Method and apparatus for operating in a wireless local area network based on information from a wireless wide area network

• US 20070237121A1
• Filed: 04/07/2006
• Published: 10/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Khandelwal, Deepak, Cooper, Rotem, Gil, Amit
• Granted Patent: US 8,228,865 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Techniques to efficiently search for a WLAN are described. A terminal receives country information from a wireless wide area network (WWAN), which may be a cellular network or a broadcast network. This country information may be a Mobile Country Code (MCC) that is broadcast by the WWAN. The MCC identifies the country in which the WWAN is deployed. The terminal then performs active scan for a WLAN based on the country information received from the WWAN. For the active scan, the terminal determines a frequency channel and a transmit power level based on the country information. The terminal then transmits a probe request on the frequency channel and at the transmit power level determined based on the country information. The terminal may perform passive scan and/or active scan in accordance with a scan setting.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor configured to receive country information from a wireless wide area network (WWAN), and to perform an active scan for a wireless local area network (WLAN) based on the country information received from the WWAN; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine a frequency channel and a transmit power level based on the country information, and to transmit a probe request on the frequency channel and at the transmit power level determined based on the country information.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to perform the active scan without performing a passive scan if the country information is available.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to perform a passive scan for a first scan setting, and to perform the active scan without performing the passive scan for a second scan setting if the country information is available.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine a frequency hopping pattern based on the country information.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the country information comprises a Mobile Country Code (MCC) received from the WWAN.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the WWAN is a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive a Sync Channel Message, a System Parameters Message, or an Extended System Parameters Message from the CDMA network, and to extract the MCC from the received message.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the WWAN is a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive a System Information Type 3 message from the GSM network, and to extract the MCC from the received message.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the WWAN is a Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) network, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive a System Information message from the UMTS network, and to extract the MCC from the received message.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the WWAN is a broadcast network.

11. A method comprising:

receiving country information from a wireless wide area network (WWAN); and

performing an active scan for a wireless local area network (WLAN) based on the country information received from the WWAN.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the receiving the country information comprises

receiving a Mobile Country Code (MCC) from the WWAN.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the performing the active scan for the WLAN comprises

determining a frequency channel and a transmit power level based on the country information, and

transmitting a probe request on the frequency channel and at the transmit power level determined based on the country information.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining a frequency hopping pattern based on the country information.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the performing the active scan for the WLAN comprises

performing the active scan without performing a passive scan if the country information is available.

16. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving country information from a wireless wide area network (WWAN); and

means for performing an active scan for a wireless local area network (WLAN) based on the country information received from the WWAN.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for receiving the country information comprises

means for receiving a Mobile Country Code (MCC) from the WWAN.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for performing the active scan for the WLAN comprises

means for determining a frequency channel and a transmit power level based on the country information, and

means for transmitting a probe request on the frequency channel and at the transmit power level determined based on the country information.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

means for determining a frequency hopping pattern based on the country information.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for performing the active scan for the WLAN comprises

means for performing the active scan without performing a passive scan if the country information is available.

21. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor configured to obtain country information via a wireless wide area network (WWAN), and to control operation of the apparatus in a wireless local area network (WLAN) or a wireless personal area network (WPAN) based on the country information obtained via the WWAN; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the at least one processor is configured to obtain the country information from a Mobile Country Code (MCC) received from the WWAN.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the at least one processor is configured to obtain via the WWAN a position estimate for the apparatus, and to obtain the country information based on the position estimate.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine a frequency range of operation for the WLAN or WPAN based on the country information.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine a transmit power level for the WLAN or WPAN based on the country information.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine a frequency hopping pattern for the WLAN or WPAN based on the country information.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the at least one processor is configured to perform an active scan for the WLAN based on the country information.

28. A method comprising:

obtaining country information via a wireless wide area network (WWAN); and

controlling operation of a terminal in a wireless local area network (WLAN) or a wireless personal area network (WPAN) based on the country information obtained via the WWAN.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the obtaining the country information comprises

receiving a Mobile Country Code (MCC) from the WWAN.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the controlling the operation of the terminal comprises

determining a frequency range of operation, a transmit power level, a frequency hopping pattern, or a combination thereof for the WLAN or WPAN based on the country information.

31. An apparatus comprising:

means for obtaining country information via a wireless wide area network (WWAN); and

means for controlling operation of the apparatus in a wireless local area network (WLAN) or a wireless personal area network (WPAN) based on the country information obtained via the WWAN.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the means for obtaining the country information comprises

means for receiving a Mobile Country Code (MCC) from the WWAN.

33. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the means for controlling the operation of the apparatus comprises

means for determining a frequency range of operation, a transmit power level, a frequency hopping pattern, or a combination thereof for the WLAN or WPAN based on the country information.