Method of controlling a mobile terminal, and an associated mobile terminal

• US 10,716,115 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2016
• Issued: 07/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conversant Wireless Licensing S.à.r.l. (f/k/a Core Wireless Licensing S.a.r.l.) (MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management))
• Original Assignee: Conversant Wireless Licensing S.à.r.l. (f/k/a Core Wireless Licensing S.a.r.l.) (MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management))
• Inventors: Saarela, Timo
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Jr., Michael J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jones, Prenell P
• Application Number:
  US15/154,262
• Publication Number:
  US 20160262146A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,523 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1078 Resource delivery mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0212 managed by the network, e.g. network or access point is master and terminal is slave
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 based on terminal or device properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method is disclosed for controlling a mobile terminal having a first wireless interface for cellular communication in a mobile telecommunications network and a second wireless interface for non-cellular wireless communication, such as wireless local area network (WLAN) communication, in at least one frequency band. In the mobile terminal, the following steps are performed. Information is received from the mobile telecommunications network, and the information is processed. Then, based on an outcome of the processing of the information, the second wireless interface is disabled from wireless communication in at least one frequency band.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, via a first wireless interface of a mobile terminal, information from a mobile telecommunications network, the information comprising a current geographic location of the mobile terminal;

determining, at the mobile terminal, a set of access frequency bands of a second wireless interface of the mobile terminal to be disabled based on the information, the second wireless interface for communication on a wireless network other than the mobile telecommunications network; and

disabling, at the mobile terminal, the set of access frequency bands for the second wireless interface of the mobile terminal in wireless communication based on the determination.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of processing the information comprises comparing contents of the information with a reference data stored in a local memory of the mobile terminal, the reference data indicating predetermined access information for the second wireless interface according to the information, and wherein the step of configuring is performed if the outcome of the processing is a match from the comparison.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said predetermined access information for the second wireless interface comprises at least a frequency band that is allowed to be used in a first country or geographic area, and is one of reserved, prohibited and otherwise unavailable in a second country or geographic area.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling the remaining access frequency bands of the second wireless interface based on the outcome of the processing.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is received by the mobile terminal as an electronic message over the first wireless interface.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the electronic message is one of SMS, MMS and email.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of configuring is performed if the electronic message includes a configuring command.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless interface is capable of providing cellular communication in the mobile telecommunications network, and the second wireless interface is capable of providing non-cellular wireless communication in at least one frequency band.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the information further comprises control information from a node in the mobile telecommunications network over the first wireless interface.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of configuring is performed if the control information includes a configuring command.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the second wireless interface is configured for a short range communication.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said short range communication is at least one of wireless local area network and Bluetooth.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a first wireless interface for network-based wireless communication;

a second wireless interface for non-network based wireless communication; and

a controller coupled to the first and second wireless interfaces, wherein the controller is adapted to;

receive information from the mobile telecommunications network via the first wireless interface, the information comprising a current geographic location of the apparatus;

determine a set of frequency bands of the second wireless interface to be disabled based on the information, the second wireless interface for communication on a wireless network other than the mobile telecommunications network; and

disable, based on an outcome of the processing of the information, the second wireless interface for the set of frequency bands in wireless communication.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the controller is further adapted to process the information received from the mobile telecommunications network by comparing contents of the information with a reference data stored in a local memory of the apparatus, the reference data indicating predetermined access information for the second wireless interface according to the information, and wherein the controller is further adapted to configure the second wireless interface for at least a frequency band if the outcome of the processing is a match from the comparison.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said predetermined access information for the second wireless interface comprises at least a frequency band that is allowed to be used in a first country or geographic area, and is one of reserved, prohibited and otherwise unavailable in a second country or geographic area.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the controller is further adapted to enable the remaining frequency bands of the second wireless interface based on the outcome of the processing.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the information is received by the apparatus as an electronic message over the first wireless interface.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the electronic message is one of SMS, MMS and email.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the controller is further adapted to configure the second wireless interface for frequency bands if the electronic message includes a configuring command.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first wireless interface is configured to provide cellular communication in a mobile telecommunications network;

and the second wireless interface is configured to provide non-cellular communication in at least one frequency band.

21. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the information further comprises control information from a node in a mobile telecommunications network over the first wireless interface.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the controller is further adapted to configure the second wireless interface for frequency bands if the control information includes a configuring command.

23. The apparatus of claim 13, comprising a user interface, wherein the controller is further adapted to provide an alert in the user interface before configuring the second wireless interface.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the controller is further adapted, after having provided the alert in the user interface, to await confirmation from a user of the apparatus before configuring the second wireless interface.

25. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said apparatus is mobile terminal.

26. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the network based communication is for at least one of a cellular communication network and wireless local area network, and said non network based wireless communication is for a peer to peer connection.