SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING WIRELESS CONNECTIONS IN COMPUTER

• US 20100100642A1
• Filed: 12/22/2009
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Djung Nguyen, Jianyu Roy Zheng, Mark Allen Hanson
• Original Assignee: Djung Nguyen, Jianyu Roy Zheng, Mark Allen Hanson
• Inventors: HANSON, MARK ALLEN, NGUYEN, DJUNG, ZHENG, JIANYU ROY
• Granted Patent: US 7,917,089 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/250
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

A Wireless Connection Utility (WCU) provides a unified user experience for managing various types of wireless connections, including Wireless WANs, Wireless LANs, and Bluetooth networks. The WCU functions as a gateway for a user of a computer to monitor the computer'"'"'s wireless network status, to switch wireless connections, to configure wireless connection settings, and to diagnose wireless connection problems through a Wireless Helper Utility (WHU). The WCU thus provides a unified U/I layer on the top of the existing operating system components for ease of use.

Claims

1. A computer executing a wireless connection utility (WCU), the WCU embodying logic comprising:

accessing at least two of;

a wireless local area network (WLAN) driver, a wide area network (WAN) driver, and a Bluetooth driver;

displaying at least one unified user interface (U/I) presenting, in a single screen display, images representing at least two networks selected from;

a WLAN, a WAN, and a Bluetooth communication system; and

enabling a user to select, by means of the U/I, one or more networks with which to communicate, wherein a general button is presented on a main U/I screen display, the general button being selectable to enable a user to select whether to launch the WCU when an operating system of the computer starts up.

2. The computer of claim 1, wherein the computer is a laptop computer.

3. The computer of claim 1, wherein the U/I includes the main U/I screen display presenting at least two of:

a WAN button selectable to cause WAN settings to appear in a settings window of the main screen display, a WLAN button selectable to cause WLAN settings to appear in the settings window, and a Bluetooth button selectable to cause Bluetooth settings to appear in the settings window.

4. The computer of claim 3, wherein all three buttons are presented on the main U/I screen display.

6. The computer of claim 4, wherein a general button is presented on the main U/I screen display, the general button being selectable to enable a user to select which of a WLAN or a WAN will have automatic detection priority.

7. The computer of claim 1, wherein the U/I includes a one-touch screen display presenting at least two of:

a WAN button selectable to switch communications to a WAN, a WLAN button selectable to switch communications to a WLAN, and a Bluetooth button selectable to switch communications to a Bluetooth network.

5. (canceled)

8. A computer program product bearing instructions executable by a digital processor associated with at least two wireless communication networks selected from a WAN, a WLAN, and a Bluetooth network, comprising:

means for causing a main U/I to appear on a screen associated with the digital processor, the main U/I presenting in a single screen display, computer display elements representing a WLAN, a WAN, and a Bluetooth communication system, the main U/I also presenting a settings window displaying settings associated with at least one of the computer display elements; and

a general button is presented on the main U/I, the general button being selectable to enable a user to select which of a WLAN or a WAN will have automatic detection priority.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the digital processor is embodied in a laptop computer.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the computer display elements are buttons, settings associated with a user-selected button being displayed in the settings window.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein a general button is presented on the main U/I, the general button being selectable to enable a user to select whether to launch a utility associated with the U/I when an operating system executed by the digital processor starts up.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, comprising means for displaying a one-touch screen display presenting:

a WAN computer display element selectable to switch communications to a WAN, a WLAN computer display element selectable to switch communications to a WLAN, and a Bluetooth computer display element selectable to switch communications to a Bluetooth network.

12. (canceled)

14. A user interface for a computer having wireless communication capability, comprising:

at least one screen display displaying a WAN computer display element, a WLAN computer display element, and a Bluetooth computer display element, a computer display element being selectable to cause at least one of the following;

settings associated with a network represented by the computer display element are displayed in a settings window of the U/I, and communication is automatically switched to a network represented by the computer display element, wherein a general computer display element is presented for enabling a user to select whether to launch a utility associated with the U/I when an operating system executed by the digital processor starts up, and further wherein a general computer display element is presented for enabling a user to select which of a WLAN or a WAN will have automatic detection priority.

15. The U/I of claim 14, wherein settings associated with a network represented by the computer display element are displayed in a settings window of the U/I.

16. The U/I of claim 14, wherein communication is automatically switched to a network represented by the computer display element.

17. The U/I of claim 14, wherein the computer is a laptop computer.

18-19. -19. (canceled)