Proactive probe by eCall-only in-vehicle system

• US 8,600,339 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2011
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Bourdu, Jean-Baptiste Bertrand, Leung, Nikolai Konrad
• Primary Examiner(s): MIZRAHI, DIANE D
• Application Number:
  US13/284,013
• Publication Number:
  US 20120289180A1
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/48 for in-vehicle communication
• 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 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

Proactive registration probes are conducted by an eCall-only IVS prior to an emergency to determine network availability and which available roaming networks a registration request will be approved by the home network. The results of this probing are stored and managed by the IVS. If no suitable roaming network can be found (or if only limited service is available, and this limited service cannot support an eCall), the IVS may notify the driver that the emergency call service may not be available. The frequency of the probing may be increased or decreased based on a variety of factors, including whether the IVS is currently receiving home network service, roaming network service, or no service, as well as whether the vehicle is moving and whether probing has previously been completed for a particular area (using location information, for example).

Claims

1. A method for probing for available roaming networks on which an eCall can be successfully placed, the method comprising:

identifying an available roaming network;

attempting to register with the roaming network; and

storing, at a mobile eCall-only device, results of the attempting in a storage for future reference.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the eCall-only device is an in-vehicle system (IVS).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a frequency of the probing is increased or decreased based on at least one factor from among a plurality of factors comprising:

whether service is available from a home network, whether service is available from a roaming network, whether there is no service, whether the probing is conducting while moving, and whether probing has previously been completed for a specific location.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a plurality of available roaming networks, and wherein the identifying, attempting, and storing are performed for each roaming network from among the plurality of available roaming networks so detected.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the storing the results comprises storing an identification for the roaming network, an indicator of whether the probing was successful, and a timestamp for the probing.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the storing further comprises storing at least one data point from among a group of potential data points comprising:

a location from which the probing was attempted, and a signal strength corresponding to the roaming network so probed.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the results in the storage expire.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving the results to identify an available network on which to successfully register and make an eCall.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising making an eCall.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a notification based on being unable to successfully register with at least one roaming network.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising detaching from the roaming network based on being successfully registered by the roaming network.

12. An apparatus for probing for available roaming networks on which an eCall can be successfully placed, the apparatus comprising:

means for identifying an available roaming network;

means for attempting to register with the roaming network; and

means for storing, at a mobile eCall-only device, results of the attempting in a storage for future reference.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus is an in-vehicle system (IVS).

14. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising means for increasing or decreasing a frequency of the probing based on at least one factor from among a plurality of factors comprising:

whether service is available from a home network, whether service is available from a roaming network, whether there is no service, whether the probing is conducting while moving, and whether probing has previously been completed for a specific location.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising means for detecting a plurality of available roaming networks, and wherein the identifying, attempting, and storing are performed for each roaming network from among the plurality of available roaming networks so detected.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the means for storing comprises means for storage an identification for the roaming network, an indicator of whether the probing was successful, and a timestamp for the probing.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for storing further comprises means for storing at least one data point from among a group of potential data points comprising:

a location from which the probing was attempted, and a signal strength corresponding to the roaming network so probed.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising means by which the results in the storage are expired.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising means for retrieving the results to identify an available network on which to successfully register and make an eCall.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising means for making an eCall.

21. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising means for providing a notification based on being unable to successfully register with at least one roaming network.

22. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising means for detaching from the roaming network based on being successfully registered by the roaming network.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for probing for available roaming networks on which an eCall can be successfully placed, the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that cause a mobile eCall-only device to:

identify an available roaming network;

attempt to register with the roaming network; and

store, at the mobile eCall-only device, results of the attempt in a storage for future reference.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the instructions are executed by an in-vehicle system (IVS).

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, further comprising instructions that cause the computer to increase or decrease a frequency of the probing based on at least one factor from among a plurality of factors comprising:

whether service is available from a home network, whether service is available from a roaming network, whether there is no service, whether the probing is conducting while moving, and whether probing has previously been completed for a specific location.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, further comprising instructions that cause the computer to:

detect a plurality of available roaming networks; and

perform the identify, attempt, and store instructions for each roaming network from among the plurality of available roaming networks so detected.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the instructions that cause the computer to store further comprise instructions to cause the computer to store an identification for the roaming network, an indicator of whether the probing was successful, and a timestamp for the probing.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the instructions that cause the computer to store further comprise instructions to cause the computer to store at least one data point from among a group of potential data points comprising:

a location from which the probing was attempted, and a signal strength corresponding to the roaming network so probed.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, further comprising instructions that cause the computer to expire the results in the storage.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, further comprising instructions that cause the computer to retrieve the results in order to identify an available network on which to successfully register and make an eCall.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 30, further comprising instructions that cause the computer to make an eCall.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, further comprising instructions that cause the computer to provide a notification based on being unable to successfully register with at least one roaming network.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, further comprising instructions that cause the computer to detach from the roaming network based on being successfully registered by the roaming network.

34. A system for probing for available roaming networks on which an eCall can be successfully placed, the system comprising:

at least one processor configured to identify an available roaming network and attempt to register with the roaming network; and

a storage for storing, at amobile eCall-only device, results of the attempt.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the at least one processor operates in an in-vehicle system (IVS).

36. The system of claim 34, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to increase or decrease a frequency of the probing based on at least one factor from among a plurality of factors comprising:

whether service is available from a home network, whether service is available from a roaming network, whether there is no service, whether the probing is conducting while moving, and whether probing has previously been completed for a specific location.

37. The system of claim 34, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to detect a plurality of available roaming networks, and wherein the identifying, attempting, and storing are performed for each roaming network from among the plurality of available roaming networks so detected.

38. The system of claim 34, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to store in the storage an identification for the roaming network, an indicator of whether the probing was successful, and a timestamp for the probing.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to store in the storage at least one data point from among a group of potential data points comprising:

a location from which the probing was attempted, and a signal strength corresponding to the roaming network so probed.

40. The system of claim 34, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to expire results in the storage.

41. The system of claim 34, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to retrieve the results from the storage in order to identify an available network on which to successfully register and make an eCall.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to initiate an eCall.

43. The system of claim 34, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to provide a notification based on being unable to successfully register with at least one roaming network.

44. The system of claim 34, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to detach from the roaming network based on being successfully registered by the roaming network.