Methods, systems and computer program products for directing a user to a wireless network access point

• US 7,561,871 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2003
• Issued: 07/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gao, Xiaofeng, Zhao, Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng; George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cho; Un C
• Application Number:
  US10/646,962
• Publication Number:
  US 20050048986A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,150 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/414.3, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.6, 455/567, 455/457
• US Class Current: 455/414.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A mobile user request for a location of a wireless network access point can be received via a user terminal. A geographic location of the mobile user can be identified responsive to the user request. A wireless network access point convenient to the user location can be identified.

Claims

1. A method for directing a mobile user to a wireless network access point comprising:

receiving a mobile user request for a location of a wireless network access point via a user terminal, wherein the user request comprises one or more amenities including one or more of a hotel, a restaurant, a store, a park and an airport;

identifying a geographic location of the mobile user responsive to receiving the user request;

identifying a plurality of wireless network access points convenient to the user that provides access to the one or more amenities based on stored data including the physical location or address of a wireless network and the amenities available at or near the wireless network; and

ranking a plurality of wireless network access points based on a distance from a user location and the one or more amenities requested by the user such that wireless network access points that include the one or more amenities are ranked highest and network access points without the one or more amenities are ranked last;

wherein the user request includes a particular service provider associated with the wireless network and identifying a wireless network access point further comprises identifying a wireless network access point provided by the particular service provider.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating the plurality of identified wireless network access points to the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a geographic location of the mobile user comprises locating a wireless communications signal from the user terminal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a plurality of wireless network access point comprises comparing the geographic location of the user to known locations of a plurality of access points.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein identifying a plurality of wireless network access points comprises:

calculating a travel time between the user location and each of the plurality of wireless network access points; and

selecting one of the plurality of wireless network access points having the shortest travel time.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein calculating a travel time is based on distance and road conditions.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein road conditions comprise realtime traffic conditions.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the amenities include a type of facility and/or service available in the vicinity of the wireless network access point.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating directions from the user location to the selected wireless network access point.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating information concerning amenities to the user terminal.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless network is a broadband wireless network.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the broadband wireless network is a Wireless Fidelity (“

Wi-Fi”

) network.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the user terminal is a mobile communications device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the user terminal is a computer processor terminal.

15. A system for directing a mobile user to a wireless network access point comprising:

means for receiving a mobile user request for a location of a wireless network access point via a user terminal, the user request further comprising one or more amenities including one or more of a hotel, a restaurant, a store, a park and an airport;

means for identifying a geographic location of the mobile user responsive to receiving the user request; and

means for identifying a plurality of wireless network access point points convenient to the user that provides access to the requested amenities based on stored data including the physical location or address of a wireless network and the amenities available at or near the wireless network,

means for ranking the plurality of wireless network access points based on a distance from a user location and the one or more amenities requested by the user such that wireless network access points that include the one or more amenities are ranked highest and network access points without the one or more amenities are ranked last;

wherein the user request includes a particular service provider associated with the wireless network and the means for identifying a wireless network access point further comprises means for identifying a wireless network access point provided by the particular service provider.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the means for identifying a wireless network access point comprises comparing the geographic location of the user to known locations of a plurality of access points.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the means for identifying a plurality of wireless network access points comprises:

means for calculating a travel time between the user location and each of the plurality of wireless network access points; and

means for selecting one of the plurality of wireless network access points having the shortest travel time.

18. A computer program product for directing a mobile user to a wireless network access point, the computer program product being encoded on a computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer program product comprising:

computer readable program code that receives a mobile user request for a location of a wireless network access point via a user terminal, the user request further comprising one or more amenities including one or more of a hotel, a restaurant, a store, a park and an airport;

computer readable program code that identifies a geographic location of the mobile user responsive to receiving the user request;

computer readable program code that identifies a plurality of wireless network access points convenient to the user that provides access to the requested amenities based on stored data including the physical location or address of a wireless network and the amenities available at or near the wireless network; and

computer readable program code that ranks the plurality of wireless network access points based on a distance from a user location and the one or more amenities requested by the user such that wireless network access points that include the one or more amenities are ranked highest and network access points without the one or more amenities are ranked last;

wherein the user request includes a particular service provider associated with the wireless network and the computer readable program code that identifies a wireless network access point further comprises computer readable program code that identifies a wireless network access point provided by the particular service provider.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the computer readable program code that identifies a plurality of wireless network access points comprises computer readable program code that compares the geographic location of the user to known locations of a plurality of access points.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the computer readable program code that identifies a plurality of wireless network access point comprises:

computer readable program code that calculates a travel time between the user location and each of the plurality of wireless network access points; and

computer readable program code that selects one of the plurality of wireless network access points having the shortest travel time.