Multi-MVNO wireless service

• US 7,974,601 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2009
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Anderson, Jim, White, Andrew, Gibson, Michael, Cerami, Rich, Stevens, Gilman
• Primary Examiner(s): Rampuria; Sharad
• Application Number:
  US12/405,778
• Publication Number:
  US 20090182768A1
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 455405-408, 4554321-4323, 455/435.2, 455/552.1, 455/456.2, 379/114.01
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition

Abstract

Systems and methods for determining an optimal range of frequencies of electromagnetic waves are described. In some embodiments, mobile voice communications devices measure average power received from certain ranges of such frequencies, each range associated with a communications service provider. A cost may be associated with each range. An optimal range of frequencies may be determined based on these factors. Each device may also receive a set of data identifying the location of the device. Each device may transmit one or more communications signals to a CIP with such measurements and location information, and some of this information may be stored in a database.

Claims

1. A method of creating a database with information on each of a plurality of substantially nonoverlapping ranges of frequencies of electromagnetic waves, in each of a plurality of geographic regions, the method comprising:

receiving a first set of data containing information from a first plurality of mobile voice communications devices in a first geographic region, the information indicating an average power received for each range of the plurality of ranges by the plurality of mobile voice communications devices in the first geographic region;

receiving a second set of data containing information from a second plurality of mobile voice communications devices in a second geographic region, the information indicating an average power received for each range of the plurality of ranges by the plurality of mobile voice communications devices in the second geographic region;

maintaining the database with information associating a cost with each range of the plurality in the first geographic region, and associating a cost with each range of the plurality in the second geographic region, wherein the cost associated with one or more of the ranges is different in the first geographic region than in the second geographic region; and

populating the database with data comprising the average power received for each range of the plurality of ranges in the first geographic region and each range of the plurality of ranges in the second geographic region.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a suggested range of frequencies of the plurality of ranges for a selected mobile voice communications device based at least in part on the cost associated with each range for a selected one of the first geographic region or second geographic region where the selected mobile voice communications device is located, the identification also based at least in part on the average power received from each range in the selected geographic region.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each range of the plurality of ranges is associated with a different provider of communications services.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a selected range of the plurality of ranges is associated with a different provider of communications services in the first geographic region than the second geographic region.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the first set of data comprises:

receiving a communications signal from each of the first plurality of mobile voice communications devices in the first geographic region, wherein the communications signal indicates an average power received for at least a subset of the plurality of ranges and identifies a device location.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining that the first plurality of mobile voice communications devices are each located in the first geographic region based on the identified device location in each communication signal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein maintaining the database further comprises:

associating a selected one of a plurality of security levels with each range of the plurality of ranges.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

identifying a suggested range of frequencies of the plurality of ranges for a selected mobile voice communications device based at least in part on the security level associated with each range.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein a selected range of the plurality of ranges is associated with a different security level in the first geographic region than the second geographic region.

10. A method of determining a suggested range of frequencies of electromagnetic waves among a plurality of substantially nonoverlapping ranges of frequencies of electromagnetic waves, the method comprising:

providing a first set of data from a first set of one or more mobile communications devices located in a first geographic region, the first set of data indicating an average power received for each range of the plurality;

providing a second set of data from a second set of one or more mobile communications devices located in a second geographic region, the second set of data indicating an average power received for each range of the plurality;

accessing information which associates a cost with each range of the plurality in the first geographic region and in the second geographic region, wherein the cost associated with one or more of the ranges is different in the first geographic region than in the second geographic region; and

identifying a suggested range of frequencies of the plurality of ranges for a selected mobile communications device based at least in part on the cost associated with each range for a selected one of the first geographic region or second geographic region where the selected mobile voice communications device is located, the identification also based at least in part on the average power received from each range in the selected geographic region.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

transmitting a communications signal indicating the suggested range of frequencies for use by the selected mobile communications device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the transmitted communications signal indicating the suggested range of frequencies further comprises a direction to terminate an existing connection to a provider not associated with the suggested range.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the existing connection comprises an ongoing phone call, and the ongoing phone call is maintained and automatically transferred to a connection with the provider associated with the suggested range.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the selected mobile communications device comprises at least a subset of the first set of one or more mobile communications devices.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving the first set of data; and

receiving the second set of data.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein providing the first set of data comprises:

receiving a communications signal from each of the first set of one or more communications devices in the first geographic region, wherein the communications signal indicates an average power received for at least a subset of the plurality of ranges and identifies a device location; and

processing the received communication signals to generate the first set of data.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, from the selected mobile communications device, one or more sets of location data identifying the location of the selected mobile communications device; and

processing the received one or more sets of location data to calculate the probability of movement patterns of the device, wherein the suggested range of frequencies is further based at least in part on the probability of movement patterns.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein,

the identification of the suggested range of frequencies is performed by a controlled interface point;

the selected mobile communications device comprises a cellular phone or a voice over Internet Protocol phone; and

the selected mobile communications device is further configured to receive a set of Global Positioning System (GPS) data identifying the location of the selected mobile communications device; and

to transmit a communications signal that comprises the GPS data to be stored in a database.

19. A method of creating a database with information on each of a plurality of substantially nonoverlapping ranges of frequencies of electromagnetic waves, the method comprising:

maintaining the database with information which associates a cost with each range of the plurality of ranges and associates one of a plurality of security levels with each range of the plurality of ranges;

receiving a set of data containing information from a plurality of mobile voice communications devices, the information indicating an average power received for each range of the plurality of ranges by the plurality of mobile voice communications devices;

populating the database with average power data for each range of the plurality of ranges from the received set of data; and

identifying a suggested range of frequencies of the plurality of ranges for a selected mobile voice communications device based at least in part on the cost associated with each range, the average power received from each range, and the security level associated with each range.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

determining that the selected mobile voice communications device is located within a first geographic region, wherein the cost in the database associated with one or more of the ranges is different in the first geographic region than in a second geographic region.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

determining that the selected mobile voice communications device is located within a first geographic region, wherein the security level in the database associated with one or more of the ranges is different in the first geographic region than in a second geographic region.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein,

in a first geographic region, each range of the plurality of ranges is associated, in the database, with a different provider of communications services;

and

in a second geographic region, only a subset the plurality of ranges is associated, in the database, with different providers of communications services.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

transmitting a first communications signal indicating the suggested range of frequencies for use by the selected mobile communications device,

wherein receiving the set of data comprises receiving a second set of communications signals transmitted from each of the first plurality of mobile voice communications devices.

24. A method of determining a suggested range of frequencies of electromagnetic waves among a plurality of substantially nonoverlapping ranges of frequencies of electromagnetic waves, the method comprising:

providing a first set of data from a set of one or more mobile communications devices indicating an average power received for each range of the plurality;

accessing cost information associating a cost with each range of the plurality of ranges;

accessing security information associating one of a plurality of security levels with each range of the plurality of ranges; and

identifying a suggested range of frequencies of the plurality of ranges for use by a selected mobile communications device based at least in part on the cost associated with each range, the average power received from each range, and the security level associated with each range.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein providing the first set of data comprises:

receiving a communications signal from each of the set of one or more mobile communications devices, wherein the communications signal indicates an average power received for at least a subset of the plurality of ranges and identifies a device location; and

processing the received communication signals to generate the first set of data.

26. The method of claim 24 further comprising:

receiving a first set of one or more communications signals comprising the first set of data; and

transmitting a second communications signal indicating the suggested range of frequencies for use by the selected mobile communications device.