Determining suitability of an access network

• US 10,154,452 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2016
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Gillett, Mark Alastair, Andersen, Soren Vang, Rodbro, Christoffer Asgaard
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Thai
• Application Number:
  US15/234,267
• Publication Number:
  US 20160353369A1
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/32 by location or mobility data, e.g. speed data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/322 by location data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/324 by mobility data, e.g. speed data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

A mobile terminal for use in a communication system comprising a first, packet-based network and a plurality of wireless access networks providing access to the first network. The mobile terminal comprises: one or more transceivers for connecting to the wireless access networks; and processing apparatus coupled to the one or more transceivers, operable to communicate with the first network by forming connections with the access networks using the one or more transceivers. The processing apparatus is configured to access a database recording motion information relating to motion of connection points of the wireless access networks; and the processing apparatus is further configured to determine one of the wireless access networks for use in accessing the first network, in dependence on the motion information accessed from the database relating to one or more of the wireless access networks.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal for use in a communication system comprising a first packet-based network and a plurality of wireless access networks providing access to the first packet-based network, the mobile terminal comprising:

one or more transceivers for connecting to the wireless access networks; and

a positioning device configured to determine a geographical location of the mobile terminal;

a processing apparatus coupled to the one or more transceivers and the positioning device, and operable to communicate with the first network by forming connections with the access networks using the one or more transceivers, the processing apparatus configured to;

access, via at least one of the plurality of wireless access networks, a database recording motion information relating to motion of connection points of the wireless access networks and geographical location information relating to the wireless access networks, the motion information comprising at least one of whether the connection points are moving, a speed at which the connections points are moving, or a direction in which the connection points are moving;

determine second motion information for a connection point;

write the second motion information to the database via the at least one of the plurality of access networks; and

determine one of the wireless access networks for use in accessing the first network based at least in part on the motion information and the geographical location information accessed from said database relating to one or more of the wireless access networks.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the motion information in said database comprises indications of whether connection points are stationary or not and are contributed by a plurality of additional mobile terminals.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the database records the motion information and the geographical location information for one or more of the access networks in association with times of day relevant to the availability of the respective access networks, and the processing apparatus of the mobile terminal is configured to determine one of the access networks for use in accessing the first network in dependence on the motion information, the geographical location information, and the associated time of day.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the processing apparatus is configured to determine motion information relating to a connection point as experienced by the mobile terminal, and to thereby record the determined motion information in the database.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the processing apparatus is configured to record a geographical position of the mobile terminal as determined by said positioning device as the geographical location information relating to one of said access networks.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein, if the mobile terminal is moving, the processing apparatus is configured to determine the one of the wireless access networks for use in accessing the first network based on the connection points moving in a similar direction and speed as the mobile terminal.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the access networks comprise a plurality of wireless local area networks, and the one or more transceivers comprise a local transceiver for connecting to the wireless local area networks, the processing apparatus being coupled to the local transceiver and operable to communicate with the first network by forming connections with the wireless local area networks using the local transceiver.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the database comprises additional information relating to a price of one or more of the access networks, and wherein the processing apparatus is further configured to determine one of the wireless access networks for use in accessing the first network in dependence on the price of one or more of the access networks as accessed from said database.

9. A computer-implemented method comprising:

communicating between one or more transceivers of a mobile terminal and a network by forming connections with wireless access networks;

accessing, by a mobile terminal, via at least one of the plurality of wireless access networks, a database recording at least one of motion information relating to motion of connection points of the wireless access networks and geographical location information relating to the connection points of the wireless access networks, at least one of the motion information or the geographical location information in the database including information that is determined by one or more individual mobile terminals;

determining, by the mobile terminal, second motion information for a connection point;

writing, by the mobile terminal, the second motion information to the database via the at least one of the plurality of access networks; and

determining, by the mobile terminal, one of the wireless access networks for use by the mobile terminal in accessing the network based on the motion information and the geographical location information accessed from said database relating to one or more of the wireless access networks.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the motion information comprises at least one of whether the connection points are moving, a speed at which the connections points are moving, or a direction in which the connection points are moving.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the motion information in said database comprises indications of whether connection points are stationary or not and are contributed by a plurality of additional mobile terminals.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the database records the motion information and the geographical location information for one or more of the wireless access networks in association with times of day relevant to the availability of the respective access networks, and the processing apparatus of the mobile terminal is configured to determine one of the wireless access networks for use in accessing the first network in dependence on the motion information, the geographical location information, and the associated time of day.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein a processing apparatus of the mobile terminal is configured to record a geographical position of the mobile terminal.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein a processing apparatus of the mobile terminal is configured to determine motion information relating to a connection point as experienced by the mobile terminal, and to thereby record the determined motion information in the database.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein if the mobile terminal is moving, the determining comprises determining one of the wireless access networks for use in accessing the network based on the connection points moving in a similar direction and speed as the mobile terminal.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the database comprises additional information relating to a price of one or more of the access networks, and wherein the determining the one of the wireless access networks for use in accessing the first network is based at least in part on the price of one or more of the access networks as accessed from said database.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the database records the motion information relating to motion of connection points of the wireless access networks.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the database records geographical location information relating to the connection points of the wireless access networks.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the database records both the motion information relating to motion of connection points of the wireless access networks and the geographical location information relating to the connection points of the wireless access networks.