Wireless device

• US 8,537,776 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2009
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Higashide, Naoto
• Primary Examiner(s): MEW, KEVIN D
• Application Number:
  US12/413,386
• Publication Number:
  US 20090247167A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,635 Days
• Field of Search: 370328-329, 370331-333, 370335-336, 370/338, 370342-343, 370/345, 455436-444
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/22 for handling the traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• 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 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

A wireless device and technology operable to optimize communications during an emergency is disclosed. The wireless device can detect communication congestion in a base station, and search for alternate base stations that can provide annunciation information during the emergency. If a suitable base station can be found, handoff is made and the annunciation information is acquired.

Claims

1. A wireless device comprising:

a communication module located within a housing of the wireless device and operable to communicate with a plurality of base stations; and

a control module located within the housing and electrically coupled to the communication module, the control module comprising a hand-off module, wherein the hand-off module is operable to change a standby base station from a first base station in a wait state to a second base station based on a comparison between a first signal intensity from the first base station and a first threshold value,

wherein the control module is further operable to change the first threshold value in response to receiving annunciation information that announces transmission of a broadcast message before the broadcast message is transmitted from the first base station.

2. The wireless device according to claim 1, wherein the control module is further operable to determine if the annunciation information comprises emergency information, and change the first threshold value if the annunciation information comprises the emergency information.

3. The wireless device according to claim 1, wherein the control module is further operable to increase the first threshold value from an original hand-off threshold value in response to receiving the annunciation information.

4. The wireless device according to claim 3, wherein the control module is further operable to reset the first threshold value to the original hand-off threshold value if the annunciation information is no longer received.

5. The wireless device according to claim 1, wherein the annunciation information is broadcast information.

6. The wireless device according to claim 5, wherein the broadcast information is received in a broadcast slot located in a reception time slot of a paging channel.

7. The wireless device according to claim 5, wherein the broadcast information is received in a standby slot of a paging channel.

8. The wireless device according to claim 1, wherein the control module is further operable to suspend registration of a position of the wireless device for a time period in response to receiving the annunciation.

9. The wireless device according to claim 8, wherein the time period is determined by a unique identifier of the wireless device.

10. The wireless device according to claim 8, wherein the control module is further operable to determine if the annunciation information comprises emergency information and to suspend registration of the position of the wireless device for the time period if the annunciation information comprises the emergency information.

11. The wireless device according to claim 1, wherein

the communication module is further operable to communicate wirelessly via a plurality of communication systems, and wherein

the control module further comprises a reselection module operable to reselect one of the communication systems based on a comparison between the first signal intensity from the first base station and a second threshold value, and wherein

the control module changes the second threshold value in response to receiving the annunciation information from the first base station.

12. The wireless device according to claim 11, wherein the control module is further operable to determine if the annunciation information comprises emergency information and to change the second threshold value if the annunciation information comprises the emergency information.

13. The wireless device according to claim 11, wherein the reselection module is further operable to reselect one of the communication systems if the first signal intensity is less than the second threshold value.

14. The wireless device according to claim 11, wherein the control module is further operable to reduce the second threshold value.

15. A wireless device comprising:

a communication module located within a housing of the wireless device and operable to communicate wirelessly with a base station via a plurality of communication systems; and

a control module located within the housing and electrically coupled to the communication module, the control module comprising a reselection module operable to reselect one of the communication systems based on a comparison between the first signal intensity from the base station and a second threshold value,

wherein the control module changes the second threshold value in response to receiving an annunciation information that announces transmission of a broadcast message before the broadcast message is transmitted from the base station.

16. A method for communication in a wireless device, the method comprising:

communicating with a standby base station;

comparing a first signal intensity from a first base station in a wait state to a first threshold value to obtain a first comparison result;

changing, by a processor, the standby base station from the first base station to a second base station based on the first comparison result;

receiving annunciation information that announces transmission of a broadcast message before the broadcast message is transmitted from the first base station; and

changing the first threshold value based on the annunciation information.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

comparing the first signal intensity from the first base station to a second threshold value to obtain a second comparison result;

reselecting a communication system based on the second comparison result;

receiving annunciation information from the first base station; and

changing the second threshold value based on the annunciation information.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium for a wireless device, the computer readable medium comprising program code for:

communicating with a standby base station;

comparing a first signal intensity from a first base station in a wait state to a first threshold value to obtain a comparison result;

changing a standby base station from the first base station to a second base station based on the comparison result;

receiving annunciation information that announces transmission of a broadcast message before the broadcast message is transmitted from the first base station; and

changing the first threshold value based on the annunciation information.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 18, further comprising program code for:

comparing the first signal intensity from the first base station to a second threshold value to obtain a second comparison result;

reselecting a communication system based on the second comparison result;

receiving annunciation information from the first base station; and

changing the second threshold value based on the annunciation information.

20. A wireless device, comprising:

a communication module located within a housing of the wireless device and operable to communicate with a plurality of base stations; and

a control module located within the housing and electrically coupled to the communication module, the control module comprising a hand-off module, wherein the hand-off module is operable to change a standby base station from a first base station in a wait state to a second base station based on a comparison between a first signal intensity from the first base station and a first threshold value, wherein

the control module is further operable to change the first threshold value in response to receiving annunciation information that announces transmission of a broadcast message before the broadcast message is transmitted from the first base station,

the control module is further operable to increase the first threshold value from an original hand-off threshold value in response to receiving the annunciation information, and

the control module is further operable to reset the first threshold value to the original hand-off threshold value if the annunciation information is no longer received.

21. A wireless device, comprising:

a communication module located within a housing of the wireless device and operable to communicate with a plurality of base stations; and

a control module located within the housing and electrically coupled to the communication module, the control module operable to cause the communication unit to perform a handoff, wherein the control module is further operable to restrict the handoff, if the communication module receives annunciation information that announces transmission of a broadcast message before the broadcast message is transmitted from a standby base station.

22. The wireless device according to claim 21, wherein the annunciation information comprises emergency information.