Communal discovery of network coverage

• US 6,941,146 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2002
• Issued: 09/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Knauerhase, Robert, Deshpande, Nikhil
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DUC MINH
• Application Number:
  US10/177,899
• Publication Number:
  US 20040203718A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-457, 455/73, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/238.1, 455/423, 342443-446, 342/450, 342/458, 342/463
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information

Abstract

Mobile devices having wired and/or wireless network connectivity, when operating in a location, contact one or more map servers to share connectivity information with the map server to allow the map server to create a global map. For example, if a mobile device has two different wireless connectivity options, such as Bluetooth and 802.11, when the mobile device is operated in the location, the mobile device tests whether both connectivity options are available in the location. The results of the test are provided to the central map server, which may integrate the results into the global connectivity map. A mobile device may also receive a connectivity map from the server indicating connectivity options available to the client in the location and possibly other locations as well. The connectivity map may include characteristics of connectivity options, such as cost, availability, etc., to allow the mobile device to choose a preferred connectivity option if multiple options are available.

Claims

1. A method for a device having plural wireless transceivers and knowing its location for building a global coverage map, the method comprising:

recording the device'"'"'s current location in a local connectivity map;

for each configuration of a first transceiver of the plural wireless transceivers, determining first connectivity for the first transceiver, and recording the first connectivity in the local connectivity map; and

for each configuration of a second transceiver of the plural wireless transceivers, determining second connectivity for the second transceiver, and recording the second connectivity in the local connectivity map.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recording a current time in a local connectivity map.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises at least one non-wireless transceiver, the method further comprising:

determining third connectivity for the non-wireless transceiver; and

recording the third connectivity in a local connectivity map.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

wherein at least two of the plural wireless transceivers utilize different wireless protocols.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

making at least a portion of the local connectivity map available to a map server.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the map server is configured to incorporate the local connectivity map into a global map.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining whether the map server is unavailable to receive the at least a portion of the local connectivity map.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining whether the map server is unavailable to receive the at least a portion of the local connectivity map contemporaneous with recording the determined connectivity for all configurations of the first transceiver.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

if the map server is unavailable, attempting to contact the map server in accordance with a schedule indicating when to attempt to provide the at least a portion of the local connectivity map to the map server.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein making the at least a portion of the local connectivity map available to the map server comprises a selected one of:

pushing the at least a portion of the local connectivity map to the map server; and

receiving a request from the map server for the at least a portion of the local connectivity map.

11. A method for a device having plural wireless transceivers and knowing a current location to obtain at least a portion of a global coverage map, the method comprising:

identifying a map server for the global coverage map for the current location;

providing a description of the device to the map server;

receiving a coverage map from the map server per the description; and

selecting a connection for the current location based at least in part on the coverage map.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the description includes one or more capabilities of the device to facilitate the map server providing map data in accordance with the capabilities of the device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the capabilities of the device include one or more of a processor count, a processor speed, a processor load, and an available memory indicator.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

merging the coverage map with an existing coverage map.

15. A method according to claim 11, further comprising:

selecting the connection also based at least in part on a policy.

16. A method according to claim 11, further comprising:

identifying the map server utilizing selected ones of the following discovery protocols;

contacting a well known address, the service discovery protocol, Universal Plug and Play (UPnP), and Universal Description, Discovery and Integration (UDDI).

17. A method according to claim 11, further comprising:

planning a route based at least in part on the coverage map.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

providing the route to a user-perceptible interface to facilitate reporting the route to a user.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

anticipating coverage gaps based at least in part on the coverage map; and

generating at least one alert for an anticipated coverage gap.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

scheduling a meeting location based at least in part on the coverage map.

21. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a meeting request constrained with respect to the global coverage map.

22. An article, comprising:

a machine-accessible medium having associated data, wherein the data, when accessed, results in a machine having plural wireless transceivers and knowing its location performing;

recording the device'"'"'s current location in a local connectivity map;

for each configuration of a first transceiver of the plural wireless transceivers, determining first connectivity for the first transceiver, and recording the first connectivity in the local connectivity map; and

for each configuration of a second transceiver of the plural wireless transceivers, determining second connectivity for the second transceiver, and recording the second connectivity in the local connectivity map.

23. The article of claim 22 wherein the machine-accessible media further includes data, when accessed by the machine, results in the machine performing:

making at least a portion of the local connectivity map available to a map server.

24. An article, comprising:

a machine-accessible medium having associated data, wherein the data, when accessed, results in a machine having plural wireless transceivers and knowing a current location performing;

identifying a map server for the global coverage map for the current location;

providing a description of the machine to the map server;

receiving a coverage map from the map server per the description; and

selecting a connection for the current location based at least in part on the coverage map.

25. The article of claim 24 wherein the machine-accessible media further includes data, when accessed by the machine, results in the machine performing:

planning a route based at least in part on the coverage map.

26. The article of claim 24 wherein the machine-accessible media further includes data, when accessed by the machine, results in the machine performing:

anticipating coverage gaps based at least in part on the coverage map; and

generating at least one alert for an anticipated coverage gap.

27. The article of claim 24 wherein the machine-accessible media further includes data, when accessed by the machine, results in the machine performing:

scheduling a meeting location based at least in part on the coverage map.