Method and apparatus for connecting to stable access point using connection history

• US 20070066304A1
• Filed: 09/06/2006
• Published: 03/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Youne-sang
• Application Number:
  US11/515,901
• Publication Number:
  US 20070066304A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A method and apparatus to provide guidance to be associated with a stable access point using a previous connection history, the method includes receiving data from a plurality of access points which are available in a wireless network and searching connection information related to a connection history corresponding to the respective access point using an identifier of respective access point included in the received data; selecting a first access point which can be used to preferentially connect to the wireless network among the plurality of access points according to a predetermined standard and outputting a guide information of the first access point; connecting to the wireless network through the first access point; and storing connection information including results of a transmission and/or receipt of the data.

Claims

1. A method for providing guidance to be associated with a stable access point using a previous connection history, the method comprising:

receiving data from a plurality of access points which are available in a wireless network, and respectively searching connection information related to a connection history on the access points using an identifier of the respective access points which are included in the received data;

selecting a first access point which can be used to preferentially connect to the wireless network among the plurality of access points according to a predetermined standard in response to the searched connection information, and outputting a guidance information of the first access point;

connecting to the wireless network through the first access point; and

transmitting and/or receiving data to and/or from the wireless network through the first access point, and storing connection information including results of the transmission and/or the reception of the data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined standard is a standard obtained by arraying a ratio of successful connections to unsuccessful connections, a data transmission rate, a ratio rejected connections to accepted connections, and/or a ratio of failed connections to successful connections, each of which is calculated on the basis of a result of the previous connection of the access point.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the received data is beacon data transmitted from the access points.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection information includes at least one of a number of successful connections, a number of failed connections, and a number of cut off connections, each of which is calculated by attempts at a connection with the plurality of access point.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection information includes at least one of a service set identifier (SSID) of an access point, a media access control (MAC) address, a number of successful connections, a number of disassociations, a number of de-authentications, and a strength of an average signal, in order to establish the connection of the wireless network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a number of successful connections are calculated by counting a status code of an authentication response frame, which records a “

0when the connections are successful.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection information uses information of a status code or a reason code to store the connection information, when the wireless network complies with the IEEE 802.11 protocol.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an input of the first access point after outputting the guide information.

9. A wireless communication system comprising:

a wireless transmitting/receiving unit connected to a wireless network through an access point to transmit and to receive data and/or from the access point;

a storage unit to store connection information on the access point;

an information updating unit to store the connection information on the access point in the storage unit or to change the connection information stored in the storage unit; and

a comparison selecting unit to search the connection information related to a connection history for the respective access point using an identifier of the access point included in a control data to compare connection information between the access point and the other access point to which the system is connectable, and to be preferentially connected to the first access point selected according to a predetermined standard over the another when two or more access points transmit and/or receive the control data.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the predetermined standard is obtained by arraying a ratio of successful connections to unsuccessful connections, a data transmission rate, a ratio of rejected connections to accepted connections, and/or a ratio of failed connections to successful connections, each of which is calculated based on a previously connected result for the access point which transmits the control data.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the connection information includes at least one of a number of successful connections, a number of failed connections, and a number of cut off connections, each of which is calculated by attempts at connection to the access point.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the connection information includes at least one of a service set identifier (SSID) of an access point, a media access control (MAC) address, a number of successful connections, a number disassociations, a number of de-authentications, and a strength of an average signal.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the number of the successful connections is calculated by counting a status code of an authentication response frame, which records a “

0”

when the connection is successful.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the connection information uses information of a status code or a reason code to store the connection information when the wireless network complies with the IEEE 802.11 protocol.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the information updating unit stores generated information at least one of when the system is connected to the access point, fails to establish the connection, and while data is transmitted and received after the connection is established.

16. A network system comprising:

access points to connect to a wireless network; and

a system associated with the wireless network through one of the access points;

wherein, prior to selecting one of the access points, the system searches connection information related to a previous connection history of the plurality of access points, outputs guide information to preferentially connect to a first access point selected according to a predetermined standard among the plurality of access points, and connects to the first access point.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the predetermined standard is obtained by arraying a ratio of successful connections to unsuccessful connections, a data transmission rate, a ratio of rejected connections to accepted connections, and/or a ratio of failed connections to successful connections, each of which is calculated based on a previously connected result for the access point which transmits the control data.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the connection information includes at least one of a number of successful connections, a number of failed connections, and a number of cut off connections, each of which is calculated by attempts at connection to the access point.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the connection information includes at least one of a service set identifier (SSID) of an access point, a media access control (MAC) address, a number of successful connections, a number of disassociations, a number of de-authentications, and a strength of an average signal, in order to establish the connection of the wireless network.

20. A method of providing guidance for access points of a network, comprising:

comparing stored metrics for a plurality of access points connectable to a wireless device;

determining at least one of the plurality of access points to recommend to connect to the network based on the stored metrics; and

outputting the recommendation.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the metrics include at least one of a number of successful connections, a number of failed connections, a number of cut off connections, a data transmission rate, a number of disassociations, a number of de-authentications, and a strength of an average signal, or combinations thereof.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the access points are identified using one or both of a service set identifier (SSID) of an access point and a media access control (MAC) address.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the output of the recommendation is highlighting the one access point.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the network is one or both of a wireless network and a wired network.

25. A network communication system to provide guidance for access points of a network, comprising a recommending unit to retrieve and compare stored metrics for a plurality of access points, determine at least one of the plurality of access points to recommend to connect to the network based on the compared metrics, and output the recommendation.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the metrics include a number of successful connections, a number of failed connections, a number of cut off connections, a data transmission rate, a number of disassociations, a number of de-authentications, and a strength of an average signal, or combinations thereof.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the access points are identified using one or both of a service set identifier (SSID) of an access point and a media access control (MAC) address.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the output of the recommendation is to highlight the one access point.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the network is one or both of a wireless network and a wired network.