Smart Connection Manager

• US 20120188876A1
• Filed: 01/21/2011
• Published: 07/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Chow, Paulo, Drovdahl, Mark, Temple, Sinclair M., Kuncl, Parker Ralph
• Granted Patent: US 8,514,717 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/237
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• 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 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A telecommunication device configured to perform at least one of adjusting a network polling frequency, prompting a user to select one of a plurality of networks, automatically connecting to one of the networks, or automatically disconnecting from one of the networks is described herein. The telecommunication device performs the adjusting, prompting, or connecting based at least on received device data or network data that is associated with the networks.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a telecommunication device, at least one of device data or network data, the device data or network data being associated with a plurality of networks; and

based at least on the received device data or network data, performing, by the telecommunication device, at least one of adjusting a network polling frequency, prompting a user to select one of the networks, automatically connecting to one of the networks, or automatically disconnecting from one of the networks.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of networks include at least one of a 2G network, a 3G network, a 4G network, a GSM network, a HSPA network, a HSPA+ network, a Wi-Fi network, a Wi-Max network, a network associated with a femto, a Bluetooth network, a CDMA network, a UMTS network, or a ZigBee network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the device data includes at least one of a location of the telecommunication device, a pattern or history of user behavior, a signal strength of one of the networks, a time of day, settings or preferences, a quality of an available network connection, an indication that a user is roaming, a use of the telecommunication device, or a battery power level.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the network data includes inferences or patterns based on behavior of a users of a plurality of telecommunication devices, subscription plan information, a location of the telecommunication device, settings or preferences, a cost associated with a network, or policies for offloading or network balancing.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically connecting comprises automatically connecting to a different network for one of voice or data communication than a network associated with a current network connection for the other of voice or data communication.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting the network polling frequency comprises:

decreasing or stopping polling of one of the networks in response to device data or network data indicating a current network connection or indicating that the telecommunication device is moving;

or

managing a power state of a radio for one of the networks in response to the device data or the network data indicating the current network connection or indicating that the telecommunication device is moving.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying one or more rules, profiles, or models to the received device data or network data and determining, based on the applying, whether to perform the adjusting, the prompting, the automatic connecting, or the automatic disconnecting.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the device data or network data indicates that a network associated with a current network connection is congested and the automatic connecting comprises shifting a communication from the current network connection to a new network connection associated with a different network.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the shifting is performed for voice communications and not for data communications.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the shifting is performed conditionally based on whether the user has subscribed to a premium plan.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the device data or network data indicates that a quality of one of the networks is poor and the adjusting the network polling frequency comprises increasing the network polling frequency for another of the networks.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically connecting to one of the networks and reducing network polling frequencies for others of the networks.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a threshold amount of time since a network was detected has been met and, responsive to the threshold amount of time being met, prompting the user to connect to the detected network.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising recognizing that one of the networks requires a login and providing an indication to the user that the network requires the login.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the network data indicates costs associated with the networks and the telecommunication device automatically connects to one of the networks having the lowest cost.

16. A telecommunication device comprising:

a processor;

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor and storing at least one of rules, profiles, or models associated with connections to a plurality of networks; and

a smart connection manager configured to be operated by the processor to perform operations including;

receiving at least one of device data or network data,

analyzing the device data or network data based on the at least one of the rules, profiles, or models, and

performing, based on the analyzing, at least one of adjusting a network polling frequency, prompting a user to select one of the networks, automatically connecting to one of the networks, or automatically disconnecting from one of the networks.

17. The telecommunication device of claim 16, wherein the rules, profiles, or models are a local version of rules, profiles, or models received from a service provider.

18. The telecommunication device of claim 16, wherein the rules, profiles, or models are specific to a location, a time of day, an event, or a type of individual or aggregate user behavior or activity.

19. The telecommunication device of claim 16, wherein the rules, profiles, or models are learned based on individual or aggregate user activities, behaviors, or responses to prompts.

20. One or more computer storage media comprising computer executable instructions stored thereon and configured to instruct one or more computing devices to perform operations including:

receiving device data associated with at least one of network connections or user behavior of a plurality of telecommunication devices;

building one or more rules, profiles, or models based on the received device data for governing network connection behavior of the telecommunication devices; and

providing the rules, profiles, or models to at least one of the telecommunication devices to enable the telecommunication device to perform, based on the rules, profiles, or models, at least one of adjusting a network polling frequency, prompting a user to select one of a plurality of networks, automatically connecting to one of the networks, or automatically disconnecting from one of the networks.

21. The one or more computer storage media of claim 20, wherein the building comprises building rules, profiles, or models for each subscriber associated with one of the telecommunication devices.

22. The one or more computer storage media of claim 20, wherein the operations further include instructing one of the telecommunication devices to shift from a current network connection associated with a current network to a new network connection associated with a different network.

23. The one or more computer storage media of claim 20, wherein the operations further include receiving data from a third party source and performing the building of the one or more rules, profiles, or models based on the data from the third party source.