater than 100 yards.