Systems and methods for optimizing broadcasts

Abstract

Optimizing a power level for a transmission so that the transmission is receivable at or near a destination, but no farther, is useful for reduced-power transmissions. Taking into account known distance for the transmission as determined by onboard GPS and geographic databases, a power level may be set more precisely. Accounting for atmospheric conditions which may impact transmission as determined by onboard or received measurements of temperature, solar or other conditions may also permit a power level to be set more precisely. An obstruction database may be consulted to determine whether transmissions will degrade due to objects in between the transmitter and receiver, permitting power level, frequency, bandwidth or transmit/receive location to be adjusted accordingly. The techniques may be implemented in any signal transmission scenario including mobile telephones, aircraft, marine or other vehicle radios, mobile devices with Wi-Fi radios for network computing, stationary radios, and other situations requiring communications.

1 .- 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . A method, comprising:
 determining a destination for a broadcast from a mobile transmitter;   receiving at least one signaling parameter associated with a condition affecting the broadcast; and   adjusting at least one broadcasting parameter for optimizing reception of the broadcast at the destination based at least in part on the at least one signaling parameter,   wherein at least one of the determining, receiving or adjusting is at least partially implemented in hardware.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein determining a destination for a broadcast from a mobile transmitter comprises:
 determining a geographic range surrounding a point for reception of a broadcast.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein receiving at least one signaling parameter associated with a condition affecting the broadcast comprises:
 receiving GPS coordinates associated with at least one of the mobile transmitter or the destination of the broadcast.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein receiving at least one signaling parameter associated with a condition affecting the broadcast comprises:
 receiving at least one air temperature associated with at least one of the mobile transmitter or the destination of the broadcast.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein receiving at least one signaling parameter associated with a condition affecting the broadcast comprises:
 receiving at least one atmospheric condition associated with at least one of the mobile transmitter or the destination of the broadcast.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein receiving at least one signaling parameter associated with a condition affecting the broadcast comprises:
 receiving at least one interference condition associated with at least one of the mobile transmitter or the destination of the broadcast.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein receiving at least one signaling parameter associated with a condition affecting the broadcast comprises:
 receiving one or more at least partial obstructions associated with at least one path between the mobile transmitter and the destination of the broadcast.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein receiving at least one signaling parameter associated with a condition affecting the broadcast comprises:
 receiving at least one altitude associated with at least one of the mobile transmitter or the destination of the broadcast.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein receiving at least one signaling parameter associated with a condition affecting the broadcast comprises:
 receiving at least one density of the medium through which the broadcast is transmitted between the mobile transmitter and the destination of the broadcast.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein receiving at least one signaling parameter associated with a condition affecting the broadcast comprises:
 receiving from one or more of a database associated with the mobile transmitter, a sensor associated with the mobile transmitter, or at least one other transmission at least one signaling parameter associated with a condition affecting the broadcast.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein adjusting at least one broadcasting parameter for optimizing reception of the broadcast at the destination comprises:
 adjusting one or more signal strengths for the broadcast.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein adjusting at least one broadcasting parameter for optimizing reception of the broadcast at the destination comprises:
 adjusting one or more frequency bandwidths for the broadcast.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein adjusting at least one broadcasting parameter for optimizing reception of the broadcast at the destination comprises:
 adjusting one or more frequencies for the broadcast.   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising:
 determining at least one alternate destination for the broadcast.   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the mobile transmitter is at least one of a cellular telephone or a smartphone. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein determining a destination for a broadcast from a mobile transmitter, receiving at least one signaling parameter associated with a condition affecting the broadcast, and adjusting at least one broadcasting parameter for optimizing reception of the broadcast at the destination based at least in part on the at least one signaling parameter comprise:
 receiving an indication of a cellular tower for a transmission from a smartphone to the cellular tower;   obtaining an indication of a geographic range about the indicated cellular tower within which the transmission is to be received;   determining a transmission power for the transmission from the smartphone to the cellular tower, including at least optimizing at least one level of the transmission power for transmitting the signal such that the signal is received with sufficient signal quality within the geographic range about the indicated cellular tower.   
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein determining a transmission power for the transmission from the smartphone to the cellular tower, including at least optimizing at least one level of the transmission power for transmitting the signal such that the signal is received with sufficient signal quality within the geographic range about the indicated cellular tower comprises:
 extending battery life of the smartphone via utilizing a reduced transmission power for transmissions from the smartphone to the cellular tower wherein a distance between the smartphone and the cellular tower does not require a full-power transmission by the smartphone for transmissions to be received with sufficient signal quality at the cellular tower.   
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein determining a transmission power for the transmission from the smartphone to the cellular tower, including at least optimizing at least one level of the transmission power for transmitting the signal such that the signal is received with sufficient signal quality within the geographic range about the indicated cellular tower comprises:
 determining a transmission power for the transmission from the smartphone to the cellular tower, including at least determining the transmission power based at least in part on a location of the smartphone determined via one or more GPS sensors of the smartphone and determining the transmission power based at least in part on a location of the cellular tower determined via querying a database of cellular tower stored by the smartphone.   
     
     
         42 . A method, comprising:
 obtaining a destination for a broadcast from a mobile transmitter;   determining an initial value for a transmit power of the broadcast from the mobile transmitter to the destination;   receiving at least one parameter associated with a condition affecting the broadcast; and   modifying the initial value of the transmit power of the broadcast from the mobile transmitter to the destination based at least in part on the received at least one parameter,   wherein at least one of the obtaining, determining, receiving, or modifying is at least partially implemented in hardware.   
     
     
         43 . A method, comprising:
 obtaining a location of a destination for a signal from a mobile transmitter;   determining a distance from the mobile transmitter to the destination; and   determining an initial value for a transmit power of the signal from the mobile transmitter to the destination based at least in part on the determined distance;   determining one or more obstructions within at least one proximity of at least one of the mobile transmitter or the destination via at least querying a database of one or more obstructions in an area associated with the signal;   modifying the initial value of the transmit power of the signal from the mobile transmitter to the destination based at least in part on at least some data associated with one or more of the determined obstructions within the at least one proximity; and   utilizing the modified transmit power of the mobile transmitter for the signal to ensure at least partial reception of the signal at the destination based at least in part on the at least some data associated with the one or more of the determined obstructions within the at least one proximity.