Patent Publication Number: US-7899470-B2

Title: Transmitting an assignment through wireless transmission

Description:
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10/955,120, filed Sep. 30, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,359,717. 
     CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     Co-pending patent application “METHOD, APPARATUS, AND PROGRAM FOR AUTOMATED PROPERTY ADJUSTMENT IN A CELLULAR NETWORK” (Ser. No. 10/322,057, filed Dec. 17, 2002), having the same assignee as the present application, is hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present invention relates to wireless devices in a calling network and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for transmitting assignments using wireless devices. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Receiving an assignment for a hotel room, rental car, concert seat, airline seat, and so forth can be a difficult if not tedious process. Conventionally, vendors such as hotels, rental car agencies, and some airlines do not make firm assignments until the customer actually arrives because supply and demand for the object (e.g., hotel room, rental car, seat, table, etc) on any particular day can fluctuate. Therefore, a reservation generally guarantees an assignment, but does not guarantee an exact assignment until the customer actually arrives. Often customers must wait in long lines at reservation desks or ticket booths to receive their assignments, even though they already made a reservation. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide an assignment system and method whereby a customer would receive a firm assignment upon arrival, but would not have to endure waiting at a reservation desk or ticket booth. This system would advantageously reduce or eliminate the number of personnel manning such desks and booths. 
     SUMMARY 
     Accordingly, a preferred embodiment provides a method, system, and program product whereby a customer automatically receives an assignment on his wireless device upon arrival without the need to visit a reservation desk or ticket booth. When the customer initially makes a reservation with a vendor, a vendor computer records the reservation details and the customer&#39;s wireless device identification (e.g. phone number). On the day of the reservation, when the customer arrives at or near the vendor&#39;s location, the customer will pass through a transition zone that creates an out-of-range condition on the wireless device. The transition zone is a shielded portion of a location, such as an entryway or exit of a building, parking lot, airport, elevator, etc. The shielding reduces the signal strength between an activated (i.e., turned on) wireless device and its respective wireless communication tower. Alternatively, the transition zone may include a short-range signal jammer, or a combination of shielding and a short-range signal jammer. When the customer&#39;s activated wireless device enters the transition zone, it re-scans the forward control channels in an attempt to establish better communications with another wireless communication tower. In the mean time, a transceiver positioned in the transition zone transmits a channel that is detected and locked-on by the wireless device. In response, the wireless device transmits identity information to the transceiver, which in turn forwards it to the vendor computer (and, optionally, to a mobile telephone switching office). Using the identity information, the vendor computer first verifies the reservation, makes an assignment, and then sends the assignment to the wireless device as a text or audio message. Once the wireless device leaves the transition zone, it will re-establish communications with the communication tower and be ready to receive the message. The assignment information assigns a specific object to the customer. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be better understood and its numerous objects and advantages will become more apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the following drawings, in conjunction with the accompanying specification, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an illustrative wireless cellular telecommunications network; 
         FIG. 2  is a pictorial representation of an assignment system in a wireless cellular telecommunications network; 
         FIGS. 3A and 3B  illustrate a wireless telephone device that may be used in a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is an exemplary block diagram of a signal jammer that may be used in a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a flowchart illustrating the operation of an assignment system in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a flowchart of the operation of a transceiver in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a flowchart of the operation of a wireless device in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 8  is a block diagram depicting a computer system in which the present method and system may be implemented. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       FIG. 1  is intended to provide some background information on conventional cellular technology because the preferred embodiment is preferably practiced within a cellular telecommunication network. Illustrative cellular telecommunication layout  151  shows multiple cells  152  and base stations  153  that a mobile telephone customer may encounter while traveling to his destination, hotel  154 . As shown, an area is broken up into multiple cells  152 . Each cell typically ranges in diameter from 2 to 10 miles, and has a base station  153  that includes one or more antenna towers and a radio transceiver (not shown). Because mobile telephones and base stations use low-power transmitters, the same frequencies can be reused in non-adjacent cells. Each carrier in each city or region also operates one central office called the Mobile Telephone Switching Office (MTSO)  160 . This office handles all of the phone connections to the normal land-based phone system (local office  162 ) and controls all of the base stations in the region. For example, MTSO  160  gathers traffic from dozens of cells  152  and passes it on to local office  162 . MTSO  160  also places calls from land based telephones to wireless customers, switches calls between cells  152  as mobiles travel across cell boundaries, and authenticates wireless customers before they make calls. For more information on conventional cellular layout and technology, see  Cellular Telephone Basics: AMPS and Beyond , by Tom Farley with Mark van der Hoek, which is incorporated by reference herein. 
     Mobile phones and base stations  153  transmit or communicate with each other on dedicated paired frequencies called channels, which are typically in the 800 MHz range and assigned by MTSO  160 . Each call uses two channels, one for voice and one for control. There are four frequency paths: “forward control path” means base station to mobile for control, “reverse control path” means mobile to base station for control, “forward voice path” means base station to mobile for voice, and “reverse voice path” means mobile to base station for voice. Base stations  153  constantly transmit identifying information or overhead on its respective forward control path. When a user initially turns on his mobile phone, the phone attempts to register with one of the base stations  153  by scanning through detected forward control paths until it finds one having the strongest signal. If the mobile phone does not detect a control channel, it determines that it is out of range and displays a “no service” message. If it detects one or more control channels, the mobile phone re-scans and camps on to the strongest one, and generally re-scans every seven seconds when idle or when signal strength drops below a pre-determined level. Once camped on, the mobile phone listens for a System Identification Code (SID) on the forward control path and compares it to the SID programmed into the phone. A SID is a unique 5-digit number that is assigned to each carrier by the FCC. If the SIDs match, the mobile phone determines that the base station that it is in communication with is part of its home system. However, if the SIDS do not match, then the mobile phone is roaming. Next, the mobile phone identifies itself on the reverse control path by sending its phone number, electronic serial number, and SID to the base station  153 . The electronic serial number may be a 32 bit code that is unique to each mobile device and not alterable by either the end user or the cellular operator. The local base station  153  relays this information to MTSO  160  for verification and monitoring incoming calls. However, if the mobile phone is roaming, the MTSO of the cell that the customer is roaming in contacts the MTSO of the customer&#39;s home system, which then checks its database to confirm that the SID of the phone being used is valid. The home system verifies the customer&#39;s mobile phone to the local MTSO, which then tracks the mobile phone as it moves through its cells. 
     As described above, MTSO  160  tracks the mobile phone&#39;s location in a database (not shown) so that it knows which cell the customer is in when it needs to ring the mobile phone. If MTSO  160  receives a call for the customer, it tries to find the customer by looking in its database to see which cell the customer is in. MTSO  160  selects a frequency pair that the customer&#39;s phone will use in that cell to take the call. MTSO  160  then communicates with the mobile phone over the forward control channel to tell it which frequencies to use, and once the customer&#39;s mobile phone and tower  153  switch on those frequencies, the call is connected. As the customer moves toward the edge of a cell, the cell&#39;s base station  153  notes that the customer&#39;s signal strength is diminishing. Meanwhile, base station  153  in the cell the customer is moving toward (which is listening and measuring signal strength on all frequencies, not just its own) sees the customer&#39;s mobile phone&#39;s signal strength increasing. The two base stations  153  coordinate with each other through MTSO  160  and, at some point, the mobile phone receives a signal on a control channel telling it to change frequencies. This hand off switches the customer&#39;s mobile phone to the new cell. 
       FIG. 2  depicts a pictorial representation of assignment system  200  in a wireless cellular telecommunications network of devices in which the illustrative embodiment may be practiced. However, one skilled in the art will readily recognize that other wireless configurations may be implemented without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. System  200  includes telephone network  210  and communications network  220  for providing communication links between various devices and computers connected in system  200 . Both may include various connection types such as, for example, wire, wireless communication links or fiber optic cable. System  200  further includes: one or more wireless telephonic devices  212  or  214  (also referred to as “mobiles”, “mobile phones”, and “wireless devices”), each having a basic display and user input (e.g., standard telephone buttons); at least one cellular base station communications tower  216  (a “base station” includes a tower and a transceiver located at the center of a cell whose primary purpose is to handle all incoming and outgoing calls within the cell); at least one mobile telephone switching office (MTSO)  218 , where MTSOs communicate with base station communication tower  216  (used interchangeably with tower  216 ) in a city or region for a particular carrier and further control connections to a conventional land-based public switched telephone network (PSTN)  226  via telephone network  210 ; at least one conventional vendor computer  222  having a processor, memory, and database storage (see  FIG. 8 ); and transition zone  204  having outer shielding  208  and a conventional transceiver  206 . A short-range signal jammer  202  may optionally be used. In the depicted example, telephone network  210  connects MTSO  218  with tower  216 , which in turn communicates with various wireless communication devices, such as mobile phones  212  and  214 . 
     Additionally, system  200  may include other servers, clients, and devices not shown. For example, customer computers may directly communicate with vendor computer  222 . In the depicted example, system  200  may be implemented within the Internet with communications network  220  representing a worldwide collection of networks and gateways that use the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) suite of protocols to communicate with one another. At the heart of the Internet is a backbone of high-speed data communication lines between major nodes or host computers, consisting of thousands of commercial, government, educational and other computer systems that route data and messages. Of course, system  200  may also be implemented using a number of different types of networks, such as for example, an intranet, a local area network, or a wide area network.  FIG. 2  is intended as an example, and not as an architectural limitation for the present invention. 
     When a customer initially makes a reservation using, for example, a wireless device  214 , or on-line through his computer (not shown) to vendor computer  222 , vendor computer  222  receives and records customer information in its database storage (shown in  FIG. 8 ). Customer information may include, for example, the customer&#39;s arrival date, details of the future reservation (e.g., king or queen size bed; economy size car), customer name, and the wireless device&#39;s identification (e.g., telephone number) on which the customer would like to receive the assignment (in this example, wireless device  212 ). Later, on the arrival date, when the customer arrives at or near the vendor&#39;s location to accept his reservation, the customer (and his activated wireless device  212 ) pass through transition zone  204 , which may be located in, for example, an entryway or exit of a building, airport, parking lot, elevator, or sporting event. Transition zone  204 , as described in co-pending patent application “METHOD, APPARATUS, AND PROGRAM FOR AUTOMATED PROPERTY ADJUSTMENT IN A CELLULAR NETWORK, includes any suitable signal weakening mechanism that impedes, attenuates, or blocks the signal strength between mobile phone  212  and tower  216  to the extent that mobile phone  212  initiates a re-scan as described above. Such weakening mechanism could include external signal shielding  208 , short-range signal jammer  202 , or a combination of both. Alternatively, one skilled in the art will recognize that other conventional signal weakening mechanisms may be used without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. 
     When activated wireless device  212  enters transition zone  204 , shielding  208  and/or jammer  202  block or weaken the strength of signal  224 . If the system uses a short-range signal jammer  202 , it will jam all channels except those generated and received by transceiver  206 . As the customer moves through transition zone  204 , signal  224  weakens to the point that wireless device  212  initiates a re-scan to find a channel with a stronger signal. However, if the customer is having a conversation, signal  224  may be sufficient to maintain the conversation (or any disruption may go unnoticed by the user). Once wireless device  212  initiates a re-scan, it will lock onto a control channel having the strongest signal, which, in this case, will be a forward control path having a ghost SID transmitted by transceiver  206 . Transceiver  206 , positioned within transition zone  204 , may a conventional transmit/receive device well known in the art. Wireless device  212  now believes that it is communicating with another base station (which it is not). After comparing transceiver  206 &#39;s ghost SID with its own to determine if its roaming, wireless device  212  then transmits its identity information to transceiver  206  on the reverse control path, believing that it is registering with a base station. As described above, identity information may include the wireless device&#39;s telephone number, electronic serial number, and SID. Next, transceiver  206  forwards the identity information to vendor computer  222  (and, optionally, to MTSO  218 ) via communications network  220 . In response, vendor computer  222  compares the telephone number and/or electronic serial number to its reservation database. If a match occurs, vendor computer  222  has verified identity, and now proceeds to retrieve and verify the reservation by comparing the arrival date in the reservation with the current date and, if a match occurs, vendor computer  222  assigns an object (e.g., room, car, seat, etc) to the customer according to the specifics in the reservation. Vendor computer  222  then forwards the assignment to wireless device  212  by dialing mobile device  212 &#39;s telephone number. All this can occur within seconds. Once mobile device  212  exits transition zone  204 , the channel between mobile device  212  and transceiver  204  will be blocked/attenuated by shielding  208  such that mobile device  212  will initiate another re-scan. Mobile device  212  should re-establish full communication with tower  216 , whereupon it will be ready to display the assignment sent by vendor computer  222 . Vendor computer  222  may send, for example, a text or audio message to wireless device  212  that includes a specific assignment of the object (e.g., Room  289 ) and, where appropriate, a key to the object, such as a code to a cipher lock. U.S. Pat. No. 6,581,161, assigned to IBM Corporation, describes a method for using a portable device as a key and is incorporated by reference herein. 
     As previously described, transceiver  206  communicates with vendor computer  222  via communications network  220 . Alternatively, transceiver  206  may communicate by other means, such as through a dial-up connection. Moreover, transceiver  206  may communicate the identity information with a plurality of computers and MTSOs for different wireless communications companies, or it may send identity information to a central third-party service (not shown) for handling communication to the vendor. 
       FIGS. 3A and 3B  illustrate a wireless telephonic device that may be used in a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 3A  shows wireless telephone device  300 , which includes speaker  302 , microphone  304 , display  306 , and keypad  316 . Wireless telephone device  300  also includes antenna  320  for communication with the nearest base station. Wireless telephone  300  may include other features common to mobile telephones, such as function buttons, cursor control buttons, scroll wheels, and caller ID. Moreover, wireless telephonic devices may include any device that can be dialed by the cellular telecommunications network, such as a personal digital assistant (PDA).  FIG. 3B  depicts a block diagram of a hardware configuration of a wireless telephone device in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Telephone device  350  includes processor  352  for controlling operation of the telephone device and memory  354 . Processor  352  is a general-purpose microprocessor operating under the control of instructions stored in a memory, such as a memory  354 . Processor  352  connects to transmitter  358 , receiver  360 , keypad  364 , display  366 , and audio processor  368  via system bus  356 . Keypad  364  may be keypad  318  in  FIG. 3A . Display  366  may be display  306  in  FIG. 3A . Display  366  may be a liquid crystal display or other known display, such as an active matrix display. Transmitter  358  and receiver  360  couple to a telephone signal by coupler  374  to provide full duplex communication. An antenna provides the telephone signal, such as antenna  320  in  FIG. 3A , in a wireless telephone. Audio processing circuit  368  provides basic analog audio outputs to speaker  370  and accepts analog audio inputs from microphone  372 . Receiver  360  demodulates and decodes received signals. Transmitter  358  codes and modulates signals passed to it by processor  352  or audio processor  368 . Power amplifier  362  amplifies the output of the transmitter to control the power level at which the signal is transmitted. Processor  352  is programmed to re-scan when a signal from a communications tower or base station is lost or weakened. 
       FIG. 4  is an exemplary block diagram of a conventional signal jammer  400 , which includes controller  402 , communications adapter  404 , antenna adapter  406 , and signal jamming module  408 . Elements  402 - 408  may be implemented as hardware, software, or a combination of both. Elements  402 - 408  couple to one another via the control/data signal bus  420 . Controller  402  controls the overall operation of the signal jammer and the operation of the other elements  404 - 408 . Signal jamming module  408  instructs controller  402  to transmit a signal via antenna adapter  406  to disrupt or jam communications between wireless devices and their respective cellular communications towers and base stations except those channels transmitted and received by transceiver  206 . Controller  402  may also operate under the control of another device by receiving instructions or messages through communications adapter  404 , which may be, for example, a network adapter, a modem, a serial port, or the like. 
       FIG. 5  is a flowchart of the operation of system  200 . Referencing both  FIGS. 2 and 5 , processing starts at  502  where the customer makes a reservation and identifies his wireless device with a vendor. At  504 , the customer and his wireless device enter transition zone  204 . At  506 , the wireless device attempts to re-scan for a new channel because of the attenuation from the shielding  208 . The wireless device will lock onto the channel transmitted by transceiver  206 . At  508 , the wireless device sends its identity information to transceiver  206  (steps  506  and  508  are described in more detail in  FIGS. 6 and 7 ). At  510 , transceiver  206  sends the identity information (phone number, electronic serial number, and the carrier&#39;s SID) to vendor computer  222  via network  220 . In response, at  512 , vendor computer  222  attempts to verify the customer&#39;s identity and reservation by first comparing the received identity information (e.g., telephone number) with its reservation database. If a match occurs, vendor computer  222  has verified the identity and then retrieves the reservation information associated with the identity information. Computer  222  compares the arrival date in the reservation with the actual date and if a match occurs, the reservation has been verified. If neither identity nor reservation is verified, control moves to  524 . If both are verified, at  514 , vendor computer  222  assigns an object to the customer in accordance with the reservation and, at  516 , conventionally sends the assignment to the appropriate MTSO  218  by dialing the mobile&#39;s phone number. In turn, at  518 , the MTSO  218  sends the assignment to the wireless device per conventional means. Once the customer exists transition zone  204 , the wireless device should reestablish communication with tower  216  and receive the assignment at  520 . If not, at  524 , the customer completes the check-in process at the vendor&#39;s desk. If so, at  522 , if the wireless device is enabled to function as a key or if a key is not required to open the object, then the process ends at  526  with the customer receiving the object. If the mobile device is not enabled to function as a key and a key is required for the object, then control moves to  524 , where the customer must visit the vendor&#39;s desk. 
       FIG. 6  is a flowchart of the operation of transceiver  206  in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The process begins at  602  where a determination is made as to whether an exit condition exists. An exit condition may exist, for example, if transceiver  206  is powered down. If an exit condition exists, the process ends. If an exit condition does not exist, at  604 , transceiver  206  transmits a ghost SID on its forward control path and, at  606 , monitors its reverse control path for identity information. If no information is received, control returns to  602 . If transceiver  206  receives identity information from a wireless device, at  608 , it sends the identity information to vendor computer  222  and control returns to  602 . 
       FIG. 7  a flowchart of the operation of wireless device  212  in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. At  702 , wireless device  212  determines if there is an exist condition, such as powering down the phone. If an exit condition exists, the process ends. If an exit condition does not exist, at  704 , wireless device  212  determines if it needs to re-scan for another channel either because it does automatically on a periodic basis or because the existing signal strength has weakened. If not, controls returns to  702 . If yes, at  706 , wireless device  212  scans the available forward control paths to determine if it can lock onto a stronger channel. If not, control returns to  702 . If wireless device  212  can lock onto a stronger channel, it sends its identity information on the forward control path of that channel in an attempt to register itself with a local base station. Control returns to  702 . 
       FIG. 8  is a block diagram depicting a computer system  222  in which the present method and system may be implemented. A central processing unit (CPU)  10  connects to various other components by system bus  12 . An operating system  41  runs on CPU  10 , provides control and coordinates the functions of the various components. Operating system  41  may be one of the commercially available operating systems, such as Microsoft&#39;s Windows, as well as UNIX, AIX, or LINUX operating systems. Application programs  40 , controlled by the system, are moved into and out of the main memory, RAM  14 . These programs include programs of the preferred embodiment for transmitting information to and from both customer computers (not shown) and transceiver  206 , database applications for storing and verifying customer reservation information and wireless device identification, as well as programs for assigning objects to various customers upon successful verification. 
     A read only memory (ROM)  16  connects to CPU  10  via bus  12  and includes the basic input/output system (BIOS) that controls the basic computer functions. RAM  14 , I/O adapter  18 , and communications adapter  34  are also interconnected to system bus  12 . I/O adapter  18  communicates with the disk storage device  20 , which may be used to store database information (e.g., database storage). Communications adapter  34  interconnects bus  12  with an outside network enabling the data processing system to communicate as respectively described above through the Web, Internet, or intranet. I/O devices also connect to system bus  12  via user interface adapter  22  and display adapter  36 . Keyboard  24  and mouse  26  connect to bus  12  through user interface adapter  22 . It is through such input devices that the vendor may interactively receive or control E-Mail messages or other information. Display adapter  36  includes a frame buffer  39 , which is a storage device that holds a representation of each pixel on monitor  38 . Images may be stored in frame buffer  39  for display on monitor  38  through various components, such as a digital to analog converter (not shown) and the like. By using the aforementioned I/O devices, the vendor is capable of inputting information to the system through keyboard  24  or mouse  26  and receiving output information from the system via display  38 . 
     While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.