Network call management in case of low battery condition of mobile communications terminals

• US 8,010,167 B2
• Filed: 12/24/2004
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telecom Italia S.p.A.
• Original Assignee: Telecom Italia S.p.A.
• Inventors: Camerano, Ivano, Cotevino, Agostino
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller; Brandon J
• Application Number:
  US11/793,685
• Publication Number:
  US 20080311961A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,440 Days
• Field of Search: 455572-574, 455/466, 455418-420, 455/500, 455/412.2, 455/412.1, 455/343.2, 455/343.5, 455/343.6, 455/414.4, 455517-519, 455/456.1, 455/456.5, 455/456.3, 455/456.6, 370311-312
• US Class Current: 455/574
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0225 using monitoring of external events, e.g. the presence of a signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

In a mobile communications system which includes a mobile communications network and a battery-powered mobile communications terminal, a method including: receiving, at a mobile communications network apparatus subsystem, a notification of a low battery charge condition from the battery-powered mobile communications terminal, and having the mobile communications network apparatus subsystem inform at least one second user, different from a first user using the battery-powered mobile communications terminal, based on the received notification.

Claims

1. In a mobile communications system comprising a mobile communications network and a battery-powered mobile communications terminal, a method comprising:

receiving, at a mobile communications network apparatus subsystem, a notification of a low battery charge condition from the battery-powered mobile communications terminal of a first user;

retrieving, at the mobile communications network apparatus subsystem, a geographic location corresponding to an approximate geographic location of the battery-powered mobile communications terminal at the time of sending the notification;

determining a message format of a second user corresponding to a communications terminal of the second user; and

sending a first message to the second user in the same message format of the second user, the first message informing the second user of the notification of the low battery charge condition and the retrieved geographic location.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein sending the first message to the second user comprises having the mobile communications network apparatus subsystem inform the second user if the second user places a call to thebattery-powered mobile communications terminal.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising managing an incoming communication directed to the battery-powered mobile communications terminal based on the received notification therefrom.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein managing the incoming communication comprises:

avoiding forwarding the communication to the battery-powered mobile communications terminal if a communication sender is not in an allowed communication sender list.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing a notification list of users, wherein informing the second user comprises informing at least one user on the notification list.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein sending the first message to the second user comprises issuing at least one of a short message service message, a multimedia messaging service message, a voice message, an instant message, and an electronic mail message.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

setting, at the battery-powered mobile communications terminal, at least a first battery charge level threshold and a second battery charge level threshold;

receiving as the notification a comparison of a battery charge level to the first and second battery charge level thresholds; and

if the battery charge level is lower than the first battery charge level threshold, sending the first message;

or if the battery charge level is lower than the second battery charge level threshold, sending a second message to at least the second user.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said sending the first message or the second message is performed automatically.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said notification comprises at least one of an unstructured supplementary service data message, a short messaging service message, and a presence message.

10. In a mobile communications system comprising a mobile communications network and a battery-powered mobile communications terminal, a method comprising:

receiving, at a mobile communications network apparatus subsystem, a notification of a low battery charge condition from the battery-powered mobile communications terminal of a first user;

retrieving, at the mobile communications network apparatus subsystem, a geographic location corresponding to an approximate geographic location of the battery-powered mobile communications terminal at the time of sending the notification;

informing at least one second user of the notification of the low battery charge condition and the retrieved geographic location;

providing a list of users allowed to place calls;

checking whether the second user is in the list;

in the negative case, avoiding forwarding a call from the second user to thebattery-powered mobile communications terminal; and

in the positive case, allowing the second user to choose whether or not to continue with the call to the battery-powered mobile communications terminal, and if the second user chooses not to continue the call, avoiding forwarding the call to the battery-powered mobile communications terminal.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said list comprises at least one allowed caller specified by the first user of the mobile communications terminal.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein said avoiding forwarding the call further comprises forwarding the call to a mailbox associated with the first user.

13. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

informing the first user of the calls or communications not forwarded to the battery-powered mobile communications terminal during the low battery charge condition.

14. A mobile communications system comprising a mobile communications network apparatus subsystem adapted to:

receive, from a battery-powered mobile communications terminal of a first user, a notification of a low battery charge condition;

retrieve a geographic location corresponding to an approximate geographic location of the battery-powered mobile communications terminal at the time of sending the notification;

determine a message format of a second user corresponding to a communications terminal of the second user; and

send a first message to the second user in the same message format of the second user, the first message configured to inform the second user of the notification of the low battery charge condition and the retrieved geographic location.

15. The mobile communications system according to claim 14, wherein the mobile communications network apparatus subsystem is adapted to send the first message to the second user if the second user places a call to the battery-powered mobile communications terminal.

16. The mobile communications system according to claim 15, wherein the mobile communications network apparatus subsystem is further adapted to manage the call by the second user according to the received notification.

17. The mobile communications system according to claim 14, wherein the mobile communications network apparatus subsystem is further adapted to manage an incoming communication directed to the battery-powered mobile communications terminal based on the received notification therefrom.

18. The mobile communications system according to claim 14, wherein the mobile communications network apparatus subsystem is further adapted to:

manage a list of users to be sent the first message informing of the low battery charge condition experienced by the battery-powered mobile communications terminal of the first user, and send to the second user the first message if the second user is in the list.

19. The mobile communications system according to claim 14, wherein the first message to the second user comprises at least one of a short messaging service message, a multimedia messaging service message, a voice message, an instant message, and an electronic mail message.

20. A mobile communications system comprising a mobile communications network apparatus subsystem adapted to:

receive, from a battery-powered mobile communications terminal of a first user, a notification of a low battery charge condition;

retrieve a geographic location corresponding to an approximate geographic location of the battery-powered mobile communications terminal at the time of sending the notification;

inform at least one second user of the notification of a low battery charge condition and the retrieved geographic location;

manage a list of users allowed to place calls to the battery-powered mobile communications terminal;

when a call from the second user is placed, check whether the second user placing the call is in the list;

if the second user is not in the list, avoid forwarding the call to the battery-powered mobile communications terminal; and

if the second user is in the list, allow the second user to choose whether or not to continue with the call to the battery-powered mobile communications terminal, and if the second user chooses not to continue the call, avoid forwarding the call to the battery-powered mobile communications terminal.

21. The mobile communications system according to claim 20, wherein the list comprises at least one allowed caller specified by the first user of the mobile communications terminal.

22. The mobile communications system according to claim 20, wherein the mobile communications network apparatus subsystem is further adapted to forward the call not allowed to be forwarded to the battery-powered mobile communications terminal to a mailbox associated with the first user.

23. The mobile communications system according to claim 20, wherein the mobile communications network apparatus subsystem is further adapted to inform the first user of the communications not forwarded to the battery-powered mobile communications terminal during the low battery charge condition.