Cellular communications system for providing non-real time subscription data and related methods
View Patent ↗A cellular communications system may include a plurality of mobile cellular communications devices each associated with a respective user, and at least one cellular base station for wirelessly communicating with the mobile cellular communications devices. The at least one cellular base station may have a capacity associated therewith. The system may also include a central station for determining available capacity of the at least one cellular base station based upon active wireless communications with the mobile cellular communications devices. Moreover, the system may also include a subscription server for cooperating with the central station to provide non-real time subscription data to users on respective mobile cellular communications devices via the at least one cellular base station when the determined available capacity thereof is greater than a threshold.
1. A communications system comprising:
a station configured to wirelessly communicate with a plurality of electronic devices, said station having an available capacity associated therewith; and
a subscription server configured to
cooperate with said station to send a first portion of non-real time subscription data to a given electronic device when the available capacity is greater than a first capacity threshold, and thereafter send a second portion of the non-real time subscription data to the given electronic device when the available capacity is greater than a second capacity threshold, and
send no subscription data to the given electronic device when the available capacity is below the first capacity threshold.
2. The communications system of claim 1 wherein said subscription server is configured to discontinue sending subscription data to the given electronic device based upon an initiation of a communications connection thereto.
3. The communications system of claim 1 wherein said station is configured to generate capacity usage information.
4. The communications system of claim 1 wherein said subscription server is configured to provide a subscription data menu on the given electronic device.
5. The communications system of claim 1 wherein the subscription data comprises at least one of news articles, books, video game data, image data, and television programming schedule data.
6. The communications system of claim 1 wherein the subscription data comprises electronic mail (email) data.
7. The communications system of claim 1 wherein said subscription server comprises a controller and a memory cooperating therewith.
8. A subscription server for use with a station configured to wirelessly communicate with a plurality of electronic devices, the station having an available capacity associated therewith, the subscription server comprising:
a controller and a memory cooperating therewith to
cooperate with the station to send a first portion of non-real time subscription data to a given electronic device when the available capacity is greater than a first capacity threshold, and thereafter send a second portion of the non-real time subscription data to the given electronic device when the available capacity is greater than a second capacity threshold, and
not send subscription data to the given electronic device when the available capacity is below the first capacity threshold.
9. The subscription server of claim 8 wherein said controller and memory cooperating therewith discontinue sending subscription data to the given electronic device based upon an initiation of a communication connection thereto.
10. The subscription server of claim 8 wherein said controller and memory cooperating therewith provide a subscription data menu on the given electronic device.
11. The subscription server of claim 8 wherein the subscription data comprises at least one of news articles, books, video game data, image data, and television programming schedule data.
12. The subscription server of claim 8 wherein the subscription data comprises electronic mail (email) data.
13. A method for wireless communication between a station having an available capacity and a plurality of electronic devices, the method comprising:
operating a controller and memory cooperating therewith to
cooperate with the station to send a first portion of non-real time subscription data to a given electronic device when the available capacity is greater than a first capacity threshold, and thereafter send a second portion of the non-real time subscription data to the given electronic device when the available capacity is greater than a second capacity threshold, and
not send subscription data to the given electronic device when the available capacity is below the first capacity threshold.
14. The method of claim 13 further comprising operating the controller and memory cooperating therewith to discontinue sending subscription data to the given electronic device based upon an initiation of a communication connection thereto.
15. The method of claim 13 further comprising operating the controller and memory cooperating therewith to provide a subscription data menu on the given electronic device.
16. The method of claim 13 wherein the subscription data comprises at least one of news articles, books, video game data, image data, and television programming schedule data.
17. The method of claim 13 wherein the subscription data comprises electronic mail (email) data.