Controlling mobile device roaming in association with monitoring an active event duration

• US 8,131,283 B1
• Filed: 02/27/2009
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Vargantwar, Sachin R., Shetty, Manoj, Khanka, Bhagwan Singh, Singh, Jasinder Pal
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, MONG-THUY THI
• Application Number:
  US12/394,252
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• Field of Search: 455/432.1, 455/433, 455/422.1, 455/419, 455/434, 455/455, 370/311, 370/328
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/24 Reselection being triggered by specific parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/36 by user or terminal equipment

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for controlling roaming of a mobile device when the mobile device is in an active mode while utilizing a roaming network. A duration of an active event for which the mobile phone utilizes the roaming network is referenced. It is determined whether the duration of the active event exceeds an event threshold. The event threshold indicates a maximum amount of time the mobile device is allowed to connect to the roaming network in association with the active event. In instances that the duration of the active event exceeds the event threshold, the mobile device is transferred from the roaming network to a home network of the mobile device.

Claims

1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, perform a method for controlling roaming of a mobile device when the mobile device is in an active mode while utilizing a roaming network, the method comprising:

referencing a time duration of an active event for which the mobile phone utilizes the roaming network;

determining that the time duration of the active event exceeds an event threshold that indicates a maximum amount of time the mobile device is allowed to connect to the roaming network in association with the active event; and

in accordance with the determination that the time duration of the active event exceeds the event threshold, transferring the mobile device from the roaming network to a home network of the mobile device by modifying a device setting of the mobile device from a roam only setting or an automatic setting to a home network only setting such that the mobile device communicates via the home network, the home network only setting enabling access to the home network only, the roaming only setting enabling access to the roaming network only, and the automatic setting enabling the mobile device to search for the home network before searching for the roaming network.

2. The media of claim 1, wherein the active event comprises an active telephone call.

3. The media of claim 1, further comprising comparing the time duration of the active event to the event threshold.

4. The media of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is disconnected from the roaming network.

5. The media of claim 1 further comprising changing the device setting to an automatic setting if the home network is unavailable.

6. A computer-implemented system having a processor and memory for performing a method for controlling roaming of a mobile device when the mobile device is in an active mode while utilizing a roaming network, the system comprising:

a threshold determining component that determines that a time duration of an active event for which the mobile phone utilizes the roaming network exceeds an event threshold that indicates a maximum amount of time the mobile device is allowed to connect to the roaming network in association with the active event; and

a network transferring component that initiates a transfer of the mobile device from the roaming network to a home network when the time duration of the active event for which the mobile phone utilizes the roaming network exceeds the event threshold associated with the active event, wherein the transfer of the mobile device includes modifying a device setting of the mobile device from a roam only setting or an automatic setting to a home network only setting such that the mobile device communicates via the home network, the home network only setting enabling access to the home network only, the roaming only setting enabling access to the roaming network only, and the automatic setting enabling the mobile device to search for the home network before searching for the roaming network.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the active event comprises an active phone call.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the network transferring component disconnects the active event if the active event duration exceeds the event threshold.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the device setting of the mobile device is identified.

10. The system of claim 6, further comprising changing the device setting to an automatic setting if the home network is unavailable.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the time duration of the active event is monitored to create the active event duration.

12. A computer-implemented method for controlling roaming of a mobile device when the mobile device is in an active mode while utilizing a roaming network, the method comprising:

monitoring an active phone call utilizing the roaming network to obtain a current time duration of the active phone call;

referencing an event threshold associated with the active phone call;

determining that the current time duration of the active phone call exceeds the event threshold; and

in accordance with the determination that the current time duration of the active phone call exceeds the event threshold,

disconnecting the active phone call from the roaming network and

changing a device setting of the mobile device to connect the mobile device to a home network of the mobile device by changing the device setting of the mobile device from a roam only setting or an automatic setting to a home network only setting, the home network only setting enabling access to the home network only, the roaming only setting enabling access to the roaming network only, and the automatic setting enabling the mobile device to search for the home network before searching for the roaming network.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising comparing the current time duration of the active phone call to the event threshold.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising identifying the device setting of the mobile device, wherein the device setting for the mobile device comprises at least one of the roaming only setting, the home network only setting, and the automatic setting.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising determining if the home network is available and, if not, changing the device setting to the automatic setting.