System and method for enhanced automatic roaming

• US 8,995,995 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2008
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Morrill, Robert John, Gamel, Bennett
• Primary Examiner(s): Magloire, Vladimir
• Assistant Examiner(s): HEIBER, SHANTELL LAKETA
• Application Number:
  US12/141,217
• Publication Number:
  US 20090318140A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,477 Days
• Field of Search: 455/432.1, 455/432.2, 455/432.3, 455/436, 455/574
• US Class Current: 455/432.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/302 due to low signal strength

Abstract

A system and method for automatically roaming with a wireless device. A signal strength of a first wireless signal is sampled at a time interval. A determination is made whether the signal strength is less than a threshold for a predetermined duration. The wireless device is set to roam on a second wireless signal in response to the signal strength of the first wireless signal being less than the threshold for the predetermined duration. The wireless device is reset to a default setting for communication after a predetermined duration.

Claims

1. A method for automatically roaming with a wireless device, comprising:

sampling a signal strength of a first wireless signal associated with cellular communications at a time interval, wherein the wireless device is configured for the cellular communications including voice and data;

determining whether the signal strength is less than a threshold for a predetermined time period;

automatically configuring the wireless device to roam on a second wireless signal associated with the cellular communications in response to the signal strength of the first wireless signal being less than the threshold for the predetermined time period, wherein the wireless device is configured with a preferred roaming list identifying one or more wireless services providers, and wherein the second wireless signal is selected based on an indication in the preferred roaming list that a wireless service provider associated with the second signal is the next available alternate service provider; and

resetting the wireless device to a default setting for the cellular communications after a second predetermined time period, wherein the threshold and the predetermined time period that the signal strength of the first wireless signal is less than the threshold are enabled to be set by a user of the wireless device, and wherein the time interval, predetermined time period, and second predetermined time period are measured by a sample duration timer, a marginal signal counter, and a duration timer, respectively.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user preferences for performing the sampling, determining, configuring, and resetting.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sampling is performed based on expiration of a sample duration timer measuring the time interval.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the wireless device is being utilized by the user, wherein the automatically configuring is performed in response to determining the wireless device is not being utilized by the user.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the configuring comprises:

roaming to the second wireless signal, wherein the second wireless signal is not provided by a default communications service provider.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second wireless signal is provide by a communications service provider according to a priority included in a preferred roaming list.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the resetting further comprises communication through the first wireless signal.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined time period is a counter value measured by the wireless device for determining how many times the sampled signal strength has been less than the threshold.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sampling is performed in response to a user input to enter a roaming-only mode.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein both the first wireless signal and the second wireless signal are utilized for cellular communications including voice and data.

11. A wireless device configured for user selected roaming, comprising:

signal logic configured to;

sample a signal strength of a first wireless signal associated with cellular communications at a time interval, based on a user selection, wherein the wireless device is configured for the cellular communications including voice and data;

determine whether the signal strength is less than a threshold for a first time period;

automatically configure the wireless device to roam to a second wireless signal associated with the cellular communications in response to the signal strength of the first wireless signal being less than the threshold, wherein the wireless device is configured with a preferred roaming list identifying one or more wireless services providers, and wherein the second wireless signal is selected based on an indication in the preferred roaming list that a wireless service provider associated with the second signal is the next available alternate service provider; and

reset the wireless device to communicate through the first wireless signal after a second time period has elapsed;

a plurality of timers in communication with the signal logic, the plurality of timers operable to measure the first time period and the second time period; and

a user interface configured to receive the user selection and the threshold from a user, wherein the user selection includes a user input for setting the first time period that the signal strength is less than the threshold, and wherein the time interval, first time period, and second time period are measured by a sample duration timer, a marginal signal counter, and a duration timer, respectively.

12. The wireless device according to claim 11, wherein the signal logic roams from the first wireless signal to the second wireless signal in response to reaching a value measured by a counter measuring a number of measurements indicating that the signal strength is below the threshold.

13. The wireless device according to claim 12, wherein the user interface is further configured to receive the first time period, the second time period, and the value from the user.

14. The wireless device according to claim 11, wherein the signal logic resets the wireless device to communicate through the first wireless signal in response to a determination that the sample strength of the first wireless signal is greater than the threshold.

15. A wireless device configured for roaming, comprising:

a processor for executing a set of instructions; and

a memory in communication with the processor, the memory configured to store the set of instructions, the set of instructions being configured to;

sample a received signal strength of one or more wireless signals associated with cellular communications at a time interval, wherein the wireless device is configured for the cellular communications including voice and data; and

automatically switch from a first wireless signal to a second wireless signal associated with the cellular communications in response to the received signal strength of the first wireless signal being utilized by the wireless device being less than a threshold for a time period, and further in response to the wireless device not being in use, wherein the threshold and the time period that the signal strength of the first wireless signal is less than the threshold are enabled to be set by a user of the wireless device, wherein the wireless device is configured with a preferred roaming list identifying one or more wireless services providers, wherein the second wireless signal is selected based on an indication in the preferred roaming list that a wireless service provider associated with the second signal is the next available alternate service provider; and

return to the first wireless signal after at the expiration of a second time period to end roaming, wherein the time interval, time period, and second predetermined time period are measured by a sample duration timer, a marginal signal counter, and a duration timer, respectively.

16. The wireless device according to claim 15, further comprising:

a counter configured to decrease each time the received signal of the wireless device is less than the threshold, wherein the set of instructions activates the wireless device to utilize the second wireless signal in response to the counter being equal to zero.

17. The wireless device according to claim 16, further comprising:

resetting the counter to a default value after a third time period for resetting the counter.

18. The wireless device according to claim 15, further comprising:

receiving user input specifying the interval, the threshold, and the time period through an interface of the wireless device.