| CINGULAR WIRELESS II, LLC Patent applications |
| Patent application number | Title | Published |
|---|
| 20130084825 | Network Directed Cell Broadcasts For Emergency Alert System - Systems and methods for providing alerts to end users of networked enabled portable devices are provided so that the end users are made aware when broadcast emergency alerts are issued. The systems and methods provide a way for a portable device to receive information about an emergency alert broadcast of which the user should be aware, e.g., from the EAS, and to notify the user of the emergency alert. A flag provides an indication the EAS should be on and the systems and method override the settings made by a user to a portable device to enable EAS reception. The user may then be automatically taken to the emergency alert information by having the portable device automatically tune to the emergency broadcast information, or the user may optionally retrieve the emergency information by tuning to the emergency broadcast channel, or the user may otherwise be presented with a reference to the emergency data (e.g., a link to the information). | 04-04-2013 |
| 20120246700 | QoS CHANNELS FOR MULTIMEDIA SERVICES ON A GENERAL PURPOSE OPERATING SYSTEM PLATFORM USING DATA CARDS - A SIP (session initiation protocol) service activation abstraction layer that provides a unified interface to upper layer applications for discovering, establishing, and managing the QoS connectivity. In one implementation, this is IP Multimedia Subsystem-centric, further supporting applications that utilize SIP for session control. This capability extends to the data card universe allowing UMTS data card vendors to establish concurrent QoS-based sessions using multiple primary PDP (packet data protocol) contexts based on a set of SIP triggers, further allowing applications running on a computing system to transparently utilize the established pipes based on the individual QoS requirements. | 09-27-2012 |
| 20120064920 | MOBILE OBJECT LOCATION-BASED PRIVACY PROTECTION - A system, method and apparatus for creating and implementing a privacy zone around a mobile object are described herein. A privacy zone is a geographic location proximate to a mobile object in which mobile device functionality is reduced when a mobile device is inside the boundaries of the privacy zone. A locator subsystem tracks the location of the mobile object to update the location of the privacy zone. Further, the locator subsystem monitors for mobile devices that may interface with the privacy zone. Once a mobile device is found to be within a privacy zone, the pre-determined mobile device features will preferably be disabled. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120046024 | SECOND PARTY CONTROL OVER MOBILE DEVICE USAGE - A mechanism is provided whereby a parent, or other second party, can monitor and/or control a child's or other first party's wireless device usage. An interface can allow the parent to set rules for the child's usage, and can specify that the parent should receive messages when a call is made to or from the child's wireless device. In addition to call information, the message may prompt the parent for approval of the call connection. Thus, a parent can decide whether a call that is incoming from or outgoing to a third party should be permitted. | 02-23-2012 |
| 20100331147 | FITNESS APPLICATIONS OF A WIRELESS DEVICE - Methods and systems for use in connection with a fitness routine and/or an exercise apparatus. In one such method, fitness information is stored in a fitness analysis system and operative communication is established with an exercise apparatus and/or a wireless communication device. A fitness information request is received at the fitness analysis system, and the system sends a setting associated with the exercise apparatus to facilitate a workout using an exercise apparatus. The system receives exercise information corresponding to the workout, and updates fitness information during the workout. The updated fitness information is analyzed to generate associated with the exercise apparatus to facilitate a subsequent workout. | 12-30-2010 |
| 20100198933 | ELECTRONIC MEDIC ALERT - A device and method for sending medic alert information electronically. The device may have a memory component and a processing component. The memory component may store medic alert information. The processing component may generate an electronic message containing the medic alert information and send the electronic message via a communications network. The device may also have an input component for receiving a user request to initiate a connection with an emergency contact, such as a 911 dispatcher. The electronic message may be automatically generated and sent in response to the user request. | 08-05-2010 |
| 20100122318 | POLICY-BASED SERVICE MANAGMENT SYSTEM - A policy-based management mechanism is provided, whereby the mechanism provides for at least the controlling of access to network resources, the integration of different frameworks into a common open standard, and modular components for assembling integrated date and voice services. The mechanism accomplishes this by using an access management component that checks for access credentials, a service management component that identifies which resources are available to a requestor of resources, and a resource management component that manages the requested resources. In one exemplary implementation, a fourth component, the policy management component links the first three components such that a resource request gains access to resources based on policy decisions determined by the fourth component for the first three components. | 05-13-2010 |
| 20100099455 | NETWORK IDENTITY AND TIMEZONE (NITZ) FUNCTIONALITY FOR NON-3GPP DEVICES - A system that provisions a multimode mobile or converged device with local time information and network provider identification when the multimode mobile device is operating within the purview of a wireless local area network (WLAN). The system includes components that receive protocol data and that extract network provider identification from the received protocol data as well as utilizing the received protocol data to ascertain the local time. | 04-22-2010 |
| 20100069113 | Universal Radio Module - A universal radio module for cellular communications devices can be plugged into any appropriately configured host device to supply the host device with cellular communication capability. The module can comprise three logical module-to-host interfaces—a voice interface, a data interface, and a management interface. The module may further comprise a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) physical interface and/or an antenna physical interface. | 03-18-2010 |
| 20100054308 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SELECTING WIRELESS SIGNAL BANDWIDTH BASED ON SIGNAL STRENGTH MEASUREMENTS PROVIDED BY WIRELESS RECEIVERS - A method and system are provided which combine (i) adaptive multi-rate half-rate transmission and (ii) intelligent frequency hopping wherein frequency hopping and intelligent underlay overlay are used simultaneously. In the latter, frequency hopping is controlled on a frequency group by frequency group basis, and one frequency hopping group is made up of one or more regular transmitters of a cell and another frequency hopping group is made up of one or more super reuse (super layer) transmitters of the cell. A wireless terminal (e.g., handset) is used in determining the carrier to interference (C/I) ratio for a received signal. A determination is then made as to whether the C/I ratio is acceptable for super layer transmission, and, if the ratio is acceptable, a super reuse transmitter operating in the superlayer range at the half-rate transmission rate is used to transmit a call to the terminal. | 03-04-2010 |
| 20100017521 | QoS CHANNELS FOR MULTIMEDIA SERVICES ON A GENERAL PURPOSE OPERATING SYSTEM PLATFORM USING DATA CARDS - A SIP (session initiation protocol) service activation abstraction layer that provides a unified interface to upper layer applications for discovering, establishing, and managing the QoS connectivity. In one implementation, this is IP Multimedia Subsystem-centric, further supporting applications that utilize SIP for session control. This capability extends to the data card universe allowing UMTS data card vendors to establish concurrent QoS-based sessions using multiple primary PDP (packet data protocol) contexts based on a set of SIP triggers, further allowing applications running on a computing system to transparently utilize the established pipes based on the individual QoS requirements. | 01-21-2010 |
| 20100001858 | EMERGENCY ALERT INFORMATION BASED UPON SUBSCRIBER LOCATION - A subscriber of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) receiving an EAS alert message can obtain additional information based upon the location of the subscriber. The additional information can include information pertaining to available shelter, medical facilities, the location of emergency supplies, a plume map, evacuation routes, or the like. In an example embodiment, the Global Positioning System is utilized to determine the location of the subscriber. The location information along with EAS alert information is used to query a database to obtain the additional information. | 01-07-2010 |
| 20090061868 | DECISIONMAKING FOR DYNAMIC LOCAL TIME UPDATES IN A PREPAID TERMINATING CALL - A method and system for setting a charging rate for a terminating call to a prepaid mobile subscriber in a telecommunications network is provided. A query from a GMSC to a mobile subscriber's HLR returns information from a VMSC where the mobile subscriber is registered, including local time information for the MSC where the mobile subscriber is registered. The local time information can be included in an Initial Detection Point at call setup so that a peak or off-peak rate for the call can be set. Additional messaging between the GMSC and the VMSC during the call can provide updated local time information which can be used to set a charge for each allocated charging segment of a call. The SCP can also determine that such additional messaging is not necessary if a mobile subscriber's initial location, local time, or direction of travel indicates that the call's peak or off-peak rating will not change during the call. | 03-05-2009 |
| 20090061857 | DETERMINING CAPABILITY TO PROVIDE DYNAMIC LOCAL TIME UPDATES IN A PREPAID TERMINATING CALL - A method and system for setting a charging rate for a terminating call to a prepaid mobile subscriber in a telecommunications network is provided. A query from a GMSC to a mobile subscriber's HLR returns information from a VMSC where the mobile subscriber is registered, including local time information for the MSC where the mobile subscriber is registered. The local time information can be included in an Initial Detection Point at call setup so that a peak or off-peak rate for the call can be set. Additional messaging between the GMSC and the VMSC/VLR can determine the capability of the VMSC/VLR to provide updated local time information for the duration of the call. | 03-05-2009 |
| 20090061856 | PEAK OFF-PEAK RATING FOR PREPAID TERMINATING CALLS - A method and system for setting a charging rate for a terminating call to a prepaid mobile subscriber in a telecommunications network is provided. A query from a GMSC to a mobile subscriber's HLR returns information from a VMSC where the mobile subscriber is registered, including local time information for the MSC where the mobile subscriber is registered. The local time information can be included in an Initial Detection Point at call setup so that a peak or off-peak rate for the call can be set. Additional messaging between the GMSC and the VMSC during the call can provide updated local time information which can be used to set a charge for each allocated charging segment of a call. | 03-05-2009 |
| 20090029673 | DYNAMIC LOCATION-BASED RATING FOR PREPAID CALLS - A method and system for streamlining the calculation of a rate for a prepaid wireless call is provided. A mobile subscriber can be billed at one rate when she is within her home network and at a different rate when she is roaming in another network or can be billed at a special rate if she is within a location subject to the special rate. A time period for charging a call is allocated by the Service Control Point (SCP) and reported to the Mobile Switching Center (MSC) in the case of an outgoing call or a Gateway Mobile Switching Center (GMSC) in the case of an incoming call. A message from the MSC or GMSC to the SCP reporting an expiration of the first time period can contain information regarding a location of the prepaid subscriber. Thus, the next time period allocated by the SCP for the call can be billed at a rate that reflects the mobile subscriber's location at that time as reported by the MSC or GMSC. | 01-29-2009 |
| 20080318545 | CONDITIONAL CALL TREATMENT FOR PREPAID CALLS - A method and system for processing a prepaid call in a mobile telecommunications network is provided. A default call processing parameter for processing a call can control the processing of the call when communications between the Mobile Switching Center and the Service Control Point fails. The value of the default call processing parameter can be set to permit the call to continue or to be terminated in accordance with a characteristic associated with the call, such as a characteristic of the dialed telephone number or a nature of address in the case of an outgoing call or a location of the terminating mobile subscriber in the case of an incoming call. | 12-25-2008 |
| 20080299967 | OPTIMIZED CAMEL TRIGGERING FOR PREPAID CALLING - A method and system for streamlining the call processing for a prepaid call in a mobile telecommunications network is provided. A trigger detection point (TDP) for processing an originating call placed by a prepaid wireless subscriber, which may be called “O-Answer,” is defined in a mobile user's subscription information stored in the prepaid subscriber's home location register (HLR). An additional TDP for an incoming call to a prepaid subscriber as a terminating party, which may be called “T-Answer,” also is defined in the prepaid subscriber's subscription information stored in the HLR. If the prepaid mobile subscriber's account balance is above a threshold amount, the call can be processed using the O-Answer and T-Answer TDPs without the need to contact the prepaid platform for authorization, thus reducing the amount of signaling required to process a prepaid call. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20080293375 | Intelligent Information Control Repository - Systems and methods are disclosed for alleviating the network congestion inherent in monitoring several million subscribers' usage by incorporating an Information Control Repository (ICR) at the user-level, ideally within the mobile device in the form of a software program. This Micro Intelligent Information Control Repository (MIICR) augments the user profile typically stored in the network-level IICR. The MIICR collects usage information at the user level such as keystrokes, application usage, and other information, and generates a sub-profile that can be stored on the device itself. This sub-profile may consequently be used to provide the user with an enhanced Adaptive User Interface, that dynamically changes based on the usage of the device. Additionally, the sub-profile may be used in conjunction with the network-level user profile stored on the IICR to provide enhanced services customized for the individual user. | 11-27-2008 |
| 20080281923 | Distribution List Management via SMS - The ability to manage and use a group distribution list by sending command codes in messages sent via a short messaging service is provided for. Management and usage may include receiving an SMS message having a command code, interpreting the message to retrieve the command code, and executing the command code. A system for managing and using a distribution list may include a short messaging service, and a group distribution list manager configured to receive a message via the short messaging service, interpret the message to retrieve a command code contained within the message, and execute the command code. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions for managing and using group distribution lists may include instructions that interpret a short messaging service message, wherein the message contains a command code, retrieve the command code, and execute the command code. | 11-13-2008 |
| 20080260112 | Background Noise Effects - Mechanisms are disclosed that allow for the use of a false background, or background tone, in voice input in a telephonic call. A voice input may have both voice from a user talking and a background noise input which may be every other noise received at the user's phone. A trigger to use a background tone is received, the background tone is selected and the associated background tone file is retrieved. Then, a combiner combines the voice input with the background tone file. A filter may be used to filter the actual background noise from the voice input. Additionally, background tones may be used in various telephonic networks, including traditional land-line and wireless cellular networks. | 10-23-2008 |
| 20080259885 | DUAL MODE DEVICE WITH MAC ADDRESS CAPTURE AND PAIRING - Seamless connectivity by a user device between a licensed and an unlicensed network is provided through capturing of MAC address information relating to one or more access points servicing the licensed and/or the unlicensed networks. One or more access points can be chosen as a designated access point. If the access point is available for communication with the device and other device criteria is met, the access point is designated. If designated, when the device is in vicinity of the access point seamless and transparent connectivity is automatically established with that access point. | 10-23-2008 |
