Distribution of sensor data among a group of wireless communication devices

• US 9,179,497 B1
• Filed: 03/17/2014
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: McConnell, Von Karl, Bertz, Lyle T., Paczkowski, Lyle Walter, Teixeira de Magalhaes, Joao Carlos Osorio Gouvea
• Primary Examiner(s): Elliott, IV, Benjamin H
• Application Number:
  US14/215,434
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• 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 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A wireless communication network exchanges wireless data with wireless communication devices and transfers device data indicating device locations and device status to a network server. A sensor system detects a trigger condition and responsively determines proximate wireless communication devices. The sensor system transfers indications of the trigger condition and the currently proximate wireless communication devices to the network server. The network server processes the device data, trigger condition, and proximate wireless communication devices to generate notice data indicating the trigger condition and to select at least one of the wireless communication devices for receipt of the notice data. The network server transfers the notice data to the selected wireless communication devices over the wireless communication network.

Claims

1. A method of operating a communication system to distribute notice data indicating a trigger condition among a group of wireless communication devices, the method comprising:

in a wireless communication network, exchanging wireless data with the wireless communication devices and transferring device data indicating device locations and device status for delivery to a network server system;

in a sensor system, detecting the trigger condition and responsively determining a current set of proximate ones of the wireless communication devices to the sensor system and transferring indications of the trigger condition and the current set of the proximate wireless communication devices for delivery to the network server system;

in the network server system, processing the device data, the indication of the trigger condition, and the indication of the current set of the proximate wireless communication devices to generate the notice data indicating the trigger condition and to select at least one of the wireless communication devices for receipt of the notice data;

in the network server system, transferring the notice data indicating the trigger condition for delivery to the selected at least one of the wireless communication devices over the wireless communication network; and

in the wireless communication network, wirelessly transferring the notice data indicating the trigger condition to the selected at least one of the wireless communication devices.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

in the wireless communication network, transferring the device data indicating the device status comprises transferring idle mode status data; and

in the network server system, processing the device data to select the at least one of the wireless communication devices for receipt of the notice data comprises processing the idle mode status data.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

in the wireless communication network, transferring the device data indicating the device status comprises transferring mobility status data; and

in the network server system, processing the device data to select the at least one of the wireless communication devices for receipt of the notice data comprises processing the mobility status data.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

in the wireless communication network, transferring the device data indicating the device status comprises transferring wireless signal quality data; and

in the network server system, processing the device data to select the at least one of the wireless communication devices for receipt of the notice data comprises processing the wireless signal quality data.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

in the wireless communication network, transferring the device data indicating the device status comprises transferring calendar data; and

in the network server system, processing the device data to select the at least one of the wireless communication devices for receipt of the notice data comprises processing the calendar data.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein, in the sensor system, detecting and transferring indications of the trigger condition comprises detecting and transferring indications of a Long Term Evolution (LTE) attachment attempt by an LTE User Equipment (UE), and further comprising:

in the network server system, processing the device data, the indication of the LTE attachment attempt, and the indication of the current set of the proximate wireless communication devices to generate and transfer a connect instruction to communicate with the LTE UE over the sensor system for delivery to the selected at least one of the wireless communication devices;

in the sensor system, processing the communication instruction, and in response, completing the LTE attachment for the LTE UE; and

in the wireless communication network, wirelessly transferring the connect instruction to the selected at least one of the wireless communication devices.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the communication instruction restricts LTE sessions for the LTE UE to communications with the selected at least one of the wireless communication devices, and further comprising:

in the sensor system, processing the communication instruction, and in response, restricting the LTE sessions for the LTE UE to communications with the selected at least one of the wireless communication devices.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the sensor system comprises an LTE eNodeB.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein, in the sensor system, detecting and transferring indications of the trigger condition comprises detecting and transferring indications of a Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) attachment attempt by WiFi User Equipment (UE), and further comprising:

in the network server system, processing the device data, the indication of the WiFi attachment, and the indication of the current set of the proximate wireless communication devices to generate and transfer a connect instruction to communicate with the WiFi UE over the sensor system for delivery to the selected at least one of the wireless communication devices;

in the sensor system, processing the communication instruction, and in response, completing the WiFi attachment for the WiFi UE; and

in the wireless communication network, wirelessly transferring the connect instruction to the selected at least one of the wireless communication devices.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the communication instruction restricts WiFi sessions for the WiFi UE to communications with the selected at least one of the wireless communication devices, and further comprising:

in the sensor system, processing the communication instruction, and in response, restricting the WiFi sessions for the WiFi UE to communications with the selected at least one of the wireless communication devices.

11. A communication system to distribute notice data among a group of wireless communication devices, the communication system comprising:

a network server system;

a wireless communication network configured to exchange wireless data with the wireless communication devices and to transfer device data indicating device locations and device status for delivery to the network server system;

a sensor system configured to detect a trigger condition and responsively determine a current set of proximate ones of the wireless communication devices to the sensor system and to transfer indications of the trigger condition and the current set of the proximate wireless communication devices for delivery to the network server system;

the network server system configured to process the device data for the wireless communication devices, the indication of the trigger condition, and the indication of the current set of the proximate wireless communication devices to generate the notice data indicating the trigger condition, to select at least one of the wireless communication devices for receipt of the notice data, and to transfer the notice data for delivery to the selected at least one of the wireless communication devices over the wireless communication network; and

the wireless communication network configured to wirelessly transfer the notice data to the selected at least one of the wireless communication devices.

12. The communication system of claim 11 wherein:

the wireless communication network is configured to transfer idle mode status data for the wireless communication devices; and

the network server system is configured to process the idle mode status data to select the at least one of the wireless communication devices for receipt of the notice data.

13. The communication system of claim 11 wherein:

the wireless communication network is configured to transfer mobility status data for the wireless communication devices; and

the network server system is configured to process the mobility status data to select the at least one of the wireless communication devices for receipt of the notice data.

14. The communication system of claim 11 wherein:

the wireless communication network is configured to transfer wireless signal quality data for the wireless communication devices; and

the network server system is configured to process the wireless signal quality data to select the at least one of the wireless communication devices for receipt of the notice data.

15. The communication system of claim 11 wherein:

the wireless communication network is configured to transfer calendar data for the wireless communication devices; and

the network server system is configured to process the calendar data to select the at least one of the wireless communication devices for receipt of the notice data.

16. The communication system of claim 11 wherein:

the sensor system is configured to detect and transfer indications of a Long Term Evolution (LTE) attachment attempt by an LTE User Equipment (UE);

the network server system is configured to process the device data, the indication of the LTE attachment attempt, and the indication of the current set of the proximate wireless communication devices to generate and transfer a connect instruction to communicate with the LTE UE over the sensor system for delivery to the selected at least one of the wireless communication devices;

the sensor system is configured to process the communication instruction, and in response, complete the LTE attachment for the LTE UE; and

the wireless communication network is configured to wirelessly transfer the connect instruction to the selected at least one of the wireless communication devices.

17. The communication system of claim 16 wherein the communication instruction restricts LTE sessions for the LTE UE to communications with the selected at least one of the wireless communication devices, and wherein the sensor system is configured process the communication instruction, and in response, restrict the LTE sessions for the LTE UE to communications with the selected at least one of the wireless communication devices.

18. The communication system of claim 16 wherein the sensor system comprises an LTE eNodeB.

19. The communication system of claim 11 wherein:

the sensor system is configured to detect and transfer indications of a Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) attachment attempt by a WiFi User Equipment (UE);

the network server system is configured to process the device data, the indication of the WiFi attachment attempt, and the indication of the current set of the proximate wireless communication devices to generate and transfer a connect instruction to communicate with the WiFi UE over the sensor system for delivery to the selected at least one of the wireless communication devices;

the sensor system is configured to process the communication instruction, and in response, complete the WiFi attachment for the WiFi UE; and

the wireless communication network is configured to wirelessly transfer the connect instruction to the selected at least one of the wireless communication devices.

20. The communication system of claim 19 wherein the communication instruction restricts WiFi sessions for the WiFi UE to communications with the selected at least one of the wireless communication devices, and wherein the sensor system is configured process the communication instruction, and in response, restrict the WiFi sessions for the WiFi UE to communications with the selected at least one of the wireless communication devices.