Method and System for Selecting A Wireless Network

• US 20120238287A1
• Filed: 02/18/2012
• Published: 09/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WEFI Incorporated
• Original Assignee: WeFi, Inc.
• Inventors: Scherzer, Shimon
• Granted Patent: US 8,644,828 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• 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 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

A method and system for selecting alternative wireless networks to establish a connection to, based on pattern information concerning determined relationships between the wireless user and the wireless network location. By monitoring location information and available wireless networks within range of a wireless user terminal, patterns of frequent and recurring locations and available wireless access points can be used to identify the wireless access points for alternative wireless networks that provide the best opportunity for offloading. People tend to frequent certain locations during their daily lives, such as their home and their place of employ, as well as the homes of relatives and friends and other favorite places like restaurants, coffee shops, shopping and sporting venues. Assumptions can be derived by monitoring available wireless networks to identify those wireless networks that provide a beneficial opportunity to offload primary (e.g., cellular) network services onto other local networks.

Claims

1. A method for selecting a wireless network from a plurality of available wireless networks to establish a connection to, the method comprising:

providing a wireless user terminal, the wireless user terminal including at least on computer processor and associated memory and including at least one software module;

identifying one or more wireless networks that the wireless user terminal can connect to;

determining at least one of a location information about the wireless user terminal, a time of day information, or network usage information for the wireless user terminal;

identifying at least one candidate wireless network to connect to as a function of the at least one of a location information of the wireless user terminal, a time of day information, or a current network usage information for the wireless user terminal;

whereby the wireless user terminal presents at least one of the candidate wireless networks to the user.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the wireless user terminal attempting to connect to the at least one of the candidate wireless networks.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying one or more wireless networks that the wireless user terminal can connect to includes detecting wireless networks within range of the wireless user terminal.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying one or more wireless networks that the wireless user terminal can connect to includes receiving a data about of one or more wireless networks from a remote server.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying one or more wireless networks that the wireless user terminal can connect to includes receiving a data about of one or more wireless networks from one or more remote wireless user terminals.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein determining location information about the wireless user terminal includes periodically collecting location information about the wireless user terminal over a period of time.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein determining network usage information for the wireless user terminal includes periodically collecting network usage information about the wireless user terminal over a period of time.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the wireless user terminal reporting information about the wireless networks with range of the wireless user terminal and any location information, time of day information and usage information to a network server.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving information about wireless networks with range of a wireless user terminal and any location information, time of day information and usage information at a network server,

analyzing the received information at the network server;

and

identifying candidate wireless networks that the wireless user terminal can connect to.

10. The method according to claim 9 further comprising:

sending information about at least one candidate wireless network to the wireless user terminal, whereby the wireless user terminal attempts to connect to at least one of the candidate wireless networks.

11. A system for selecting a wireless network from a plurality of available wireless networks, the system comprising:

a wireless user terminal including a computer processor and associated memory and enabling the wireless user terminal to execute one or more software modules;

the wireless user terminal including at least one software module adapted to monitor usage including at least one of location and time of day of the wireless user terminal to generate usage information and for storing the usage information in memory;

the wireless user terminal also including, stored in memory, network information about one or more available wireless networks that the wireless user terminal can connect to; and

the wireless user terminal including at least one software module adapted analyze the usage information and the network information to generate a list of at least one candidate wireless network that the wireless user terminal can connect to; and

wherein, the wireless user terminal is adapted to attempt to establish a network connection with at least one of the candidate wireless networks.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the software module is adapted to identify one or more wireless networks that the wireless user terminal can connect to and to store information about the identified wireless networks in memory as at least part of the network information.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the software module is adapted to receive information about one or more wireless networks that the wireless user terminal can connect to from a remote server and to store information about the identified wireless networks in memory as at least part of the network information.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the software module is adapted to receive information about one or more wireless networks that the wireless user terminal can connect to from at least one other wireless user terminal and to store information about the identified wireless networks in memory as at least part of the network information.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the software module is adapted to determine location information about the wireless user terminal by periodically collecting location information about the wireless user terminal over a period of time.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein the software module is adapted to determine network usage information for the wireless user terminal by periodically collecting network usage information about the wireless user terminal over a period of time.

17. The system of claim 11 further comprising a network server and wherein the software module is adapted to transfer information about the wireless networks with range of the wireless user terminal and any location information, time of day information and usage information to the network server.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein the network server includes a computer processor and associated memory enabling the network server to execute one or more software modules;

and

at least one further software module adapted for receiving and analyzing information about wireless networks that the wireless user terminal can connect to and any location information, time of day information and usage information to identify one or more candidate wireless networks that the wireless user terminal can connect to.

19. The system of claim 18 further wherein the at least one further software module is adapted to send information about at least one candidate wireless network to the wireless user terminal, whereby the wireless user terminal attempts to connect to at least one of the candidate wireless networks.