Method and apparatus for cellular dead zone handling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9716787-B1
Application number	US-201615063991-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Mar 8, 2016
Priority date	Mar 8, 2016
Publication date	Jul 25, 2017
Grant date	Jul 25, 2017

Abstract

A system includes a processor configured to receive coordinate information identifying an upcoming cellular dead zone on a vehicle route. The processor is also configured to generate an alert to the upcoming cellular dead zone. The processor is further configured to offer an automatic call-back for an ongoing phone call and automatically call back a number associated with the ongoing phone call in response to exiting the cellular dead zone if the call was dropped in the cellular dead zone and the offer was accepted.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a processor configured to:
receive coordinate information identifying an upcoming cellular dead zone on a vehicle route;
generate an alert to the upcoming cellular dead zone; and
display a portion of the vehicle route, including displaying the cellular dead zone, on a vehicle display; and
automatically call back a number associated with a phone call in response to exiting the cellular dead zone if the call was dropped in the cellular dead zone and an offer to call-back was accepted.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the coordinate information includes a likelihood value of a dead zone for each of a set of coordinates within the dead zone.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to record, for each set of coordinates of the coordinate information encountered by the vehicle, an increased or decreased likelihood value of the dead zone, based on whether a signal strength below a threshold was or was not encountered, respectively.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the processor is configured to store the increased and decreased likelihood values locally on a vehicle memory.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the processor is configured to report the increased and decreased likelihood values to a remote server.

6. The system of claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to:
display the cellular dead zone based on a received perimeter of coordinates when more than a threshold percentage of coordinates within the cellular dead zone indicate a likelihood of representing dead coordinates above a threshold likelihood.

7. The system of claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to:
display the cellular dead zone based on a display of individually received dead zone coordinates when less than a threshold percentage of coordinates within the cellular dead zone indicate a likelihood of representing dead zone coordinates above a threshold likelihood.

8. The system of claim 2 , wherein the likelihood value varies between different coordinate sets and represents an observed likelihood of dropping a call at a given coordinate set.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
detect a failed phone call attempt while the vehicle is traveling in the dead zone;
offer the automatic call back for the failed phone call attempt; and
automatically call back a number associated with the failed phone call attempt in response to exiting the dead zone by the vehicle.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the alert includes a projected duration of travel within the dead zone.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the alert includes a projected distance of travel within the dead zone.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the alert includes a projected time until the dead zone is reached.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the alert includes a projected distance until the dead zone is reached.

14. A system comprising:
a processor configured to:
detect a cellular signal strength below a predetermined threshold;
detect a failed phone call attempt when the cellular signal strength is below the predetermined threshold;
offer an automatic call-back for the failed phone call attempt; and
automatically call-back a number associated with the failed phone call, in response to the processor detecting the cellular signal strength above the predetermined threshold and acceptance of the offer.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the cellular signal strength is reported to the processor from a wirelessly connected device.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the cellular signal strength is detected by a telematics modem installed in a same vehicle as the processor.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the processor is configured to record coordinate values for each identifiable point on a trip where the cellular signal strength is below the predetermined threshold.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the processor is configured to report the coordinate values to a remote server.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Prakah-Asante Kwaku O
• Rao Manoharprasad K

Classifications

• G01C21/3415

  Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents · CPC title

• H04W4/02

  Services making use of location information · CPC title

• H04W4/16

  Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold · CPC title

• H04M3/42195 Primary

  Arrangements for calling back a calling subscriber (when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy H04M3/48) · CPC title

• H04M2242/18

  Automated outdialling systems · CPC title