Wireless network coverage based on quality of service

• US 8,116,787 B1
• Filed: 06/30/2006
• Issued: 02/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cingular Wireless II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lektuai, Gaviphat
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): Balaoing, Ariel
• Application Number:
  US11/428,256
• Time in Patent Office: 2,055 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.2, 455/435.2, 455/456.1, 455/552.1, 455/414.2, 370/338, 370/342, 370/347, 370/331
• US Class Current: 455/456.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Coverage-based quality-of-service (QoS) in wireless networks. A premium QoS service is provided by the network to users who qualify to receive QoS signals by moving handsets into a bounded premium service geographical coverage area. A mobile handset periodically transmits handset lat-long data to the wireless network via a control channel. The network includes data that defines the bounded geographical coverage area. The wireless network receives the handset lat-long data and maps the data to coverage area data. If the handset lat-long data maps into the coverage area data, the user handset is authorized to receive and use the premium QoS signals over a 3G network; otherwise, the user falls back to default service on a 2G network. Alternatively, the network utilizes a trained neural network to process the lat-long data to qualify the handset for premium services.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates coverage-based mobile communications, the system comprising:

a tangible, non-transient storage component storing coverage data associated with a bounded premium service area;

a mapping component of a wireless network, the mapping component being configured to;

receive first geolocation data indicating a location of a mobile communications device;

map the first geolocation data to the coverage data associated with the bounded premium service area, the coverage data comprising second geolocation data that defines geolocation boundaries of the bounded premium service area; and

determine if the mobile communications device is within the geolocation boundaries of the bounded premium service area by comparing the first geolocation data to the coverage data; and

a service component of the wireless network configured to facilitate communication of communications signals at a premium quality-of-service (QoS) level to the bounded premium service area, wherein;

the service component determines that the mobile communications device is entitled to receive communications signals at the premium QoS level only in response to the mapping component determining that the mobile communications device is within the geolocation boundaries of the bounded premium service area; and

the service component disables provision of communication signals to the mobile communications device at the premium QoS level in response to a determination that a maximum number of qualifying handsets is present within the geolocation boundaries of the bounded premium service area.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a timing component defining a predetermined lapse time period associated with the bounded service area, wherein the lapse time period includes hours, days, or weeks.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising an access component that disables, by denying access to the coverage data, communications, to the bounded premium service area, of the communications signals at the premium QoS level.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising an access component that controls, by denying mapping of the first geolocation data to the coverage data, reception of the communications signals at the premium QoS level by the mobile communications device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the service component communicates at the premium QoS level by enabling UMTS network access by the mobile communications device in the bounded premium service area.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the service component provides a mobile communications device within the bounded premium service area with UMTS network access to support live video share.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the service component provides a mobile communications device within the bounded premium service area with UMTS network access to support online gaming.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first geolocation data comprises lat-long data transmitted from the mobile communications device to the wireless network for mapping by the mapping component to the coverage data.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first geolocation data comprises data computed based upon a triangulation technology that triangulates location of the mobile communications device.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the geolocation data comprises data computed based on signal power of the mobile communications device.