Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR USE IN CONTROLLING A SCAN RATE
FOR SCANNING OPERATIONS IN A MOBILE COMMUNICATION DEVICE
BACKGROUND
Field of the Technology
The present disclosure relates generally to mobile stations which operate in
wireless communication networks, and more particularly to methods and
apparatus for
controlling a scanning procedure of such mobile stations.
Description of the Related Art
Mobile communication devices, such as cellular telephones or mobile electronic
mail (e-mail) devices, sometimes experience poor or no service under certain
degraded
radio frequency (RF) coverage conditions. In these conditions, a user of the
mobile device
may be unaware of the poor or no service and unwittingly attempt to initiate a
voice call
from the mobile device. In this situation, the voice call request will be
denied. The user
may not immediately be aware when service has been restored and, in some
cases, the user
may forget to reattempt the voice call even when service has been restored.
A related problem is associated with pre-established calendar appointments
made
via a calendar application of the mobile device. Such calendar appointments
are stored in
memory of the mobile device and are typically associated with calendar
information which
includes a date, time, and/or time period of the appointment. The calendar
information of
the calendar application may be automatically synchronized with a
corresponding calendar
application on a computer (e.g. a PC) of a local area network (LAN) via the
wireless
communication network. The calendar appointment may or may not be for an
anticipated
scheduled voice call (e.g. a conference call) utilizing the mobile device. If
the calendar
appointment is for such a scheduled call, wireless coverage is required for
the mobile
device. That is, at the date and time of the appointment, the mobile device
must be located
within RF coverage range of the wireless communication network to make or
receive the
call for the appointment. If not, the user may miss or be late for the
scheduled call. Note
that the user may not be aware of any RF coverage problem until the calendar
application
reminds the user of the appointment, at or near the date and time of the
appointment.
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A further problem is associated with scanning operations of a mobile device
when
voice calls are anticipated based on calendar appointments or call reminders.
If a calendar
appointment is for a scheduled call, then wireless coverage is required for
the mobile
device. That is, at the date and time of the appointment, the mobile device
must be located
within RF coverage range of the wireless communication network to make or
receive the
call for the appointment. If not, the user may miss or be late for the
scheduled call. When
the mobile device initially goes out-of-coverage, the mobile device performs
scanning
operations at a relatively fast scan rate in attempt to identify any available
wireless
networks within RF coverage range. Over time, however, when no networks are
found,
the scan rate is decreased to a relatively slow scan rate. This is done in
order to reduce
power consumption of the mobile device, as scanning operations consume a
significant
amount of battery power. Currently, however, scanning operations and scan
rates are
functionally disconnected from stored calendar appointments which may be for
voice calls
or otherwise require wireless service for the mobile device.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide techniques to facilitate
anticipated voice calls for convenience and ease-of-use so as to overcome the
deficiencies
in the prior art.
SUMMARY
Methods and apparatus for use in controlling scanning operations or a scan
rate
based on call appointments or reminders are described herein. In one
illustrative example,
one or more processors of a mobile communication device are operative to
identify
whether a call appointment or reminder for a communication session to be
established
during a current time period is stored in the memory, and determine a scan
rate for
scanning operations of the wireless transceiver which varies based on whether
the call
appointment or reminder for the communication session to be established is
identified. If
the call appointment or reminder for the communication session to be
established during
the current time period is identified, then the scan rate may be determined to
be a first scan
rate; otherwise the scan rate may be determined to be a second scan rate that
is less than
the first rate. The scan rate may further be determined to vary based on a
duration of time
over which repeated scanning operations fail to identify a suitable wireless
communication
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network for communication (e.g. as the duration of time increases, the scan
rate
decreases). Thus, scanning operations and/or the scan rate is preferably
determined based
on different items which include any stored upcoming appointments requiring
wireless
service, previous call attempts or call reminders, as well as the time period
over which
scanning has been unsuccessful. In a simpler embodiment, a scanning operation
of the
mobile device is triggered based on identifying an imminent appointment or
reminder
regardless of the existing scan rate, which is otherwise left unchanged.
Advantageously,
scanning procedures are performed so as to reduce power consumption in the
mobile
communication device without compromising calling ability.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Embodiments of present disclosure will now be described by way of example with
reference to attached figures, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram which illustrates pertinent components of a mobile
station and a wireless communication network;
FIG. 2 is a more detailed diagram of a preferred mobile station of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an illustration of a front side of an exemplary mobile station
showing a
user interface which includes a visual display and a plurality of keys;
FIG. 4 is an illustration of the mobile station of FIGs. 1-3, where the visual
display
is displaying a message indicating "no service" or out-of-coverage condition
of the mobile
station;
FIG. 5 is a flowchart which describes a first part of a user interface method
for
processing voice call requests based on communication conditions of the mobile
station of
FIGs. 1-4;
FIG. 6 is an illustration of the mobile station of FIGs. 1-3, where the visual
display
is displaying messages and prompts associated with a voice call denial;
FIG. 7 is an illustration of the mobile station of FIGs. 1-3, where the visual
display
is displaying a call reminder setup prompt for a call reminder feature;
FIG. 8 is a flowchart which describes a second part of the user interface
method of
processing voice call requests based on communication conditions of the mobile
station of
FIGs. 1-3;
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FIG. 9 is an illustration of the mobile station of FIGs. 1-3, where the visual
display
is displaying a call reminder prompt for reattempting a previous voice call;
FIG. 10 is an illustration of the mobile station of FIGs. 1-3, where the
visual
display is displaying multiple call reminder prompts;
FIG. 11 is a flowchart which describes a variation of the user interface
method of
processing denied telephone calls from the mobile station of FIGs. 1-3 with
inclusion of a
timer which is initialized based on a duration of the current out-of-coverage
condition;
FIG. 12 is an illustration of the mobile station of FIGs. 1-3, where the
visual
display is displaying a prompt to scan for service;
FIG. 13 is a flowchart which describes a method for indicating whether
wireless
coverage is required for a new appointment to be stored in memory of the
mobile station
of FIGs. 1-3;
FIG. 14 is an illustration of the mobile station of FIGs. 1-3, where the
visual
display is displaying a daily calendar listing of a calendar application;
FIG. 15 is an illustration of the mobile station of FIGs. 1-3, where the
visual
display is displaying a calendar appointment of the calendar application;
FIG. 16 is an illustration of the mobile station of FIGs. 1-3, where the
visual
display is displaying a user interface prompt for the user to manually
indicate whether
wireless coverage is required for the new appointment;
FIG. 17 is an illustration of the mobile station of FIGs. 1-3, where the
visual
display is displaying the calendar appointment with the inclusion of a
"wireless coverage
required" field;
FIG. 18 is an illustration of the mobile station of FIGs. 1-3, where the
visual
display is displaying a stored task of a task application;
FIG. 19 is a flowchart which describes a method for causing a user interface
warning indication to be displayed during out-of-coverage conditions for
appointments
stored in memory of the mobile station of FIGs. 1-3;
FIG. 20 is a flowchart which describes a particular implementation of the
method
of FIGs. 13 for causing a user interface warning indication to be displayed
during out-of-
coverage conditions for appointments stored in memory of the mobile station of
FIGs. 1-3,
with inclusion of a timer which is initialized during out-of-coverage
conditions;
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FIG. 21 is an illustration of the mobile station of FIGs. 1-3, where the
visual
display is displaying a warning for an upcoming appointment requiring wireless
coverage
when an out-of-coverage condition is present; and
FIG. 22 is a flowchart which describes a method for varying a scan delay value
5 dependent on upcoming appointments and stored call reminders requiring
wireless service
for the mobile station of FIGs. 1-3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
User interface methods and apparatus for processing voice call requests based
on
communication conditions of a mobile communication device are described
herein. The
mobile communication device of the present disclosure includes one or more
processors, a
wireless transceiver coupled to the one or more processors, and a user
interface which
includes a visual display. In one illustrative embodiment, a voice call
request for a voice
call is received through the user interface. If the voice call request is
received during an
out-of-coverage condition of the mobile communication device, the processor
causes a call
denial indication to be displayed in the visual display, which indicates that
the voice call
request could not be completed. The processor also causes a call reminder
setup prompt to
be displayed, which may be accepted or declined through the user interface. If
an
acceptance of the call reminder setup prompt is received, the processor causes
a call
reminder prompt for reattempting the voice call request to be displayed when
an in-
coverage condition of the mobile communication device is subsequently
identified. The
call reminder prompt, which may be accepted or declined through the user
interface,
reveals various call information regarding the previous voice call request
such as the
telephone number, name, and time of the previous request. If the call reminder
prompt is
accepted, the processor causes a voice call associated with the voice call
request to be
initiated. Additional call reminder techniques are disclosed to provide an
even more
flexible and easy-to-use interface.
In addition, alert methods and apparatus for call appointments in a calendar
application based on communication conditions of a mobile station are
described herein.
Calendar information for an appointment in the calendar application of the
mobile
communication device is received and stored in memory. The calendar
information is
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associated with a date and time of the appointment. In response to identifying
an out-of-
coverage condition of the mobile communication device within a predetermined
time
period of the date and time of the appointment, a warning indication is
produced at a user
interface of the mobile communication device. The warning indication may be or
include
a message which instructs a user of the mobile communication device to
relocate the
mobile communication device for removing the out-of-coverage condition, and
may also
include an audible or vibrating alert. The warning indication may be provided
only if a
telephone number or other suitable call information is identified within the
calendar
information.
Finally, methods and apparatus for use in controlling scanning operations or a
scan
rate based on call appointments or reminders are described herein. In one
illustrative
example, one or more processors of a mobile communication device are operative
to
identify whether a call appointment or reminder for a communication session to
be
established during a current time period is stored in the memory, and
determine a scan rate
for scanning operations of the wireless transceiver which varies based on
whether the call
appointment or reminder for the communication session to be established is
identified. If
the call appointment or reminder for the communication session to be
established during
the current time period is identified, then the scan rate may be determined to
be a first scan
rate; otherwise the scan rate may be determined to be a second scan rate that
is less than
the first rate. The scan rate may further be determined to vary based on a
duration of time
over which repeated scanning operations fail to identify a suitable wireless
communication
network for communication (e.g. as the duration of time increases, the scan
rate
decreases). Thus, scanning operations and/or the scan rate is preferably
determined based
on different items which include any stored upcoming appointments requiring
wireless
service, previous call attempts or call reminders, as well as the time period
over which
scanning has been unsuccessful. In a simpler embodiment, a scanning operation
of the
mobile device is triggered based on identifying an imminent appointment or
reminder
regardless of the existing scan rate, which is otherwise left unchanged.
Advantageously,
scanning procedures are performed so as to reduce power consumption in the
mobile
communication device without compromising calling ability.
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To illustrate basic system architecture, FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a
communication system 100 which includes a mobile station 102 which
communicates
through a wireless communication network 104. When mobile station 102 is
within
coverage area provided by wireless communication network 104 or a similar
wireless
communication network, and is capable of sufficiently transmitting and/or
receiving radio
frequency (RF) signals for communications with the wireless communications
network,
such an operating condition is described in this application as an in-coverage
condition.
When mobile station 102 is outside of coverage area provided by wireless
communication
network 104 or a similar wireless communication network, and/or is incapable
of
sufficiently transmitting and/or receiving radio frequency (RF) signals for
communications
with the wireless communications network such an operating condition is
described in this
application as an out-of-coverage condition. Areas considered outside of a
coverage area
provided by a wireless communication network include locations beyond a
geographical
coverage area defined by RF radiation patterns from the wireless communication
network
antennae as well as locations within the geographical coverage area where an
RF signal
from a wireless communication network may be weak or nonexistent due to
physical
obstructions, interference from another energy source, or other conditions
that may reduce
RF signal strength.
In the embodiment of FIG. 1, wireless communication network 104 is configured
in accordance with General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and a Global Systems
for
Mobile (GSM) technologies; however, any suitable type of network communication
protocols may be utilized. For example, the network may be based on code
division
multiple access (CDMA) or other suitable technologies. As another example, the
network
may be based on an Integrated Dispatch Enhanced Network (iDEN) which is a high-
capacity digital trunked radio system providing integrated voice and data
services.
Mobile station 102, which is one type of mobile communication device,
preferably
includes a visual display 112, a keyboard 114, and perhaps one or more
auxiliary user
interfaces (UI) 116, each of which are coupled to a controller 106. Controller
106 is also
coupled to RF transceiver circuitry 108 and an antenna 110. Typically,
controller 106 is
embodied as a central processing unit (CPU) which runs operating system
software in a
memory component (not shown). Controller 106 will normally control overall
operation
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of mobile station 102, whereas signal processing operations associated with
communication functions are typically performed in RF transceiver circuitry
108.
Controller 106 interfaces with device display 112 to display received
information, stored
information, user inputs, and the like. Keyboard 114, which may be a telephone
type
keypad or full alphanumeric keyboard, is normally provided for entering data
for storage
in mobile station 102, information for transmission to wireless communication
network
104, a telephone number to place a telephone call, commands to be executed on
mobile
station 102, and possibly other or different user inputs.
Mobile station 102 sends communication signals to and receives communication
signals from wireless communication network 104 over a wireless link via
antenna 110.
RF transceiver circuitry 108 performs functions similar to those of station
118 and base
station controller 120, including for example modulation/demodulation and
possibly
encoding/decoding and encryption/decryption. It is also contemplated that RF
transceiver
circuitry 108 may perform certain functions in addition to those performed by
base station
controller 120. It will be apparent to those skilled in art that RF
transceiver circuitry 108
will be adapted to particular wireless communication network or networks in
which
mobile station 102 is intended to operate.
Mobile station 102 includes a battery interface 134 for receiving one or more
rechargeable batteries 132. Battery 132 provides electrical power to
electrical circuitry in
mobile station 102, and battery interface 134 provides for a mechanical and
electrical
connection for battery 132. Battery interface 134 is coupled to a regulator
136 which
regulates power to the device. When mobile station 102 is fully operational,
an RF
transmitter of RF transceiver circuitry 108 is typically keyed or turned on
only when it is
sending to network, and is otherwise turned off to conserve resources.
Similarly, an RF
receiver of RF transceiver circuitry 108 is typically periodically turned off
to conserve
power until it is needed to receive signals or information (if at all) during
designated time
periods.
Mobile station 102 operates using a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) 140 which
is connected to or inserted in mobile station 102 at a SIM interface 142. SIM
140 is one
type of a conventional "smart card" used to identify a user (or subscriber) of
mobile
station 102 and to personalize the device, among other things. Without SIM
140, the
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mobile station terminal is not fully operational for communication through
wireless
communication network 104. By inserting SIM 140 into mobile station 102, a
user can
have access to any and all of his/her subscribed services. SIM 140 generally
includes a
processor and memory for storing information. Since SIM 140 is coupled to SIM
interface
142, it is coupled to controller 106 through communication lines 144. In order
to identify
the subscriber, SIM 140 contains some user parameters such as an International
Mobile
Subscriber Identity (IMSI). An advantage of using SIM 140 is that users are
not
necessarily bound by any single physical mobile station. SIM 140 may store
additional
user information for the mobile station as well, including datebook (or
calendar)
information and recent call information.
Mobile station 102 may consist of a single unit, such as a data communication
device, a cellular telephone, a multiple-function communication device with
data and
voice communication capabilities, a personal digital assistant (PDA) enabled
for wireless
communication, or a computer incorporating an internal modem. Alternatively,
mobile
station 102 may be a multiple-module unit comprising a plurality of separate
components,
including but in no way limited to a computer or other device connected to a
wireless
modem. In particular, for example, in the mobile station block diagram of FIG.
1, RF
transceiver circuitry 108 and antenna 110 may be implemented as a radio modem
unit that
may be inserted into a port on a laptop computer. In this case, the laptop
computer would
include display 112, keyboard 114, one or more auxiliary Uls 116, and
controller 106
embodied as the computer's CPU. It is also contemplated that a computer or
other
equipment not normally capable of wireless communication may be adapted to
connect to
and effectively assume control of RF transceiver circuitry 108 and antenna 110
of a single-
unit device such as one of those described above. Such a mobile station 102
may have a
more particular implementation as described later in relation to mobile
station 202 of FIG.
2.
Mobile station 102 communicates in and through wireless communication network
104. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, wireless communication network 104 is
configured in
accordance with General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and a Global Systems for
Mobile
(GSM) technologies. Wireless communication network 104 includes a base station
controller (BSC) 120 with an associated tower station 118, a Mobile Switching
Center
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(MSC) 122, a Home Location Register (HLR) 132, a Serving General Packet Radio
Service (GPRS) Support Node (SGSN) 126, and a Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN)
128. MSC 122 is coupled to BSC 120 and to a landline network, such as a Public
Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) 124. SGSN 126 is coupled to BSC 120 and to
5 GGSN 128, which is in turn coupled to a public or private data network 130
(such as the
Internet). HLR 132 is coupled to MSC 122, SGSN 126, and GGSN 128.
Station 118 is a transceiver station, and station 118 and BSC 120 are together
referred to herein as the transceiver equipment. This fixed transceiver
equipment provides
wireless communication network coverage for a particular coverage area
commonly
10 referred to as a "cell". The transceiver equipment transmits communication
signals to and
receives communication signals from mobile stations within its cell via
station 118. The
transceiver equipment normally performs such functions as modulation and
possibly
encoding and/or encryption of signals to be transmitted to the mobile station
in accordance
with particular, usually predetermined, communication protocols and
parameters, under
control of its controller. The transceiver equipment similarly demodulates and
possibly
decodes and decrypts, if necessary, any communication signals received from
mobile
station 102 within its cell. Communication protocols and parameters may vary
between
different networks. For example, one network may employ a different modulation
scheme
and operate at different frequencies than other networks.
The wireless link shown in communication system 100 of FIG. 1 represents one
or
more different channels, typically different radio frequency (RF) channels,
and associated
protocols used between wireless communication network 104 and mobile station
102.
Those skilled in art will appreciate that a wireless communication network in
actual
practice may include hundreds of cells, each served by a station 118 (i.e. or
station sector),
depending upon desired overall expanse of network coverage. All pertinent
components
may be connected by multiple switches and routers (not shown), controlled by
multiple
network controllers.
For all mobile station's 102 registered with a network operator, permanent
data
(such as mobile station 102 user's profile) as well as temporary data (such as
mobile
station's 102 current location) are stored in HLR 132. In case of a voice call
to mobile
station 102, HLR 132 is queried to determine the current location of mobile
station 102. A
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Visitor Location Register (VLR) of MSC 122 is responsible for a group of
location areas
and stores the data of those mobile stations that are currently in its area of
responsibility.
This includes parts of the permanent mobile station data that have been
transmitted from
HLR 132 to the VLR for faster access. However, the VLR of MSC 122 may also
assign
and store local data, such as temporary identifications. Optionally, the VLR
of MSC 122
can be enhanced for more efficient co-ordination of GPRS and non-GPRS services
and
functionality (e.g. paging for circuit-switched calls which can be performed
more
efficiently via SGSN 126, and combined GPRS and non-GPRS location updates).
Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) 126 is at the same hierarchical level as MSC
122 and keeps track of the individual locations of mobile stations. SGSN 126
also
performs security functions and access control. Gateway GPRS Support Node
(GGSN)
128 provides interworking with external packet-switched networks and is
connected with
SGSNs (such as SGSN 126) via an IP-based GPRS backbone network. SGSN 126
performs authentication and cipher setting procedures based on the same
algorithms, keys,
and criteria as in existing GSM. In conventional operation, cell selection may
be
performed autonomously by mobile station 102 or by the fixed transceiver
equipment
instructing mobile station 102 to select a particular cell. Mobile station 102
informs
wireless communication network 104 when it reselects another cell or group of
cells,
known as a routing area.
In order to access GPRS services, mobile station 102 first makes its presence
known to wireless communication network 104 by performing what is known as a
GPRS
"attach". This operation establishes a logical link between mobile station 102
and SGSN
126 and makes mobile station 102 available to receive, for example, pages via
SGSN,
notifications of incoming data, or SMS messages over GPRS. In order to send
and receive
GPRS data, mobile station 102 assists in activating the packet data address
that it wants to
use. This operation makes mobile station 102 known to GGSN 128; interworking
with
external data networks can thereafter commence. User data may be transferred
transparently between mobile station 102 and the external data networks using,
for
example, encapsulation and tunneling. Data packets are equipped with GPRS-
specific
protocol information and transferred between mobile station 102 and GGSN 128.
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FIG. 2 is a detailed block diagram of a preferred mobile station 202. Mobile
station 202 is preferably a two-way communication device having at least voice
and
advanced data communication capabilities, including the capability to
communicate with
other computer systems. Depending on the functionality provided by mobile
station 202,
it may be referred to as a data messaging device, a two-way pager, a cellular
telephone
with data messaging capabilities, a wireless Internet appliance, or a data
communication
device (with or without telephony capabilities). Mobile station 202 may
communicate
with any one of a plurality of fixed transceiver stations 200 within its
geographic coverage
area.
Mobile station 202 will normally incorporate a communication subsystem 211,
which includes a receiver 212, a transmitter 214, and associated components,
such as one
or more (preferably embedded or internal) antenna elements 216 and 218, local
oscillators
(LOs) 213, and a processing module such as a digital signal processor (DSP)
220.
Communication subsystem 211 is analogous to RF transceiver circuitry 108 and
antenna
110 shown in FIG. 1. As will be apparent to those skilled in field of
communications,
particular design of communication subsystem 211 depends on the communication
network in which mobile station 202 is intended to operate.
Mobile station 202 may send and receive communication signals over the network
after required network registration or activation procedures have been
completed. Signals
received by antenna 216 through the network are input to receiver 212, which
may
perform such common receiver functions as signal amplification, frequency down
conversion, filtering, channel selection, and like, and in example shown in
FIG. 2, analog-
to-digital (A/D) conversion. A/D conversion of a received signal allows more
complex
communication functions such as demodulation and decoding to be performed in
DSP
220. In a similar manner, signals to be transmitted are processed, including
modulation
and encoding, for example, by DSP 220. These DSP-processed signals are input
to
transmitter 214 for digital-to-analog (D/A) conversion, frequency up
conversion, filtering,
amplification and transmission over communication network via antenna 218. DSP
220
not only processes communication signals, but also provides for receiver and
transmitter
control. For example, the gains applied to communication signals in receiver
212 and
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transmitter 214 may be adaptively controlled through automatic gain control
algorithms
implemented in DSP 220.
Network access is associated with a subscriber or user of mobile station 202,
and
therefore mobile station 202 requires a Subscriber Identity Module or "SIM"
card 262 to
be inserted in a SIM interface 264 in order to operate in the network. SIM 262
includes
those features described in relation to FIG. 1. Mobile station 202 is a
battery-powered
device so it also includes a battery interface 254 for receiving one or more
rechargeable
batteries 256. Such a battery 256 provides electrical power to most if not all
electrical
circuitry in mobile station 202, and battery interface 254 provides for a
mechanical and
electrical connection for it. The battery interface 254 is coupled to a
regulator (not shown)
which provides a regulated voltage V to all of the circuitry.
Mobile station 202 includes a microprocessor 238 (which is one implementation
of
controller 106 of FIG. 1) which controls overall operation of mobile station
202.
Communication functions, including at least data and voice communications, are
performed through communication subsystem 211. Microprocessor 238 also
interacts
with additional device subsystems such as a display 222, a flash memory 224, a
random
access memory (RAM) 226, auxiliary input/output (I/O) subsystems 228, a serial
port 230,
a keyboard 232, a speaker 234, a microphone 236, a short-range communications
subsystem 240, and any other device subsystems generally designated at 242.
Some of the
subsystems shown in FIG. 2 perform communication-related functions, whereas
other
subsystems may provide "resident" or on-device functions. Notably, some
subsystems,
such as keyboard 232 and display 222, for example, may be used for both
communication-
related functions, such as entering a text message for transmission over a
communication
network, and device-resident functions such as a calculator or task list.
Operating system
software used by microprocessor 238 is preferably stored in a persistent store
such as flash
memory 224, which may alternatively be a read-only memory (ROM) or similar
storage
element (not shown). Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the
operating system,
specific device applications, or parts thereof, may be temporarily loaded into
a volatile
store such as RAM 226.
Microprocessor 238, in addition to its operating system functions, preferably
enables execution of software applications on mobile station 202. A
predetermined set of
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applications which control basic device operations, including at least data
and voice
communication applications, will normally be installed on mobile station 202
during its
manufacture. This also includes the software for executing the techniques of
the present
disclosure. A preferred application which is loaded onto mobile station 202
may be a
personal information manager (PIM) application having the ability to organize
and
manage data items relating to e-mail messages and voicemail messages, as well
as
calendar data. Naturally, one or more memory stores are available on mobile
station 202
and SIM 262 to facilitate storage of PIM data items and other information.
The PIM application preferably has the ability to send and receive data items
via
the wireless communication network. PIM data items may be seamlessly
integrated,
synchronized, and updated via the wireless communication network, with the
mobile
station user's corresponding data items stored and/or associated with a host
computer
system thereby creating a mirrored host computer on mobile station 202 with
respect to
such items. This is especially advantageous where the host computer system is
the mobile
station user's office computer system. Additional applications may also be
loaded onto
mobile station 202 through network, an auxiliary I/O subsystem 228, serial
port 230,
short-range communications subsystem 240, or any other suitable subsystem 242,
and
installed by a user in RAM 226 or preferably a non-volatile store (not shown)
for
execution by microprocessor 238.
In a data communication mode, a received signal such as a text message (e.g. a
short message service or SMS message), an e-mail message, or web page download
will
be processed by communication subsystem 211 and input to microprocessor 238.
Microprocessor 238 will preferably further process the signal for output to
display 222 or
alternatively to auxiliary I/O device 228. A user of mobile station 202 may
also compose
data items, such as e-mail messages, for example, using keyboard 232 in
conjunction with
display 222 and possibly auxiliary I/O device 228. Keyboard 232 is preferably
a complete
alphanumeric keyboard and/or telephone-type keypad. These composed items may
be
transmitted over a communication network through communication subsystem 211.
For voice communications, the overall operation of mobile station 202 is
substantially similar, except that the received signals would be output to
speaker 234 and
signals for transmission would be generated by microphone 236. Alternative
voice or
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audio I/O subsystems, such as a voice message recording subsystem, may also be
implemented on mobile station 202. Although voice or audio signal output is
preferably
accomplished primarily through speaker 234, display 222 may also be used to
provide an
indication of the identity of a calling party, duration of a voice call, or
other voice call
5 related information, as some examples.
Serial port 230 in FIG. 2 is normally implemented in a personal digital
assistant
(PDA)-type communication device for which synchronization with a user's
desktop
computer is a desirable, albeit optional, component. Serial port 230 enables a
user to set
preferences through an external device or software application and extends the
capabilities
10 of mobile station 202 by providing for information or software downloads to
mobile
station 202 other than through a wireless communication network. The alternate
download path may, for example, be used to load an encryption key onto mobile
station
202 through a direct and thus reliable and trusted connection to thereby
provide secure
device communication.
15 Short-range communications subsystem 240 of FIG. 2 is an additional
optional
component which provides for communication between mobile station 202 and
different
systems or devices, which need not necessarily be similar devices. For
example,
subsystem 240 may include an infrared device and associated circuits and
components, or
a BluetoothTM communication module to provide for communication with similarly-
enabled systems and devices. BluetoothTM is a registered trademark of
Bluetooth SIG,
Inc.
FIG. 3 is a visual illustration of a front side of mobile station 202 which
may
employ the present user interface techniques. Mobile station 202 of FIG. 3 has
a housing
302 which contains the electronic circuitry and components shown and described
in
relation to FIGs. 1-2. Housing 302 of mobile station 202 carries a user
interface having
visual display 222 and keypad 232 with a plurality of keys as earlier shown
and described
in relation to FIG. 2. As will be revealed in more detail in relation to FIGs.
4, 6, 7, 9, 10
and 12, visual display 222 is used to visually display information and
messages for the
user. As shown in FIG. 3, the plurality of keys of keypad 232 include a
plurality of
telephone digit keys (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, *, and #) as well as
control keys including a
SEND key 308 (having a telephone handset icon inscribed thereon) and an END
key 310
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(having a telephone handset hang-up icon inscribed thereon). SEND and END keys
308
and 310 are mechanical switches of the mobile station which are detectable at
switch
inputs of the mobile station. In general, SEND key 308 is used by the user for
initiating a
telephone call from mobile station 202 through the wireless communication
network, and
END key 310 is used by the user for terminating the telephone call. Note that
both SEND
and END keys 308 and 310 are carried and exposed on a front side of housing
302. SEND
key 308 may be alternatively designated as an ENTER key, an OK key, a START
key, an
ACCEPT key, etc.; similarly, END key 310 may be alternatively designated as a
STOP
key, a NO key, a DECLINE key, etc. Note that SEND and END. keys 308 and 310
may
alternatively be visual objects which are displayed in visual display 222 and
detectable to
the touch if visual display 222 is a touch screen display or other similar
input device.
Given the relatively large size of visually displayed information and the
compact
size of visual display 222, information and messages are typically only
partially presented
in the limited view of visual display 222 at any given moment. Thus, mobile
station 202
of FIG. 3 also includes an information viewing/selection mechanism for use
with visual
display 222. In the present embodiment, the information viewing/selection
mechanism of
mobile station 202 is a scrollwhee1312. Scrollwhee1312 is positioned on a
right hand side
of housing 302. Scrollwheel 312 generally includes a circular disc which is
rotatable
about a fixed axis of housing 302, and may be rotated by the user's index
finger or thumb.
See the directions indicated by a rotation arrow 314 of scrollwheel 312 shown
in FIG. 3.
When the information or message is being partially displayed, an upwards
rotation of
scrollwhee1312 causes an upwards scrolling such that visual display 222
presents viewing
of an upper portion of the information or message. Similarly, a downwards
rotation of
scrollwheel 312 causes a downwards scrolling such that visual display 222
presents
viewing of a lower portion of the information or message. Note also that
scrollwheel 312
is mounted along a fixed linear axis such that the user can depress
scrollwhee1312 inwards
toward housing 302 (e.g. with the user's index finger or thumb) for selection
of
information. See the directions indicated by an arrow 316 of scrollwheel 312
shown in
FIG. 3. Such lateral movement inwards toward the housing is detectable by the
processor
of the mobile station as a switch input (actuation or depression of the
scrollwheel key).
Although scrollwheel 312 of FIG. 3 has been shown and described as the
preferred
CA 02611353 2007-11-21
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mechanism for use in viewing and selecting visually displayed information, any
suitable
viewing/selection mechanism may be utilized for the present user interface
techniques to
be described, such as UP and DOWN keys, a mouse and cursor mechanism, or a
touch
screen display mechanism.
FIG. 4 is a second visual illustration of the front side of mobile station
202.
Existing products in the field display a message or indication of no service
between a
mobile station and its wireless communication network when a voice call
attempt is
initiated while operating in out-of-coverage conditions. One example is shown
in FIG. 4
where, during out-of-coverage conditions, a "no service" or out-of-coverage
message 402
may be displayed in visual display 222 indicating that service has been lost
between
mobile station 202 and wireless communication network 104. Visual display 222
in this
illustration displays this out-of-coverage message 402 which specifically
reads "No
service currently available." Out-of-coverage conditions may be indicated by
other like
messages on a visual display or by some other indicator such as a colored
light emitting
diode (LED) or similar component, or by generating an audible indicator such
as an
audible tone or multi-tone or sequence of tones or multi-tones or like audible
indicator.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart for describing a first part of a user interface method
for
processing voice call requests based on communications conditions of a mobile
communication device. A second part of the method is subsequently described in
relation
to the flowchart of FIG. 8. The method may be performed with use of a mobile
communication device or mobile station operating in the wireless communication
network
as described in relation to FIGs. 1-4. A computer program product for the
mobile station
may include computer instructions stored on a storage medium (memory, a floppy
disk or
CD-ROM) which are written in accordance with the described logic of this
method.
In combination with the flowchart of FIG. 5, reference will be made to the
visual
illustrations of the mobile station in FIGs. 6-7. Beginning at a start block
502 of FIG. 5, a
user of the mobile station will submit a voice call request through a user
interface of the
mobile station (step 504 of FIG. 5). The user may initiate the voice call
request by
manually entering a telephone number using keypad 232 of FIG. 4, recalling a
stored
telephone number from memory using keypad 232, utilizing a voice recognition
method if
available, or utilizing another suitable means. The voice call request may
involve
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depressing SEND button 308 of FIG. 4. When the voice call request is received
by the
processor of mobile station 202, the processor is operative to identify if
mobile station 202
is operating in-coverage with any suitable wireless communication network
(step 506 of
FIG. 5). During an in-coverage condition, radio frequency (RF) communication
signals of
sufficient strength and quality are being communicated between mobile station
202 and a
wireless communication network. If the in-coverage condition is identified in
step 506,
the voice call is initiated from mobile station 202 through its wireless
transceiver (step 520
of FIG. 5) and the flowchart ends at an end block 522 of FIG. 5. If an in-
coverage
condition is not identified in step 506, then an out-of-coverage condition
exists where RF
communication signals between mobile station 202 and any suitable wireless
communication network are not sufficient for communications.
When the out-of-coverage condition is identified in step 506, the processor
utilizes
the wireless transceiver to monitor for service between mobile station 202 and
a wireless
communication network (step 508 of FIG. 5). The act of monitoring for service
by a
mobile station may be a scanning operation where each usable channel within a
frequency
band of operation is scanned for activity. During the scanning operation, the
processor
identifies whether any detected RF signals within the usable frequency band
are suitable
for communications between the mobile station and the wireless communication
network
that is generating the detected RF signal. If a suitable wireless network is
identified, an in-
coverage condition exists with this network (step 510 of FIG. 5) and the voice
call is
initiated through the network (step 520 of FIG. 5). If after monitoring for
service in step
508 a wireless communication network is not identified in step 510, the
processor may
optionally cause a "no service" or out-of-coverage message 402 (FIG. 6) and/or
a call
denial indication message 602 (FIG. 6) to be displayed in the visual display
of mobile
station 202 (step 512 of FIG. 5). Note that the "no service" or out-of-
coverage message
402 (FIG. 6) may also be used effectively as a call denial indication message
for the
attempted voice call. If utilized, this message affirmatively provides an
indication that the
attempted voice call has failed.
Following any call denial indication message 602 (e.g. after an expiration of
time
or a user acknowledgement of the message through the user interface), the
processor
causes a call reminder setup prompt 702 (FIG. 7) for voice call request to be
displayed in
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the visual display of mobile station 202 (step 514 of FIG. 5). Call reminder
setup prompt
702 prompts the user to activate a call reminder feature of mobile station 202
if desired. If
the user chooses to accept the call reminder feature through the user
interface (as tested in
step 516 of FIG. 5), the call reminder feature for the voice call request is
activated and the
processor causes voice call information (such as a person or business name, an
outgoing
telephone number, date, time of day when the voice call was attempted,
communications
application, and any other pertinent information) associated with the voice
call request to
be stored in memory (step 518 of FIG. 5). In one example, step 516 of FIG. 5
is
performed where call reminder setup prompt 702 of FIG. 7 is highlighted by
rotating scroll
wheel 312 (action shown by rotation arrow 314 of FIG. 7) by the user and
accepted by
depressing scroll wheel 312 (action shown by lateral movement arrow 316 of
FIG. 7). If
the visual display is a touch screen display, the user may simply press a wand
or finger on
the visual display 222 over the area where call reminder setup prompt 702
appears.
If the user declines or refrains from accepting the call reminder feature as
tested in
step 516 of FIG. 5, the call reminder feature is not activated, no voice call
request
information is stored in memory, and the flowchart ends at end block 522 of
FIG. 5. In
one example, the call reminder feature is declined or not accepted if the user
refrains from
selecting the call reminder indication prompt 702 within a predetermined time
period (e.g.
within 5-10 seconds). In another example, a"decline," "cancellation," or "OK"
prompt
704 (see FIG. 7) is simultaneously displayed in the visual display along with
call reminder
setup prompt 702 to give the user an option to affirmatively decline the
feature.
In a variation of the technique, in response to receiving the voice call
request and
identifying an out-of-coverage condition at step 510 of FIG. 5, the processor
may be
configured to automatically activate the call reminder feature and store the
voice call
reminder and voice call information in memory of mobile station 202 without
user
intervention (e.g. without visually displaying call reminder setup prompt 702
and without
selecting or actuating any call reminder setup prompt 702). In this case where
the voice
call reminder is stored automatically, steps 514 and 516 of FIG. 5 are
skipped.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart for describing the second part of the user interface
method of
the present disclosure for processing voice call requests based on
communication
conditions of the mobile station. The first part of the user interface method
was previously
CA 02611353 2007-11-21
described in relation to FIG. 5. The method may be performed with use of a
mobile
station operating in the wireless communication network as described in
relation to FIGs.
1-4. A computer program product for the method may include computer
instructions
stored on a storage medium (memory, a floppy disk or CD-ROM) which are written
in
5 accordance with the described logic of this method.
In combination with the flowchart of FIG. 8, reference will be made to the
visual
illustrations of the mobile station in FIGs. 9-10. The flowchart begins where
mobile
station 202 is not in-coverage with any wireless communication network for
communications (i.e. mobile station 202 is out-of-coverage). Beginning at a
start block
10 802 of FIG. 8, the processor regularly monitors to identify whether any in-
coverage
condition exists between mobile station 202 and a suitable wireless
communication
network (step 814 of FIG. 8). When service is restored between the mobile
station and a
wireless communication network, a process begins that will allow the user to
process any
previously-denied voice call requests.
15 After successfully registering with the wireless communication network
(step 816
of FIG. 8), the processor identifies whether the call reminder feature is
generally enabled
or activated (step 818 of FIG. 8). If a call reminder feature is not enabled
or activated at
step 818, then the flowchart ends at an end block 832 of FIG. 8. Once an in-
service
condition has been re-established between the mobile station and a wireless
20 communication network, the present method will begin a repetitive process
for handling
stored voice call requests that were previously denied while operating in out-
of-coverage
conditions. The process will not be performed if the call reminder feature is
not activated
or if no call reminders were stored in memory, but will be performed one or
more times
depending on the number of stored voice call reminders and choices made by the
user for
activating any stored call reminders. The process may also be interrupted if
an out-of-
coverage condition is detected while processing stored voice call reminders,
or if power to
mobile station 202 is interrupted.
If the call reminder feature is activated or enabled at step 818, and one or
more call
reminders are stored in memory (as tested in step 820 of FIG. 8), a call
reminder prompt
will be displayed in the visual display of mobile station 202 (step 822 of
FIG. 8). The call
reminder prompt allows the user the option of initiating a previously stored
voice call
CA 02611353 2007-11-21
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request. After service has been restored between mobile station 202 and a
wireless
communication network, the processor causes a generic "service restored"
message 902
(see FIG. 9) to be displayed indicating that service has been restored and
voice call(s)
were attempted while operating in out-of-coverage conditions. Voice call
information
message 904 may also be displayed which shows information about a previously
denied
voice call request stored in memory. Voice call information may include a
person or
business name, an outgoing telephone number, date, time of day when the voice
call was
attempted, communications application, and any other pertinent information
associated
with the voice call request.
In addition, the processor may cause a voice call reminder prompt 906 as well
as a
cancellation prompt 908 to be shown in visual display 222 of mobile station
202 which
allows the user to accept or decline, respectively, the previously denied
voice call request.
The user may highlight and select the visual prompts using rotatable and
lateral
movements of scrollwheel 312 of FIG. 9 or any other suitable selection
methods. If call
reminder prompt 906 is chosen through the user interface (as tested at step
824 of FIG. 8),
the processor causes the voice call to be initiated without further user
intervention (step
830 of FIG. 8). This is followed by deletion of stored call reminder
information from
memory (step 828 of FIG. 8), and subsequent completion of the voice call (step
826 of
FIG. 8). If cancellation prompt 908 is chosen in step 824, the call reminder
information is
deleted from memory (step 831 of FIG. 8) and therefore not subsequently acted
upon.
Following completion of the stored voice call request at step 826 or deletion
of call
reminder information (step 831 of FIG. 8), the processor monitors to identify
whether an
in-coverage condition still exists (step 825 of FIG. 8). If an in-coverage
condition is not
identified, the process returns to step 802 of FIG. 8 to attempt to gain
access to a wireless
communication network. If an in-coverage condition is identified in step 825,
the process
returns to check its memory for any further stored call reminders (step 820 of
FIG. 8) and
process each stored voice call request as described above. This process will
continue until
all stored call reminders are cleared from memory.
A further technique involves activating the call reminder feature only after a
minimum time duration of continuous out-of-coverage has existed after the
voice call
request is received. For example, while an out-of-coverage condition persists
for less than
CA 02611353 2007-11-21
22
a minimum time duration (e.g. 30 seconds) after a voice call request is
received, a call
reminder setup prompt is not immediately displayed and a call reminder is not
immediately stored. Over the minimum time duration, the processor causes
repeated
attempts to be made to restore service before any call reminder setup prompt
is displayed
and/or voice call reminder is stored in memory. If an in-coverage condition is
identified
before expiration of the minimum time duration, the voice call is initiated in
response to
the voice call request; if the out-of-coverage condition persists for the
minimum time
duration, then the processor causes the call reminder setup prompt to be
displayed and/or
the call reminder to be stored upon expiration. A programmable setting may be
provided
for setting the minimum time duration for displaying the call reminder setup
prompt or
storing voice call reminders while operating in out-of-coverage conditions.
On the other hand, a call reminder prompt may be displayed in the visual
display at
a time when the mobile device is still not in steady, continuous RF coverage.
This
situation is undesirable as the user may accept the prompt at a time when the
mobile
device is out-of-coverage, potentially leading to another call failure. In
this case, the
processor operates to cause the call reminder prompt to be displayed only
after and in
response to detecting a steady, continuous in-coverage condition for a minimum
time
duration (e.g. between 10 - 60 seconds); the processor refrains from
displaying the call
reminder prompt while no steady, continuous in-coverage condition is
identified. If a call
reminder prompt is displayed in the visual display after a steady, continuous
in-coverage
condition is identified, but an out-of-coverage condition is subsequently
identified by the
processor, the processor may operate to withdraw and remove the call reminder
prompt
from the visual display and restore the stored call reminder for later
issuance.
A further option of the present disclosure involves retaining the call
reminder in
memory for manual acceptance by the user at a later time. In this case, a list
of one or
more call reminders may be stored in the memory and later retrievable by the
user at a
time that is suitable for the user. In FIG. 8, after the cancellation prompt
is selected (step
824 of FIG. 8), an additional step may cause a prompt on the visual display
which allows
the user to retain the call reminder information in memory for use at a later
time, for
example.
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The method in the flowchart FIG. 8 may process stored voice call reminders
serially, as described above, or may process voice call reminders as a group.
FIG. 10
shows an example of multiple call reminders displayed on visual display 222 of
mobile
station 202. In addition to service restored message 902, voice call
information message
904, and voice call reminder prompt 906, visual display 222 of mobile station
202 may
also include a second voice call information message 1002 which will show
information
about a second denied voice call request, second voice call reminder prompt
1004 for
accepting the second voice call described in second voice call information
message 1002,
along with cancellation prompt 908. The user may choose to accept the call
reminder
corresponding to voice call information message 904 or, alternatively, the
call reminder
corresponding to second voice call information message 1002, by accepting
voice call
reminder prompt 906 or second voice call reminder prompt 1004, respectively.
In this
example of handling multiple voice reminders, cancellation prompt 908 of FIG.
10 allows
the user to deny all the voice call requests which are presently displayed on
visual display
222. Again, the user may initiate a voice call or deny the call(s) using
rotatable and lateral
movements of scrollwheel 312 or any other suitable selection methods described
above.
Additional voice call reminder messages and voice call prompts may be shown on
visual display 222 as space permits. Alternatively, when multiple voice call
reminder
messages/prompts are to be presented, an additional prompt may be included
that will
allow the user to view additional messages/prompts that may be stored in
memory if the
visual display is not capable of displaying all of them on the same screen.
Such a message
on a visual display may contain messages such as "NEXT" or "PREV" to allow the
user to
view the next or previous set of voice call reminder information messages
stored in
memory. Further, if multiple voice call reminder messages and voice call
reminder
prompts are shown on one page, a screen scrolling procedure may be required to
view
voice call information that is not presently shown on the visual display.
Selection of a
"NEXT" or "PREV" prompt and screen scrolling may be performed by the user with
the
use of rotatable and lateral movements of scrollwheel 312 or any other
selection methods
described above.
FIG. 11 is a flowchart for describing a variation of the user interface method
of
processing voice call requests from the mobile station with inclusion of an
abort timer
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which is initialized based on a duration of a current out-of-coverage
condition. The
method may be performed with use of a mobile station operating in the wireless
communication network as described in relation to FIGs. 1-4. A computer
program
product for the mobile station may include computer instructions stored on a
storage
medium (memory, a floppy disk or CD-ROM) which are written in accordance with
the
described logic of this method.
When a voice call is requested while operating in out-of-coverage conditions,
conventional techniques may monitor or scan for service in order to complete
the voice
call request with or without providing any indication to the user that monitor
or scan is
underway. The user interface (e.g. a visual display) may not indicate that the
voice call
request could be completed until a complete scan of the useable frequency band
has
completed. Complete scanning of the useable frequency band may last as long as
several
minutes, and may delay any indication to the user that the voice call request
could be
completed. The length of this delay may be unreasonable, and would also delay
any call
reminder setup prompt from being displayed and utilized as well.
Accordingly, a variable timer technique of the present disclosure utilizes
recorded
times of identified out-of-coverage conditions to reduce a time delay from
when a voice
call request is initially placed to when messages are displayed on a visual
display
indicating that the voice call request could be completed. One way of reducing
the time
delay is to utilize a recently-recorded out-of-coverage condition time. A time
delay value
may be inversely proportional to the time period since the most recent out-of-
coverage
condition was recorded relative to a time when the voice call request is
initiated, providing
almost immediate call denial/call reminder prompt indication to the user if
the out-of-
coverage condition has been present for a relatively long period of time. If
the out-of-
coverage condition has been present for a relatively long period of time, this
indicates that
a scanning operation has also been active during a long period. In that case,
little or no
further scanning needs to be performed prior to providing a call denial
message and/or call
reminder prompt to the user. On the other hand, if the out-of-coverage
condition has been
present only for a relatively short period of time, this indicates that the
scanning operation
has only been active during a short period. In that case, further scanning
should be
performed prior to providing a call denial message and/or call reminder prompt
to the user.
CA 02611353 2007-11-21
In combination with the flowchart of FIG. 11, reference will be made to the
visual
illustrations of the mobile station in FIGs. 3, 7 and 12. Beginning at a start
block 1102 of
FIG. 11, a user initiates a voice call request through the user interface of
mobile station
202 (step 1104 of FIG. 11). The user may initiate the voice call request by
manually
5 entering a telephone number using keypad 232 of FIG. 3, recalling a stored
telephone
number from memory using keypad 232, by utilizing a voice recognition method
if
available, or some other suitable means. The voice call request may involve
depressing
SEND button 308 of FIG. 3 after the selection of a telephone number.
When the voice call request is received by a processor of the mobile station,
the
10 processor identifies if mobile station 202 is operating in an in-coverage
condition (step
1106 of FIG. 11). If an in-coverage condition is not identified as tested in
step 1106 (i.e.
an out-of-coverage condition exists), an abort timer value is calculated based
on a duration
of the most recent identification of an uninterrupted out-of-coverage
condition (step 1108
of FIG. 11). The abort timer may be set inversely proportional to a time
period over which
15 the current out-of-coverage condition existed between the mobile
communication device
and a wireless communication network prior to receiving the voice call
request.
Maximum and minimum time values may be used to limit the range of the abort
timer.
Subsequent identification of an in-coverage condition may cause the abort
timer to reset to
its default value, and may also cause the mostly recently stored out-of-
coverage condition
20 time to be cleared from memory.
After the abort timer value is loaded into the abort timer and the abort timer
is set
to run (step 1110 of FIG. 11), and until the abort timer has expired (as
tested in step 1112
of FIG. 11), the processor causes a monitoring for service between mobile
station 202 and
a compatible wireless communication network (step 1114 of FIG. 11).
Preferably, the
25 monitoring is a scanning operation. If, while monitoring for service, an in-
coverage
condition is identified with a compatible wireless network (as tested in step
1116 of FIG.
11), mobile station 202 registers with the wireless network (step 1118 of FIG.
11).
Subsequently, the voice call for the voice call request is initiated by the
processor using
the wireless transceiver (step 1120 of FIG. 11), and the process terminates
and returns to
normal operation at an end block 1136 of FIG. 11. If after monitoring for
service in step
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26
1114, an in-coverage condition is not identified in step 1116, the process
returns to step
1112 of FIG. 11 to determine if the abort timer has expired.
When the abort timer has expired (step 1112 of FIG. 11), a call denial
indication
message may be displayed on the visual display of mobile station 202 (step
1122 of FIG.
11). See e.g. indication message 602 of FIG. 6. If a full system scan has
occurred recently
(as tested at step 1124 of FIG. 11), the processor causes a call reminder
setup prompt for
voice call request to be displayed in the visual display of mobile station 202
(step 1130 of
FIG. 11). For example, see prompt 702 of previous FIG. 7. The call reminder
setup
prompt prompts the user to activate a call reminder feature of the mobile
station if desired.
If the user chooses to accept the call reminder feature through the user
interface (as tested
in step 1132 of FIG. 11), the call reminder feature for the voice call request
is activated
and the processor causes voice call information (such as a person or business
name, an
outgoing telephone number, date, time of day when the voice call was
attempted,
communications application, and any other pertinent information) associated
with the
voice call request to be stored in memory (step 1134 of FIG. 11). In one
example, step
1132 of FIG. 11 is performed where the call reminder setup prompt is
highlighted by
rotating the scrollwheel and accepted by depressing the scrollwheel.
If the user declines or refrains from accepting the call reminder feature as
tested in
step 1132 of FIG. 11, the call reminder feature is not activated, no voice
call request
information is stored in memory, and the flowchart ends at end block 1136 of
FIG. 11. In
one example, the call reminder feature is declined or not accepted if the user
refrains from
selecting the call reminder indication prompt within a predetermined time
period (e.g.
within 5-10 seconds). In another example, a "decline," "cancellation," or "OK"
prompt
(see prompt 704 of FIG. 7) is simultaneously displayed in the visual display
along with the
call reminder setup prompt to give the user an option to affirmatively decline
the feature.
In a variation of the technique, at the YES branch in step 1124 of FIG. 11,
the processor
may be configured to automatically activate the call reminder feature and
store the voice
call reminder and voice call information in memory of the mobile station
without user
intervention (e.g. without visually displaying the call reminder setup prompt
and without
selecting or actuating any call reminder setup prompt). In this case where the
voice call
reminder is stored automatically, steps 1130 and 1132 of FIG. I 1 are skipped.
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27
If a full system scan has not occurred recently as tested in step 1124, the
processor
causes an indication to be displayed on the visual display corresponding to a
system scan
prompt (step 1126 of FIG. 11). In FIG. 12, an example of a system scan prompt
1204 is
shown in visual display 222 of mobile station 202. Note also that a "decline,"
"cancellation," or "OK" prompt 1202 may be simultaneously displayed in visual
display
222 along with system scan prompt 1204 to give the user an option to
affirmatively
decline the scan. If the user accepts the system scan prompt through the user
interface (as
identified in step 1128 of FIG. 11), the abort time value is set to its
maximum value to
allow adequate time for a full system scan (step 1125 of FIG. 11). The
flowchart then
returns to step 1110 where the abort timer is loaded with the maximum abort
timer value.
If the system scan prompt is not accepted or is declined through the user
interface at step
1128, the flowchart continues at step 1130 where the user has the option to
select and call
reminder information may or may not be stored.
Again, if an out-of-coverage condition has been present for a relatively long
period
of time, this indicates that a scanning operation has also been active during
a long period.
In that case, little or no further scanning needs to be performed prior to
providing such call
denial message and/or call reminder setup prompt to the user. On the other
hand, if the
out-of-coverage condition has been present only for a relatively short period
of time, this
indicates that the scanning operation has only been active during a short
period. In that
case, further scanning should be performed prior to providing such call denial
message
and/or call reminder setup prompt to the user. As apparent, the abort timer is
initialized
and set appropriately for such operation.
Thus, user interface methods and apparatus for processing voice call requests
based on communication conditions of a mobile communication device have been
described. The mobile communication device of the present disclosure may
include one
or more processors, a wireless transceiver coupled to the one or more
processors, and a
user interface which includes a visual display. In one illustrative
embodiment, a voice call
request for a voice call is received through the user interface. If the voice
call request is
received during an out-of-coverage condition of the mobile communication
device, the
processor causes a call denial indication to be displayed in the visual
display, which
indicates that the voice call request could not be completed. The processor
also causes a
CA 02611353 2007-11-21
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call reminder setup prompt to be displayed, which may be accepted or declined
through
the user interface. If an acceptance of the call reminder setup prompt is
received, the
processor causes a call reminder prompt for reattempting the voice call to be
displayed
when an in-coverage condition of the mobile communication device is
subsequently
identified. The call reminder prompt, which also may be accepted or declined
through the
user interface, reveals various call information regarding the previous voice
call request
such as the telephone number, name, and time of the previous request. If the
call reminder
prompt is accepted, the processor causes a voice call associated with the
voice call request
to be initiated. Advantageously, previous call attempts for voice calls made
during out-of-
coverage conditions may be re-initiated with helpful, easy-to-use, intelligent
call
reminders.
A related problem is associated with pre-established calendar appointments
made
via a calendar application of the mobile station. Such calendar appointments
are stored in
memory of the mobile station and are typically associated with calendar
information
which includes a date, time, and/or time period of the appointment. The
calendar
information of the calendar application may be automatically synchronized with
a
corresponding calendar application on a computer (e.g. a PC) of a local area
network
(LAN) via the wireless communication network. Thus, such calendar information
may be
received from the user interface of the mobile station or via the wireless
communication
network. The calendar appointment may or may not be for an anticipated
scheduled voice
call (e.g. a conference call) utilizing the mobile station. If the calendar
appointment is for
such a scheduled call, wireless coverage is required for the mobile station.
That is, at the
date and time of the appointment, the mobile station must be located within RF
coverage
range of the wireless communication network to make or receive the call for
the
appointment. If not, the user may miss or be late for the scheduled call. Note
that the user
may not be aware of any RF coverage problem until the calendar application
reminds the
user of the appointment, at or near the date and time of the appointment. This
problem is
more generally associated with any stored appointment or item in the mobile
station
having a pre-established scheduled date and/or time, such as a task
appointment of a task
application.
CA 02611353 2007-11-21
29
Techniques of the present disclosure described in relation to FIGs. 13-21 help
alleviate the aforementioned problems. In particular, FIGs. 13, 19, and 20 are
flowcharts
which describe such techniques and FIGs. 14-18 and 21 are illustrations of
displayed
information of the mobile station associated with the techniques.
To begin, FIG. 13 is a flowchart for describing a method for indicating
whether
wireless coverage is required for a new appointment of a calendar application
to be stored
in memory of a mobile station. The method may be performed with use of the
mobile
station (e.g. its one or more processors, such as a microprocessor) operating
in the wireless
communication network as described in relation to FIGs. 1-4. A computer
program
product for the mobile station may include computer instructions stored on a
storage
medium (memory, a floppy disk or CD-ROM) which are written in accordance with
the
described logic of this method.
In combination with the flowchart of FIG. 13, reference will be made to the
visual
illustrations of the mobile station in FIGs. 14-18. Beginning at a start block
1302 of FIG.
13, the processor of the mobile station regularly monitors to identify any new
appointment
within mobile station 202 (step 1304 of FIG. 13). Appointments may be calendar
appointments or task items which include calendar or scheduling information,
such as date
and/or time of day, as examples. The mobile station may receive a new
appointment while
interfacing with a separate calendar/scheduling software application, such as
Microsoft
Outlook or like software program, which may be operating on a separate
computer
system, such as a PC or computer network. The mobile station may receive new
appointments while wirelessly (e.g. data-synchronized) or directly coupled to
a PC or
computer network that is hosting the calendar or scheduling software
application.
Additionally or alternatively, a user may use keypad 232 of FIG. 4 or a
similar user
interface to manually enter a new appointment into mobile station memory. One
example
of a calendar appointment 1402 listed within a daily calendar list 1404 is
shown in the
illustration of FIG. 14. A detailed view of calendar appointment 1402 is shown
in the
illustration of FIG. 15.
Once a new appointment is identified, the processor determines if wireless
coverage is required for the new appointment (step 1306 of FIG. 13). Detection
of
wireless coverage requirements for the new appointment may be an automated
process
CA 02611353 2007-11-21
which may cause the processor to search within the calendar information for a
phone
number for the call, key words such as "call", "telephone", "chat session"
etc., an Internet
address, email address, or user or group names associated with chat groups, or
like
information that indicates wireless coverage is required. Search techniques
may be used
5 to detect alphanumeric strings within the calendar information to indicate
whether wireless
coverage is required for stored appointments.
Examples of alphanumeric strings indicating wireless coverage required for new
appointment 1402 of FIG. 15 are shown within location field 1504 of FIG. 15,
with
example string "conference call" associated with appointment subject
"Singapore Design
10 Center" 1502 of FIG. 15, and within telephone number field 1506 of FIG. 15,
where a ten
digit number is entered. Similar fields associated with any new appointment
may include
an Internet address, email address, user or group names associated with chat
groups or like
information indicating wireless coverage required for the new appointment. In
FIG. 18,
for example, a task 1804 ("Discuss Marketing Potential") of a task application
is shown
15 and associated with a date and time 1802, as well as notes 1806 which
indicate that a
group chat session for a chat group 1808 ("John's Group").
If any technique described above indicates wireless coverage is required in
step
1306, the new appointment will be stored in memory by the processor with an
indication
of wireless coverage required (step 1308 of FIG. 13). Indication of wireless
coverage
20 required may be a programmable flag or variable setting similar to example
field
"Wireless Coverage Required" 1702 of FIG. 17 associated with the new
appointment.
In step 1306 if no wireless coverage required is detected within calendar
information of the new appointment, the processor may optionally cause an
acceptance
message prompt 1602 of FIG. 16 ("Wireless Coverage Required for Scheduled
25 Appointment?") and/or cancel prompt 1604 of FIG. 16 ("Cancel") to be
displayed in
visual display 222 (step 1310 of FIG. 13). This step allows the user to
determine and
manually set whether wireless coverage is required for the new appointment.
For
example, the user of the mobile station may use scrollwheel 312 of FIG. 16 (or
like
key/button of the user interface) to select acceptance message prompt 1602 to
indicate that
30 wireless coverage is required for new appointment 1402, or select cancel
prompt 1604 to
indicate that wireless coverage is not required for new appointment 1402. If
acceptance
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message prompt 1602 is selected by the user as detected by the processor(step
1312 of
FIG. 13), the new appointment will be stored in memory of the mobile station
with an
indication of wireless coverage required (step 1308 of FIG. 13). If cancel
prompt 1604 is
accepted as detected by the processor in step 1312, the new appointment will
be stored in
memory of the mobile station with an indication of no wireless coverage
required (step
1314 of FIG. 13). As alternatives, wireless coverage required may be accepted
by the
user's selection of a mobile station key designated as "OK" button, or denied
by choosing
a mobile station key designated as "CANCEL" button on keypad 232 of FIG. 16.
Once
the new appointment is stored in memory in step 1308 or step 1314, the process
of FIG. 13
returns to step 1304 to monitor for any new appointments. As stated above, the
process of
FIG. 13 may apply to calendar appointments, task items, or like information
associated
with anticipated date and times of an upcoming event.
FIG. 19 is a flowchart for describing a method for causing a user interface
warning
indication to be produced during out-of-coverage conditions for appointments
stored in
memory of a mobile station. Such warning indications may be produced when
wireless
coverage is required for such appointments as determined in relation to the
process of FIG.
13 previously described. The method may be performed with use of the mobile
station
(e.g. its one or more processors, such as a microprocessor) operating in the
wireless
communication network as described in relation to FIGs. 1-4. A computer
program
product for the mobile station may include computer instructions stored on a
storage
medium (memory, a floppy disk or CD-ROM) which are written in accordance with
the
described logic of this method.
Beginning at a start block 1902 of FIG. 19, the processor of the mobile
station is
operative to identify if the mobile station is operating in-coverage with any
suitable
wireless communication network (step 1904 of FIG. 19). During an in-coverage
condition, radio frequency (RF) communication signals of sufficient strength
and quality
are being communicated between the mobile station and a wireless communication
network. If the in-coverage condition is identified in step 1904, then such
monitoring
continues and the process will repeat at step 1904. If an in-coverage
condition is not
identified in step 1904, then the mobile station is experiencing an out-of-
coverage
condition and prepares to provide a warning if any upcoming appointments
requiring
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32
wireless coverage are anticipated. An out-of-coverage condition exists when RF
communication signals between the mobile station and any suitable wireless
communication network are not sufficient for communications.
A time value TREM for appointment/warning may be set equal to a pre-defined
time
value TAPPT uM associated with the appointment information (step 1906 of FIG.
19). The
time value TREM is a process variable representing a predetermined time period
within the
date and time of upcoming calendar appointments, task items or other meetings
stored in
memory of the mobile station. Preferably, TREM is a value between 30 seconds
and 10
minutes. Time value TAPPT uM may comprise appointment information reminder
time
values, such as a Microsoft Outlook appointment default reminder time value
of fifteen
minutes or a task item reminder time value.
As previously described in the flowchart of FIG. 13, an appointment or task
may
be associated with a stored flag or other indicator to indicate that wireless
coverage is
required for the appointment. If any flagged calendar appointment, task item,
or other
meeting item stored in memory is scheduled for a time t equal to current time
to plus time
value TREM (step 1908 of FIG. 19), the processor may cause a warning message
to be
produced at the user interface of the mobile station (step 1910 of FIG. 19).
If no
scheduled items require wireless coverage at a time t equal to the current
time to plus time
value TuM in step 1908, the process just returns to step 1904. In this case,
the warning is
refrained from being output from the user interface of the mobile station.
The warning message of step 1910 may generally indicate that wireless coverage
is
required for the upcoming scheduled item, that the mobile station is out-of-
coverage,
and/or provide an instruction for the user to relocate the mobile station for
removing the
out-of-coverage condition. The warning indication may be a visual message
displayed on
visual display 222, an audible indication produced at speaker 234, other
sensory indication
such as a vibrating mechanism, or combination of indications within the mobile
station.
Preferably, the warning message is or includes a visually-displayed text
message which
instructs the user to relocate the mobile station for removing the out-of-
coverage
condition. An example of a visual warning message 2102 is shown displayed on
visual
display 222 of FIG. 21.
CA 02611353 2007-11-21
33
Note that such warning indication may be provided at the same time, or a
different
time, than the actual calendar reminder indication otherwise provided by the
calendar
application. Note also that such warning indication is provided in addition to
any
conventional indication for out-of-coverage (e.g. signal strength bar or bars
indicating low
or non-existent, or text indicating "No Service").
FIG. 20 is a flowchart for describing a particular detailed implementation of
the
method of FIGs. 13 and 19 for causing a user interface warning indication
during out-of-
coverage conditions for appointments, with inclusion of a timer which is
initialized during
out-of-coverage conditions. The method may be performed with use of the mobile
station
(e.g. its one or more processors such as a microprocessor) operating in the
wireless
communication network as described in relation to FIGs. 1-4. A computer
program
product for the mobile station may include computer instructions stored on a
storage
medium (memory, a floppy disk or CD-ROM) which are written in accordance with
the
described logic of this method.
In general, the process described in the flowchart of FIG. 20 utilizes a timer
to
determine a duration for which the mobile station is continuously out-of-
coverage from
any suitable wireless communication network. The timer is described in the
flowchart of
FIG. 20 as an out-of-coverage (OOC) timer which is used in a mobile station to
determine
a time to initiate user interface warning indications for upcoming scheduled
appointments
requiring wireless service.
Beginning at a start block 2002 of FIG. 20, the processor of the mobile
station is
operative to identify if mobile station 202 is operating in-coverage with any
suitable
wireless communication network (step 2004 of FIG. 20). During an in-coverage
condition, radio frequency (RF) communication signals of sufficient strength
and quality
are being communicated between the mobile station and a wireless communication
network. If the in-coverage condition is identified in step 2004, an out-of-
coverage (OOC)
timer will be disabled (step 2006 of FIG. 20) and the processor continues
monitoring at
step 2004. If an in-coverage condition is not identified in step 2004, then an
out-of-
coverage condition exists where RF communication signals between the mobile
station
and any suitable wireless communication network are not sufficient for
communications.
If an in-coverage condition is not identified in step 2004, and if the OOC
timer is not
CA 02611353 2007-11-21
34
currently running (as identified by the processor in step 2008 of FIG. 20),
the processor
causes the OOC timer to be initialized and started (step 2010 of FIG. 20). If
the OOC
timer is currently running as identified in step 2208, the process advances to
step 2012.
Next, if a buffer time is available to be added to the appointment reminder
time (as
identified in step 2012 of FIG. 20), a variable time value TREM may be set to
equal a sum
of a time value Tocc (i.e. for the OCC timer) plus a buffer time value TBUFFER
(step 2014
of FIG. 20). Preferably, the buffer time is an optional user or manufacturer
programmable
value for providing an additional time of warning indications for upcoming
appointments
requiring wireless service. If the user or manufacturer has chosen to not
include a buffer
time to be added to the appointment reminder time in step 2012, the variable
time value
Tp.EM may be set to equal OOC timer time value Tocc (step 2016 of FIG. 20).
Once TuM is set to a usable value, the processor determines if any
appointments
requiring wireless service are scheduled for a time t equal to a sum of the
current time to
plus TREM (step 2018 of FIG. 20). For any appointments requiring wireless
service
scheduled at time t, a warning indication may be produced at the user
interface of the
mobile station (step 2020 of FIG. 20). The warning indication may be in the
form of a
visual message displayed on visual display 222, an audible warning indication
at speaker
234, a combination of warning indications or other such user interface warning
indication,
as described earlier above. An example warning message 2102 of FIG. 21 is
shown
displayed on visual display 222 of FIG. 21. Note that such warning indication
may be
provided at the same time, or a different time, than the actual calendar
reminder indication
otherwise provided by the calendar application. Note also that such warning
indication is
provided in addition to any conventional indication for out-of-coverage (e.g.
signal
strength bar or bars indicating low or non-existent, or text indicating "No
Service").
Following the warning indication of any appointment requiring wireless
service,
the processor may determine if the appointment information should be repeated
at
predetermined time intervals (step 2022 of FIG. 20). If repeat warning
messages are
indicated for any appointment requiring wireless service, a reminder time
associated with
each repeat warning message will be set appropriately for each appointment
requiring
wireless service (step 2024 of FIG. 20). The processor then returns to step
2004 to
continue the process.
CA 02611353 2007-11-21
Advantageously, with the techniques of FIGs. 13-20, the user of the mobile
station
is made aware of RF coverage problems well before the time of the scheduled
appointment, which helps prevent the user from missing or being late for the
appointment.
A related problem is associated with scanning techniques of a mobile station
when
5 voice calls are anticipated. As described earlier, calendar appointments are
stored in
memory of the mobile station and are typically associated with calendar
information
which includes a date, time, and/or time period of the appointment. The
calendar
appointment may or may not be for an anticipated scheduled voice call (e.g. a
conference
call) utilizing the mobile station. If the calendar appointment is for such a
scheduled call,
10 wireless coverage is required for,the mobile station. That is, at the date
and time of the
appointment, the mobile station must be located within RF coverage range of
the wireless
communication network to make or receive the call for the appointment. If not,
the user
may miss or be late for the scheduled call. When the mobile station initially
goes out-of-
coverage, the mobile station performs scanning operations at a relatively fast
scan rate in
15 attempt to identify any available wireless networks within RF coverage
range. Over time,
however, when no networks are found, the scan rate is decreased to a
relatively slow scan
rate. This is done in order to reduce power consumption of the mobile station,
as scanning
operations consume a significant amount of battery power. Currently, however,
scanning
operations and scan rates are functionally disconnected from stored calendar
appointments
20 which may be for voice calls or otherwise require wireless service for the
mobile station.
Techniques of the present disclosure described in relation to FIG. 22 help
alleviate
the aforementioned problems. Generally, scanning operations of the present
disclosure
take into account any upcoming or imminent calendar appointments or call
reminders
stored in memory. FIG. 22 is a flowchart for describing a method for varying a
scan delay
25 value during out-of-coverage conditions dependent on upcoming appointments,
tasks and
stored call reminders requiring wireless service for a mobile station. The
method may be
performed with use of the mobile station (e.g. its one or more processors such
as a
microprocessor) operating in the wireless communication network as described
in relation
to FIGs. 1-4. A computer program product for the mobile station may include
computer
30 instructions stored on a storage medium (memory, a floppy disk or CD-ROM)
which are
written in accordance with the described logic of this method.
CA 02611353 2007-11-21
36
In general, the one or more processors of the mobile station are operative to
identify whether a call appointment or reminder for a communication session to
be
established during a current time period is stored in the memory, and
determine a scan rate
for scanning operations of the wireless transceiver which varies based on
whether the call
appointment or reminder for the communication session to be established during
the
current time period is identified. If the call appointment or reminder for the
communication session to be established during the current time period is
identified, for
example, then the scan rate may be determined to be a first scan rate;
otherwise the scan
rate may be determined to be a second scan rate that is less than the first
rate. The scan
rate may further be determined to vary based on a duration of time over which
repeated
scanning operations fail to identify a suitable wireless communication network
for
communication (e.g. as the duration of time increases, the scan rate
decreases). More
generally, then, scanning operations and/or the scan rate of the present
disclosure is
determined based on different items which include any stored upcoming
appointments
requiring wireless service, previous call attempts or call reminders, as well
as the time
period over which scanning has been unsuccessful. In a simpler embodiment, a
scanning
operation is triggered based on identifying an imminent appointment or
reminder
regardless of the existing scan rate which is otherwise left unchanged.
Advantageously,
the scanning procedure is performed so as to reduce power consumption in the
mobile
communication device without compromising calling ability.
Beginning at a start block 2202 of FIG. 22, the processor of the mobile
station is
operative to identify if the mobile station is operating in-coverage with any
suitable
wireless communication network (step 2204 of FIG. 22). During an in-coverage
condition, radio frequency (RF) communication signals of sufficient strength
and quality
are being communicated between the mobile station and a wireless communication
network. If the in-coverage condition is identified in step 2204, an out-of-
coverage (OOC)
timer will be disabled (step 2206 of FIG. 22) and the process will repeat step
2204. The
OOC timer is utilized to determine a duration for which the mobile station is
continuously
out-of-coverage from any suitable wireless communication network. If an in-
coverage
condition is not identified in step 2204, then an out-of-coverage condition
exists where RF
communication signals between the mobile station and any suitable wireless
CA 02611353 2007-11-21
37
communication network are not sufficient for communications. If an in-coverage
condition is not identified in step 2204, and if the OOC timer is not
currently running (as
identified in step 2208 of FIG. 22), the processor causes the OOC timer to be
initialized
and started (step 2210 of FIG. 22). If the OOC timer is currently running, the
process
advances to step 2212.
Next in step 2212, a variable time value TSCAN is initially set to equal a
time value
proportional to the amount of time since the out-of-coverage condition has
been detected,
based on the present value of the OOC timer (step 2212 of FIG. 22). The
initial value of
Tscarr may be determined by the present value of the OOC timer using
conventional
techniques. This variable time value TscAN represents a scan delay value that
will
determine a scan rate for scanning or monitoring usable RF spectrum for
wireless
networks within range of the mobile station. An action of monitoring usable RF
spectrum
for wireless networks may be referred to as a system scan. As described, the
scan delay
value may be set proportional to the time period since the most recent out-of-
coverage
condition was detected. The scan delay value will increase proportionally as
the OOC
timer time value increases to reduce system scan rate in an established out-of-
coverage
environment in order to reduce power consumption on the mobile station
battery. Put
another way, the scan rate is initially determined to vary based on a
predefined
relationship with the OOC time value such that, as the OOC time value
increases, the scan
rate decreases. When the system scan is not active, transmitter and receiver
circuitry is
disabled in large part, and is not draining any significant current from the
battery of the
mobile station. Therefore, an increased scan delay value reduces the battery
power
consumption in the mobile device, and therefore increases the battery life.
The scan delay
value may have a predefined upper limit defined as a maximum scan delay value
and a
predefined lower limit defined as a minimum scan delay value.
Next, the processor determines if any upcoming appointments or tasks require
wireless coverage (step 2214 of FIG. 22). If any upcoming or imminent
appointments or
tasks requiring wireless coverage are detected, then the scan rate will be
adjusted or varied
(i.e. decreased) based on this knowledge. The scan rate may be varied based on
a
predetermined relationship with the number of call appointments such that, as
the number
of call appointments increase, the scan rate increases. In this
implementation, the
CA 02611353 2007-11-21
38
processor performs a test to compare TscAN to a process variable time value
TCAL-APPT
(step 2216 of FIG. 22). The process variable time value TCAL-APPT may be a
function of a
variable time value, such as TSCAN or a predefined constant. For example, the
value may
be a maximum scan delay value TscAN(MAX) and number of calendar appointments
requiring wireless coverage and/or amount of time before a calendar
appointment
requiring wireless coverage. One example for determining the value of TcAL
,arPT may
involve a variable time value such as TscAN divided by a predefined constant
or variable
value. TcAL APPT may also be determined by a function including one or more of
a number
of upcoming appointments requiring wireless service, amount of time before
upcoming
appointments requiring wireless service, or other constant or variable value
that properly
suits the application. If TscAN is less than TCAL-APPT in step 2216, then no
change occurs
to the time value TscAN. If TscAN is greater than TcAL arPT, then TscAN will
be set to equal
TcAL APpT (step 2218 of FIG. 22).
Next, the processor detects if any call reminders are stored in memory of the
mobile station (step 2220 of FIG. 22). If no stored call reminders are
detected, the method
returns to step 2204 to repeat the process. If stored call reminders are
detected in step
2220, then the scan rate will be adjusted or varied (i.e. decreased) based on
this
knowledge. The scan rate may be varied based on a predetermined relationship
with the
number of call reminders such that, as the number of call reminders increase,
the scan rate
increases. In this implementation, a test will be performed to determine if
TscAN is less
than a process variable time value TcALL-REM (step 2222 of FIG. 22). Similar
to the
process described above for setting TscAN to a lower value if any appointment
reminders
are detected, TSCAN may be reduced by a predetermined value if any stored call
reminders
are detected. The process variable time value TcALL REM may be a function of a
variable
time value such as TscAN or a predefined constant such as maximum scan delay
value and
number of stored call reminders. One example for determining the value of
TcALL_UM
may involve a variable time value, such as TscAN divided by a predefined
constant or
variable value. TcALL xEM may also be determined by a function including one
or more of
a number of stored call reminders or other constant or variable value that
properly suits the
application. If TscAN is less than TcALL_REM in step 2222, then no change
occurs to the
time value TSCAN. If TscaN is greater than TcALL_REM, then TscAN will be set
to equal
CA 02611353 2007-11-21
39
ToALL REM (step 2224 of FIG. 22). Preferably, TsoAN may be determined as a
function of
both the number of upcoming appointments requiring wireless coverage and the
number of
stored call reminders. Next, the process returns to step 2204 to repeat the
process.
Once determined, the scan delay value may be loaded into a scan timer and the
scan timer is set to run until expiration. After the scan timer has expired, a
system scan for
wireless networks may be performed by the mobile station. Thus, each time the
scanning
operation fails to identify a suitable wireless communication network for
communication,
the scan delay timer is set with the scan delay value and is set to run, where
the scanning
operation is repeated upon expiration of the scan delay timer.
Note that the techniques for determining which time value is lesser in the
above
steps will continuously provide a scan delay time having the least value. In
some
applications, a greater scan delay time value may be desired, and may be
accomplished by
modifying decision blocks 2216 and 2218 and their associated process blocks.
In a
simpler embodiment related to FIG. 22, a scanning operation is triggered based
on
identifying an imminent appointment (e.g. within 30 seconds to 5 minutes) or
reminder
regardless of the existing scan rate, which is otherwise left unchanged and
set based on the
length of time of the out-of-coverage condition.
Thus, user interface methods and apparatus for processing voice call requests
based on communication conditions of a mobile communication device have been
described. The mobile communication device of the present disclosure includes
one or
more processors, a wireless transceiver coupled to the one or more processors,
and a user
interface which includes a visual display. In one illustrative embodiment, a
voice call
request for a voice call is received through the user interface. If the voice
call request is
received during an out-of-coverage condition of the mobile communication
device, the
processor causes a call denial indication to be displayed in the visual
display, which
indicates that the voice call request could not be completed. The processor
also causes a
call reminder setup prompt to be displayed, which may be accepted or declined
through
the user interface. If an acceptance of the call reminder setup prompt is
received, the
processor causes a call reminder prompt for reattempting the voice call
request to be
displayed when an in-coverage condition of the mobile communication device is
subsequently identified. The call reminder prompt, which may be accepted or
declined
CA 02611353 2007-11-21
through the user interface, reveals various call information regarding the
previous voice
call request such as the telephone number, name, and time of the previous
request. If the
call reminder prompt is accepted, the processor causes a voice call associated
with the
voice call request to be initiated. Additional call reminder techniques are
disclosed to
5 provide an even more flexible and easy-to-use interface.
In addition, alert methods and apparatus for call appointments in a calendar
application based on communication conditions of a mobile communication device
have
been described. Calendar information for an appointment in the calendar
application is
received and stored in memory. The calendar information is associated with a
date and
10 time of the appointment. In response to identifying an out-of-coverage
condition of the
mobile communication device within a predetermined time period of the date and
time of
the appointment, a warning indication is produced at a user interface of the
mobile
communication device. The warning indication may be or include a message which
instructs a user of the mobile communication device to relocate the mobile
communication
15 device for removing the out-of-coverage condition, and may also include an
audible or
vibrating alert. The warning indication may be provided only if wireless
coverage is
required for the appointment, where a telephone number or other suitable call
information
is identified within the calendar information.
Finally, methods and apparatus for use in controlling scanning operations or a
scan
20 rate based on call appointments or reminders have been described. In one
illustrative
example, one or more processors of a mobile communication device may be
operative to
identify whether a call appointment or reminder for a communication session to
be
established during a current time period is stored in the memory, and
determine a scan rate
for scanning operations of the wireless transceiver which varies based on
whether the call
25 appointment or reminder for the communication session to be established is
identified. If
the call appointment or reminder for the communication session to be
established during
the current time period is identified, then the scan rate may be determined to
be a first scan
rate; otherwise the scan rate may be determined to be a second scan rate that
is less than
the first rate. The scan rate may further be determined to vary based on a
duration of time
30 over which repeated scanning operations fail to identify a suitable
wireless communication
network for communication (e.g. as the duration of time increases, the scan
rate
CA 02611353 2007-11-21
41
decreases). More generally, then, scanning operations and/or the scan rate of
the present
disclosure is determined based on different items which include any stored
upcoming
appointments requiring wireless service, previous call attempts or call
reminders, as well
as the time period over which scanning has been unsuccessful. In a simpler
embodiment,
a scanning operation is triggered based on identifying an imminent appointment
or
reminder regardless of the existing scan rate which is otherwise left
unchanged.
Advantageously, the scanning procedure is performed so as to reduce power
consumption
in the mobile communication device without compromising calling ability.
The above-described embodiments of the present disclosure are intended to be
examples only. Those of skill in the art may effect alterations, modifications
and
variations to the particular embodiments without departing from the scope of
the
application. The invention described herein in the recited claims intends to
cover and
embrace all suitable changes in technology.
