Intelligent algorithm to determine service availability and presentation to user

• US 8,620,319 B1
• Filed: 04/24/2007
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cingular Wireless II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Thandu, Balasubramaniam Kulasekaran, Frerking, Melvin Duane
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nimesh
• Application Number:
  US11/739,627
• Time in Patent Office: 2,443 Days
• Field of Search: 455/436, 455/559, 455/461, 455/435.3, 455/440, 455/441, 455/435.2, 370/331, 370/332
• US Class Current: 455/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0083 Determination of parameters used for hand-off, e.g. generation or modification of neighbour cell lists
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions

Abstract

A system and method is disclosed for selectively masking or revealing an availability of mobile voice and data services associated with a mobile device when a handoff frequency from data capable to data-limited networks exceeds a threshold. The system can include components that can detect a network handoff event, compute a handoff frequency and compare the handoff frequency to a threshold. Additional components can mask availability of voice and data services at mobile device based on the comparison. Also disclosed is a method for determining a mobile device location, mapping RF signal quality of data capable networks surrounding the location, and indicating an impending loss of service if the RF signal quality falls below a quality threshold.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a memory to store executable instructions; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, that facilitates execution of the executable instructions to perform operations, comprising;

detecting a handoff event comprising a mobile device having been registered on an Internet protocol capable network access device and having transitioned to a non-Internet protocol capable network access device,

determining a handoff frequency with which the mobile device transfers connection from Internet protocol capable network access devices to non-Internet protocol capable network access devices;

selectively masking an availability of an Internet protocol dependent mobile service via a user interface of the mobile device in response to the handoff frequency being determined to satisfy a condition defined by a function, wherein the function relates the handoff frequency to a reliability metric of the Internet protocol dependent mobile service; and

outputting, via the user interface of the mobile device and in response to the handoff frequency being determined to satisfy the condition, an indication that support for the Internet protocol dependent mobile service is limited relative to defined full support.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the selectively masking comprises selectively masking the availability of a subset of available Internet protocol dependent mobile services at the mobile device in response to the handoff frequency being determined to satisfy the condition defined by the function.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the detecting the handoff event, the determining the handoff frequency or the selectively masking the availability of the Internet protocol dependent mobile service is executed at least in part by processing performed at the mobile device.

4. The system of claim 1, the operations further comprising analyzing individual sectors of a network and determining a quality of service parameter associated with a sector of the individual sectors.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the determining the quality of service parameter comprises determining the quality of service parameter from a radio frequency quality indicator for the sector.

6. The system of claim 4, the operations further comprising comparing the radio frequency quality indicator with a threshold quality of service parameter associated with the Internet protocol dependent mobile service.

7. The system of claim 1, the operations further comprising disabling a masked service until network support for the masked service is re-established.

8. The system of claim 2, the operations further comprising selectively exposing availability of the subset of the available Internet protocol dependent mobile services at least in part in response to a stored parameter being determined to present user profile data representing a parameter of a user profile indicative of approval for selectively exposing availability of the subset of the available Internet protocol dependent mobile services.

9. The system of claim 1, the operations further comprising referencing profile data representing a user profile and obtaining a stored parameter pertaining to a mobile device output that is indicative of limited network support for the Internet protocol dependent mobile service relative to full network support;

and customizing the indication that support for the Internet protocol dependent mobile service is limited relative to the full network support in accord with the stored parameter.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor and memory are at least in part integrated as part of the mobile device, and wherein the operations further comprise:

monitoring the handoff frequency and comparing monitored value of the handoff frequency with the condition;

obtaining a saved parameter of profile data representing a user profile of the mobile device, the saved parameter pertaining to disabling of voice and data services at the mobile device in response to limited network support for the voice and data services relative to full network support; and

disabling a masked service in response to the monitored value being determined to satisfy the condition and in response to the saved parameter being determined to permit disablement of the masked service.

11. The system of claim 10, the operations further comprising re-enabling the masked service in response to the monitored value being determined not to satisfy the condition, terminating output of the indication that support for the mobile voice and data service is limited at the user interface of the mobile device or outputting another indication that support for the mobile voice and data service has resumed.

12. A method, comprising:

detecting, by a device comprising a processor, a handoff event comprising a registration of a mobile device with an Internet protocol capable network access device being terminated, and initiation of a subsequent registration for the mobile device at a non-Internet protocol capable network access device;

determining, by the device, a handoff event frequency with which the handoff event occurs for the mobile device;

selectively masking, by the device, an availability of an Internet protocol dependent mobile service via a user interface of the mobile device in response to the frequency being determined to satisfy a condition defined by a function, wherein the function relates the handoff event frequency for the mobile device to a reliability metric for the Internet protocol dependent mobile service; and

outputting, by the device and utilizing the user interface of the mobile device, an indication that support for the Internet protocol dependent mobile service is limited relative to defined full support.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising disabling the Internet protocol dependent mobile service via the user interface of the mobile device until network support for the Internet protocol dependent mobile service is re-established.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

obtaining, by the device, a location of the mobile device; and

identifying, by the device, a set of Internet protocol capable network access devices within a defined range of the location.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining, by the device, respective quality of service parameters for network access devices of the set of Internet protocol capable network access devices.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising comparing, by the device, the respective quality of service parameters with another condition defined by a reliability function associated with the Internet protocol dependent mobile service.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining, by the device, whether one of the respective quality of service parameters satisfies the condition.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining, by the device, an identity of one of the set of Internet protocol capable network access devices associated with the one of the respective quality of service parameters in response to the one of the respective quality of service parameters being determined to satisfy the condition; and

activating, by the device, an indicator via the user interface of the mobile device related to a notification of existence of support for the Internet protocol dependent mobile service within a defined proximity of the mobile device.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a device comprising a processor to perform operations, comprising:

detecting a handoff event comprising a service of a mobile device with an Internet protocol capable network access device being terminated, and initiation of a subsequent service for the mobile device at a non-Internet protocol capable network access device;

determining a frequency with which the handoff event occurs for the mobile device;

selectively masking an availability of an Internet protocol dependent mobile service via a user interface of the mobile device in response to the frequency being determined to satisfy a condition defined by a function, wherein the function relates the frequency for the mobile device to a reliability metric for the Internet protocol dependent mobile service;

conditioning the selectively masking the availability of the Internet protocol dependent mobile service on a status of a stored user data value of user account data associated with the mobile device; and

outputting via the user interface of the mobile device an indication that support for the Internet protocol dependent mobile service is limited relative to defined full support.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise:

obtaining a location of the mobile device; and

identifying a set of Internet protocol capable network access devices within a defined range of the location.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining respective quality of service parameters for network access devices of the set of Internet protocol capable network access devices;

comparing the respective quality of service parameters with another condition defined by a reliability function associated with the Internet protocol dependent mobile service;

determining whether one of the respective quality of service parameters satisfies the condition;

determining an identity of one of the set of Internet protocol capable network access devices associated with the one of the respective quality of service parameters in response to the one of the respective quality of service parameters being determined to satisfy the condition; and

activating an indicator via the user interface of the mobile device related to a notification of existence of support for the Internet protocol dependent mobile service within a defined proximity of the mobile device.