Signal strength indication methods for use in wireless communication devices

• US 8,744,391 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2007
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tenbrook, Keith A., Shurboff, Carl L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jain, Ankur
• Application Number:
  US11/756,383
• Publication Number:
  US 20080299927A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,560 Days
• Field of Search: 455/424, 455/425, 455/456.5, 455/456, 455/6, 455/561, 455/550.1, 455/575.1, 455/67.11, 455/179.1, 455/226.2, 455/226.3, 455/226.4, 455/440, 455/438, 455/428, 455/525, 455/522, 455/452.1, 455/295, 455/437, 370/332, 370/331, 370/333, 375/346, 375/254
• US Class Current: 455/226.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information

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.

Claims

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;

and

when 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.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the received signal strength has transcended the triggering RSS threshold includes determining that a power level of a received signal is at or below a power threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the received signal strength has transcended the triggering RSS threshold includes determining that a bit error rate of a received signal is at or above a bit error rate threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at least one user input indicating a user selection for the wireless device to produce the alternate RSSI; and

producing the alternate RSSI in response to the at least one user input.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein producing the alternate RSSI comprises:

updating the alternate RSSI at an alternate RSSI update frequency that is greater than a default RSSI update frequency.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the default RSSI is produced using a default RSSI determination function, and wherein producing the alternate RSSI comprises:

determining an RSSI value using an alternate RSSI determination function that is different from the default RSSI determination function.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein producing the alternate RSSI comprises:

producing an increased resolution RSSI.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein producing the second RSS measurements and the alternate RSSI comprises:

measuring multiple received signal strengths for multiple received signals; and

producing the alternate RSSI based on a received signal strength measurement for a strongest signal of the multiple received signals, as indicated by the measuring.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein measuring the multiple received signal strengths comprises:

measuring received signal strengths for multiple handoff candidates.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the wireless communication device has made an unsuccessful attempt to initiate a new communication session; and

when the wireless communication device has made at least one unsuccessful attempt, performing steps of determining that the received signal strength has transcended the triggering RSS threshold and producing the alternate RSSI.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether a termination of an ongoing communication session has occurred; and

when the termination has occurred, performing the steps of determining that the received signal strength has transcended the triggering RSS threshold and producing the alternate RSSI.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the alternate RSSI indicates the received signal strength to a finer granularity than the default RSSI.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein displaying the default RSSI comprises displaying a first number of a first maximum number of first signal bars, wherein the first number is proportional to the received signal strength;

and

wherein displaying the alternate RSSI comprises displaying a second number of a second maximum number of second signal bars, wherein the second number is proportional to the received signal strength, and wherein the first maximum number is different from the second maximum number.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

updating display of the default RSSI at a first RSSI update frequency; and

updating display of the alternate RSSI at a second RSSI update frequency that is faster than the first RSSI update frequency.

15. A wireless communication device comprising:

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.

16. The wireless communication device of claim 15, wherein the user interface output device is a display device.

17. The wireless communication device of claim 15, wherein the user interface output device includes one or more devices selected from a group of output devices that includes a display device, a speaker, a touchscreen, a mechanical vibration device, and an indicator light.

18. A method performed by a wireless communication device, the method comprising the steps of:

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.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the second RSSI determination function uses fewer RSS measurements than the first RSSI determination function.

20. 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;

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.