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

• US 9,693,221 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2016
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• 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:
  US15/099,240
• Publication Number:
  US 20160234679A1
• Time in Patent Office: 439 Days
• Field of Search: 455418, 4554561, 4554563, 4554566
• 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

A method of managing at least one wireless communications interface of a terminal by performing an obtaining step (E10) to obtaining information (CId) representative of the geographical location of the terminal; a searching step (E20) for searching in a database of the terminal at least one identifier of a wireless communications interface of the terminal that is associated with said information. If such an associated identifier is found, an automatic activation step (E50) is performed for activating the wireless communications interface corresponding to the at least one identifier.

Claims

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

obtaining information representative of the geographical location of the terminal;

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

when such a wireless communications interface is found, automatically activating said wireless communications interface.

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

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

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

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

6. The management method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a change in the 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 of claim 1.

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

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

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

means for automatically activating, when such a wireless communications interface is found, said wireless communications interface.

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