TECHNIQUE FOR MANAGING WIRELESS NETWORKS

• US 20110149937A1
• Filed: 03/02/2011
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Gupta, Parag, Haitani, Robert, Kruglikov, Vitaly
• Granted Patent: US 8,340,065 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery

Abstract

Network connectivity may be managed on a computing device. An identifier of each wireless access point or network that is available at a given location is determined. The identifier determined without the device attempting to connect to any available wireless access point or network at the given location. Each determined identifier is compared to one or more network identifiers that are known to the device. The device connects to an available wireless access point having the identifier that is known and detected.

Claims

1. A method for managing network connectivity on a device, the method comprising:

performing a general scan to determine an identifier of each network that is available at a given location, wherein determining the identifier is performed without attempting to connect to any available network at the given location; and

determining one or more networks that are protected by security features that are known to the device by (i) comparing each determined identifier to one or more network identifiers that are known to the device, and (ii) performing an additional operation for detecting available networks that were not determined from the general scan.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining one or more networks that are protected by security features is performed automatically in response to determining that one or more networks were not identified from the general scan.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising programmatically selecting one of the available networks or networks that are protected by security features, and automatically connecting to that network.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein comparing each determined identifier to one or more network identifiers that are known to the device includes maintaining a list of identifiers for wireless local area networks that the device has connected to on one or more previous occasions.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein maintaining a list of identifiers includes sorting the list of identifiers based, at least in part, on either a most recently used prioritization scheme or a most commonly used prioritization scheme.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein programmatically selecting one of the available networks or networks that are protected by security features is performed by using either the most recently used prioritization scheme or the most commonly used prioritization scheme.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein performing a general scan includes detecting the identifier of each network that is broadcast by individual wireless local area networks.

8. A method for managing network connectivity on a device, the method comprising:

performing a general scan to determine an identifier of each network that is available at a given location, wherein determining the identifier is performed without attempting to connect to any available network at the given location;

determining one or more networks that are protected by security features that are known to the device by (i) comparing each determined identifier to one or more network identifiers that are known to the device, and (ii) performing an additional operation for detecting available networks that were not determined from the general scan; and

enabling a user to select a network from one of the available networks or one of the networks that are protected by security features.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining one or more networks that are protected by security features is performed automatically in response to determining that one or more networks were not identified from the general scan.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein comparing each determined identifier to one or more network identifiers that are known to the device includes maintaining a list of identifiers for wireless local area networks that the device has connected to on one or more previous occasions.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein maintaining a list of identifiers includes sorting the list of identifiers based, at least in part, on either a most recently used prioritization scheme or a most commonly used prioritization scheme.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein enabling the user to select a network from one of the available networks or one of the networks that are protected by security features includes presenting the list of identifiers to the user with the selected network in a pre-selected state.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein presenting the list of identifiers to the user with the selected network in a pre-selected state is performed by using either the most recently used prioritization scheme or the most commonly used prioritization scheme.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein performing a general scan includes detecting the identifier of each network that is broadcast by individual wireless local area networks.

15. A computing device comprising:

a display;

a wireless communication port; and

a processor configured to;

perform a general scan to determine an identifier of each network that is available at a given location, wherein determining the identifier is performed without attempting to connect to any available network at the given location; and

determine one or more networks that are protected by security features that are known to the device by (i) comparing each determined identifier to one or more network identifiers that are known to the device, and (ii) performing an additional operation for detecting available networks that were not determined from the general scan.

16. The computing device of claim 15, wherein determining one or more networks that are protected by security features is performed automatically in response to determining that one or more networks were not identified from the general scan.

17. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to programmatically select one of the available networks or networks that are protected by security features, and automatically connect to that network.

18. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to enable a user to select a network from one of the available networks or one of the networks that are protected by security features.

19. The computing device of claim 18, wherein a user interface panel is presented on the display to enable the user to select a network from one of the available networks or one of the networks that are protected by security features.

20. The computing device of claim 15, wherein performing a general scan includes detecting the identifier of each network that is broadcast by individual wireless local area networks.