Method and system for detecting a preferred wireless network for a mobile device

• US 7,359,715 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2006
• Issued: 04/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Choksi, Ojas T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ferguson; Keith
• Application Number:
  US11/611,995
• Publication Number:
  US 20070099632A1
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.4, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/457, 455/406, 455/407, 455/408, 455/405, 455/422.1, 455/403, 455/432.1, 455/434, 455/444, 455/445, 455/500, 455/517, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/414.3, 455/435.1, 455/435.3, 455/550.1, 379/114.01, 379/114.03, 379/114.05, 379/114.26, 379/115.01, 379/115.09, 379/119, 379/121.04, 379/125, 379/126
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8033 location-dependent, e.g. business or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8038 Roaming or handoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8055 Selecting cheaper transport technology for a given service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/74 Rating aspects, e.g. rating parameters or tariff determination apects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7435 Location dependent, e.g. Bussiness or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7442 Roaming
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/745 Least cost routing, e.g. Automatic or manual, call by call or by preselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7464 Select transport technology for a given service, e.g. use for data connection WLAN rather than GSM/UMTS/GPRS or use company's communication network rather than a public network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A method and system for detecting a wireless network includes receiving at a mobile device a signal having data indicative of a location of the mobile device. A determination is made whether the mobile device is within the coverage area of a specified network based on the data. The mobile device scans for the specified network in response to at least determining that it is within the coverage area of the specified network.

Claims

1. A method for enlisting one or more end users in a network environment in which detection of a wireless serving node occurs, comprising:

enlisting one or more end users in a billing plan associated with network communications;

generating a bill associated with one or more of the end users, the bill being based on the billing plan; and

facilitating network communications for one or more of the end users in response to the end users being enlisted in the billing plan, whereby the network communications includes a protocol that comprises;

receiving at a mobile device a signal having data indicative of a location of the mobile device;

determining whether the mobile device is within a coverage area of a specified network based on the data, wherein the specified network is overlapped by coverage from a macro network;

scanning for the specified network in response to at least determining that the mobile device is within the coverage area of the specified network, wherein a decision as to whether to scan, by the mobile device, for the specified network is based on a distance between the location of the mobile device and a location of the specified network;

determining if the specified network is available; and

continuing to scan until the specified network is available or until the mobile device exits the macro network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

Camping on the specified network if signals are received from the specified network at a minimal signal strength, even if other signals are received from the macro network at a signal strength greater than the signals received from the specified network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal comprises a base station broadcast message having a base station identifier, further comprising:

extracting the base station identifier from the base station broadcast message;

comparing the base station identifier to a listing of base station identifiers for base stations at least proximate to the specified network; and

scanning for the specified network in response to at least the base station identifier from the base station broadcast message matching one of the base station identifiers in the listing of base station identifiers.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the base station identifiers for the specified network are stored in a network table at the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal comprises a base station broadcast message having a latitude and longitude of the base station, further comprising:

extracting the latitude and longitude from the base station broadcast message;

comparing a location based on the latitude and longitude to the coverage area of the specified network; and

scanning for the specified network in response to at least the location being within the coverage area of the specified network.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the coverage area is defined at the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the coverage area is defined by at least a center, a shape and dimensional information for the coverage area.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal comprises a global positioning satellite (GPS) signal, further comprising:

determining a location of the mobile device based on the GPS signal;

comparing the location of the mobile device to the coverage area of the specified network; and

scanning for the specified network in response to at least the mobile device being within the coverage area of the specified network.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the coverage area is defined at the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the coverage area is defined by at least a center, of the coverage area, a shape and dimensional information for the coverage area.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal comprises a CDMA base station broadcast signal.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the specified network comprises a preferred network for a user of the mobile device.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising camping onto the specified network if available.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the mobile device is within the coverage area of the specified network based on the data indicative of location and coverage data for the specified network corresponding in type to the data indicative of location.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

extending battery life of a battery in the mobile device by avoiding unnecessary scanning in a non-overlapping region provided by the macro network.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

minimizing camp time in the macro network in an overlay region of the macro network.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a network selector element, a user interface, and a wireless interface in the mobile device.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing a preferred network table and a neighbor network table in the mobile device, wherein both of the tables include identification and location information.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving discovery messages from one or more base transceiver stations.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein radio discovery is performed by base transceiver stations communicating discovery messages upon activation.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the base transceiver stations respond to activation messages with their own identifiers, selected activated base transceiver stations determining which of the responding base transceiver stations are neighbors based on interference, coverage area, or proximity.