Generating alerts based on predicted wireless connection losses

• US 8,948,738 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2008
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bauchot, Frederic, Dispensa, Jean-Yves, Drouet, Francois-Xavier, Marmigere, Gerard
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): STERNBANE, LAURENCE J
• Application Number:
  US12/339,183
• Publication Number:
  US 20100151840A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,237 Days
• Field of Search: 455/421, 455/426.1, 455/432.1, 455/435.2, 455436-444, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 370/331
• US Class Current: 455/421
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4872 Non-interactive information services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like

Abstract

A method and system for generating alerts based on predicted wireless connection losses. A message is received that includes a first position of a mobile device, an indication of a service being provided to the mobile device via a wireless connection provided by a first bearer, and an mobile device identifier. A direction and speed of the mobile device is received. An amount of time elapsing before the mobile device moves to a second position at which the mobile device experiences a loss of the wireless connection via the first bearer is predicted. An alert that indicates that the loss is occurring in the amount of time is generated. The alert is sent to the mobile device as a response to the message.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of generating an alert based on a predicted wireless connection loss, said method comprising:

a computer system receiving a message that includes a current geographic position of a mobile device, an indication of a service being provided to said mobile device via a wireless connection provided by a first bearer, and an identifier of said mobile device;

said computer system receiving a direction of said mobile device and a speed of said mobile device;

said computer system storing said current geographic position, said indication of said service, said identifier of said mobile device, said direction and said speed in a computer data storage unit;

said computer system retrieving a signal coverage map that indicates bearers that provide said service in respective geographic areas;

based on said current geographic position, said direction, and said speed, said computer system determining (1) a new geographic position to which said mobile device will move from said current geographic position and (2) a time at which said mobile device will reach said new geographic position;

based on said retrieved signal coverage map and without detecting a degradation in a quality of a signal received by said mobile device via said wireless connection provided by said first bearer, said computer system determining said mobile device will experience a loss of said wireless connection provided by said first bearer at said time at which said mobile device will reach said new geographic position;

based on said current geographic position, said direction, said speed, and said retrieved signal coverage map, and without detecting said degradation in said a quality of said signal received by said mobile device via said wireless connection provided by said first bearer, said computer system predicting an amount of time elapsing before said mobile device will move to said new geographic position at which said mobile device will experience said loss of said wireless connection provided by said first bearer, said predicting including determining said amount of time is a difference between said time at which said mobile device will reach said new geographic position and a current time at which said mobile device is at said current geographic position;

based on said retrieved signal coverage map, said computer system determining a second bearer to provide said service to said mobile device at said time at which said mobile device will reach said new geographic position, said second bearer being different from said first bearer;

said computer system generating an alert that indicates that said loss will occur in said amount of time and that includes a recommendation for said mobile device to change said wireless connection from being provided by a first combination of a first service provider and a first network that defines said first bearer to being provided by a second combination of a second service provider and a second network that defines said second bearer to continue said service being provided to said mobile device without experiencing said loss of said wireless connection; and

in response to said receiving said message, said computer system sending said alert to said mobile device, wherein a result of said sending said alert is said mobile device receiving said service without said loss of said wireless connection by said mobile device changing said wireless connection from being provided by said first combination of said first service provider and said first network that defines said first bearer to said wireless connection being provided by said second combination of said second service provider and said second network that defines said second bearer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining said second bearer includes retrieving an identification of said second bearer from a data store based on said signal coverage map indicating a signal coverage for said service by said second bearer at one of said geographic areas which includes said new geographic position.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

said computer system extracting said recommendation from a response to said message; and

said computer system directing, in response to said extracting said recommendation, said mobile device to present said recommendation to a user of said mobile device or an application of said mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a result of said sending said alert is a presentation of said alert to a user of said mobile device.

5. A computer system comprising a processor and a computer-readable memory unit coupled to said processor, said memory unit containing instructions that when executed by said processor implement a method of generating an alert based on a predicted wireless connection loss, said method comprising:

said computer system receiving a message that includes a current geographic position of a mobile device, an indication of a service being provided to said mobile device via a wireless connection provided by a first bearer, and an identifier of said mobile device;

said computer system receiving a direction of said mobile device and a speed of said mobile device;

said computer system storing said current geographic position, said indication of said service, said identifier of said mobile device, said direction and said speed in a computer data storage unit;

said computer system retrieving a signal coverage map that indicates bearers that provide said service in respective geographic areas;

based on said current geographic position, said direction, and said speed, said computer system determining (1) a new geographic position to which said mobile device will move from said current geographic position and (2) a time at which said mobile device will reach said new geographic position;

based on said retrieved signal coverage map and without detecting a degradation in a quality of a signal received by said mobile device via said wireless connection provided by said first bearer, said computer system determining said mobile device will experience a loss of said wireless connection provided by said first bearer at said time at which said mobile device will reach said new geographic position;

based on said current geographic position, said direction, said speed, and said retrieved signal coverage map, and without detecting said degradation in said quality of said signal received by said mobile device via said wireless connection provided by said first bearer, said computer system predicting an amount of time elapsing before said mobile device will move to a second position at which said mobile device will experience a loss of said wireless connection provided by said first bearer, said predicting including determining said amount of time is a difference between said time at which said mobile device will reach said new geographic position and a current time at which said mobile device is at said current geographic position;

based on said retrieved signal coverage map, said computer system determining a second bearer to provide said service to said mobile device at said time at which said mobile device will reach said new geographic position, said second bearer being different from said first bearer;

said computer system generating an alert that indicates that said loss will occur in said amount of time and that includes a recommendation for said mobile device to change said wireless connection from being provided by a first combination of a first service provider and a first network that defines said first bearer to being provided by a second combination of a second service provider and a second network that defines said second bearer to continue said service being provided to said mobile device without experiencing said loss of said wireless connection; and

in response to said receiving said message, said computer system sending said alert to said mobile device, wherein a result of said sending said alert is said mobile device receiving said service without said loss of said wireless connection by said mobile device changing said wireless connection from being provided by said first combination of said first service provider and said first network that defines said first bearer to said wireless connection being provided by said second combination of said second service provider and said second network that defines said second bearer.

6. The computer system of claim 5, wherein said determining said second bearer includes retrieving an identification of said second bearer from a data store based on said signal coverage map indicating a signal coverage for said service by said second bearer at one of said geographic areas which includes said new geographic position.

7. The computer system of claim 5, wherein said method further comprises:

said computer system extracting said recommendation from a response to said message; and

said computer system directing, in response to said extracting said recommendation, said mobile device to present said recommendation to a user of said mobile device or an application of said mobile device.

8. A computer program product, comprising;

a tangible computer-readable storage device having a computer-readable program code stored therein, said computer-readable program code containing instructions configured to be executed by a processor of a computer system to implement a method of generating an alert based on a predicted wireless connection loss, said method comprising;

said computer system receiving a message that includes a current geographic position of a mobile device, an indication of a service being provided to said mobile device via a wireless connection provided by a first bearer, and an identifier of said mobile device;

said computer system receiving a direction of said mobile device and a speed of said mobile device;

said computer system storing said current geographic position, said indication of said service, said identifier of said mobile device, said direction and said speed in a computer data storage unit;

said computer system retrieving a signal coverage map that indicates bearers that provide said service in respective geographic areas;

based on said current geographic position, said direction, and said speed, said computer system determining (1) a new geographic position to which said mobile device will move from said current geographic position and (2) a time at which said mobile device will reach said new geographic position;

based on said retrieved signal coverage map and without detecting a degradation in a quality of a signal received by said mobile device via said wireless connection provided by said first bearer, said computer system determining said mobile device will experience a loss of said wireless connection provided by said first bearer at said time at which said mobile device will reach said new geographic position;

based on said current geographic position, said direction, said speed, and said retrieved signal coverage map, and without detecting said degradation in said quality of said signal received by said mobile device via said wireless connection provided by said first bearer, said computer system predicting an amount of time elapsing before said mobile device will move to said new geographic a position at which said mobile device will experience said loss of said wireless connection provided by said first bearer, said predicting including determining said amount of time is a difference between said time at which said mobile device will reach said new geographic position and a current time at which said mobile device is at said current geographic position;

based on said retrieved signal coverage map, said computer system determining a second bearer to provide said service to said mobile device at said time at which said mobile device will reach said new geographic position, said second bearer being different from said first bearer;

said computer system generating an alert that indicates that said loss will occur in said amount of time and that includes a recommendation for said mobile device to change said wireless connection from being provided by a first combination of a first service provider and a first network that defines said first bearer to being provided by a second combination of a second service provider and a second network that defines said second bearer to continue said service being provided to said mobile device without experiencing said loss of said wireless connection; and

in response to said receiving said message, said computer system sending said alert to said mobile device, wherein a result of said sending said alert is said mobile device receiving said service without said loss of said wireless connection by said mobile device changing said wireless connection from being provided by said first combination of said first service provider and said first network that defines said first bearer to said wireless connection being provided by said second combination of said second service provider and said second network that defines said second bearer.

9. The program product of claim 8, wherein said determining said second bearer includes retrieving an identification of said second bearer from a data store based on said signal coverage map indicating a signal coverage for said service by said second bearer at one of said geographic areas which includes said new geographic position.

10. The program product of claim 8, wherein said method further comprises:

said computer system extracting said recommendation from a response to said message; and

said computer system directing, in response to said extracting said recommendation, said mobile device to present said recommendation to a user of said mobile device or an application of said mobile device.

11. A process for supporting computing infrastructure, said process comprising providing at least one support service for at least one of creating, integrating, hosting, maintaining, and deploying computer-readable code in a computer system, wherein the code in combination with the computer system is capable of performing a method of generating an alert based on a predicted wireless connection loss, said method comprising:

said computer system receiving a message that includes a current geographic position of a mobile device, an indication of a service being provided to said mobile device via a wireless connection provided by a first bearer, and an identifier of said mobile device;

said computer system receiving a direction of said mobile device and a speed of said mobile device;

said computer system storing said current geographic position, said indication of said service, said identifier of said mobile device, said direction and said speed in a computer data storage unit;

said computer system retrieving a signal coverage map that indicates bearers that provide said service in respective geographic areas;

based on said current geographic position, said direction, and said speed, said computer system determining (1) a new geographic position to which said mobile device will move from said current geographic position and (2) a time at which said mobile device will reach said new geographic position;

based on said retrieved signal coverage map and without detecting a degradation in a quality of a signal received by said mobile device via said wireless connection provided by said first bearer, said computer system determining said mobile device will experience a loss of said wireless connection provided by said first bearer at said time at which said mobile device will reach said new geographic position;

based on said current geographic position, said direction, said speed, and said retrieved signal coverage map, and without detecting said degradation in said quality of said signal received by said mobile device via said wireless connection provided by said first bearer, said computer system predicting an amount of time elapsing before said mobile device will move to said new geographic position at which said mobile device will experience said loss of said wireless connection provided by said first bearer, said predicting including determining said amount of time is a difference between said time at which said mobile device will reach said new geographic position and a current time at which said mobile device is at said current geographic position;

based on said retrieved signal coverage map, said computer system determining a second bearer to provide said service to said mobile device at said time at which said mobile device will reach said new geographic position, said second bearer being different from said first bearer;

generating an alert that indicates that said loss will occur in said amount of time and that includes a recommendation for said mobile device to change said wireless connection from being provided by a first combination of a first service provider and a first network that defines said first bearer to being provided by a second combination of a second service provider and a second network that defines said second bearer to continue said service being provided to said mobile device without experiencing said loss of said wireless connection; and

in response to said receiving said message, said computer system sending said alert to said mobile device, wherein a result of said sending said alert is said mobile device receiving said service without said loss of said wireless connection by said mobile device changing said wireless connection from being provided by said first combination of said first service provider and said first network that defines said first bearer to said wireless connection being provided by said second combination of said second service provider and said second network that defines said second bearer.

12. The process of claim 11, wherein said determining said second bearer includes retrieving an identification of said second bearer from a data store based on said signal coverage map indicating a signal coverage for said service by said second bearer at one of said geographic areas which includes said new geographic position.