Signal strength indication methods for use in wireless communication devices
First Claim
1. A method performed by a wireless communication device, the method comprising the steps of:
- producing first received signal strength (RSS) measurements of a base station signal at a first RSS measurement frequency, wherein the first RSS measurement frequency defines a first number of seconds between each of the first RSS measurements;
displaying a default received signal strength indicator (RSSI) based on the first RSS measurements, wherein the default RSSI indicates a received signal strength of the base station signal;
determining whether the received signal strength has transcended a triggering RSS threshold; and
when the received signal strength has transcended the triggering RSS threshold;
providing a user interface prompt to prompt a user of the wireless communication device to indicate that the user would like the wireless communication device to produce an alternate RSSI, wherein providing the user interface prompt is performed in response to determining that the received signal strength has transcended the triggering RSS threshold;
determining whether a user input has been received from the user that indicates that the user would like the wireless device to produce the alternate RSSI;
producing, in response to receiving the user input, second RSS measurements of the base station signal at a second RSS measurement frequency that is greater than the first RSS measurement frequency, wherein the second RSS measurement frequency defines a second number of seconds between each of the second RSS measurements;
displaying the alternate RSSI based on the second RSS measurements, wherein the alternate RSSI more accurately reflects real-time fluctuations in the received signal strength than the default RSSI;
andwhen the user input has not been received, bypassing steps of producing, in response to receiving the user input, the second RSS measurements and displaying the alternate RSSI.
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Abstract
Embodiments include signal strength indication methods for use in wireless communication devices. In an embodiment, a method includes producing a default received signal strength indicator (RSSI) using default RSSI determination parameters. The method also includes determining that a received signal strength is inadequate, and producing an alternate RSSI, in response, where the alternate RSSI is produced using at least one alternate RSSI determination parameter that is different from at least one default RSSI determination parameter. In another embodiment, a method includes measuring multiple received signal strengths for multiple received signals from multiple base stations, and producing an alternate RSSI based on a received signal strength measurement for a strongest signal of the multiple received signals. An embodiment of a wireless communication device may include a processing subsystem adapted to perform embodiments of the methods.
102 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method performed by a wireless communication device, the method comprising the steps of:
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producing first received signal strength (RSS) measurements of a base station signal at a first RSS measurement frequency, wherein the first RSS measurement frequency defines a first number of seconds between each of the first RSS measurements; displaying a default received signal strength indicator (RSSI) based on the first RSS measurements, wherein the default RSSI indicates a received signal strength of the base station signal; determining whether the received signal strength has transcended a triggering RSS threshold; and when the received signal strength has transcended the triggering RSS threshold; providing a user interface prompt to prompt a user of the wireless communication device to indicate that the user would like the wireless communication device to produce an alternate RSSI, wherein providing the user interface prompt is performed in response to determining that the received signal strength has transcended the triggering RSS threshold; determining whether a user input has been received from the user that indicates that the user would like the wireless device to produce the alternate RSSI; producing, in response to receiving the user input, second RSS measurements of the base station signal at a second RSS measurement frequency that is greater than the first RSS measurement frequency, wherein the second RSS measurement frequency defines a second number of seconds between each of the second RSS measurements; displaying the alternate RSSI based on the second RSS measurements, wherein the alternate RSSI more accurately reflects real-time fluctuations in the received signal strength than the default RSSI;
andwhen the user input has not been received, bypassing steps of producing, in response to receiving the user input, the second RSS measurements and displaying the alternate RSSI. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A wireless communication device comprising:
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a processing subsystem adapted to; produce first received signal strength (RSS) measurements of a base station signal at a first RSS measurement frequency, and determine a default RSSI value based on the first RSS measurements, wherein the first RSS measurement frequency defines a first number of seconds between each of the first RSS measurements, and wherein a default RSSI indicates a received signal strength of the base station signal, determine whether the received signal strength has transcended a triggering RSS threshold, and when the received signal strength has transcended the triggering RSS threshold, produce second RSS measurements of the base station signal at a second RSS measurement frequency that is greater than the first RSS measurement frequency, and determine an alternate RSSI value based on the second RSS measurements, wherein the second RSS measurement frequency defines a second number of seconds between each of the second RSS measurements, and wherein the alternate RSSI more accurately reflects real-time fluctuations in the received signal strength than the default RSSI; and a user interface output device adapted to; provide a user interface prompt to prompt a user of the wireless communication device to indicate that the user would like the wireless communication device to produce an alternate RSSI, wherein providing the user interface prompt is performed in response to determining that the received signal strength has transcended the triggering RSS threshold; determine whether a user input has been received from the user that indicates that the user would like the wireless device to produce the alternate RSSI; display the default RSSI based on the default RSSI value, and to display the alternate RSSI based on the alternate RSSI value; and wherein, when the user input has not been received, the processing subsystem is adapted to bypass production of the second RSS measurements and determination of the alternate RSSI. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A method performed by a wireless communication device, the method comprising the steps of:
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producing a default received signal strength indicator (RSSI) using first RSSI determination parameters that include a first RSS measurement frequency and a first RSSI determination function, wherein the default RSSI indicates a received signal strength of a base station signal, the first RSS measurement frequency is a frequency at which first received signal strength (RSS) measurements of the base station signal are produced, the first RSS measurement frequency defines a first number of seconds between each of the first RSS measurements, and the first RSSI determination function is a function used to produce the default RSSI using the first RSS measurements; displaying the default RSSI; determining whether the received signal strength has transcended a triggering RSS threshold; when the received signal strength has transcended the triggering RSS threshold, providing a user interface prompt to prompt a user of the wireless communication device to indicate that the user would like the wireless communication device to produce an alternate RSSI, wherein providing the user interface prompt is performed in response to determining that the received signal strength has transcended the triggering RSS threshold; determining whether a user input has been received from the user that indicates that the user would like the wireless device to produce the alternate RSSI; producing, in response to receiving the user input, the alternate RSSI using second RSSI determination parameters that are different from the first RSSI determination parameters, wherein the second RSSI determination parameters include a second RSS measurement frequency and a second RSSI determination function, the second RSS measurement frequency is a frequency at which second RSS measurements of the base station signal are produced, the second RSS measurement frequency defines a second number of seconds between each of the second RSS measurements, the second RSS measurement frequency is greater than the first RSS measurement frequency, the second RSSI determination function is a function used to produce the alternate RSSI using the second RSS measurements, and the alternate RSSI more accurately reflects real-time fluctuations in the received signal strength than the default RSSI; displaying the alternate RSSI; and when the user input has not been received, bypassing the steps of producing, in response to receiving the user input, the alternate RSSI using second RSSI determination parameters that are different from the first RSSI determination parameters. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. A method performed by a wireless communication device, the method comprising the steps of:
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producing first received signal strength (RSS) measurements of a base station signal at a first RSS measurement frequency, wherein the first RSS measurement frequency defines a first number of seconds between each of the first RSS measurements; displaying a default received signal strength indicator (RSSI) based on the first RSS measurements, wherein the default RSSI indicates a received signal strength of the base station signal; determining whether the received signal strength has transcended a triggering RSS threshold; when the received signal strength has transcended the triggering RSS threshold, performing steps of; providing a user interface prompt to prompt a user of the wireless communication device to indicate that the user would like the wireless communication device to produce an alternate RSSI, wherein providing the user interface prompt is performed in response to determining that the received signal strength has transcended the triggering RSS threshold; and determining whether a user input has been received from the user that indicates that the user would like the wireless device to produce the alternate RSSI; and when the user input has been received, performing steps, in response to receiving the user input, of; producing second RSS measurements of the base station signal at a second RSS measurement frequency that is greater than the first RSS measurement frequency, wherein the second RSS measurement frequency defines a second number of seconds between each of the second RSS measurements; and displaying the alternate RSSI based on the second RSS measurements, wherein the alternate RSSI more accurately reflects real-time fluctuations in the received signal strength than the default RSSI; and when the user input has not been received, bypassing the steps of producing the second RSS measurements and producing the alternate RSSI in response to receiving the user input.
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Specification