Access point connectivity

• US 10,015,071 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2017
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Luetschwager, Jon, Keller, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Brian D
• Application Number:
  US15/440,137
• Publication Number:
  US 20170163517A1
• Time in Patent Office: 495 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A method that includes determining, at a mobile device, that a count of encounters by the mobile device with an access point fails to satisfy a threshold. The access point is associated with a first network. The method also includes establishing a connection with a second network in response to determining the count fails to satisfy the threshold. The access point is unassociated with the second network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, at a mobile device, that a count of encounters by the mobile device with an access point fails to satisfy a threshold, the access point associated with a first network; and

establishing a connection with a second network in response to determining the count fails to satisfy the threshold, the access point unassociated with the second network, wherein the count of encounters fails to satisfy the threshold if a number of instances that the mobile device receives a signal from the access point within a particular time period is below the threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second network provides access to another network at a lower data rate than the first network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the connection with the second network comprises wirelessly connecting to a second access point associated with the second network.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a signal from the access point at the mobile device; and

incrementing the count in response to receiving the signal, wherein incrementing the count changes the count to an incremented count.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining that the incremented count satisfies the threshold; and

displaying, at the mobile device, an indicator associated with the access point in response to the incremented count satisfying the threshold.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the signal includes information identifying the access point associated with the first network.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the signal is received during a first period of time, and wherein the count is incremented after the first period of time and in response to the signal being received during the first period of time.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising bypassing incrementing the count during a second period of time that is subsequent to the first period of time.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising, during the second period of time, receiving a second signal that includes information identifying the access point associated with the first network, wherein the count is not incremented in response to the second signal.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user input at the mobile device;

updating a configuration to enable the mobile device to establish a second connection with the access point in response to the user input indicating selection of a first option to use the access point; and

updating the configuration to disable the mobile device from facilitating establishment of the second connection with the access point in response to the user input indicating selection of a second option to not use the access point.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

displaying, at the mobile device, available access points in response to the user input indicating selection of a third option to display available access points; and

stopping display of an indicator of available access points in response to the user input indicating selection of a fourth option.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising

determining that a second count of encounters by the mobile device with a second access point satisfies the threshold, the second access point associated with the second network;

and

displaying, at the mobile device, a second indicator associated with the second access point in response to the second count satisfying the threshold.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the second count of encounters satisfies the threshold if the number of instances that the mobile device receives the signal from the access point within a second particular time period is above or equal to the threshold.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network includes a cable network, and wherein the second network includes a cellular communications network.

15. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations including;

determining, at a mobile device, that a count of encounters by the mobile device with an access point fails to satisfy a threshold, the access point associated with a first network, wherein the count of encounters fails to satisfy the threshold if a number of instances that the mobile device receives a signal from the access point within a particular time period is below the threshold; and

establishing a connection with a second network in response to determining the count fails to satisfy the threshold, the access point unassociated with the second network.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein establishing the connection with the second network comprises wirelessly connecting to a second access point associated with the second network.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the signal is received during a first period of time, wherein the count is incremented after the first period of time and in response to the signal being received during the first period of time, and wherein the operations further comprise bypassing incrementing the count during a second period of time that is subsequent to the first period of time.

18. A computer-readable memory device storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

determining, at a mobile device, that a count of encounters by the mobile device with an access point fails to satisfy a threshold, the access point associated with a first network, wherein the count of encounters fails to satisfy the threshold if a number of instances that the mobile device receives a signal from the access point within a particular time period is below the threshold; and

establishing a connection with a second network in response to determining the count fails to satisfy the threshold, the access point unassociated with the second network.

19. The computer-readable memory device of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that a second count of encounters by the mobile device with a second access point satisfies the threshold, the second access point associated with the second network; and

displaying, at the mobile device, a second indicator associated with the second access point in response to the second count satisfying the threshold.

20. The computer-readable memory device of claim 18, wherein establishing the connection with the second network comprises wirelessly connecting to a second access point associated with the second network.