WI-FI PROCESS

• US 20130210425A1
• Filed: 02/14/2012
• Published: 08/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: NAGARAJ, Suresh
• Granted Patent: US 8,805,360 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/432.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3805 with built-in auxiliary receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0245 according to signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• 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 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method and apparatus for a wireless device that can adapt a rate of related wireless network unit scans for adjacent networks is disclosed. In one embodiment, the wireless device can include a wireless network unit and a co-located geo-location signal receiver, and a processor. The processor can determine the position and speed of the wireless device from data received from the geo-location signal receiver. The processor can configure the wireless network unit to adapt the rate of related wireless network scans based upon determined speed and position. In one embodiment, the wireless network unit scans can be wireless scans for other nearby networks for roaming or location based services.

Claims

1. A method for reducing power consumption and enhancing user experience in a mobile wireless device, the method comprising:

during operation of the mobile wireless device;

receiving location signals at the mobile wireless device;

determining a change of position of the mobile wireless device from the location signals; and

,

altering a period of time between network scans in accordance with the change of position of the mobile wireless device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the change of position is determined provided by a co-located geo-location signal receiver.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the change of position indicates a displacement of the mobile wireless device in relation to a predetermined distance.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the period of time between wireless network scans is increased when the displacement is less than the predetermined distance and the period of time between wireless network scans is decreased when the displacement is more than the predetermined distance.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the wireless network scans are roam scans and location scans.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the wireless network scans are roam scans.

7. A wireless device, comprising:

a wireless network unit for transferring data with wireless access points;

a co-located geo-location signal receiver for receiving location signals and determining a position of the wireless device; and

,

a processor configured to reduce power consumption of the wireless device by adapting a period of time between network scans performed by the wireless network unit in accordance with a change of position of the wireless device.

8. The wireless device of claim 7, further comprising:

a motion sensor for detecting motion of the wireless device wherein the processor is further configured to adapt the period of time between network scans in accordance with detected motion.

9. A method for reducing power consumption in a mobile wireless device, the method comprising:

during operation of the mobile wireless device;

receiving motion data from a motion sensor included with the mobile wireless device;

altering a period of time between roam scans and location scans in accordance with the motion data of the mobile wireless device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the motion sensor detects no motion and the period of time between roam scans and location scans is increased.

11. Non-transitory computer program product encoded in a non-transitory computer readable medium for reducing power consumption and enhancing user experience executable by a processor in a mobile wireless device having a co-located geo-location signal receiver, a motion sensor, and a wireless network unit for transferring data, the non-transitory computer program product comprising:

non-transitory computer code for receiving location signals with the co-located geo-location signal receiver;

non-transitory computer code for determining a change of position of the wireless device from the data provided by the geo-location signal receiver; and

,

non-transitory computer code for adapting time periods between network scans in accordance with the change of position.

12. The non-transitory computer program product as in claim 11, further comprising:

non-transitory computer code for determining a speed of the mobile wireless device in accordance with the change of position;

non-transitory computer code for decreasing the time periods between wireless network scans when the determined speed is greater than a first predetermined speed wherein the wireless network scans include roam and location scans.

13. The non-transitory computer program product as in claim 11, further comprising:

non-transitory computer code for determining a speed of the mobile wireless device in accordance with the change of position;

non-transitory computer code for increasing the time periods between wireless network scans when the determined speed is greater than a second predetermined speed wherein the wireless network scans include roam scans and the second predetermined speed is slower than a first predetermined speed.

14. The non-transitory computer program product as in claim 11, further comprising:

non-transitory computer code for determining a distance displaced by the mobile wireless device;

non-transitory computer code for decreasing the period between wireless network scans when the determined distance is greater than a first predetermined distance wherein the wireless network scans include roam scans.

15. The non-transitory computer program product as in claim 11, further comprising:

non-transitory computer code for determining a distance displaced by the mobile wireless device;

non-transitory computer code for increasing the period between wireless network scans when the determined distance is less than a first predetermined distance and less than a second predetermined distance wherein the second predetermined distance is less than the first predetermined distance and the wireless network scans include roam and location scans.

16. The non-transitory computer program product as in claim 11, further comprising:

non-transitory computer code for increasing the period between wireless network scans when data from the motion sensor indicates that the mobile wireless device is not moving wherein the wireless network scans include roam and location scans.

17. A method for saving power in a mobile wireless device the method comprising:

during operation of the mobile wireless device;

receiving location signals at the mobile wireless device;

determining a change of position of the mobile wireless device from the location signals;

determining a speed of the mobile wireless device when the position changes; and

, altering a period of time between network scans in accordance with a speed of the mobile wireless device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the period of time between network scans is increased when the determined speed is greater than a first predetermined speed.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the wireless network scans include roam and location scans.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the period of time between network scans is increased when the determined speed is faster than a second predetermined speed and the second predetermined speed is slower than a first predetermined speed.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein wireless network scans include roam scans.