Method and System for Presenting Lists of Wireless Local Area Network Profile Information

• US 20080151842A1
• Filed: 12/22/2006
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Tysowski, Piotr Konrad, Yach, David, Mousseau, Gary
• Granted Patent: US 7,957,357 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• 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 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information

Abstract

A method for selecting a wireless local area network (“WLAN”) for a wireless device, comprising: generating a first list of WLAN identifiers for a first group of one or more wireless local area networks (“WLANs”) accessible at a first geographic location and storing the first list in the wireless device; generating a second list of WLAN identifiers for a second group of one or more WLANs accessible at a second geographic location and storing the second list in the wireless device; selecting one of the first and second lists as an active list; and, scanning for WLANs identified by the active list to identify an available WLAN for the wireless device.

Claims

1. A method for selecting a wireless local area network (“

WLAN”

) for a wireless device, comprising;

generating a first list of WLAN identifiers for a first group of one or more wireless local area networks (“

WLANs”

) accessible at a first geographic location and storing the first list in the wireless device;

generating a second list of WLAN identifiers for a second group of one or more WLANs accessible at a second geographic location and storing the second list in the wireless device;

selecting one of the first and second lists as an active list; and

,

scanning for WLANs identified by the active list to identify an available WLAN for the wireless device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each WLAN identifier has an associated WLAN profile including a geographic location of the respective WLAN.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein each WLAN identifier is one of a service set identifier (“

SSID”

), a network name, and a profile name.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein each of the first and second groups of WLANs are accessible from at least one of the first and second geographic locations.

5. The method of claim 4 and further comprising combining the first and second lists in a hierarchical list.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the hierarchical list is selectable as the active list.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein an order of the first and second lists in the hierarchical list is selectable.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein the selecting further comprises:

presenting the first and second lists to a user on a display screen of the wireless device; and

, receiving a signal from the user indicating a choice of one of the first and second lists as the active list.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein WLAN identifiers of infrequently used WLANs are excluded from the first and second lists when the wireless device is remote from the first and second geographic locations, respectively.

10. The method of claim 2 wherein the selecting further comprises:

receiving a signal indicative of a current location of the wireless device; and

, determining which of the first and second geographic locations is closest to the current location.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the signal is received from a global positioning system (“

GPS”

) receiver included in the wireless device.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the signal is received from a cellular telephone system.

13. A system for selecting a wireless local area network (“

WLAN”

), the system comprising;

a processor coupled to an interface to one or more wireless local area networks (“

WLANs”

); and

,

modules executed by the processor, the modules including;

a module for generating a first list of WLAN identifiers for a first group of one or more WLANs accessible at a first geographic location and storing the first list in the system;

a module for generating a second list of WLAN identifiers for a second group of one or more WLANs accessible at a second geographic location and storing the second list in the system;

a module for selecting one of the first and second lists as an active list; and

,

a module for scanning for WLANs identified by the active list to identify an available WLAN for the system.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein each WLAN identifier has an associated WLAN profile including a geographic location of the respective WLAN.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein each WLAN identifier is one of a service set identifier (“

SSID”

), a network name, and a profile name.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein each of the first and second groups of WLANs are accessible from at least one of the first and second geographic locations.

17. The system of claim 16 and further comprising a module for combining the first and second lists in a hierarchical list.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the hierarchical list is selectable as the active list.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein an order of the first and second lists in the hierarchical list is selectable.

20. The system of claim 14 wherein the module for selecting further comprises:

a module for presenting the first and second lists to a user on a display screen of the system; and

, a module for receiving a signal from the user indicating a choice of one of the first and second lists as the active list.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein WLAN identifiers of infrequently used WLANs are excluded from the first and second lists when the system is remote from the first and second geographic locations, respectively.

22. The system of claim 14 wherein the module for selecting further comprises:

a module for receiving a signal indicative of a current location of the system; and

, a module for determining which of the first and second geographic locations is closest to the current location.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the signal is received from a global positioning system (“

GPS”

) receiver included in the system.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the signal is received from a cellular telephone system.