Location-aware multimodal communication system

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DESCRIPTION

Location-aware multimodal communication system

Background

The present disclosure is generally about communication systems and more specifically, but by no means of limitation, about the identification of communication resources based on the location of a communication device.

Mobile devices with more than one mode of communication have proliferated on the market. Cell phones, for example, may contain a transceiver to exchange voice and data communications with a cellular base station and another transceiver to communicate with a WiFi ™ access point. Some phones offer many more modes of communication. Determining the access points within the communication range of the phone can take time and processing power and impede the ability to move between access points.

Conventional mobile devices can receive a list of surrounding base stations from a serving base station. This list allows the mobile device to change position without interrupting service. However, the list is limited to information about base stations owned by the particular service provider or those owned by the provider's roaming partners. Furthermore, the information contained in the list may be limited to a specific communication mode of the mobile device.

Document WO 2005/051019 deals with a procedure for the discovery of services for a multimode wireless terminal with a plurality of radio interfaces. To improve the efficiency of a multimode wireless terminal in terms of power consumption and ease of use, an indication is sent to a multimode terminal in the mobile network, indicating the indication that services may be available locally for the multimode terminal through at least one short-range wireless network. The indication is received at the multimode terminal and information is collected, based on the indication, about services available through at least one short-range wireless network. Based on the collected information, a list of services is then compiled, the list describing at least one locally available service on one or more short-range wireless networks.

Document WO 90/13211 discloses a bulletin board communication resource that provides a message to communication units regarding communication systems available in a particular geographic area. The bulletin board resource also supports the registration of the communication unit in one or more of these systems as selected by the communication unit.

Brief summary of the disclosure

The present invention is disclosed herein with reference to the appended claims. In one embodiment, a method of providing a multimodal list of transceiver devices to a remote terminal is disclosed. The method includes retrieving the location of a remote terminal that is capable of communicating with a plurality of transceiver devices and that communicates in at least two communication modes. The method further includes identifying a first transceiver device for communicating in a first communication mode and a second transceiver device for communicating in a second communication mode. The first and second transceiver devices are located within communication range of the remote terminal and communicate in different communication modes. The method also includes generating the multimodal list of transceiver devices comprising the first and second transceiver devices, the multimodal list containing a transceiver identifier and a communication mode for each of the first and second transceiver devices. The multimodal list of transceiver devices is transmitted to the remote terminal in a remote terminal communication mode.

In another embodiment, a method of identifying transceiver devices for communicating with a remote terminal is disclosed. The method includes communicating information corresponding to a plurality of communication modes of the remote terminal away from the remote terminal. The procedure also includes receiving a multimodal list of transceiver devices. The multimodal list of transceiver devices includes information about a first transceiver device to communicate in a first communication mode and information about a second transceiver device to communicate in a second communication mode. Furthermore, the multimodal list of transceiver devices is adapted to the location of the remote terminal. The method further includes storing the multimodal list of transceiver devices in a memory accessible to the remote terminal.

In yet another embodiment, a system is disclosed for providing a multimodal list of transceiver devices to a remote terminal. The system includes a positioning unit to determine the location of the remote terminal and a transceiver device information database. The transceiver device information is characterized by at least a transceiver identifier, a location of the transceiver device, and a communication mode of the transceiver device. The system also includes a processor configured to

ES 2 398 098 T3 retrieve information of transceiver devices from the database and to create a multimodal list of transceiver devices. The multimodal list of transceiver devices contains information about a first transceiver device that has a first communication mode and a second transceiver device that has a second communication mode. Furthermore, the multimodal list of transceiver devices is adapted to the location of the remote terminal. The system also includes a transceiver configured to transmit the multimodal list of transceiver devices to the remote device using a remote device communication mode.

In one example, a system for identifying transceiver devices for communication with a remote terminal is disclosed. The system includes a first transceiver for communication in a first communication mode and a second transceiver for communication in a second communication mode. The system also includes a processor coupled with the first and second transceivers and configured to process communications in the first and second communication modes. A memory coupled with the processor is provided to store a multimodal list of transceiver devices. The multimodal list of transceiver devices includes information about a first transceiver device to communicate in a first communication mode and information about a second transceiver device to communicate in a second communication mode. The remote terminal receives the multimodal list of transceiver devices in a communication mode from the remote terminal.

In a further example, a system is disclosed for providing a multimodal list of transceiver devices to a remote terminal. The system includes means for retrieving the location of a remote terminal, as well as means for identifying a first transceiver device for communication in a first communication mode and a second transceiver device for communication in a second communication mode. The first and second transceiver devices are located within communication range of the remote terminal. The system also includes means for generating the multimodal list of transceiver devices comprising the first and second transceiver devices. The multimodal list of transceiver devices contains at least one transceiver device identifier and a communication mode for each of the first and second transceiver devices. Means are provided for transmission of the multimodal list of transceiver devices to the remote terminal.

In another example, a system for identifying transceiver devices for communication with a remote terminal is disclosed. The system includes a means for communicating information remotely from the remote terminal. Information communicated remotely from the remote terminal represents a plurality of communication modes of the remote terminal. Means are included for receiving a multimodal list of transceiver devices. The multimodal list of transceiver devices contains information about a first transceiver device to communicate in a first communication mode and information about a second transceiver device to communicate in a second communication mode. Furthermore, the multimodal list of transceiver devices is adapted to the location of the remote terminal. Means are included for storing the multimodal list of transceiver devices in a memory accessible to the remote terminal.

Additional areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinbelow. It should be understood that, while indicating various embodiments of the invention, the detailed description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to necessarily limit the scope of the invention.

Brief description of the drawings

This disclosure is described in conjunction with the accompanying figures:

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a multimodal communication system showing the interaction between mobile devices and base stations.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of a multimodal communication system showing various transceiver devices within communication range of a mobile device.

FIGURES 3A and 3B show base stations in communication with a base station controller as for a multimodal communication system.

FIGURES 4A and 4B are block diagrams representing base stations configured to operate in a multimodal communication system.

FIGURES 5A and 5B are block diagrams representing mobile devices configured to operate in a multimodal communication system.

FIGURES 6A and 6B are flow charts illustrating a procedure for providing a multimodal list of transceiver devices to a remote terminal.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart of a procedure by which transceiver devices are identified for communication with a remote terminal.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a system for providing a multimodal list of transceiver devices to a remote terminal.

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FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a system for identifying transceiver devices for communication with a remote terminal.

In the accompanying figures, similar components and / or features may have the same reference label. Furthermore, various components of the same type can be distinguished by following the reference label by a dash and a second label distinguishing between similar components. If only the first reference is used in the specification, the description is applicable to any one of the similar components having the same first reference label regardless of the second reference label.

Detailed description

The following description provides only one or more preferred exemplary embodiments and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention. rather, the following description of the preferred exemplary embodiment (s) will provide those skilled in the art with a description that enables them to implement a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention. It is understood that various changes can be made to the function and arrangement of the elements without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Specific details are given in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, a person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that embodiments can be practiced without these specific details. For example, the circuits can be shown in block diagrams so as not to complicate the realizations with unnecessary detail. In other cases, well-known circuits, procedures, algorithms, structures, and techniques may be shown without unnecessary detail to avoid complicating embodiments.

Furthermore, it is noted that the embodiments can be described as a procedure that is represented as a flow chart, a flow chart, a data flow chart, a structure diagram or a block diagram. Although a flow chart can describe operations as a sequential procedure, many of the operations can be performed in parallel or concurrently. In addition, the order of operations can be rearranged. A terminal procedure when its operations are complete, but it could have additional steps not included in the figure. A process can correspond to a method, a function, a procedure, a subroutine, a subprogram, and so on. When a process corresponds to a function, its termination corresponds to a return of the function to the calling function or to the main function.

As disclosed herein, the term "storage medium" can represent one or more devices for storing data, including read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic RAM, central memory, media. magnetic disk storage, optical storage media, flash memory devices, and / or other machine-readable media for storing information. The term "machine-readable medium" includes, without limitation, portable or fixed storage devices, optical storage devices, wireless channels, and various additional media capable of storing, containing or transporting one or more instructions and / or data.

Furthermore, the embodiments can be implemented by means of hardware, software, firmware, intermediate support, microcode, hardware description languages, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, firmware, intermediate, or microcode, the program code or code segments to carry out the necessary tasks may be saved on a machine-readable medium such as a storage medium. One or more processors can carry out the necessary tasks. A code segment or machine-executable instructions can represent a procedure, a function, a subprogram, a program, a routine, a subroutine, a module, a software package, a class, or any combination of instructions, data structures or program statements. A code segment may be coupled to another code segment or to a hardware circuit by passing and / or receiving information, data, arguments, parameters, or memory contents. Information, arguments, parameters, data, etc., can be passed, forwarded, or transmitted through suitable means, including memory sharing, message passing, token passing, network transmission, etc.

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a multimodal communication system. In this system, a mobile device 112-1, 112-2, 112-3, 112-4 exchanges voice and / or data communications with surrounding transceiver devices 108, 110, 112, 116, 120 according to a communication mode and the communication range of mobile device 112. Transceiver devices 108, 110, 112, 116, 120 support different communication modes or combinations of communication modes. As used herein, transceiver devices include such things as cellular base stations, various radio kings, wireless wide area networks, wireless local area networks, wireless personal area networks, a mesh network, Bluetooth devices, and others. communications devices that can exchange voice and / or data communications with a mobile device or a fixed location device.

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Some transceivers 108, 110, 112, 116, 120 can operate in mesh, point-to-point, and star network modes. For example, the fourth mobile device 112-4 may communicate in a mesh or point-to-point fashion with the second and third mobile devices, 112-2, 112-3. Thus, the fourth mobile device 112-4 can communicate with the second or third base stations 108-2, 108-3. Furthermore, the fourth mobile device could communicate directly with base stations 108 when within cellular region 102, 104, 106 in a star mode. With a transceiver 108, 110, 112, 116, 120 operating in multiple communication modes, some modes may be star and other modes mesh. A multimodal roster for a mobile device 112 could include transceivers 108, 110, 112, 116, 120, operating in mesh, point-to-point, and star network modes.

In this embodiment, the mobile devices 112 are cellular telephones and each mobile device 112-1, 112-2, 112-3 is capable of communicating in at least two different communication modes. The communication media can include, for example, various combinations of CDMA (code division multiple access), WCDMA (wideband code division multiple access), GSM (global system for mobile communications), TDMA (multiple access by time division), OFDM (orthogonal frequency division multiplexing), GPRS (general packet radio service), EV-DO (evolution optimized for data), WUSB (wireless universal serial bus), UWB (ultra-wideband), WiFi ™ (IEEE 802.11), WiMAX (IEEE 802.16), ZigBee ™ and / or satellite protocols. In other embodiments, the mobile devices can be different and can include such things as child or parole monitors, navigation equipment, personal navigation devices (PND), tracking devices, wireless pagers, wireless computers, smartphones, etc. Voice over IP (VOIP) terminal adapters and terminals, personal computers, laptop computers, and PDAs.

As illustrated, each mobile device 112-1, 112-2, 112-3 communicates with a base station 108-1, 108-2, 108-3 depending on the location of the mobile device 112. In addition, each base station 108 It has a footprint that defines the communication range of the base station station. For example, base station 108-1 communicates with devices in cellular region 102, while base station 108-2 communicates with devices in cellular region 104. In some embodiments, cellular regions 102, 104, 106 are further divided into sectors and base stations 108 are configured to communicate with mobile devices 112 located in a particular sector of a cellular region 102, 104, 106.

Upon activation, a mobile device 112 can listen for a base station 108 or other transceiver device 110, 112, 116, 120 in its surrounding environment. For example, mobile device 112-1 may listen for a signal from base station 108-1 when mobile device 112- is first activated.

1. When the signal is detected, mobile device 112-1 can transmit identifying information to base station 108-1. The identifying information can specify, for example, capabilities of the mobile device 112, including communication modes supported by the mobile device 112. Alternatively, the identifying information can be a shorthand description of a type of mobile device 112, for example a serial number. or a model number. In this case, base station 108-1 (or another remote entity connected to base station 108-1) may use the shorthand description to access additional information about mobile device 112-1 in a database of device features. .

Base station 108-1 also retrieves a geographic position from mobile device 112-1. In some embodiments, base station 108-1 is provided with the location of mobile device 112-1 through the use of a satellite global positioning system. In other embodiments, geographic position can be determined using a range signal and can involve interaction with one or more different transceiver devices 108, 110, 112, 116, 120 within communication range of mobile device 112-1. In additional embodiments, mobile device 112-1 can assist in the process of determining its location by sending positioning data to transceiver device 108, 110, 112, 116, 120. In yet another example, the position of the mobile device 112-1 may be derived from the identity (or knowledge) of the transceiver device 108, 110, 112, 116, 120 in communication with the mobile device 112-1. Knowing the location and communication range of the transceiver device 108, 110, 112, 116, 120 makes it possible to approximate the location of the mobile device 112-1, since the mobile device 112-1 is in the communication range of the transceiver device 108, 110, 112, 116, 120.

When mobile device 112-1 has been identified and its geographic location has been determined, base station 108-1 or some other transceiver device 108, 110, 112, 116, 120 generates a multimodal list of transceiver devices within probable range of mobile device communication 112-1. The multimodal list includes information about one or more transceiver devices 108, 110, 112, 116, 120 that communicate in any of the different communication modes supported by mobile device 112-1. In some embodiments, the information contained in the multimodal list includes an identifier of the transceiver device and a communication mode of the transceiver device. In other embodiments, the multimodal list may include additional information regarding the connection. For example, information about a WiFi access point can include an SSID, an IP address, and an operating frequency. Some embodiments include locations for the other transceiver devices 108, 110, 112, 116, 120 on the multimodal list. In one example, determining the geographic location may involve identifying the base station 108 or transceiver 110, 112, 116, 120 in communication with the mobile device. 112-1.

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Base station 108-1 transmits the multimodal list of transceiver devices to mobile device 112-1. In other embodiments, any transceiver device 108, 110, 112, 116, 120 within communication range of mobile device 112-1 could send the multimodal list. The multimodal list of transceiver devices may include all of the transceiver devices 108, 110, 112, 116, 120 known to the base station 108-1 that are within probable communication range of the mobile device 112-1 or a subset of these transceiver devices. . For example, base station 108-1 may access information about transceiver devices in cell region 102 and in neighboring cell regions 104, 106. Based on the location of the mobile device 112-1 and the range of each communication mode of each transceiver device 108, 110, 112, 116, 120, the base station 108-1 can determine that the transceivers 116-1, 120- 1 and 110-1 are within the probable communication range of the mobile device 112-1. Alternatively, any of the transceiver devices 108, 110, 112, 116, 120 may access the information about other transceiver devices and provide it to the mobile device 112-1 when the mobile device is in communication range of that transceiver.

In some embodiments, base station 108-1 includes all transceivers in the multimodal list regardless of mobile device 112-1 communication modes. Thus, for example, mobile device 112-1 can receive information about Bluetooth ™ transceivers in a multimodal list regardless of whether mobile device 112-1 can communicate with Bluetooth ™ devices. However, other embodiments adapt the multimodal list according to the communication modes of the mobile device 112-1. In this situation, Bluetooth ™ transceivers would not be included in the multimodal list if the mobile device 112-1 lacked the ability to communicate with these devices. However, in general, the multimodal list includes information on transceiver devices 108, 110, 112, 116, 120 to communicate in at least two different communication modes.

In one embodiment, the multimodal list may eliminate the need for mobile device 112-1 to scan communication modes for transceiver devices 108, 110, 112, 116, 120 after a location change. This can save time and battery power and can help avoid service interruptions. For example, using the multimodal list, the mobile device 112-1 may be able to quickly jump between individual WiFi ™ access points as it moves through a metropolitan area. Similarly, the mobile device 112-1 may be able to quickly switch between a communication with a Bluetooth ™ device, a cellular base station, and a WiFi ™ access point without doing a separate scan for transceiver devices on each of them. these modes of communication. In some embodiments, the base station 108-1 prioritizes the multimodal list of transceiver devices based on a communication mode of a transceiver device, a relative location of the transceiver device, favorite communication modes, roaming partners in a service agreement, and / or criteria specified by the user.

FIG. 2 is a multimodal communication system showing transceivers arranged in an operating environment of a mobile device 212. Multiple transceiver devices 208, 210, 216, 220, 228 are shown for exchanging voice and data communications in different communication modes at various distances from the mobile device 212. Initially, mobile device 212 may not be aware of surrounding transceiver devices 208, 210, 216, 220, 228 or it may lack the information necessary to communicate with these transceiver devices 208, 210, 216, 220, 228. This embodiment is capable of communicating between mobile device 212 and a satellite 228 in a communication mode as more fully explained below.

As shown, mobile device 212 is capable of communicating in three different communication modes in this embodiment. The communication range of these different communication modes is represented by concentric circles 224-1, 224-2, 224-3 extending from the location of the mobile device 212 which generally indicate the theoretical range of the communication modes. A first concentric circle 224-1 corresponds to a short range communication mode of mobile device 212 and may include, for example, communications from Bluetooth ™ devices. Thus, the radius of the concentric circle 224-1 can be approximately ten meters to signify the range at which Bluetooth ™ and other personal area devices normally communicate. Bluetooth ™ 216 devices located within the concentric circle 224-1 are potentially within the communication range of the mobile device 212, while Bluetooth ™ 216 devices located outside the concentric circle 224-1 may be beyond the communication range of the device. mobile 212. As illustrated, Bluetooth ™ device 216-1 is within probable communication range of mobile device 212, while Bluetooth ™ devices 216-2 and 216-3 are outside of this communication range.

A second concentric circle 224-2 corresponds to an intermediate range communication mode of mobile device 212 and may include, for example, WiFi ™ communications. Thus, the diameter of the second concentric circle 224-2 can be approximately 100 meters to signify the range at which these and other local area devices normally communicate. The WiFi ™ access points 220 located within the second concentric circle 224-2 are potentially within the communication range of the mobile device 212, while the WiFi ™ access points 220 located outside the first concentric circle 224-1 may be beyond of the communication range of the mobile device 212. As illustrated, two access points 220-1, 220-2

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WiFi ™ are within the probable communication range of the mobile device 212, while another WiFi ™ access point 220-3 is outside this communication range.

A third concentric circle 224-3 corresponds to a longer range communication mode of mobile device 212. Third concentric circle 224-3 includes base station 208. In this embodiment, base station 208 is a working cellular base station plenum or other wide area transceiver capable of exchanging voice and / or data communications in a communication mode of the mobile device 212.

In some embodiments, even longer range communication modes may also be supported by mobile device 212, for example satellite communication 228. In this case, other measurement techniques, such as signal strength, may be used to determine if satellite 224 is within communication range of mobile device 212. For satellite 228 an even larger concentric circle would be configured.

Mobile device 212 sends identifying information to base station 208 (or some other transceiver) upon detecting that it is within communication range of base station 208. Upon receiving identifying information, base station 208 retrieves the location of mobile device 212 and identifies transceiver devices for inclusion in the multimodal list. Although, in some embodiments, base station 208 has access to transceiver device information for large numbers of transceivers, it can select only those transceivers within the likely communication range of mobile device 212 for inclusion in the multimodal list. As illustrated all transceivers may include Bluetooth ™ device 216-1, WiFi ™ access points 220-1, 220-2, and base station 208. Generally, the multimodal list includes transceiver devices for communicating in at least two different communication modes.

In the foregoing embodiment, the base station 208 generated the multimodal list and transmitted it to the mobile device 212. However, it is understood that these activities can be performed by any of the various transceiver devices or any combination of transceiver devices. Thus, for example, the multimodal list of transceiver devices could be generated by a computer connected to a wireless wide area network and transmitted to a mobile device located within the communication range of the wireless wide area network. In addition, a WiFi ™ access point can be configured to provide a multimodal list of transceivers to mobile devices within its communication range. A mobile device located in overlapping communication ranges can potentially receive multimodal lists in each of its communication modes.

Not all mobile devices 212 support all communication modes for transceiver devices 208, 210, 216, 220, 228. In this embodiment, a WiFi ™ base station 210 is not supported by mobile device 212. WiFi ™ base stations 210 could be excluded from the multimodal list for mobile device 212. Alternatively, the multimodal list can include WiFi ™ base station 210 and simply be ignored by mobile device 212.

FIG. 3A shows a multimodal communication system that includes an array of base stations 308 in communication with a base station controller 316. Mobile devices 212 communicate with base stations 308 according to their respective locations. Base stations 308, in turn, communicate with base station controller 316, which is responsible for generating the multimodal list of transceiver devices. Base station controller 316 includes processor 320, positioning data 328, and transceiver device data 324.

In this embodiment, individual base stations 308 provide identification data from mobile devices 212 to base station controller 316. Processor 320, located within base station controller 316, is configured to generate a multimodal list of transceiver devices using information. contained in one or more databases or, if not, registered in a storage medium. Thus, for example, processor 320 may interrogate database 328 of positioning data and indicate the location of a mobile device. This query can return transceiver device identifiers for all transceiver devices within probable communication range of the mobile device location regardless of whether the mobile device can communicate with all those transceiver devices.

Processor 320 can then interrogate a transceiver device information database 324 with the transceiver identifiers to retrieve a list of communication modes that mobile device 212 is capable of using. The base station controller 316 may select the transceiver devices returned from the positioning data database 328 according to the communication modes of the mobile device to determine a multimodal list. The adapted multimodal list for transmission to mobile device 212 is returned to base station 308. The multimodal list of transceiver devices transmitted to mobile device 212 generally includes transceiver devices for communicating in at least two different communication modes. In an alternative embodiment, a mobile switching center or some other core network entity may be responsible for generating the multimodal list of transceiver devices.

FIG. 3B shows a further embodiment of a multimodal communication system in which base stations 308 communicate with a base station controller 316. In this embodiment, the controller 316 of

ES 2 398 098 T3 base stations is networked to data source 340. Network interface 332 receives instructions and data from processor 320 and transmits them through network 336. These instructions may represent requests for multimodal lists of transceivers. The data may include information identifying the requesting base station 308 and the mobile device 212 for which the multimodal list is to be generated.

Data source 340 may be adapted to receive instructions and data from multiple base station controllers 316 on its network interface 344. This feature can allow the implementation of a hierarchical coverage scheme. For example, an individual base station 308 may be responsible for receiving identifying information from mobile devices 212 in a particular cellular region. Base stations 308 serving one or more cellular regions may communicate with a designated base station controller 316. Groups of base station controllers 316 may serve a particular geographic area, and data source 340 may contain transceiver device information for all known transceivers located in the geographic area.

Data source 340 includes network interface 344, processor 348, and transceiver device database 352. Transceiver device database 352 may include one or more databases accessible to processor 348. These databases may be written to various storage media. Generally, the transceiver device database 352 will include an identifier and a geographic location. However, data source 340 may also store additional information, including one or more communication modes, availability, and usage statistics for each input from transceiver devices. Network 336 can be a circuit-switched network, a packet-switched network, and / or an IP network.

FIG. 4A is a block diagram of a base station 208 configured to operate in a multimodal communication system. Base station 208 includes antenna 404 and transceiver 408 for exchanging communications with mobile devices 212. As illustrated, transceiver 408 operates in a single communication mode. This embodiment may represent, for example, a cellular base station that has been configured to generate a multimodal list of transceiver devices. Base station 208 receives identifying information from mobile device 212. This identifying information is transmitted within the communication range of base station 208 and using the communication mode of base station 208.

Processor 412 receives identifying information from transceiver 408 and activates positioning unit 416. The positioning unit 416 determines the approximate geographic location of the mobile device 212 and returns the positioning data to the processor 412. The positioning unit 416 can determine the location of the mobile device using a satellite global positioning system and / or using signals. ground-range location. In some embodiments, positioning data is included with identifying information received from mobile device 212. Thus, for example, a mobile device 212 can help base station 208 locate its position by providing information to base station 208 about other transceiver devices. in your operating environment.

Processor 412 identifies transceiver units within probable communication range of mobile device 212 by interrogating database 428 of transceiver information. Transceiver information database 428 stores transceiver device information for a plurality of transceivers that communicate in various communication modes. For example, among other things, the transceiver information database 428 may include transceiver information for cellular base stations, radio access networks, wireless wide area networks, WiFi ™ access points, Bluetooth ™ devices, and wireless networks. personal area. Each entry in the transceiver information database 428 may include an identifier of the transceiver device, the location of the transceiver device, and one or more communication modes of the transceiver device.

In some embodiments, the transceiver information database 428 stores positioning data corresponding to a probable region of communication for each transceiver device. The communication region can be centered on the physical location of the transceiver device and dimensioned according to a communication mode of the transceiver device. In some embodiments, the communication region is expressed as a set of position coordinates that define a region that surrounds all points within the probable range of communication of the transceiver device. Thus, for example, the transceiver information database 428 may contain an entry for a WiFi ™ access point that includes a set of position coordinates defining a communication region represented by a circle that comprises all points except 100 meters from the place where the access point is located. Using positioning data from positioning unit 416, processor 412 can determine if a mobile device is located within this communication region. If the mobile device is within the communication region, it can include information about the transceiver in a multimodal list of transceiver devices. If not, the processor 412 may determine that the transceiver device is not within probable communication range of the mobile device. In this case, the information about the transceiver device would not be included in the multimodal list. In another embodiment, the positioning unit 416 and / or the transceiver information database 428 can be remotely connected to the base station 208 using, for example, a network.

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Once the transceivers within probable communication range of the mobile device have been identified, the processor 412 generates a multimodal list containing information on transceiver devices. The multimodal list includes information on transceiver devices to communicate in at least two different communication modes and may include a transceiver identifier and a communication mode for each transceiver device. In some embodiments, processor 412 filters transceiver devices that are determined to be within communication range of a mobile device based on the communication modes of the mobile device. For example, a mobile device may supply a list of its communication modes with identifying information provided to base station 208. Processor 412 may exclude from the multimodal list transceiver devices that do not communicate in a mobile communication mode. This adapted multimodal list is then transmitted from the base station 208 to the mobile device.

FIG. 4B is a further embodiment of a base station configured to operate in a multimodal communication system. Base station 308 includes two transceivers 408-1, 408-2 corresponding to different communication modes and also includes device performance database 424 for determining communication modes of a mobile device. In this embodiment, base station 308 receives identifying information that contains a shorthand description of a mobile device. The identifying information may further include positioning data for the mobile device. Processor 416 interrogates device feature database 428 with a shorthand description to determine mobile device communication modes. The positioning information and a list of communication modes for the mobile device are sent over a network through the network interface 420. In some embodiments, network interface 420 connects base station 308 with a base station controller that is responsible for identifying transceiver devices within the mobile device's likely communication range. Processor 416 receives information from transceiver devices from network interface 420, generates a multimodal list that includes transceivers for communicating in at least two different communication modes, and transmits the multimodal list to the mobile device.

FIG. 5A is a block diagram of a mobile device configured to operate in a multimodal communication system. Mobile device 212 includes antenna 504 and separate transceivers 508-1, 508-2 communicating in two different communication modes. Processor 516 coordinates the exchange of voice and / or data communications through transceivers 508-1, 508-2 and is configured to receive a multimodal list of transceiver devices in either or both communication modes. Receiving the multimodal list may involve a sequence of steps that the processor 516 performs upon activation of the mobile device and at various intervals when the mobile device changes location. For example, upon activation the processor 516 may listen for base stations in each communication mode. The order in which mobile device 212 listens to locate base stations may be controlled by device settings or user preferences. For example, a user may specify a preferred mode of communication or may express a preference to communicate with the closest transceiver device in any mode of communication. When a base station is detected, processor 420 causes identifying information about mobile device 212 to be transmitted by transceiver 508 associated with the communication mode in which the base station was detected. In some embodiments, identifying information may be stored in memory 520 and may include a list of communication modes supported by mobile device 212. In another example, each transceiver may come with its own antenna optimized for a communication mode supported by the transceiver. .

Mobile device 212 tracks your location with positioning unit 524 and may include positioning data as part of the identifying information that it transmits to a detected base station. In some embodiments, the positioning unit 524 receives positioning data from a global positioning satellite and can periodically update the positioning data when its location changes. In other embodiments, the positioning unit 524 includes a range signal to determine the location of the mobile device 212 relative to other transceivers in its operating environment. In yet another embodiment, the positioning unit 524 determines the identification of the transceiver (or the identifications of multiple transceivers), whereby this identification is used to determine the approximate location of the mobile device 212.

Processor 516 is also configured to process a multimodal list of transceiver devices. The multimodal list of transceiver devices includes information on transceiver devices for communicating in at least two different communication modes. The transceiver device information generally includes a transceiver identifier and a communication mode for each transceiver device. In some embodiments, the multimodal list may contain information about transceiver devices that do not communicate in a communication mode of the mobile device. In this case, the processor 516 filters the multimodal list of transceiver devices according to the communication modes of the mobile device. Processor 516 stores in memory 520 the processed multimodal list.

FIG. 5B is a further embodiment of a mobile device configured to operate in a multimodal communication system. Mobile device 212 includes separate transceivers 508-1, 508-2, 508-3 for

ES 2 398 098 T3 communicate in three different communication modes. In this embodiment, mobile device 212 does not include a positioning unit and therefore must use other transceivers to determine its position.

FIG. 6A is a flow chart illustrating a procedure for providing a multimodal list of transceiver devices to a remote terminal or mobile device. In a first block 604, an identifier is received from a remote terminal. The remote terminal identifier is received in a remote terminal communication mode and may represent a plurality of remote terminal communication modes. Using the remote terminal identifier, the remote terminal location is determined and retrieved in block 608. Various remote terminal location procedures are possible, including the use of satellite and / or terrestrial positioning signals.

In block 612 below, transceiver devices within communication range of the remote terminal are identified. A transceiver device information database can be accessed to determine the transceiver devices within the likely communication range of the remote terminal. The communication range of each transceiver device is determined by the communication mode of the transceiver device and can extend radially from the physical location of the transceiver device. If the remote terminal is located within this communication range, the transceiver device can be identified for inclusion in the multimodal list. If not, the transceiver device may not be identified for inclusion in the multimodal list.

In block 616 below, the multimodal list of transceiver devices is generated. The multimodal list includes transceiver devices for communicating in at least two different communication modes and can include all or a set of transceiver devices identified in the preceding block. Next, at block 620, the multimodal list of communication devices is transmitted to the mobile device using a communication mode of the remote terminal.

FIG. 6B is a flow chart illustrating another procedure for providing a multimodal list of transceiver devices to a remote terminal. This procedure includes a block 610 that retrieves the capabilities of the remote terminal. In this block the communication modes of the remote terminal are determined. The communication modes of the remote terminal are used to refine the transceiver device identification block 612 so that only transceiver devices within the communication range of a supported communication mode are selected for inclusion in multimodal transceiver devices. In this way, the multimodal list of transceiver devices can be adapted to the performance of the remote terminal.

When multimodal lists are generated in some embodiment, the communication scope is used. The communication range corresponds to the signal coverage for communication purposes. It is noted that the coverage of a transceiver signal for positioning purposes (i.e., the positioning range) can be significantly different from the coverage of the signal for communication purposes (i.e., the communication range). Some embodiments may use the positioning scope when determining multimodal lists. Although "communication scope" is used in parts of the description, communication scope terminology may alternatively be defined as positioning scope in various embodiments.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart of a procedure by which transceiver devices are identified for communication with a remote terminal. In a first block 704, an identifier is transmitted in a first communication mode. The identifier may represent a request for a multimodal list of transceiver devices and may contain information about the remote terminal. For example, the information about the remote terminal may include the address of the remote terminal and device capabilities of the remote terminal. After transmission of the identifier, the procedure awaits the acknowledgment of receipt. This may include listening on a particular operating frequency for an acknowledgment message addressed to the remote terminal. If the transmission is acknowledged at block 708, a multimodal list of transceiver devices is received in the first communication mode at block 712. Then, at block 728, the multimodal list is stored in memory and the Acquisition procedure ends at block 732.

If the first transmission is not acknowledged, at block 716 the identifier is retransmitted in a second communication mode. This can happen, for example, if a predetermined amount of time passes without acknowledgment in the first communication mode. Once the identifier is transmitted in the second communication mode, the procedure waits at block 720 for an acknowledgment in the second communication mode. If the acknowledgment is received, at block 724 a multimodal list of transceiver devices in the second communication mode is received. In block 728 the multimodal list is stored in memory and the acquisition process ends in block 732. However, if the transmission in the second communication mode is not acknowledged, the acquisition procedure ends unsuccessfully in block 732. This procedure can continue for a predetermined number of retries either until acknowledgment occurs in one of the communication modes or until the predetermined total acquisition process is passed.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a system for providing a multimodal list of transceiver devices to a remote terminal. The system includes means for retrieving the location of a remote terminal 804 (eg, a data link, a wireless link, a database interface, a network), as well as means 10

ES 2 398 098 T3 (for example, a processor or a state machine) to identify a first transceiver device to communicate in a first communication mode and a second transceiver device to communicate in a second communication mode 808. The first and second transceiver devices are located within the communication range of the remote terminal. The system also includes means (eg, a processor or a state machine) for generating the multimodal list of transceiver devices comprising the first and second transceiver devices 812. The multimodal list of transceiver devices comprises at least one identifier of the transceiver device and a communication mode for each of the first and second transceiver devices. Means 816 are also provided for transmission (eg, a wired or wireless communication link) of the multimodal list of transceiver devices to the remote terminal.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a system for identifying transceiver devices for communication with a remote terminal. The system includes means for communicating information remotely from remote terminal 904, for example a wireless transmitter of some configuration. Information communicated remotely from the terminal represents a plurality of communication modes of the remote terminal. Means 908 (eg, a receiver of some kind) are included to receive a multimodal list of transceiver devices. The multimodal list of transceiver devices includes information about a first transceiver device to communicate in a first communication mode and information about a second transceiver device to communicate in a second communication mode. The multimodal list of transceiver devices is tailored to the location of the remote terminal or to a geographic region associated with the location of a remote terminal. The system also includes means 912 for storing (eg, a storage medium) the multimodal list of transceiver devices in a memory accessible to the remote terminal.

Although the principles of the disclosure have been described above in connection with specific apparatus and procedures, it is to be clearly understood that the present description is made by way of example only and not as a limitation of the scope of the disclosure according to the claims.