IP Library Granted Patent US 9,107,146
Granted Patent B2
US 9,107,146 · App. 13/968,316 · Granted Aug 11, 2015

Smart connection manager

Inventors: Paulo Chow (North Bend, WA); Mark Drovdahl (Seattle, WA); Sinclair M. Temple (Seattle, WA); Parker Ralph Kuncl (Seattle, WA)
Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc.
H04W48/16H04W48/18H04W48/08H04W88/06
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,107,146
App. No.
13/968,316
Granted
Aug 11, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

A telecommunication device configured to perform at least one of adjusting a network polling frequency, prompting a user to select one of a plurality of networks, automatically connecting to one of the networks, or automatically disconnecting from one of the networks is described herein. The telecommunication device performs the adjusting, prompting, or connecting based at least on received device data or network data that is associated with the networks.

Claims (35)

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a telecommunication device, at least one of device data or network data, the device data or network data being associated with a plurality of networks; and

based at least on the received device data or network data, adjusting, by the telecommunication device, a network polling frequency, wherein the adjusting the network polling frequency comprises:

decreasing or stopping polling of one of the networks in response to device data or network data indicating a current network connection or indicating that the telecommunication device is moving; or

managing a power state of a radio for one of the networks in response to the device data or the network data indicating the current network connection or indicating that the telecommunication device is moving.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of networks include at least one of a 2G network, a 3G network, a 4G network, a GSM network, a HSPA network, a HSPA+network, a Wi-Fi network, a Wi-Max network, a network associated with a femto, a Bluetooth network, a CDMA network, a UMTS network, or a ZigBee network.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the device data includes at least one of a location of the telecommunication device, a pattern or history of user behavior, a signal strength of one of the networks, a time of day, settings or preferences, a quality of an available network connection, an indication that a user is roaming, a use of the telecommunication device, or a battery power level.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network data includes inferences or patterns based on behavior of users of a plurality of telecommunication devices, subscription plan information, a location of the telecommunication device, settings or preferences, a cost associated with a network, or policies for offloading or network balancing.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, based at least on the received device data or network data, automatically connecting to a different network for one of voice or data communication than a network associated with a current network connection for the other of voice or data communication.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying one or more rules, profiles, or models to the received device data or network data and determining, based on the applying, whether to adjust the network polling frequency.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, based at least on the received device data or network data, shifting a communication from a current network connection to a new network connection associated with a different network when the device data or network data indicates that a network associated with the current network connection is congested.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the shifting is performed for voice communications and not for data communications.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the shifting is performed conditionally based on whether the user has subscribed to a premium plan.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the device data or network data indicates that a quality of one of the networks is poor and the adjusting the network polling frequency comprises increasing the network polling frequency for another of the networks.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising automatically connecting to one of the networks and reducing network polling frequencies for others of the networks.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a threshold amount of time since a network was detected has been met and, responsive to the threshold amount of time being met, prompting the user to connect to the detected network.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising recognizing that one of the networks requires a login and providing an indication to the user that the network requires the login.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network data indicates costs associated with the networks and the telecommunication device automatically connects to one of the networks having the lowest cost.

15. A telecommunication device comprising:

a processor;

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor and storing at least one of rules, profiles, or models associated with connections to a plurality of networks; and

a smart connection manager configured to be operated by the processor to perform operations including:

receiving at least one of device data or network data,

analyzing the device data or network data based on the at least one of the rules, profiles, or models, and

based on the analyzing, automatically disconnecting from one of the networks and increasing network polling frequencies for others of the networks.

16. The telecommunication device of claim 15 , wherein the rules, profiles, or models are a local version of rules, profiles, or models received from a service provider.

17. The telecommunication device of claim 15 , wherein the rules, profiles, or models are specific to a location, a time of day, an event, or a type of individual or aggregate user behavior or activity.

18. The telecommunication device of claim 15 , wherein the rules, profiles, or models are learned based on individual or aggregate user activities, behaviors, or responses to prompts.

19. One or more non-transitory computer storage media comprising computer executable instructions stored thereon and configured to instruct one or more computing devices to perform operations including:

receiving device data associated with at least one of network connections or user behavior of a plurality of telecommunication devices;

receiving data from a third party source;

building one or more rules, profiles, or models based on the received device data and on the data from the third party source, wherein the one or more rules, profiles, or models are for governing network connection behavior of the telecommunication devices; and

providing the rules, profiles, or models to at least one of the telecommunication devices to enable the telecommunication device to perform, based on the rules, profiles, or models, at least one of adjusting a network polling frequency, prompting a user to select one of a plurality of networks, automatically connecting to one of the networks, or automatically disconnecting from one of the networks.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer storage media of claim 19 , wherein the building comprises building rules, profiles, or models for each subscriber associated with one of the telecommunication devices.

21. The one or more non-transitory computer storage media of claim 19 , wherein the operations further include instructing one of the telecommunication devices to shift from a current network connection associated with a current network to a new network connection associated with a different network.

Assignments (7)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 23, 2022
From: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS
To: IBSV LLC; LAYER3 TV, LLC; PUSHSPRING, LLC; T-MOBILE CENTRAL LLC; T-MOBILE USA, INC.; ASSURANCE WIRELESS USA, L.P.; BOOST WORLDWIDE, LLC; CLEARWIRE COMMUNICATIONS LLC; CLEARWIRE IP HOLDINGS LLC; SPRINTCOM LLC; SPRINT COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY L.P.; SPRINT INTERNATIONAL INCORPORATED; SPRINT SPECTRUM LLC
Reel/Frame 062595/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 2, 2020
From: T-MOBILE USA, INC.; ISBV LLC; T-MOBILE CENTRAL LLC; LAYER3 TV, INC.; PUSHSPRING, INC.; BOOST WORLDWIDE, LLC; CLEARWIRE COMMUNICATIONS LLC; CLEARWIRE IP HOLDINGS LLC; CLEARWIRE LEGACY LLC; SPRINT COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY L.P.; SPRINT INTERNATIONAL INCORPORATED; SPRINT SPECTRUM L.P.; ASSURANCE WIRELESS USA, L.P.
To: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS
Reel/Frame 053182/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 1, 2020
From: DEUTSCHE TELEKOM AG
To: T-MOBILE USA, INC.; IBSV LLC
Reel/Frame 052969/0381 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 1, 2020
From: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH
To: T-MOBILE USA, INC.; IBSV LLC; METROPCS COMMUNICATIONS, INC.; METROPCS WIRELESS, INC.; T-MOBILE SUBSIDIARY IV CORPORATION; LAYER3 TV, INC.; PUSHSPRING, INC.
Reel/Frame 052969/0314 →
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 30, 2016
From: T-MOBILE USA, INC.
To: DEUTSCHE TELEKOM AG
Reel/Frame 041225/0910 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 17, 2015
From: T-MOBILE USA, INC.; METROPCS COMMUNICATIONS, INC.; T-MOBILE SUBSIDIARY IV CORPORATION
To: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 037125/0885 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 14, 2014
From: CHOW, PAULO; DROVDAHL, MARK; TEMPLE, SINCLAIR M.; KUNCL, PARKER RALPH
To: T-MOBILE USA, INC.
Reel/Frame 033318/0781 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 13011772 · Jan 21, 2011
Related Publication 20140050118A1 · Feb 20, 2014