Localized silence area for mobile devices

• US 8,744,493 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2009
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IPCOMM LLC, Via Telecom Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Via Telecom Inc. (VIA Technologies)
• Inventors: Czaja, Stanislaw, Davis, Mark E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hua, Quan M
• Application Number:
  US12/471,651
• Publication Number:
  US 20090298475A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,834 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.4, 455/404.1, 455/412.2, 455/414.1, 455/420, 455/421, 455/432.3, 455/448, 455/449, 455/456.1, 455/463, 370328-338
• US Class Current: 455/456.4
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00

Abstract

A system and method for creating a localized silence area. A mobile device may be registered with an access point base station. Any direct communication links from the mobile device to any other base stations may be removed. An indication may be given to the mobile device that the mobile device is in a localized silence zone. The indication may include a request that the mobile device operate in a silent mode, information about making outgoing calls, information about receiving incoming calls, or a combination of these. Procedures for incoming voice calls to the mobile device may be different for different priority levels.

Claims

1. A method for an access point base station to create a localized silence area, wherein the access point base station is coupled to an access network, wherein the access network provides wireless communication in a macro area via a macro base station, the method comprising:

receiving a mode and a list of mobile devices from the access network;

registering a mobile device according to the mode and the list, wherein said registering provides a communication link between the mobile device and the access network via the access point base station;

removing any direct communication links from the mobile device to any other base stations via the access network, wherein the communication link between the mobile device and the access network via the access point base station remains active after any direct communication links from the mobile device to any other base stations are removed;

indicating to the mobile device that the mobile device is in the localized silence area, wherein the localized silence area comprises one or more of a plurality of micro-coverage areas within the service area of the access point base station, and wherein the plurality of micro-coverage areas have different service priorities;

sending information to the mobile device about receiving a voice call;

receiving an incoming voice call to the mobile device from a caller, and providing Information to the caller about procedures for each of a plurality of priority levels of the incoming call;

wherein

the plurality of priority level includes an emergency voice call priority level and at least an non-emergency call priority level;

wherein the mobile device receives a non-voice message from the access point base station when the localized silence area is removed by the access point base station based on removal condition parameters indicated in the received mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mode comprises an open mode and a restricted mode to manage outgoing calls, the list of mobile devices indicating the associated preferred mobile devices within the localized silence area.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

when the mode indicates the open mode, the mobile device within the localized silence area is allowed for the outgoing call; and

when the mode indicates the restricted mode, the mobile device not found in the list is restricted for the outgoing call.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the registering a mobile device is completed after a transition from the access point base station or after a certain amount of time which is set by a timer, and the timer is configured to be active in response to registering with another base station.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein indicating to the mobile device that the mobile device is in a localized silence area comprises:

providing to the mobile device a substantially silent indication of an incoming voice call regardless of the ring setting of the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said registering step is performed in response to any of the following conditions:

if the mode denotes a first mode; and

if the mode denotes a second mode and the mobile device is found in the list.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising,

receiving an incoming voice call to the mobile device from a caller;

and

providing a notification to the caller informing the caller that the mobile device is in a localized silence area.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving input from the caller indicating a priority level of the voice call; and

performing a procedure corresponding to the priority level of the voice call based on the input.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of priority levels comprise;

emergency voice call for immediately paging the mobile device;

high-priority non-emergency voice call for receiving a first voice message, performing a voice-to-text translation of the first voice message and immediately sending a first textual message comprising a textual translation of the first voice message to the mobile device; and

low-priority non-emergency voice call for receiving, storing a second voice message and sending a second textual message to the mobile device at a designated time, wherein the second textual message indicates the presence of the second voice message.

10. An access point base station, comprising:

at least one wireless port for providing bi-directional communication with one or more mobile devices, wherein the at least one wireless port is usable in providing wireless communication in a local area;

a first port for providing bi-directional communication with an access network, wherein the access network provides wireless communication in a macro area via a macro base station;

a processor coupled to the at least one wireless port and the first port; and

a memory medium coupled to the processor, wherein the memory medium comprises program instructions executable by the processor to;

receive a mode and a list of mobile devices from the access network via the first port;

register a mobile device according to the mode and the list via the at least one wireless port, wherein said registering provides a communication link between the mobile device and the access network via the access point base station;

remove any direct communication links from the mobile device to any other base stations via the access network, wherein the communication link between the mobile device and the access network via the access point base station remains active after any direct communication links from the mobile device to any other base stations are removed;

indicate to the mobile device, via the at least one wireless port, that the mobile device is in a localized silence area, wherein the localized silence area comprises one or more of a plurality of micro-coverage areas within the service area of the access point base station, and wherein the plurality of micro-coverage areas have different service priorities;

receive an incoming voice call to the mobile device from a caller;

provide information to the caller about procedures for each of a plurality of priority levels of the incoming call;

receive input from the caller indicating a priority level of the voice call; and

perform a procedure corresponding to the priority level of the voice call based on the input;

wherein the plurality of priority levels comprise;

an emergency voice call for immediate paging the mobile device;

a high priority non-emergency voice call for receiving a first voice message, performing a voice-to-text translation of the first voice message, and immediately sending a first textual message comprising a textual information of the first voice message to the mobile device; and

a low priority non-emergency voice call for receiving, storing a voice call message, and sending a second textual message to the mobile device at a later time, wherein the second textual message indicates the presence of the second voice message;

wherein the mobile device receives a non-voice message from the access point base station when the localized silence area is removed by the access point base station based on removal condition parameters indicated in the received mode.

11. The access point base station of claim 10, wherein the mode comprises an open mode and a restricted mode to manage outgoing calls, the list of mobile devices indicating the associated preferred mobile devices within the localized silence area.

12. The access point base station of claim 11, wherein:

when the mode indicates the open mode, the mobile device within the localized silence area is allowed for the outgoing call; and

when the mode indicates restricted mode, the mobile device not found in the list is restricted for the outgoing call.

13. The access point base station of claim 10, wherein the program instructions executable to register a mobile device after a transition from the access point base station or after a certain amount of time which is set by a timer, and the timer is configured to be active in response to registering with another base station.

14. The access point base station of claim 10, wherein the program instructions executable to indicate to the mobile device that the mobile device is in a localized silence area is executable to:

provide to the mobile device a substantially silent indication of an incoming telephone call regardless of the ring setting of the mobile device.

15. The access point base station of claim 10, wherein the program instructions executable to register a mobile device according to the mode and the list via the at least one wireless port in response to any of the following conditions:

if the mode denotes a first mode; and

if the mode denotes a second mode and the mobile device is found in the list.

16. The access point base station of claim 10, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

receive an incoming voice call to the mobile device from a caller; and

provide a notification to the caller informing the caller that the mobile device is in a localized silence area.

17. A method for creating a localized silence area for wireless mobile devices, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of micro-coverage areas within the service area of an access point base station, wherein the plurality of micro-coverage areas have different service priorities, and wherein the localized silence area comprises one or more of the plurality of micro-coverage areas;

receiving a mode and a list of mobile devices by the access point base station;

registering a mobile device according to the mode and the list by the access point base station, wherein said registering provides a communication link between the mobile device and the access network via the access point base station;

removing, by the access point base station, audio communication links from the mobile device to all other macro base stations, wherein said removing prevents the mobile device from performing voice communications with any of the macro base stations independently of the access point base station, wherein the communication link between the mobile device and the access network via the access point base station remains active after audio communication links from the mobile device to all other macro base stations are removed;

receiving an incoming voice call to the mobile device from a caller;

providing information to the caller about procedures for each of a plurality of priority levels of the incoming call;

receiving input from the caller indicating a priority level of the voice call; and

performing a procedure corresponding to the priority level of the voice call based on the input;

wherein the plurality of priority levels comprise

an emergency voice call,

a high-priority non-emergency voice call, and

a low-priority non-emergency voice call, and wherein the procedure for the low-priority non-emergency call comprises receiving and storing a voice message, and sending a textual message to the mobile device at a later time, wherein the second textual message indicates the presence of the second voice message;

wherein the mobile device receives a non-voice message from the access point base station when the localized silence area is removed by the access point base station based on removal condition parameters indicated in the received mode.