Selection of an access point in a communications system

• US 20080049702A1
• Filed: 08/25/2006
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Deshpande, Manoj M., Nanda, Sanjiv, Meylan, Arnaud, Jain, Nikhil
• Granted Patent: US 9,049,651 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/342
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/084 using delegated authorisation, e.g. open authorisation [OAuth] protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

The disclosure is directed to an access terminal, and method for selecting an access point in a communications system. The access terminal may include memory and a processor. The processor may be configured to maintain in the memory a database containing a list of access points that have previously served the access terminal with at least a minimum quality of service, the processor being further configured to use the list to search for an access point to associate with, or search for an access point to handoff the access terminal to during operation. In addition to, or alternatively, the processor may also be configured to maintain in the database a second list of access points. The database may be used by the processor to search for an access point that is not on the second list to associate with, or handoff the access terminal to.

Claims

1. An access terminal, comprising:

memory; and

a processor configured to maintain in the memory a database containing a list of access points that have previously served the access terminal with at least a minimum quality of service, the processor being further configured to use the list to search for an access point.

2. The access terminal of claim 1, wherein the access terminal is to be associated with the access point.

3. The access terminal of claim 1, wherein the access terminal is to be handed off to the access point.

4. The access terminal of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to search for each of the access points listed in the database before searching for other access points.

5. The access terminal of claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to, when the search for an access point listed in the database is unsuccessful, select one of the access points not listed in the database and add the selected access point to the database.

6. The access terminal of claim 4, wherein the database includes information identifying the last access point serving the access terminal, and wherein the processor is further configured to search for the last access point before searching for the remaining access points listed in the database.

7. The access terminal of claim 1, wherein the database includes information identifying neighbor access points for each of the access points listed in the database, and wherein the processor is further configured to search for each of the access points neighbor to the serving access point before searching for other access points.

8. The access terminal of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to search for each of the access points neighbor to the serving access point without waiting for a beacon from any of the neighbor access points.

9. The access terminal of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to detect the existence of one of the access points neighbor to the serving access point by receiving a frame sent from the one of the access points neighbor to the serving access point.

10. The access terminal of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to select one of the access points neighbor to the serving access point, the selected access point being one of the access points listed in the database.

11. The access terminal of claim 10, wherein the database includes information relating to the quality of service or connectivity for each of the access points, and wherein the processor is further configured to select one of the access points neighbor to the serving access point based on the quality of service or connectivity for each of the access points neighbor to the serving access point.

12. The access terminal of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to maintain in the database a second list of access points, the processor being further configured to prohibit the access terminal from associating with, or handing off to, one or more of the access points on the second list.

13. The access terminal of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to maintain in the database a second list of access points, the processor being further configured to search for access points to associate with, and the processor being further configured to associate with one of the access points on the second list discovered during the search only when an access point that is not on the second list is not discovered during the search.

14. The access terminal of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to maintain in the database a second list of access points, the processor being further configured to search for access points to handoff the access terminal to, and the processor being further configured to handoff the access terminal to one of the access points on the second list discovered during the search only when an access point that is not on the second list is not discovered during the search.

15. An access terminal, comprising:

memory; and

a processor configured to maintain in the memory a database containing a list of access points, the processor being further configured to search for an access point that is not on the list.

16. The access terminal of claim 15 wherein the processor is further configured to prohibit the access terminal from associating with, or handing off to, one or more of the access points on the list.

17. The access terminal of claim 15 wherein the processor is further configured to associate with one of the access points on the list discovered during the search only when an access point that is not on the second list is not discovered during the search.

18. The access terminal of claim 15 wherein the processor is further configured to handoff the access terminal to one of the access points on the list discovered during the search only when an access point that is not on the second list is not discovered during the search.

19. A method of communications on an access terminal, comprising:

maintaining a database containing a list of access points that have previously served the access terminal with at least a minimum quality of service; and

using the list to search for an access point.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the use of the list comprises searching for an access point to associate with.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the use of the list comprises searching for an access point to hand off the access terminal.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the use of the list comprises searching for each of the access points listed in the database before searching for other access points.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising, when the search for an access point listed in the database is unsuccessful, selecting one of the access points not listed in the database, and adding the selected access point to the database.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the database includes information identifying the last access point serving the access terminal, and wherein the use of the list comprises searching for the last access point before searching for the remaining access points listed in the database.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the database includes information identifying neighbor access points for each of the access points listed in the database, and wherein the use of the list comprises searching for each of the access points neighbor to the serving access point before searching for other access points.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the search for each of the access points neighbor to the serving access point is performed without waiting for a beacon from any of the neighbor access points.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the search for each of the access points neighbor to the serving access point comprises detecting the existence of one of the access points neighbor to the serving access point by receiving a frame sent from the one of the access points neighbor to the serving access point.

28. The method of claim 25, further comprising selecting one of the access points neighbor to the serving access point, the selected access point being one of the access points listed in the database.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the database includes information relating to the quality of service or connectivity for each of the access points, and wherein the selection of one of the access points neighbor to the serving access point is based on the quality of service or connectivity for each of the access points neighbor to the serving access point.

30. The method of claim 19, further comprising maintaining in the database a second list of access points, and prohibiting the access terminal from associating with, or handing off to, one or more of the access points on the second list.

31. The method of claim 19, further comprising maintaining in the database a second list of access points, searching for access points to associate with, and associating with one of the access points on the second list discovered during the search only when an access point that is not on the second list is not discovered during the search.

32. The method of claim 19, further comprising maintain in the database a second list of access points, searching for access points to handoff the access terminal to, and handing off the access terminal to one of the access points on the second list discovered during the search only when an access point that is not on the second list is not discovered during the search.

33. A method of communications on an access terminal, comprising:

maintaining a database containing a list of access points; and

searching for an access point that is not on the list.

34. The method of claim 33 further comprising prohibiting the access terminal from associating with, or handing off to, one or more of the access points on the list.

35. The method of claim 33 further comprising associating with one of the access points on the list discovered during the search only when an access point that is not on the second list is not discovered during the search.

36. The method of claim 33 further comprising handing off the access terminal to one of the access points on the list discovered during the search only when an access point that is not on the second list is not discovered during the search.

37. An access terminal, comprising:

means for maintaining a database containing a list of access points that have previously served the access terminal with at least a minimum quality of service; and

means for using the list to search for an access point.

38. The access terminal of claim 37 wherein the means for using the list comprises means for searching for an access point to associate with.

39. The access terminal of claim 37 wherein the means for using the list comprises means for searching for an access point to hand off the access terminal to.

40. The access terminal of claim 37, wherein the means for using of the list comprises means for searching for each of the access points listed in the database before searching for other access points.

41. The access terminal of claim 40, further comprising means for selecting one of the access points not listed in the database when the search for an access point listed in the database is unsuccessful, and means for adding the selected access point to the database.

42. The access terminal of claim 40, wherein the database includes information identifying the last access point serving the access terminal, and wherein the means for using the list comprises means for searching for the last access point before searching for the remaining access points listed in the database.

43. The access terminal of claim 37, wherein the database includes information identifying neighbor access points for each of the access points listed in the database, and wherein the means for using the list comprises means for searching for each of the access points neighbor to the serving access point before searching for other access points.

44. The access terminal of claim 43, wherein the means for searching for each of the access points neighbor to the serving access point performs the search without waiting for a beacon from any of the neighbor access points.

45. The access terminal of claim 44, wherein the means for searching for each of the access points neighbor to the serving access point comprises means for detecting the existence of one of the access points neighbor to the serving access point by receiving a frame sent from the one of the access points neighbor to the serving access point.

46. The access terminal of claim 45, further comprising means for selecting one of the access points neighbor to the serving access point, the selected access point being one of the access points listed in the database.

47. The access terminal of claim 44, wherein the database includes information relating to the quality of service or connectivity for each of the access points, and wherein the means for selecting one of the access points neighbor to the serving access point is based on the quality of service or connectivity for each of the access points neighbor to the serving access point.

48. The access terminal of claim 37, further comprising means for maintaining in the database a second list of access points, and means for prohibiting the access terminal from associating with, or handing off to, one or more of the access points on the second list.

49. The access terminal of claim 37, further comprising means for maintaining in the database a second list of access points, means for searching for access points to associate with, and means for associating with one of the access points on the second list discovered during the search only when an access point that is not on the second list is not discovered during the search.

50. The access terminal of claim 37, further comprising means for maintaining in the database a second list of access points, means for searching for access points to handoff the access terminal to, and means for handing off the access terminal to one of the access points on the second list discovered during the search only when an access point that is not on the second list is not discovered during the search.

51. An access terminal, comprising:

means for maintaining a database containing a list of access points; and

means for searching for an access point that is not on the list.

52. The access terminal of claim 51, further comprising means for prohibiting the access terminal from associating with, or handing off to, one or more of the access points on the list.

53. The access terminal of claim 51, further comprising means for associating with one of the access points on the list discovered during the search only when an access point that is not on the second list is not discovered during the search.

54. The access terminal of claim 51, further comprising means for handing off the access terminal to one of the access points on the list discovered during the search only when an access point that is not on the second list is not discovered during the search.

55. A computer-readable medium including instructions stored thereon, comprising:

a first instruction set for maintaining a database containing a list of access points that have previously served the access terminal with at least a minimum quality of service; and

a second instruction set for using the list to search for an access point.

56. The computer-readable medium of claim 55, wherein the second instruction set comprises a third instruction set for searching for an access point to associate with.

57. The computer-readable medium of claim 55, wherein the second instruction set comprises a third instruction set for searching for an access point to hand off the access terminal.

58. The computer-readable medium of claim 55, wherein the second instruction set comprises a third instruction set for searching for each of the access points listed in the database before searching for other access points.

59. The computer-readable medium of claim 58, further comprising a fourth instruction set for selecting one of the access points not listed in the database when the search for an access point listed in the database is unsuccessful, and a fifth instruction set for adding the selected access point to the database.

60. The computer-readable medium of claim 58, wherein the database includes information identifying the last access point serving the access terminal, and wherein the third instruction set comprises a fourth instruction set for searching for the last access point before searching for the remaining access points listed in the database.

61. The computer-readable medium of claim 55, wherein the database includes information identifying neighbor access points for each of the access points listed in the database, and wherein the second instruction set comprises a third instruction set for searching for each of the access points neighbor to the serving access point before searching for other access points to handoff to.

62. The computer-readable medium of claim 55, further comprising a third instruction set for maintaining in the database a second list of access points, and a fourth instruction set for prohibiting the access terminal from associating with, or handing off to, one or more of the access points on the second list.

63. The computer-readable medium of claim 55, further comprising a third instruction set for maintaining in the database a second list of access points, a fourth instruction set for searching for access points to associate with, and a fifth instruction set for associating with one of the access points on the second list discovered during the search only when an access point that is not on the second list is not discovered during the search.

64. The computer-readable medium of claim 55, further comprising a third instruction set for maintaining in the database a second list of access points, a fourth instruction set for searching for access points to handoff the access terminal to, and a fifth instruction set for handing off the access terminal to one of the access points on the second list discovered during the search only when no other access point that is not on the second list is discovered during the search.

65. A computer-readable medium including instructions stored thereon, comprising:

a first instruction set for maintaining a database containing a list of access points; and

a second instruction set for searching for an access point that is not on the list.

66. The computer-readable medium of claim 65, further comprising a third instruction set for prohibiting the access terminal from associating with, or handing off to, one or more of the access points on the list.

67. The computer-readable medium of claim 65, further comprising a third instruction set for associating with one of the access points on the list discovered during the search only when no other access point that is not on the second list is discovered during the search.

68. The computer-readable medium of claim 65, further comprising a third instruction set for handing off the access terminal to one of the access points on the list discovered during the search only when no other access point that is not on the list is discovered during the search.