Title of Invention

METHOD FOR PROVIDING COVERAGE AREA INFORMATION ASSOCIATED WITH A MOBILE DEVICE IN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION

Abstract The present invention relates to Last Coverage Area (LCA) information. LCA information helps callers to get information about the mobile user even though he is out of coverage area. For this facility user has to activate with the service provider and he can also select callers to whom LCA (last Coverage area) information should be intimated. If user wants only few people to know the LCA information then he can select those numbers alone by which he can maintain his privacy.
Full Text FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention in general relates to mobile communication technology. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method to provide last coverage area information in cellular mobile communication.
DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
People tend to travel many places and for some people by profession they have to travel. During the journey there will be some places/area where mobile/cell network will not be available. In these areas where there is no network coverage when people try to call the user they will get the message "User is out of coverage area". This information is not at all sufficient to find out where the person is and when to contact him.
A US Patent 2004180669 describes the means for determining the location of system, and means for providing information on location of station to a location service client. The system is also provided with means for defining in dependence on information relating to the client, the accuracy of the location information to be provided to the client.

However, the existing art does not explicitly mention the concept of Last Coverage Area information and it does not mention about the mobile/Cell service provider storing current coverage area information In their own system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of mobile communication technology, and specifically to Last Coverage Area. In this invention information about the last coverage area where the user was actually found is stored in the service providers' own system. This information will be stored in the mobile switching centre, which lastly served the particular mobile user. So when a person tries to contact the user who has gone out of coverage area, the person will be intimated about the location where the user was last found instead of giving the message "user not reachable".
With this method of last coverage area information the callers who are trying to contact the user will be able to have information about the location where the user was lastly found even though he is out of coverage area. User has to activate this feature with the service provider and he can also select callers to whom LCA (last Coverage area) information should be intimated. If user wants only few people to know the last coverage area information, then he can select numbers by which only to those callers the information about the last coverage area will be conveyed. Thus the user can maintain his privacy.

In order to provide the above facility the mobile service provider has to store the information about the last coverage area in their own system. This information will be stored in the Mobile switching centre to which the user was associated lastly before he went into out of coverage area.
The main advantage of this Invention is that users can inform their last coverage area information either to all callers or for selected callers.
Accordingly the invention explains a method to provide last coverage area (LCA) information about a device in wireless communication comprising the steps of:
activating a LCA service with a service provider by a user;
selecting callers by the user to whom LCA information should be intimated;
storing last coverage area information by the service provider when the user
goes out of coverage area ; and
intimating the LCA information to the selected callers.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the ensuing detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
Figure 1 depicts selection of people to whom Last Coverage Area(LCA)
information will be sent.

Figure 2 depicts how service provider saves Last Coverage Area(LCA) information.
Figure 3 depicts a flow chart of a user getting a call when he is in coverage area and out of coverage area.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood however that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. The following description and drawings are not to be construed as limiting the invention and numerous specific details are described to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention, as the basis for the claims and as a basis for teaching one skilled in the art how to make and/or use the invention. However in certain instances, well-known or conventional details are not described in order not to unnecessarily obscure the present invention in detail.
With the present invention the mobile/Cell service provider should keep track of the coverage area information in their own system. If some user goes out of mobile/cell network coverage area then mobile/cell service provider should get last coverage area of the user and inform the callers about his last coverage area according to user settings. For example Contact person (referred to as user) you are trying to call is out of coverage area and his last coverage area

was Bangalore. If a caller tries to call him he will be intimated with a message such as The number you are dialing is out of coverage area and his last coverage area was Bangalore". With Last coverage area information caller can guess how far he is from his destination and also can estimate when to call him back.
Last Coverage Area (LCA) will be an add-on feature which mobile/cell service provider gives to users. User can avail this facility to all callers or for some selected users (like selected contact list persons or all contact list persons or calls from particular Area).
Fig 1 depicts selection of people to whom last coverage area information has to be sent. If the user wants the last coverage area information to be conveyed to callers then he has to activate this feature with the service provider who is providing service for that user. If the users don't want to give information about the last coverage area to all callers then he can select callers for whom alone the LCA information must be sent. The user can configure a list of numbers and can set caller information for which the LCA information must be sent
Fig 2 depicts the method of storing Last Coverage Area information by the service provider. When the user changes his area the service provider who is providing service for the particular user will check whether the user is within the coverage area or has moved out of the coverage area. If the user has moved out of the coverage area then the service provider will save the LCA information for

informing the callers. The LCA information will be stored in the mobile switching centre to which the mobile user was lastly associated
If user changes from one coverage area to another ,still his previous coverage area should be stored E.g. if user changes coverage area from Bangalore region to Mysore region then also Services provider should store Previous coverage area i.e. BangaloreThis will help the callers to track where the user is located during their journey with last coverage area information.
Fig 3 depicts a flowchart of a user getting a call when he is in coverage area and out of coverage area. When a caller calls a mobile user, if the called user is within the coverage area then the service provider will establish and manage the communication between the caller and the called mobile user. But if the user is not in the coverage area then the service provider will first check whether the user has requested LCA information facility or not. If the user has requested this feature from the service provider then the service provider will check whether the caller can be provided with the LCA information. This is done by checking the caller's number In the list configured by the user. If the service provider finds the caller's number in the list then it will send the Last Coverage Area information about the user to the caller. If the service provider does not find the caller's number in the list then the caller will give the message that the user is out of coverage area.
If the user has activated last coverage area information feature with the service

provider for all the callers, then all the callers who are trying to contact the user will be intimated about the Last Coverage Area information by the service provider if the user is out of coverage area.
It will also be obvious to those skilled in the art that other control methods and apparatuses can be derived from the combinations of the various methods and apparatuses of the present invention as taught by the description and the accompanying drawings and these shall also be considered within the scope of the present invention. Further, description of such combinations and variations is therefore omitted above. It should also be noted that the host for storing the applications include but not limited to a microchip, microprocessor, handheld communication device, computer, rendering device or a multi function device.
Although the present invention has been fully described in connection with the preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be noted that various changes and modifications are possible and are apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are to be understood as included within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims unless they depart there from.












We Claim
1. A method to provide last) coverage area (LCA) information about a device in wireless communication comprising the steps of:
activating a LCA service with a service provider by a user;
selecting callers by the user to whom LCA information should be intimated;
storing last coverage area information by the service provider when the user
goes out of coverage area ; and
intimating the LCA information to the selected callers.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein LCA information is stored in a switching centre of the service provider to which the user was associated lastly before the said user went into out of coverage area.
3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the said method further comprises the step of storing previous coverage area if user changes from one coverage area to another.

4. A method to provide last coverage area (LCA) information about a device in wireless communication substantially described particularly with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Documents:

2438-CHE-2007 AMENDED PAGES OF SPECIFICATION 01-07-2013.pdf

2438-CHE-2007 AMENDED CLAIMS 01-07-2013.pdf

2438-CHE-2007 CORRESPONDENCE OTHERS 08-08-2013.pdf

2438-CHE-2007 EXAMINATION REPORT REPLY RECEIVED 01-07-2013.pdf

2438-CHE-2007 FORM-1 01-07-2013.pdf

2438-CHE-2007 FORM-13 01-07-2013.pdf

2438-CHE-2007 FORM-5 01-07-2013.pdf

2438-CHE-2007 POWER OF ATTORNEY 08-08-2013.pdf

2438-CHE-2007 POWER OF ATTORNEY 01-07-2013.pdf

2438-che-2007-abstract.pdf

2438-che-2007-claims.pdf

2438-che-2007-correspondnece-others.pdf

2438-che-2007-description(complete).pdf

2438-che-2007-drawings.pdf

2438-che-2007-form 1.pdf


Patent Number 257224
Indian Patent Application Number 2438/CHE/2007
PG Journal Number 38/2013
Publication Date 20-Sep-2013
Grant Date 13-Sep-2013
Date of Filing 26-Oct-2007
Name of Patentee SAMSUNG INDIA SOFTWARE OPERATIONS PRIVATE LIMITED
Applicant Address BAGMANE LAKEVIEW, BLOCK 'B' NO 66/1, BAGMANE TECH PARK C V RAMAN NAGAR BYRASANDRA, BANGALORE 560093
Inventors:
# Inventor's Name Inventor's Address
1 RAVULA SUNIL REDDY EMPLOYED AT SAMSUNG INDIA SOFTWARE OPERATIONS PRIVATE LIMITED, HAVING ITS OFFICE AT, BAGMANE LAKEVIEW, BLOCK 'B' NO 66/1, BAGMANE TECH PARK C V RAMAN NAGAR BYRASANDRA, BANGALORE 560093
2 RAVVI ASHOK REDDY EMPLOYED AT SAMSUNG INDIA SOFTWARE OPERATIONS PRIVATE LIMITED, HAVING ITS OFFICE AT, BAGMANE LAKEVIEW, BLOCK 'B' NO 66/1, BAGMANE TECH PARK C V RAMAN NAGAR BYRASANDRA, BANGALORE 560093
PCT International Classification Number H04Q 7/00
PCT International Application Number N/A
PCT International Filing date
PCT Conventions:
# PCT Application Number Date of Convention Priority Country
1 NA