STORING WI-FI AND CELLULAR TOWER DATABASE TO ASSIST CELLULAR NETWORK SYSTEM SELECTION

• US 20160157168A1
• Filed: 12/02/2014
• Published: 06/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Xue, Hao, WIRTANEN, JEFFREY WILLIAM, Cormier, Jean-Philippe Paul
• Granted Patent: US 10,462,733 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/56 based on priority criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A method of selecting a cellular network includes storing a location database in a memory of a mobile device, the location database providing location data for one or more locations each identified by a unique identifier, in response to recognizing the identifier, determining a current location of the mobile device by looking up the identifier in the database, prioritizing bands based on the current location to define a band priority, and selecting the cellular network based on the band priority.

Claims

1. A method of selecting a cellular network, the method comprising:

storing a location database in a memory of a mobile device, the location database providing location data for one or more locations each identified by a unique identifier;

in response to recognizing the identifier, determining a current location of the mobile device by looking up the identifier in the location database;

prioritizing bands based on the current location to define a band priority; and

selecting the cellular network based on the band priority.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein recognizing the identifier comprises:

detecting a Wi-Fi signal;

obtaining a MAC address from the Wi-Fi signal;

and wherein determining the current location comprises looking up the MAC address in the location database.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 wherein detecting the Wi-Fi signal comprises passively scanning for a Wi-Fi beacon signal broadcast by a Wi-Fi access point.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 comprising searching for a mobile country code associated with the MAC address in the location database.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the recognizing occurs in response to activating a cellular radiofrequency transceiver.

6. The method as claimed in claim 2 further comprising:

waiting for a threshold amount of time to elapse before performing the detecting of the Wi-Fi signal and the determining of the current location; and

limiting a total scan time for detecting the Wi-Fi signal.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions in code which when loaded into a memory and executed by a processor of a mobile device cause the mobile device to:

store a location database in a memory of a mobile device, the location database providing location data for one or more locations each identified by a unique identifier;

in response to recognizing the identifier, determine a current location of the mobile device by looking up the identifier in the location database; and

prioritize bands based on the current location to define a band priority; and

select the cellular network based on the band priority.

8. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 7 wherein the code to recognize the identifier comprises code to cause the device to:

detect a Wi-Fi signal;

obtain a MAC address from the Wi-Fi signal;

and wherein the code to determine the current location comprises code for looking up the MAC address in the location database.

9. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 8 comprising code to cause the mobile device to passively scan for a Wi-Fi beacon signal broadcast by a Wi-Fi access point.

10. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 9 comprising code for searching for a mobile country code associated with the MAC address in the location database.

11. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 7 wherein the code to detect is executed in response to activating a cellular radiofrequency transceiver.

12. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 8 further comprising code for causing the device to wait for a threshold amount of time to elapse before performing the detecting of the Wi-Fi signal and the determining of the current location and to limit a total scan time for detecting the Wi-Fi signal.

13. A mobile device comprising:

a memory for storing a location database that includes location data for one or more locations each identified by a unique identifier;

a processor operatively coupled to the memory to;

in response to recognizing the identifier, determine a current location of the mobile device by looking up the identifier in the location database;

prioritize bands based on the current location to define a band priority; and

select the cellular network based on the band priority.

14. The mobile device as claimed in claim 13 further comprising:

a Wi-Fi receiver to receive a Wi-Fi signal;

wherein the processor is configured to obtain a MAC address from the Wi-Fi signal and to determine the current location of the mobile device by looking up the MAC address in the location database.

15. The mobile device as claimed in claim 14 wherein the Wi-Fi transceiver detects a Wi-Fi signal by scanning for a Wi-Fi beacon signal.

16. The mobile device as claimed in claim 14 wherein the processor is configured to search for a mobile country code associated with the MAC address in the location database.

17. The mobile device as claimed in claim 14 wherein the processor initiates detection of the Wi-Fi signal in response to activating a cellular radiofrequency transceiver.

18. The mobile device as claimed in claim 14 wherein the processor is configured to wait for a threshold amount of time to elapse before performing the detecting of the Wi-Fi signal and the determining of the current location and to limit a total scan time for detecting the Wi-Fi signal.

19. The mobile device as claimed in claim 13 wherein the location database also includes prioritized Radio Access Technologies

20. The mobile device as claimed in claim 13 wherein the location database also includes prioritized absolute radio-frequency channel numbers (ARFCN).