Access point discovery and selection

• US 7,143,171 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2001
• Issued: 11/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Christopoulos, Charilaos, Höller, Jan, Björk, Niklas, Eriksson, Göran A. P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiley, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Avellino, Joseph E.
• Application Number:
  US09/986,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20020059453A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,846 Days
• Field of Search: 4554321-4353, 370328-338, 709227-232, 707 1- 10
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location 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 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A method and system in a heterogeneous environment, capable of locating at least one optimal access area or point for supporting one or more access technologies requested by the user. The determination of the optimal access areas or points is based in part on the location of the device, the specified user preferences, service/application requirements and the capabilities of available access network connections. The optimal access points, and alternative options, are mapped in accordance with the resulting location, combined requirements and service/application requirements of the communication device. This mapping and other information/recommendations related to the access points are then provided to the communication device for action by the user.

Claims

1. A method for selecting an access point for a communication device, said method comprising:

determining a position of the communication device;

determining available access points, each of said access points being associated with an access network, and having a cost associated with use of the access point;

obtaining capabilities information related to the available access points and their associated access networks;

determining combined requirements of the communication device, said combined requirements including;

a profile of operating capabilities of the communication device;

quality of service requirements of a service requested by the communication device;

connection transport requirements of an application requested by the communication device; and

user preferences regarding a desired access point, said user preferences including cost, speed, quality, and security associated with the desired access point;

mapping the capabilities information related to the available access points and associated access networks with the position and the combined requirements of the communication device to obtain mapped information;

if an available access point and associated access network meet all of the combined requirements of the communication device according to the obtained mapped information, selecting the available access point; and

if none of the available access points and associated access networks meet all of the combined requirements of the communication device;

determininq mismatched requirements between the combined requirements of the communication device and the capabilities of the available access points and associated access networks;

determininq for the mismatched requirements for each available access point, a compromise between the combined requirements of the communication device and the capabilities of the available access point and associated access network; and

selecting the available access point that requires the least compromise from the combined requirements of the communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mapping step comprises the steps of:

determining a geographical position of the available access points relative to the position of the communication device; and

determining a spatial relation between an antenna of the communication device and the available access points, wherein the information related to avairable access points includes information related to the position and the spatial relation between the available access points and the antenna of the communication device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the determined spatial relation between an antenna of the communication device and the access points is an intermediate position within communication range of at least two of the access points.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the intermediate position within communication range of the at least two access points is an optimal position based on the combined requirements.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the mapping is performed in the communication device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein a node in an access system provides the information related to the position and the spatial relation between the access points and the communication device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the node is common to at least two access networks within a network system.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the communication device is located within a personal area network, and wherein the mapping is performed by a second device within the personal area network.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a node in an access system provides the information related to the position and the spatial relation between the access points and the communication device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the node is common to at least two access networks within a network system.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the mapping is performed by a node in an access network.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting step is performed with user interaction.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the user preferences are selected from the group consisting of:

security services provided by an access point and trust between the communication device and the access point.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the user preferences are stored in the communication device.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the user preferences are stored in a second device within a personal area network.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the user preferences are stored in a communication system and the system selectively provides the communication device with information related to access points.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting step is performed without user interaction.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving, by a second communication device within a personal area network, the position and combined requirements of the communication device;

providing, by the second communication device, the position and combined requirements to a network; and

receiving, by the second communication device from the network, capabilities and cost information related to access points and associated access networks, wherein the second communication device provides the communication device with the capabilities and cost information related to access points and associated access networks.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined position is not the current geographical position of the communication device.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined position is a predetermined position of the communication device and the determined position is not related to the current position of the communication device.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining combined requirements of the communication device includes determining an environment of the communication device, wherein the mapping step includes considering the environment of the communication device to obtain the mapped information.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the mapping step includes recommending an access point.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the recommendation is presented to a user.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the recommendation is presented to a central intelligence.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the information related to access points includes recommendations related to the access points.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the recommendations include directions for locating at least one access point.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the directions include information related to distance or spatial position between the communication device and at least one access point.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the mapped information is a subset of the determined available access points, and wherein the selection of at least one access point is not a point in the subset.

13. The method of cliam 1, wherein the combined requirements for the communication device are further based upon user preferences associated with a second communication device within a personal area network.

30. A system for selecting an access point for a communication device, comprising:

a communication device adapted to selectively communicate using a first or second access technology and to select an access point based on information provided by a network node; and

a network including a node, wherein the node receives a position and combined requirements of the communication device, said combined requirements including;

a profile of operating capabilities of the communication device;

quality of service requirements of a service requested by the communication device;

connection transport requirements of an application requested by the communication device; and

user preferences regarding a desired access point, said user preferences including cost, speed, quality, and security associated with the desired access point;

wherein the node includes;

means for determining the capabilities of access points available to serve the position of the communication device;

means for comparing the combined requirements of the communication device with the capabilities of the available access points;

means for determining which available access points satisfy all of the combined requirements of the communication device, wherein the node provides the communication device with capabilities and cost information related to the available access points for networks which use the first or second access technology;

means for determining mismatched requirements between the combined requirements of the communication device and the capabilities of the available access points if there are no available access points that satisfy all of the combined requirements of the communication device; and

means for determining for the mismatched requirements for each available access point, a compromise between the combined requirements of the communication device and the capabilities of the available access point;

wherein, if more that one available access point satisfies all of the combined requirements of the communication device, the communication device selects an access point based on the cost information received from the network node; and

wherein if none of the access points satisfy all of the combined requirements of the communication device, the communication device selects an access point that requires the least compromise from the combined requirements of the communication device.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the node is a second communication device and the network is a personal area network including the communication device.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein the first and the second access technologies are the same technologies.

33. The system of claim 30, wherein the node comprises:

means for determining a position of available access points relative to the position of the communication device; and

means for determining a spatial relation between an antenna of the communication device and an antenna of the access points, wherein the information related to access points includes information related to the position and the spatial relation between the antenna of the access points and the antenna of the communication device.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the alignment of the antennas is made automatically without user interaction.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein the determined position is not the current geographical position of the communication device.

36. The system of claim 33, wherein the determined position is a predetermined position of the communication device and the determined position is not related to the current position of the communication device.

37. The system of claim 33, wherein the determined position is a generalized geographical area.

38. The system of claim 30, wherein the user preferences are selected from the group consisting of:

security services provided by an access point and trust between the communication device and the access point.

39. The system of claim 30, wherein the user preferences are stored in the communication device.

40. The system of claim 30, wherein the user preferences are stored in a network system.

41. The system of claim 30, wherein the user preferences are stored in the node and the node selectively provides the communication device with information related to access points.

42. The system of claim 30, wherein the node is a second communication device and the preferences are stored in the second communication device which selectively provides the first communication device with information related to access points.

43. The system of claim 30, further comprising:

a second communication device which receives the position information and combined requirements of the communication device, provides the position information and requirements to the node, receives from the node information related to access points, and provides the communication device with the information related to access points.

44. The system of claim 30, wherein the information related to access points includes recommendations related to the access points.

45. The system of claim 44, wherein the recommendations include directions for locating at least one access point.

46. The system of claim 44, wherein the recommendations include directions to a geographical area which is an intermediate position within communication range of at least two access points, which are to be used simultaneously.

47. The system of claim 44, wherein the directions include information related to distance or spatial orientation between the communication device and at least one access point.

48. The system of claim 30, wherein the node also includes means for determining an environment of the communication device, wherein the node considers the determined environment of the communication device when determining available access points.

49. The system of claim 48, wherein the environment is a homogeneous transport environment.

50. The system of claim 48, wherein the environment is a heterogeneous transport environment.

51. The system of claim 30, wherein application data related to access technologies is split into separate pads, wherein each part is mapped onto different access techniques according to the combined requirements.