Method of managing at least one wireless communications interface of a terminal, and a terminal

• US 8,948,736 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2010
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Original Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Inventors: Bournelle, Julien, Morand, Lionel
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KHAI MINH
• Application Number:
  US13/520,788
• Publication Number:
  US 20120282910A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,497 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/456.6
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

The management method of the invention comprises: an obtaining step (E10) of obtaining information (CId) representative of the geographical location of the terminal; a searching step (E20) of searching in a database of the terminal for at least one identifier of a wireless communications interface of the terminal that is associated with said information; and if such an associated identifier is found, an automatic activation step (E50) of activating the wireless communications interface corresponding to said at least one identifier.

Claims

1. A management method for managing at least one wireless communications interface of a terminal implemented by the terminal, the method comprising:

obtaining information representative of a geographical location of the terminal;

searching in a database of the terminal for at least one identifier of a wireless communications interface of the terminal that is associated with said information; and

when said at least one identifier is found, automatically activating the wireless communications interface corresponding to said at least one identifier.

2. The management method according to claim 1, wherein obtaining said information comprises receiving a message transmitted by a GPS system, said message containing said information representative of said geographical location of the terminal.

3. The management method according to claim 2, wherein said information representative of said geographical location of the terminal is constituted by the geographical coordinates of the terminal.

4. The management method according to claim 1, wherein obtaining said information comprises receiving a signaling message transmitted by a cellular telecommunications network to which the terminal is connected, said signaling message containing said information representative of said geographical location of the terminal.

5. The management method according to claim 4, wherein said information representative of said geographical location of the terminal includes an identifier of a cell in the cellular telecommunications network.

6. The management method according to claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a change in said geographical location of the terminal; and

automatically deactivating said at least one interface.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a computer program including instructions for executing steps of the management method according to claim 1.

8. A terminal fitted with at least one wireless communications interface implemented by the terminal, the terminal comprising:

means for obtaining information representative of a geographical location of the terminal;

means for searching in a database of the terminal for at least one identifier of a wireless communications interface of the terminal that is associated with said information; and

means for automatically activating, when said at least one identifier is found, the wireless communications interface corresponding to said at least one identifier.

9. A database of a terminal having at least one wireless communications interface implemented by the terminal, the database containing at least information representative of a geographical location of the terminal associated with at least one identifier of one of said at least one wireless communications interface to be automatically activated on the terminal.