Abstract:
Automatic suspension of call and/or short text message service for a mobile device in motion. The speed of the wireless device is obtained or detected, and compared with a predetermined speed threshold to determine whether the speed has reached or exceeded the predetermined speed threshold. If so, suspension of a text messaging service is automatically triggered in response to the speed exceeding or reaching the threshold. Emergency call and/or text messaging capabilities may be retained even during suspension of service. An indication of the service suspension may be displayed on the mobile device. Suspension of the relevant service may be maintained for a predetermined period of time to provide a hysteresis so that when the device momentarily stops but is generally still in a driven situation, the service(s) remain suspended. The wireless device may permit a user to temporarily disable the suspension of service for a given period of time.
Abstract:
An IMS emergency call is reliably handed off within the PS domain or from the PS domain to the CS domain, by providing continuous support of location of a user device on behalf of a PSAP. The invention provides for handover of an IMS emergency call with EPS/GPRS access in a multi-LRF environment. Emergency location services for CS based emergency and/or IMS based emergency location services are often provided by multiple emergency location service providers. The information element that is critical for supporting Location Continuity in Multi-LRF environment can be either the assigned ESQK or the Serving LRF address. ESQK is assigned by the Serving LRF during IMS emergency call setup, and is used to uniquely identify the emergency service provider that operates the serving LRF. A simpler implementation uses the Serving LRF's address to identify the Serving LRF during and after the handover (PS-PS or PS-CS).
Abstract:
A system monitors calls for a service provider. A number of simultaneous communications of a given technology type is monitored for either inbound communications and/or outbound communications associated with at least one service provider. A determination is made if the number of simultaneous communications from the service provider is in excess of a adjustable but set number of simultaneous communications of a given technology type that are permissible. A predetermined action is taken if the number of simultaneous calls or text messages (e.g., SMS, IM, email) is in excess of the set limit, e.g., the call may be terminated or other action taken. Both voice communications and/or non-voice communications (such as SMS, IM, Email, or MMS) can be monitored and throttled.
Abstract:
A point-of-interest mapping search system that combines inexact string searches with a proximity search to provide an extremely high probability of return of a set of search results in an initial search response that are useful to the user. Relevance of any particular point-of-interest item in a combined inexact string/proximity is dependent on both (1) a quality of the name match; and (2) a proximity to the starting location (or other relevant search center point) of the POI search. The inexact string name/proximity search is performed efficiently by iteratively expanding a search radius around a given location, searching concentric circles of proximity until a specified target number of relevant results have been found. It is the combination of the use of a combined inexact string match together with a proximity search performed against a database of geo-referenced business names that provides advantageous results.
Abstract:
A wireless phone electronic wallet transaction is associated with a current location of the wireless device at the time of the transaction. The current location is compared to an entry in a database of associated merchants accepting electronic wallet transactions to the locations that they handle such transactions. If a match in location is found, the wireless phone electronic wallet transaction may be validated. If the wireless phone conducting the electronic wallet transaction is not at an expected or acceptable location at the time of the transaction, then the transaction may be flagged for possible fraudulent activity. At the time of the electronic wallet transaction, a software location based services (LBS) trigger is initiated by a wireless device to request validation of the transaction based on its current location.
Abstract:
As part of a handset finder service, a customer will download and install a small application, e.g., handset finder application, onto their wireless device. The first time this handset finder application runs, it registers to receive battery notification events from the device. These events wake-up the application, which will determine whether a "low power" threshold has been reached. When this occurs, the application initiates a location query. The application will submit a determined location to a handset finder server.
Abstract:
Network devices in an Ad-Hoc wireless network self-survey themselves as necessary for approximate location or precise position information, based on methods employed, particularly useful for a non-open-sky environment. A WiFi Access Point (AP) with or without an internal GPS receiver and location conveyance support may utilize the mesh technique. If an Ad-Hoc network device is unable to contact a suitable location server, or a position request has otherwise failed to deliver a precise position, a WiFi AP is manually configured with appropriate location information, and then offers itself as if it were a location server (thereby becoming an 'internal' server', containing either the determined or provisioned location of itself, for use by other APs or devices). A location server (either internal to the AP needing location, or external), performs a 'mesh' location determination by selecting position information from 3 or more location determined APs for subsequent processing.
Abstract:
A radar/laser emission detector is augmented with a cellular communications capability to provide the capability to share emission detection information amongst drivers to give other drivers even more advanced warning. A network of a plurality of cellular augmented radar/laser emission detector devices may be formed, each having the capability to source the location of radar or laser emission detections to others requesting access to such information, and each being warned when within a proximity of a recent radar or laser emission detection reported by at least one of the plurality of hybrid radar/laser detector devices. A local area, mobile area wireless network (MAWN) is formed in a cellular network to share radar/laser detection information among drivers. Mobile Position Centers (MPCs) are provided in ANSI-41 networks and Gateway Mobile Location Centres (GMLCs) (GSM networks), to determine other members that are proximate to a device that is detecting radar emission.
Abstract:
Cell phone calls are automatically call forwarded to an in-vehicle telematics system when a driver using the cell phone is in their vehicle. Presence of the driver may be detected, e.g., by detection of a key in the ignition and presumption that the driver is in the vehicle while the key is in the ignition. The in-vehicle telematics unit signals that its driver is present. A phone number lookup is performed, e.g., by a third party database service associating cell phone number and wireless carrier with a telematics phone number of the drivers vehicle. A call forwarding request is then made between the telematics network to the relevant wireless carrier providing service to the driver's cell phone. The correct wireless carrier network is contacted, and a call forward is established to the telematics system of the driver's vehicle. When the driver leaves the vehicle, the call forwarding is terminated.
Abstract:
A tiled-map display control with a predictive caching technique that minimizes user wait time and provides at least the illusion of continuous panning, even while map tile images are being loaded. Important components of the tiled map display are its definition and cached use of map tiles, as well as the way that the map tiles are put together on a small screen. Easy, seamless, wait-free and convenient viewing of a map for a user of a wireless device provides information, e.g., mapped traffic conditions. The disclosed embodiments are techniques that have been reduced to practice in both a BREW platform, and then in a J2ME platform, and deployed for operation in major carrier wireless networks. The invention has particular applicability for use in wireless devices with typically smaller display screens requiring the need for panning, and limited bandwidth capabilities of the supporting wireless network.