SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DYNAMICALLY MANAGING CONNECTIONS USING A COVERAGE DATABASE

• US 20110269476A1
• Filed: 04/28/2010
• Published: 11/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kumar, Nitin
• Granted Patent: US 8,588,807 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Techniques to dynamically manage wireless connections using a coverage database are described. For example, a mobile computing device may comprise a connection management module operative to dynamically select a wireless connection technology based on a location of the mobile computing device and information from a coverage database, and to initiate a wireless connection using the selected wireless connection technology. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A mobile computing device, comprising:

a connection management module operative to dynamically select a wireless transceiver based on a location of the mobile computing device and information from a coverage database, and to initiate a wireless connection using the selected wireless transceiver, wherein the coverage database includes coverage information for one or more wireless connection technologies at one or more locations.

2. The mobile computing device of claim 1, the connection management module operative to:

determine or receive a current location of the mobile computing device;

determine a type of wireless connection;

compare one or more wireless connection technologies that provide the type of wireless connection using information from the coverage database and the location of the mobile computing device; and

select a wireless transceiver based on the comparison.

3. The mobile computing device of claim 2, wherein the type of wireless connection comprises a wireless voice connection using cellular circuit switching, a wireless local area network or a wireless metropolitan area network, or a wireless data connection using cellular circuit switching, a wireless local area network or a wireless metropolitan area network.

4. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the location comprises a current location of the mobile computing device and the connection management module is operative to select a wireless transceiver to meet current wireless connection parameters for an application of the mobile computing device.

5. The mobile computing device of claim 1, the connection management module operative to select a current wireless connection technology based on a current location of the mobile computing device and a current set of wireless connection parameters, determine an anticipated location of the mobile computing device and select an anticipated wireless connection technology based on the anticipated location of the mobile computing device and an anticipated set of wireless connection parameters, and communicate data for an application that otherwise would have been communicated using the anticipated wireless connection technology when arriving at the anticipated location of the mobile computing device using the current wireless connection technology at the current location of the mobile computing device.

6. The mobile computing device of claim 5, wherein the connection management module is operative to estimate the one or more anticipated locations using location information generated by one or more of a global positioning system (GPS), triangulation, a compass, a GPS history, a known destination location or address or a direction of movement of the mobile computing device.

7. The mobile computing device of claim 5, wherein the application comprises a global position system (GPS) application and the connection management module is operative to download, prior to arrival at the one or more anticipated locations, map information to be used by the GPS application at the one or more anticipated locations.

8. The mobile computing device of claim 5, wherein the application comprises a multimedia application and the connection management module is operative to download, prior to arrival at the one or more anticipated locations, multimedia information to be used by the multimedia application at the one or more anticipated locations.

9. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the coverage database includes information for the one or more wireless connection technologies, the information comprising one or more of network parameters, system parameters, network availability, signal quality, signal strength, connection speed, type of connection, duration of connection or cost of connection.

10. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

dynamically selecting by a processor a wireless transceiver based on a location of a mobile computing device and information from a coverage database; and

initiating a wireless connection using the selected wireless transceiver;

wherein the coverage database includes coverage information for one or more wireless connection technologies at one or more locations.

11. The method of claim 10, comprising:

determining or receiving the location of the mobile computing device;

determining a type of wireless connection;

comparing one or more wireless connection technologies that provide the type of wireless connection using information from the coverage database and the location of the mobile computing device; and

selecting a wireless transceiver based on the comparison.

12. The method of claim 10, comprising:

selecting a wireless transceiver to meet wireless connection requirements for an application executed at a current location.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising:

prior to arriving at one or more anticipated locations, sending or receiving data for an application that would require a wireless data connection at one or more anticipated locations if a limited or no wireless data connection is available at the one or more anticipated locations.

14. The method of claim 13, comprising:

estimating the one or more anticipated locations using one or more of a global positioning system (GPS), a compass, a GPS history, a known destination location or address or a direction of movement of the mobile computing device.

15. The method of claim 13, comprising:

receiving, prior to arrival at the one or more anticipated locations, map information to be used by a global positioning system (GPS) application at the one or more anticipated locations.

16. The method of claim 13, comprising:

receiving, prior to arrival at the one or more anticipated locations, multimedia information to be used by a multimedia application at the one or more anticipated locations.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the coverage database includes information for the one or more wireless connection technologies, the information comprising one or more of network parameters, system parameters, network availability, signal quality, signal strength, connection speed, type of connection, duration of connection or cost of connection.

18. An article comprising a computer-readable storage medium containing instructions that when executed by a processor enable a system to:

dynamically select a wireless transceiver based on a location of a mobile computing device and information from a coverage database; and

initiate a wireless connection using the selected wireless transceiver;

wherein the coverage database includes coverage information for one or more wireless connection technologies at one or more locations.

19. The article of claim 18, further comprising instructions that when executed enable the system to:

receive location information for the mobile computing device;

determine a type of wireless connection;

compare one or more wireless connection technologies that provide the type of wireless connection using information from the coverage database and the location of the mobile computing device; and

select a wireless transceiver based on the comparison.

20. The article of claim 18, further comprising instructions that when executed enable the system to:

select a wireless transceiver to meet wireless connection requirements for an application at a current location.

21. The article of claim 20, further comprising instructions that when executed enable the system to:

prior to arriving at one or more anticipated locations, send or receive data for an application that will require a wireless data connection at one or more anticipated locations if a limited or no wireless data connection will be available at the one or more anticipated locations.

22. The article of claim 21, further comprising instructions that when executed enable the system to:

estimate the one or more anticipated locations using location information generated by one or more of a global positioning system (GPS), a compass, a GPS history, a known destination location or address or a direction of movement of the mobile computing device.

23. The article of claim 21, further comprising instructions that when executed enable the system to:

receive, prior to arrival at the one or more anticipated locations, map information to be used by a global positioning system (GPS) application at the one or more anticipated locations.

24. The article of claim 21, further comprising instructions that when executed enable the system to:

receive, prior to arrival at the one or more anticipated locations, multimedia information to be used by a multimedia application at the one or more anticipated locations.

25. The article of claim 21, wherein the coverage database includes information for the one or more wireless connection technologies, the information comprising one or more of network parameters, system parameters, network availability, signal quality, signal strength, connection speed, type of connection, duration of connection or cost of connection.