Roaming to share a communication channel

• US 10,298,673 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2016
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Hegde, Uday Sooryakant, Broto Cartagena, Victor Juan
• Primary Examiner(s): Javaid, Jamal
• Application Number:
  US15/223,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20180035474A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A computing device is able to communicate wirelessly with other devices using different types of wireless networks, such as infrastructure networks and peer-to-peer networks. Situations can arise in which a computing device is connected to different types of networks at the same time. In such situations a check is made as to whether the computing device can connect to a first of the wireless networks using the same channel as is used by the computing device to connect to a second of the wireless networks. If so, then the computing device connects to the first wireless network using the same channel as is used by the computing device to connect to the second wireless network, resulting in the computing device sharing the same channel for the multiple wireless networks.

Claims

1. A method implemented in a computing device, the method comprising:

determining that the computing device is connected to a first wireless network;

determining that the computing device is connected to a second wireless network;

identifying one of multiple channels of the second wireless network that the computing device is using to connect to the second wireless network;

determining, while the computing device is connected to both the first wireless network and the second wireless network and in response to the computing device being connected to the second wireless network using a different channel than is used to connect the computing device to the first wireless network, that the computing device can connect to the first wireless network using the one channel without communicating with another device on the first wireless network for the another device to change to using the one channel; and

connecting, in response to determining that the computing device can connect to the first wireless network using the one channel, the computing device to the first wireless network using the one channel.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, the first wireless network comprising an infrastructure network.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, the infrastructure network including multiple access points, at least two of the multiple access points transmitting and receiving signals using different channels.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, the second wireless network comprising a peer-to-peer network.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, the determining whether the computing device can connect to the first wireless network using the one channel comprising determining whether an access point of the first wireless network is within communication range of the computing device and is transmitting and receiving signals on the one channel.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, the determining whether the computing device can connect to the first wireless network using the one channel further comprising determining whether signals received from the access point are at least a threshold signal strength.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, the determining whether the computing device can connect to the first wireless network using the one channel comprising determining whether the computing device can connect to the first wireless network without receiving a notification or request from another device on the first wireless network to switch to the one channel.

8. A computing device comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon multiple instructions that, responsive to execution by the processor, cause the processor to;

identify one of multiple channels of a peer-to-peer network that the computing device is using to connect to the peer-to-peer network;

determine, while the computing device is connected to both the peer-to-peer network and an infrastructure network and in response to the computing device being connected to the peer-to-peer network using a different channel than is used to connect the computing device to the infrastructure network, that the computing device can connect to the infrastructure network using the one channel without communicating with another device on the infrastructure network for the another device to change to using the one channel; and

connect, in response to determining that the computing device can connect to the infrastructure network using the one channel, the computing device to the infrastructure network using the one channel.

9. The computing device as recited in claim 8, the infrastructure network including multiple access points, at least two of the multiple access points transmitting and receiving signals using different channels.

10. The computing device as recited in claim 8, wherein to determine whether the computing device can connect to the infrastructure network using the one channel is to determine whether an access point of the infrastructure network is within communication range of the computing device and is transmitting and receiving signals on the one channel.

11. The computing device as recited in claim 8, wherein to determine whether the computing device can connect to the infrastructure network using the one channel is to determine whether the computing device can connect to the infrastructure network without receiving a notification or request from another device on the infrastructure network to switch to the one channel.

12. A computer-readable storage medium having instructions thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a computing device to:

determine that the computing device is connected to both a first wireless network and a second wireless network;

identify one of multiple channels of the second wireless network that the computing device is using to connect to the second wireless network;

determine, while the computing device is connected to both the first wireless network and the second wireless network and in response to the computing device being connected to the second wireless network using a different channel than is used to connect the computing device to the first wireless network, whether the computing device can connect to the first wireless network using the one channel without communicating with another device on the first wireless network for the another device to change to using the one channel;

if it is determined that the computing device can connect to the first wireless network using the one channel, connect to the first wireless network using the one channel; and

if it is determined that the computing device cannot connect to the first wireless network using the one channel, waiting a duration of time to repeat determining whether the computing device can connect to the first wireless network using the one channel.

13. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 12, the first wireless network comprising an infrastructure network.

14. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 12, the second wireless network comprising a peer-to-peer network.

15. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 12, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to repeat at regular or irregular intervals, in response to determining that the computing device cannot connect to the first wireless network using the one channel, determining whether the computing device can connect to the first wireless network using the one channel.

16. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 12, wherein to determine whether the computing device can connect to the first wireless network using the one channel is to determine whether an access point of the first wireless network is within communication range of the computing device and is transmitting and receiving signals on the one channel.

17. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 12, wherein to determine whether the computing device can connect to the first wireless network using the one channel is to determine whether the computing device can connect to the first wireless network without receiving a notification or request from another device on the first wireless network to switch to the one channel.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to repeat at regular or irregular intervals, in response to determining that the computing device cannot connect to the first wireless network using the one channel, determining whether the computing device can connect to the first wireless network using the one channel.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to connect, in response to determining that the computing device cannot connect to the first wireless network using the one channel, the computing device to the first wireless network using another channel resulting in improved capacity of data transmission on the first wireless network and/or the second wireless network.