System and method for improved band-channel scanning and network switching

• US 10,306,643 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2018
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Liu, Junda, Tan, Weihua, Agrawal, Shishir Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Brandt, Christopher M
• Application Number:
  US15/942,651
• Publication Number:
  US 20180227921A1
• Time in Patent Office: 421 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0072 of resource information of target access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 based on terminal or device properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/52 based on load
• 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 system and method is disclosed that includes receiving connectivity information from a plurality of client devices connect to a network associated with a plurality of base stations; storing the connectivity information in one or more memories; determining a first location of a first device that desires to connect to a base station associated with the network; identifying a set of candidate bands and channels for connection to the base station based on the first location and the connectivity information; and transmitting the set of candidate bands and channels to the first device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a server, connectivity information from a plurality of client devices connected to one or more of a plurality of networks associated with one or more of a plurality of base stations;

storing, at the server, the connectivity information in one or more memories;

determining a first location and a currently connected network of a first device, the currently connected network being a first network of the plurality of networks;

identifying, by the server, a set of candidate bands and channels for connection to a second network of the plurality of networks via a first base station of the plurality of base stations by the first device at the determined first location and based on the connectivity information; and

transmitting for delivery, from the server, the identified set of candidate bands and channels to the first device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, for a particular device connected to the one or more of the plurality of networks, the connectivity information includes one or more of:

a location of the particular device, an identifier for a particular base station to which the particular device is connected, or a frequency band and channel of the connection between the particular device and the particular base station.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

aggregating the connectivity information stored in the one or more memories based on location information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device attempts to connect to the second network based on attempting to connect to bands and channels included in the identified set of candidate bands and channels.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein

the plurality of client devices comprises the first device, and

identifying the set of candidate bands and channels comprises identifying one or more bands and channels that other devices of the plurality of client devices are connected to the network at the determined first location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined first location is a predicted future location of the first device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the predicted future location is based on aggregated GPS (Global Positioning System) coordinates received by the server from the first device.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein identifying the set of candidate bands and channels is based on comparing GPS coordinates of the first device to GPS coordinates of base stations on the second network to determine a particular base station to which the first device attempts to connect at the future location.

9. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause a computer system to perform operations comprising:

receiving connectivity information from a plurality of client devices connected to one or more of a plurality of networks associated with one or more of a plurality of base stations;

storing the connectivity information in one or more memories;

determining a first location and a currently connected network of a first device, the currently connected network being a first network of the plurality of networks;

identifying a set of candidate bands and channels for connection to a second network of the plurality of networks via a first base station of the plurality of base stations by the first device at the determined first location and based on the connectivity information; and

transmitting for delivery the identified set of candidate bands and channels to the first device.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein, for a particular device connected to the one or more of the plurality of networks, the connectivity information includes one or more of:

a location of the particular device, an identifier for a particular base station to which the particular device is connected, or a frequency band and channel of the connection between the particular device and the particular base station.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, with further instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the computer to system to perform further operations comprising:

aggregating the connectivity information stored in one or more memories based on location information.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the first device attempts to connect to the second network based on attempting to connect to bands and channels included in the identified set of candidate bands and channels.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein

the plurality of client devices comprises the first device, and

identifying the set of candidate bands and channels comprises identifying one or more bands and channels that other devices of the plurality of client devices are connected to the network at the determined first location.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the determined first location is a predicted future location of the first device.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the future location is based on aggregated GPS (Global Positioning System) coordinates received by the server from the first device.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein identifying the set of candidate bands and channels is based on comparing GPS coordinates of the first device to GPS coordinates of base stations on the second network to determine the particular base station to which the first device attempts to connect at the future location.

17. A client device configured to access a plurality of networks via one or more base stations, the client device comprising:

a radio access interface configured to access the one or more base stations;

a memory storing instructions; and

a processor, coupled to the radio access interface and the memory, that executes the instructions to;

connect to a first network of the plurality of networks;

receive, from a server via a wireless network, a set of candidate bands and channels for connection to a second network of the plurality of networks associated with a plurality of base stations of the one or more base stations, the set of candidate bands and channels having been identified by the server based on a location of the client device and connectivity information from a plurality of client devices connected to a cellular network associated with the plurality of base stations;

scan for an available base station of the plurality of base stations using the received set of candidate bands and channels; and

responsive to locating an available base station of the plurality of base stations based on the scanning, attempt to connect to the second network through the available base station.

18. The client device of claim 17, wherein the set of candidate bands and channels received from the server is based on a predicted future location of the client device.

19. The client device of claim 17, wherein the first network is operated by a first carrier and the second network is operated by a second carrier different from the first carrier.

20. The client device of claim 17, wherein the first network and the second network are both operated by a first carrier.

21. The client device of claim 18, wherein the processor further executes instructions to send the location of the client device to the server via the first network.