Configuring a wireless communications device in a mobile communications system

• US 9,485,650 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2015
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GN Netcom A/S (GN Store Nord A/S)
• Original Assignee: GN Netcom A/S (GN Store Nord A/S)
• Inventors: Goldman, Tomasz Jerzy
• Primary Examiner(s): Gidado, Rasheed
• Application Number:
  US14/943,494
• Publication Number:
  US 20160073255A1
• Time in Patent Office: 350 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• 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 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

A wireless communications device (2) and an interface unit (3) in a mobile communications system are configured. The interface unit (3) is connected to the wireless communications device (2) according to a wireless communication protocol and to a computing device (1) connected to a communications network (5) via an access point (7) having an address. The computing device (1) is requested to visit a service provider (8) on the network (5), which based on the address of said access point (7) can provide location information regarding said access point (7). In dependence thereof one of a number of stored configuration profiles are determined, and the interface unit (3) is configured accordingly. A configuration request comprising said determined configuration profile is transmitted to the wireless communications device (2), which is then configured accordingly, and a communications link can be established between the interface unit (3) and the wireless communications device (2).

Claims

1. A wireless communications system, comprising:

a wireless communication device and a base interface unit wirelessly connectable to said communication device, the base interface unit including;

a computer interface for connecting the base interface unit to a computing device connected to a communications network via an access point having an address;

a transceiver configured to exchange radio signals between the base interface unit and the wireless communication device according to a first wireless communication protocol; and

access to a storage database having stored therein a predetermined number of configuration profiles, each stored configuration profile being linked to at least one location, said profiles including parameters for allowed communications frequencies by geographic location;

wherein the system performs the steps of;

determining the geographical location of the interface base unit by having the computing device communicate with said access point to obtain an address and a correlation to a physical location;

determining, in dependence of said geographic location information, one of said stored configuration profiles which is permitted for that geographic location;

configuring the interface unit according to said stored configuration profile for that geographic location to use an allowed frequency for said location;

configuring the wireless communication device to listen for transmission from the base interface unit on all profiles of said predetermined number of configuration profiles and disabling transmission capability on the wireless communication device until said device has received a permitted configuration profile from the base unit; and

re-enabling transmission capability on the wireless communication device after said permitted profile has been received and establishing a communications link for exchanging radio signals between the interface unit and the wireless communications device according to said first wireless communication on said permitted profile for that geographic location.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the location of the base is determined based on the IP protocol of and internet connection with the base interface unit.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said access point is an IP access point, and the address of said access point is an IP address.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said access point is a Wi-Fi access point, and the address of said access point is a Wi-Fi address.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device is configured to listen by scanning all frequencies of all profiles until a signal is received from the base interface unit, whereupon the wireless communication device may then reply to the base only according to the received profile and frequency.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said interface unit is integral with said computing device.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein each of said configuration profiles comprises a number of parameters including at least a frequency band allowed in the at least one location linked to the configuration profile.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein said location information comprises a country code.

9. An interface unit comprising:

a. a computer interface for connecting the interface unit to a computing device;

b. a transceiver configured to exchange radio signals between the interface unit and a wireless communications device according to a first wireless communication protocol, and

c. access to a storage having stored therein a plurality of configuration profiles, each stored configuration profile being linked to at least one geographic location, said profiles including parameters for allowed frequencies by geographic location;

wherein the interface unit is further configured to;

obtain from said computing device by connection to an external source of geographical location data, information regarding the location of said computing device;

determine in dependence of said obtained location information one of said stored configuration profiles;

determining if first communication protocol is authorized in that geographic location;

if the first communication protocol is authorized in that geographic, configuring the interface unit according to said configuration profile which is authorized for that geographic location;

transmit a configuration request comprising said determined configuration profile to the wireless communications device;

configuring the transceiver to listen for transmission from the base interface unit on all profiles of said predetermined number of configuration profiles and disabling transmission capability on the wireless communications device until said wireless communications device has received a permitted configuration profile from the base unit; and

configuring the wireless communication device to scan for transmission from the base interface unit on all profiles of said predetermined number of configuration profiles;

re-enabling transmission capability on the wireless communication device after said permitted profile has been received and establishing a communications link for exchanging radio signals between the interface unit and the wireless communications device according to said wireless communication protocol and said determined configuration profile.

10. The interface unit according to claim 9, wherein the communications network is the Internet.

11. The interface unit according to claim 10, wherein the interface unit is further configured to request the computing device to obtain said location information based on an IP address of said access point, when the computing device is connected to the Internet via an IP access point.

12. The interface unit according to claim 9, wherein the interface unit is further configured to request the computing device to obtain said location information based on a Wi-Fi address of said access point, when the computing device is connected to the communications network via a Wi-Fi access point.

13. The interface unit according to claim 9, wherein the interface unit is further configured to transmit the configuration request comprising the determined configuration profile to the wireless communications device according to said determined configuration profile.

14. The interface unit according to claim 9, wherein said wireless communication protocol is a Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications protocol.

15. The interface unit according to claim 9, wherein each of said configuration profiles comprises a number of parameters including at least a frequency band allowed in the at least one location linked to the configuration profile.

16. The interface unit according to claim 9, wherein said location information comprises a country code.

17. The interface unit according to claim 9, wherein the interface unit comprises a base station for a headset.

18. The interface unit according to claim 9, wherein said computer interface is a Universal Serial Bus interface, and that the interface unit comprises a dongle configured to be removably coupled to the computing device via said Universal Serial Bus interface.

19. The interface unit according to claim 9, wherein the interface unit is an integrated part of said computing device.

20. An interface unit comprising:

a. a base unit connectable to the internet;

b. a communications device connectable to the interface unit used by wireless communication;

c. a transceiver configured to exchange radio signals between the base unit and a wireless communications device;

d. access to a data storage having stored therein a plurality of predetermined configuration profiles, each stored configuration profile being linked to at least one geographic location, said profiles including parameters for allowed communications protocols by geographic location;

wherein the base unit is further configured to;

e. obtaining information regarding the geographic location of said base unit from an external data source of geographic location information;

f. determine in dependence of said obtained geographic location information one of said stored configuration profiles;

g. while disabling transmission capability on the wireless communications device until said wireless communications device has received a permitted configuration profile from the base unit, then transmit from the base unit to the communications device according to an allowed protocol for geographic location of the base unit;

wherein the communications unit is configured to;

h. receive transmissions at frequencies from all predetermined configuration protocols that may be transmitted by the base unit;

i. transmit a reply to the base unit using only the protocol received from the base unit;

thereby configuring the base and communication unit to a communication protocol allowed for that location.

21. The interface unit of claim 20 further including a frequency scanner in said communication device for scanning said predetermined communication profiles.