Wireless communication out of range indication

1. A method of providing an out of range warning by a wireless device with respect to a wireless network, comprising:

receiving a wireless transmission;

determining a current quality metric for the received wireless transmission;

estimating a period of time until the wireless device is out of range of the wireless network;

issuing the out of range warning that includes the estimated period of time;

associating a time stamp with the current quality metric;

storing the current quality metric and the associated time stamp as a previous quality metric;

updating the current quality metric and the time stamp; and

calculating a time rate of change of the quality metric;

wherein the calculating the time rate of change of the quality metric, comprises:

subtracting the updated current quality metric from the previous quality metric to form a delta quality metric; and

dividing the delta quality metric by a time interval corresponding to difference between the current time stamp and the previous time stamp; and

wherein calculating the estimated period of time until the wireless device is out of range of the wireless network, comprises:

determining a difference between the current quality metric and a quality metric corresponding to the effective boundary of the wireless network; and

dividing the difference by the time rate of change of the quality metric.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising;

issuing the out of range warning without the estimated period of time if the current quality metric is less than a first threshold.

3. A method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the first threshold value corresponds to a quality metric indicative of the wireless device approaching a wireless network effective range.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein if the estimated a period of time is greater than a second threshold value corresponding to a period of time longer than which operation of the wireless device would not be substantially affected by a loss of the wireless signal, then the out of range warning is not issued.

5. A method as recited in claim 4 , wherein in an inactive mode, the second threshold value is set to an inactive second threshold value.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the wireless network is a wireless communication system and wherein the wireless device is a cellular telephone.

7. A method as recited in claim 6 , wherein the quality metric is based upon a wireless transmission signal strength.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the wireless network is a data packet based wireless network.

9. A method as recited in claim 8 , wherein the quality metric is based upon a ping/response model error rate statistic.

10. A method as recited in claim 9 , wherein the error rate statistic is related to an actual number of received response packets relative to a number of transmitted request commands for a particular period of time.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the warning is selected from a group comprising: an audible warning, a vibratory warning, a visual warning, a tactile warning, and any combination.

12. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the wireless device is GPS enabled.

13. Computer program product executable by a processor for providing an out of range warning by a wireless device with respect to a wireless network, comprising:

computer code for receiving a wireless transmission;

computer code for determining a current quality metric for the received wireless transmission;

computer code for estimating a period of time until the wireless device is out of range of the wireless network;

computer code for issuing the out of range warning that includes the estimated period of time;

computer code for associating a time stamp with the current quality metric;

computer code for storing the current quality metric and the associated time stamp as a previous quality metric;

computer code for updating the current quality metric and the time stamp; and

computer code for calculating a time rate of change of the quality metric;

wherein the calculating the time rate of change of the quality metric, comprises:

computer code for subtracting the updated current quality metric from the previous quality metric to form a delta quality metric; and

computer code for dividing the delta quality metric by a time interval corresponding to difference between the current time stamp and the previous time stamp; and

wherein calculating the estimated period of time until the wireless device is out of range of the wireless network, comprises:

computer code for determining a difference between the current quality metric and a quality metric corresponding to the effective boundary of the wireless network; and

computer code for dividing the difference by the time rate of change of the quality metric; and

computer readable medium for storing the computer code.

14. Computer program product as recited in claim 13 , further comprising;

computer code for issuing the out of range warning without the estimated period of time if the current quality metric is less than a first threshold.

15. Computer program product as recited in claim 14 , wherein the first threshold value corresponds to a quality metric indicative of the wireless device approaching a wireless network effective range.

16. Computer program product as recited in claim 13 , wherein if the estimated a period of time is greater than a second threshold value corresponding to a period of time longer than which operation of the wireless device would not be substantially affected by a loss of the wireless signal, then the out of range warning is not issued.

17. Computer program product as recited in claim 16 , wherein in an inactive mode, the second threshold value is set to an inactive second threshold value.

18. Computer program product as recited in claim 13 , wherein the wireless network is a wireless communication system and the wireless device is a cellular telephone.

19. Computer program product as recited in claim 18 , wherein the quality metric is based upon a wireless transmission signal strength.

20. Computer program product as recited in claim 13 , wherein the wireless network is a data packet based wireless network.

21. Computer program product as recited in claim 20 , wherein the quality metric is based upon a ping/response model error rate statistic.

22. Computer program product as recited in claim 21 , wherein the error rate statistic is related to an actual number of received response packets relative to a number of transmitted request commands for a particular period of time.

23. A mobile wireless apparatus arranged to issue an out of range warning with respect to a wireless network, comprising;

a receiving unit arranged to receive a wireless transmission; and

a processing unit coupled to the receiving unit arranged to determine a current quality metric for the received wireless transmission, estimate a period of time until the wireless apparatus is out of range of the wireless network, issue the out of range warning that includes the estimated period of time; associate a time stamp with the current quality metric; store the current quality metric and the associated time stamp as a previous quality metric; update the current quality metric and the time stamp; and calculate a time rate of change of the quality metric;

wherein the calculating the time rate of change of the quality metric, comprises:

subtracting the updated current quality metric from the previous quality metric to form a delta quality metric; and

dividing the delta quality metric by a time interval corresponding to difference between the current time stamp and the previous time stamp; and

wherein calculating the estimated period of time until the wireless device is out of range of the wireless network, comprises:

determining a difference between the current quality metric and a quality metric corresponding to the effective boundary of the wireless network; and

dividing the difference by the time rate of change of the quality metric.

24. An apparatus as recited in claim 23 , wherein the out of range warning does not include the estimated time if the current quality metric is less than a first threshold that corresponds to a quality metric indicative of the wireless device approaching a wireless network effective range.

25. An apparatus as recited in claim 23 , wherein if the estimated a period of time is greater than a second threshold value corresponding to a period of time longer than which operation of the wireless device would not be substantially affected by a loss of the wireless signal, then the out of range warning is not issued.

26. An apparatus as recited in claim 25 , wherein in an inactive mode, the second threshold value is set to an inactive second threshold value.

27. An apparatus as recited in claim 23 , wherein the wireless network is a wireless communication system and wherein the wireless device is a cellular telephone.

28. An apparatus as recited in claim 27 , wherein the quality metric is based upon a wireless transmission signal strength.

29. An apparatus as recited in claim 23 , wherein the apparatus is incorporated into a wireless portable consumer product.

30. An apparatus as recited in claim 29 , wherein the wireless portable consumer product is selected from a group comprising: a cellular telephone, a wireless multimedia player, a PDA.

31. An apparatus as recited in claim 23 , wherein the wireless network is a data packet based wireless network.

32. An apparatus as recited in claim 31 , wherein the quality metric is based upon a ping/response model error rate statistic.

33. An apparatus as recited in claim 32 , wherein the error rate statistic is related to an actual number of received response packets relative to a number of transmitted request commands for a particular period of time.