System, method, and computer program product for enabling a machine type communication (mtc) coverage enhancement mode
AssigneeSony Corporation
InventorsRickard Ljung, Peter C. Karlsson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention is directed to systems, methods and computer program products for switching to a machine type communication (MTC) coverage enhancement mode on a network. An exemplary method comprises determining a signal quality for a signal from the network; determining the signal quality is below a threshold quality level for using Long-Term Evolution (LTE) protocol to communicate with the network; in response to determining the signal quality is below the threshold quality level, switching the device to the MTC mode and communicating with the network using MTC specification of the LTE protocol, wherein the device comprises a non-MTC device.
Claims20
A method for switching a device to a machine type communication (MTC) coverage enhancement mode on a network, the method comprising:
- determining that the device is incapable of maintaining continuous access to the network using Long-Term Evolution (LTE) protocol for a predetermined period of time over an LTE connection to the network;
- and
- in response to determining that the device is incapable of maintaining continuous access to the network using Long-Term Evolution (LTE) protocol for the predetermined period of time, switching the device from an LTE protocol mode to the MTC coverage enhancement mode by activating an enhanced coverage MTC protocol over the LTE connection to the network and communicating with the network using the enhanced coverage MTC protocol, wherein the device comprises a non-MTC device.
An apparatus for switching to a machine type communication (MTC) coverage enhancement mode on a network, the apparatus comprising:
- a memory;
- a processor;
- and
- a module stored in the memory, executable by the processor, and configured to:
- determine that the apparatus is incapable of maintaining continuous access to the network using Long-Term Evolution (LTE) protocol for a predetermined period of time over an LTE connection to the network, and
- in response to determining that the apparatus is incapable of maintaining continuous access to the network using Long-Term Evolution (LTE) protocol for the predetermined period of time, switch the apparatus from an LTE protocol mode to the MTC coverage enhancement mode by activating an enhanced coverage MTC protocol over the LTE connection to the network and communicating with the network using the enhanced coverage MTC protocol, wherein the apparatus comprises a non-MTC apparatus.
A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising a set of codes for causing a computer to:
- determine that an apparatus is incapable of maintaining continuous access to a network using Long-Term Evolution (LTE) protocol for a predetermined period of time over an LTE connection to the network;
- and
- in response to determining that the apparatus is incapable of maintaining continuous access to the network using Long-Term Evolution (LTE) protocol for the predetermined period of time and while maintaining continuous unbroken access over the LTE connection, switch the apparatus from a LTE protocol mode to the MTC coverage enhancement mode by activating an enhanced coverage MTC protocol over the LTE connection to the network and communicating with the network using the enhanced coverage MTC protocol, wherein the apparatus comprises a non-MTC apparatus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.