Methods, systems and computer program products for directing a user to a wireless network access point

• US 20050048986A1
• Filed: 08/25/2003
• Published: 03/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gao, Xiaofeng, Zhao, Wei
• Granted Patent: US 7,561,871 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• 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 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A mobile user request for a location of a wireless network access point can be received via a user terminal. A geographic location of the mobile user can be identified responsive to the user request. A wireless network access point convenient to the user location can be identified.

Claims

1. A method for directing a mobile user to a wireless network access point comprising:

receiving a mobile user request for a location of a wireless network access point via a user terminal;

identifying a geographic location of the mobile user responsive to receiving the user request; and

identifying a wireless network access point convenient to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating the identified wireless network access point to the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a geographic location of the mobile user comprises locating a wireless communications signal from the user terminal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a wireless network access point comprises comparing the geographic location of the user to known locations of a plurality of access points.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein identifying a wireless network access point comprises:

calculating a travel time between the user location and each of the plurality of wireless network access points; and

selecting one of the plurality of wireless network access points having the shortest travel time.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein calculating a travel time is based on distance and road conditions.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein road conditions comprise real-time traffic conditions.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the user request further comprises amenities, and wherein the identifying a wireless network access point comprises identifying wireless network access points that include the requested amenities.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the amenities include a type of facility and/or service available in the vicinity of the wireless network access point.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the amenities include a service provider associated with the wireless network.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating directions from the user location to the selected wireless network access point.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising communicating information concerning wireless network amenities to the user terminal.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless network is a broadband wireless network.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the broadband wireless network is a Wireless Fidelity (“

Wi-Fi”

) network.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the user terminal is a mobile communications device.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the user terminal is a computer processor terminal.

17. A system for directing a mobile user to a wireless network access point comprising:

means for receiving a mobile user request for a location of a wireless network access point via a user terminal;

means for identifying a geographic location of the mobile user responsive to receiving the user request; and

means for identifying a wireless network access point convenient to the user.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the means for identifying a wireless network access point comprises comparing the geographic location of the user to known locations of a plurality of access points.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the means for identifying a wireless network access point comprises:

means for calculating a travel time between the user location and each of the plurality of wireless network access points; and

means for selecting one of the plurality of wireless network access points having the shortest travel time.

20. A computer program product for directing a mobile user to a wireless network access point, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code that receives a mobile user request for a location of a wireless network access point via a user terminal;

computer readable program code that identifies a geographic location of the mobile user responsive to receiving the user request; and

computer readable program code that identifies a wireless network access point convenient to the user.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the computer readable program code that identifies a wireless network access point comprises computer readable program code that compares the geographic location of the user to known locations of a plurality of access points.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the computer readable program code that identifies a wireless network access point comprises:

computer readable program code that calculates a travel time between the user location and each of the plurality of wireless network access points; and

computer readable program code that selects one of the plurality of wireless network access points having the shortest travel time.