Pre-notification of potential connection loss in wireless local area network

• US 20040203698A1
• Filed: 04/22/2002
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Comp, Lynn A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,203,487 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/421
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/23 Indication means, e.g. displays, alarms, audible means
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/248 Connectivity information update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

Notification is provided to a user within a wireless local area network when there is an elevated likelihood of losing a wireless network connection.

Claims

1. A wireless local area network comprising:

a wireless access point coupled to a wired local area network;

at least one user device having a wireless network connection to the wireless access point;

a connection loss likelihood monitor to determine whether there is an elevated likelihood of the user device losing a wireless network connection; and

an enunciator, co-located with the user device, to notify a user when the connection loss likelihood monitor determines that there is an elevated likelihood of losing the wireless network connection.

2. The wireless local area network of claim 1, wherein:

said connection loss likelihood monitor is located within a network access point.

3. The wireless local area network of claim 1, wherein:

said connection loss likelihood monitor is co-located with the user device.

4. The wireless local area network of claim 1, wherein:

said enunciator includes a light emitting diode.

5. The wireless local area network of claim 1, wherein:

said enunciator includes a display.

6. The wireless local area network of claim 1, wherein:

said enunciator includes a speaker.

7. A wireless network interface card for insertion into a user device, comprising:

a connection loss likelihood monitor to determine whether there is an elevated likelihood of the user device losing a wireless connection to a local area network; and

means for causing notice to be provided to a user of the user device when the connection loss likelihood monitor determines that there is an elevated likelihood of losing the wireless connection to the local area network.

8. The wireless network interface card of claim 7, wherein:

said means for causing notice to be provided includes means for controlling an indicator on the network interface card based on a determination of the connection loss likelihood monitor.

9. The wireless network interface card of claim 7, wherein:

said means for causing notice to be provided includes means for causing an alert message to be displayed on a display of the user device.

10. The wireless network interface card of claim 7, wherein:

said means for causing notice to be provided includes means for causing an audible alert to be emitted from a speaker of the user device.

11. A method for use within a wireless local area network, comprising:

determining whether there is an elevated likelihood that a user device in the wireless local area network will lose a wireless connection with a local area network over a wireless communication channel; and

notifying a user of the user device when it is determined that there is an increased likelihood that the user device will lose the wireless connection with the local area network.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

determining includes determining whether a signal level associated with the wireless communication channel supporting the wireless connection is less than a predetermined level.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein:

determining includes determining whether a signal level associated with the wireless communication channel supporting the wireless network connection is decreasing at a rate that is greater than a predetermined rate.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein:

determining includes determining whether an error rate associated with the wireless communication channel supporting the wireless connection is greater than a predetermined error rate.

15. A wireless network interface card for insertion into a user device, comprising:

a controller to cause notification to be provided to a user of the user device when a signal strength associated with a wireless communication channel between the wireless network interface card and a remote network access point of a local area network is determined to be within a predetermined range.

16. The wireless network interface card of claim 15 comprising:

a signal strength monitor to monitor a strength of signals received from the remote network access point via the wireless communication channel, said controller to obtain signal strength information from the signal strength monitor for use in determining whether to notify the user.

17. The wireless network interface card of claim 15, wherein:

said controller obtains signal strength information from the remote network access point for use in determining whether to notify the user.

18. The wireless network interface card of claim 17, wherein:

said controller generates a signal strength request message for transmission to the remote network access point to request said signal strength information.

19. The wireless network interface card of claim 15, wherein:

said controller causes notification to be provided to the user by causing an alert message to be displayed on a display associated with the user device.

20. The wireless network interface card of claim 19, wherein:

said alert message presents a number of response options to the user for the user to select from.

21. The wireless network interface card of claim 20, wherein:

said alert message includes a response option to save an application state associated with a currently open application to local cache.

22. The wireless network interface card of claim 20, wherein:

said alert message includes a response option to search for an alternate access point.

23. The wireless network interface card of claim 15, wherein:

said controller causes notification to be provided to the user by appropriately controlling a visual indicator on an external surface of the wireless network interface card.

24. The wireless network interface card of claim 15, wherein:

said controller causes notification to be provided to the user by causing an audible signal to be emitted from a speaker associated with the user device.

25. The wireless network interface card of claim 15, wherein:

said predetermined range is a first predetermined range; and

said controller automatically saves a currently open application to cache when the signal strength associated with the wireless communication channel is determined to be within a second predetermined range, said second predetermined range being lower than and non-overlapping with said first predetermined range.

26. The wireless network interface card of claim 15, wherein:

said predetermined range includes a range between a first predetermined signal strength and zero.

27. A wireless access point to provide wireless access to a local area network for a user device, comprising:

a receiver to receive signals from the user device and couple them to a local area netwrk;

a signal strength monitor to monitor the strength of the signals received from the user device; and

a controller to generate a signal strength response signal for delivery to the user device when a signal strength request signal is received from the user device, said signal strength request signal requesting signal strength information for use in determining whether to notify a user associated with the user device of a potential loss of connection to the local area network, said controller to generate said signal strength response signal based on information output by the signal strength monitor.

28. The wireless access point of claim 27, comprising:

at least one additional receiver to receive wireless communication signals from at least one other user device.

29. The wireless access point of claim 28, comprising:

at least one additional signal strength monitor to monitor the strength of wireless communication signals received from said at least one other user device.

30. The wireless access point of claim 27, wherein:

said controller includes a power control function to generate a power control message for delivery to the user device instructing the user device to adjust its transmit power, said power control message being different from said signal strength response signal.

31. A method for notifying a user associated with a user device of a potential loss of a wireless network connection, comprising:

obtaining signal strength information relating to a wireless communication channel between the user device and a network access point in a local area network said network access point providing access to the local area network for the user device; and

notifying the user when the signal strength information indicates a signal strength within a predetermined range.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein:

obtaining signal strength information includes transmitting a signal strength request message to the network access point via the wireless communication channel and receiving a signal strength response message from the network access point in response thereto, said signal strength response message including said signal strength information.

33. The method of claim 31 wherein:

obtaining signal strength information includes acquiring an output signal of a signal strength monitor located with the user device.

34. The method of claim 31 wherein:

notifying the user includes appropriately controlling an external indicator associated with the user device.

35. The method of claim 31 wherein:

notifying the user includes causing an alert message to be displayed on a display associated with the user device.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein:

said alert message presents a number of response options to the user for the user to select from.

37. The method of claim 31 wherein:

notifying the user includes causing an audible signal to be emitted from the user device.

38. The method of claim 31 wherein:

said predetermined range is a first predetermined range; and

said method further includes automatically saving a currently open application to cache when the signal strength information indicates a signal strength within a second predetermined range, said second predetermined range being lower than and non-overlapping with said first predetermined range.