# US 9,882,987 B2 · Dynamically switching user equipment categories for adaptive mobile communications > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,882,987 B2 - Document ID: US9882987B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/939,049 - Filed: 2015-11-12 - Published: 2017-05-18 - Granted: 2018-01-30 - Earliest claimed: 2015-11-12 - Assignees: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P. - Applicants: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P. - Inventors: Rajendra Prasad Kodaypak; Venson Shaw - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9882987B2 ## CPC - H04L 67/12: specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks - H04W 4/50: Service provisioning or reconfiguring - H04W 8/08: Mobility data transfer - H04W 8/22: Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities - H04W 72/20: Control channels or signalling for resource management - H04W 88/06: adapted for operation in multiple networks {or having at least two operational modes}, e.g. multi-mode terminals - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Concepts and technologies disclosed herein are directed to dynamically switching user equipment (“UE”) categories for adaptive mobile communications. According to one aspect of the concepts and technologies disclosed herein, a connected car device can determine whether it is operating in an idle mode or a connected mode. Based upon whether the connected car device is operating in the idle mode or the connected mode, the connected car device can determine an active UE category from a set of available UE categories. The connected car device can send the active user equipment category to a base station. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A connected car device comprising: a processor; and a memory that stores a user equipment management application that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising determining whether the connected car device is operating in an idle mode or a connected mode, in response to determining that the connected car device is operating in the connected mode, determining an application communication requirement of a connected car application, determining an active user equipment category for the connected car device from a set of available user equipment categories based upon the application communication requirement, and sending the active user equipment category to a base station. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The connected car device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise, in response to determining that the connected car device is operating in the idle mode, determining the active user equipment category to be a lowest available user equipment category in the set of available user equipment categories. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The connected car device of claim 2, wherein the lowest available user equipment category comprises a Third Generation Partnership Project category 0 or a Third Generation Partnership Project category 1. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The connected car device of claim 1, wherein determining the active user equipment category for the connected car device from the set of available user equipment categories based upon the application communication requirement comprises determining the active user equipment category to be a highest available user equipment category in the set of available user equipment categories. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The connected car device of claim 4, wherein the highest available user equipment category comprises a Third Generation Partnership Project category 12. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The connected car device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise, in response to determining that the connected car device is operating in the connected mode, determining a mobility state of the connected car device; and wherein determining the active user equipment category for the connected car device from the set of available user equipment categories is further based upon the mobility state. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The connected car device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise: determining whether there has been a change to the application communication requirement; and in response to determining there has been a change to the application communication requirement, determining a new active user equipment category for the connected car device from the set of available user equipment categories based upon the change to the application communication requirement. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The connected car device of claim 7, wherein the change to the application communication requirement is based upon the connected car application. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The connected car device of claim 7, wherein the change to the application communication requirement is based upon another connected car application. ### Claim 10 A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor of a connected car device, cause the processor to perform operations comprising: determining whether the connected car device is operating in an idle mode or a connected mode; in response to determining that the connected car device is operating in the connected mode, determining an application communication requirement of a connected car application, or determining a mobility state of the connected car device; determining an active user equipment category for the connected car device from a set of available user equipment categories based upon the application communication requirement or the mobility state; and sending the active user equipment category to a base station. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise, in response to determining that the connected car device is operating in the idle mode, determining the active user equipment category to be a lowest available user equipment category in the set of available user equipment categories. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the lowest available user equipment category comprises a Third Generation Partnership Project category 0 or a Third Generation Partnership Project category 1. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein determining the active user equipment category for the connected car device from the set of available user equipment categories based upon the application communication requirement or the mobility state comprises determining the active user equipment category to be a highest available user equipment category in the set of available user equipment categories. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the highest available user equipment category comprises a Third Generation Partnership Project category 12. ### Claim 15 A connected car device comprising: a processor; and a memory that stores a user equipment management application that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising determining whether the connected car device is operating in an idle mode or a connected mode, in response to determining that the connected car device is operating in the connected mode, determining a mobility state of the connected car device, determining an active user equipment category for the connected car device from a set of available user equipment categories based upon the mobility state of the connected car device, and sending the active user equipment category to a base station. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The connected car device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise, in response to determining that the connected car device is operating in the idle mode, determining the active user equipment category to be a lowest available user equipment category in the set of available user equipment categories. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The connected car device of claim 16, wherein the lowest available user equipment category comprises a Third Generation Partnership Project category 0 or a Third Generation Partnership Project category 1. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The connected car device of claim 15, wherein determining the active user equipment category for the connected car device from the set of available user equipment categories based upon the application communication requirement comprises determining the active user equipment category to be a highest available user equipment category in the set of available user equipment categories. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The connected car device of claim 18, wherein the highest available user equipment category comprises a Third Generation Partnership Project category 12. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The connected car device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise, in response to determining that the connected car device is operating in the connected mode, determining an application communication requirement of a connected car application; and wherein determining the active user equipment category for the connected car device from the set of available user equipment categories is further based upon the application communication requirement.