Network Selection Methods And Apparatus With Use Of A Master Service Management Module And A Prioritized List Of Multiple Aggregator Service Profiles

• US 20120047269A1
• Filed: 08/18/2010
• Published: 02/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Oerton, Kevin, Leonov, Andrey, Zhao, Jing Chuan, Fedolenko, Denis, Ryerson, Christopher Maybee, Beldar, Jayesh
• Granted Patent: US 9,107,142 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A communication device is configured to store one or more aggregator service application modules for use in accessing one or more different aggregator services. Each aggregator service offers access through a plurality of offered wireless networks identified by a plurality of offered wireless network identifiers. The communication device maintains a prioritized list of profiles which include one or more aggregator service profiles associated with the one or more aggregator services. A scanning operation is performed for identifying one or more available wireless networks in a geographic area of the device, for producing a scan list of one or more available wireless network identifiers corresponding to the one or more available wireless networks. One of the aggregator service profiles is selected from the prioritized list, causing one of the aggregator service application modules corresponding to the selected profile to be invoked. The invoked module causes one of the available wireless network identifiers from the scan list that matches one of the offered wireless network identifiers to be selected, if such matching identifier exists. A connection is established with one of the available wireless networks corresponding to the selected available wireless network identifier, for accessing a selected aggregator service corresponding to the selected aggregator service profile.

Claims

1. A network selection method for use in a communication device, the communication device being configured to store one or more aggregator service application modules for use in accessing one or more aggregator services, each said aggregator service offering access through a plurality of offered wireless networks identified by a plurality of offered wireless network identifiers which are provided via the corresponding aggregator service application module, the method comprising the acts of:

maintaining a prioritized list of profiles which include one or more aggregator service profiles associated with the one or more aggregator services;

causing a scanning operation to be performed for identifying one or more available wireless networks in a geographic area of the communication device, for producing a scan list of one or more available wireless network identifiers corresponding to the one or more available wireless networks;

invoking one of the aggregator service application modules corresponding to a selected one of the aggregator service profiles that is selected from the prioritized list of profiles, for identifying one of the available wireless network identifiers in the scan list that matches one of the offered wireless network identifiers provided via the aggregator service application module; and

causing a connection to be established with one of the available wireless networks corresponding to the selected available wireless network identifier, for accessing a selected aggregator service corresponding to the selected aggregator service profile from the prioritized list of profiles.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication device is operative in accordance with IEEE 802.11, and the wireless network identifiers comprise Set Service Identifiers (SSID).

3. The method of claim 1, comprising the further act of:

causing the selected aggregator service profile to be selected from the prioritized list in accordance with one of an automatic network selection method or a manual network selection method.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of communicating comprises the further acts of:

communicating, from a master service management module to the aggregator service application module, the plurality of available wireless network identifiers; and

receiving, at the service management module from the aggregator service application module, the offered wireless network identifier.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of communicating comprises the further acts of:

communicating, from a master service management module to the aggregator service application module, the plurality of available wireless network identifiers;

identifying, by the aggregator service application module, a match between one of the available wireless network identifiers and one of the offered wireless network identifiers; and

receiving, at the master service management module from the aggregator service application module, the offered wireless network identifier that was identified by the aggregator service application module.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the aggregator service application module being invoked comprises a first aggregator service application module, the available wireless network identifier being selected comprises a first available wireless network identifier, and the available wireless network being connected to comprises a first available wireless network, the method comprising the further acts of:

invoking a second one of the aggregator service application modules corresponding to a second selected aggregator service profile from the prioritized list, for selecting a second one of the available wireless network identifiers in the scan list that matches a second one of the offered wireless network identifiers provided via the second aggregator service application module; and

causing a connection to be established with a second one of the available wireless networks corresponding to the selected second available wireless network identifier.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the acts of:

causing the prioritized list of profiles which include the one or more aggregator service profiles to be displayed in a display of the communication device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request for login; and

calling the aggregator service application module for submission of authentication credentials to the wireless network.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of maintaining the prioritized list of profiles comprises the further act of maintaining storage of login credentials in the aggregator service profiles.

10. The method of claim 1, which is embodied as computer instructions stored in a computer readable medium which are executable by one or more processors of the communication device.

11. A communication device, comprising:

one or more processors;

a wireless transceiver coupled to the one or more processors;

a memory coupled to the one or more processors;

the memory being configured to store one or more aggregator service application modules for use in accessing one or more aggregator services, each said aggregator service offering access through a plurality of offered wireless networks identified by a plurality of offered wireless network identifiers provided via the corresponding aggregator service application module;

a wireless network connection module which is executed by the one or more processors, the wireless network connection module being configured to cause a scanning operation to be performed, with use of the wireless transceiver, for identifying one or more available wireless networks in a geographic area of the communication device, for producing a scan list of one or more available wireless network identifiers corresponding to the one or more available wireless networks; and

to cause a connection to be established, with use of the wireless transceiver, with a selected available wireless network identified by a selected available wireless network identifier; and

a master service management module which is executed by the one or more processors, the master service management module being configured to maintain a prioritized list of profiles which include one or more aggregator service profiles associated with the one or more aggregator services;

invoking one of the aggregator service application modules corresponding to a selected one of the aggregator service profiles that is selected from the prioritized list of profiles, for identifying one of the available wireless network identifiers in the scan list that matches one of the offered wireless network identifiers provided via the aggregator service application module; and

cause the connection to be established with one of the available wireless networks corresponding to the selected available wireless network identifier, for accessing a selected aggregator service corresponding to the selected aggregator service profile from the prioritized list of profiles.

12. The communication device of claim 11 which is operative in accordance with IEEE 802.11, and wherein the wireless network identifiers comprise Set Service Identifiers (SSID).

13. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the master service management module is further configured to cause the selected aggregator service profile to be selected from the prioritized list in accordance with one of an automatic network selection method or a manual network selection method.

14. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the master service management module is further configured to communicate, to the aggregator service application module, the plurality of available wireless network identifiers;

and receive, from the aggregator service application module, the offered wireless network identifier.

15. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the service management module is further configured to communicate, to the aggregator service application module, the plurality of available wireless network identifiers;

identify, by the aggregator service application module, a match between one of the available wireless network identifiers and one of the offered wireless network identifiers; and

receive, from the aggregator service application module, the offered wireless network identifier that was identified by the aggregator service application module.

16. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the aggregator service application module being communicated with comprises a first aggregator service application module, the available wireless network identifier being selected comprises a first available wireless network identifier, and the available wireless network being connected to comprises a first available wireless network, and the service management module is further configured to communicate with a second one of the aggregator service application modules corresponding to a second selected aggregator service profile from the prioritized list, for selecting a second one of the available wireless network identifiers in the scan list that matches a second one of the offered wireless network identifiers provided via the second aggregator service application module;

and cause a connection to be made to a second one of the available wireless networks corresponding to the selected second available wireless network identifier.

17. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the service management module is further configured to cause the prioritized list of profiles which include the one or more aggregator service profiles to be displayed in a visual display of the communication device.

18. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the prioritized list of profiles include one or more wireless network profiles associated with a plurality of wireless networks.

19. A communication device, comprising:

one or more processors;

a wireless transceiver coupled to the one or more processors;

a memory coupled to the one or more processors;

the memory being configured to receive installation of one or more aggregator service application modules for use in accessing one or more aggregator services, each said aggregator service offering access through a plurality of offered wireless networks identified by a plurality of offered wireless network identifiers provided via the corresponding aggregator service application module;

a wireless network connection module which is executable by the one or more processors; and

a master service management module which is executable by the one or more processors, the master service management module being configured to communicate with each aggregrator service application module installed in the memory via an application programming interface (API), and to control the wireless network connection module for selecting a wireless network.

20. The communication device of claim 19, wherein the master service management module is further configured to receive, for each aggregator service application module being installed in the memory, a registration of the aggregator service application module;

and to maintain a prioritized list of profiles which include one or more aggregator service profile'"'"'s associated with the one or more aggregator services.