Selecting a wireless networking technology on a device capable of carrying out wireless network communications via multiple wireless technologies

• US 7,610,057 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2004
• Issued: 10/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bahl, Paramvir, Bahl, Pradeep, Hassan, Amer
• Primary Examiner(s): Pan; Yuwen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Safaipour; Bobbak
• Application Number:
  US10/830,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20050239497A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,013 Days
• Field of Search: 455/525, 455/435.3, 4554323-434, 455/552.1
• US Class Current: 455/522
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Criteria-driven methods and a framework are disclosed that facilitate configuration/selection of one or more wireless network interfaces/networks for carrying out wireless communications on a computing device. The wireless network interface selection and coexistence driver architecture described herein facilitates automated selection of a particular mode of network access based upon status information provided by a set of network interface drivers associated with particular network interfaces and wireless technologies. Furthermore, a criteria-driven interface/network selection framework is described that is potentially invoked in a variety of situations including, but not limited to, when an application is invoked or to select another interface/network to avoid detected interference.

Claims

1. A method for selecting a wireless technology among multiple available wireless technologies on a computing device having at least one transport driver and a plurality of network interface drivers, each network interface driver for establishing a network connection using an available wireless technology of the multiple available wireless technologies, the method comprising the steps of:

maintaining a wireless technology selection framework comprising a set of factors;

receiving, via a user interface, one or more inputs to the wireless technology selection framework to designate an overriding factor and a non-overriding factor;

acquiring a set of information regarding the status and/or capabilities associated with each available wireless technology;

dynamically rendering numerical factor values for the factors based at least in part upon the information acquired, wherein the numerical factor values are different from the information acquired;

defining and storing in at least one computer memory a set of wireless technology selection criteria, wherein one or more of the factors are referenced in at least one criterion;

dynamically choosing one or more criteria from the set of criteria, comprising evaluating a criterion selection logic based on the information acquired; and

rendering a wireless technology selection based at least in part upon applying the numerical factor values to the chosen wireless technology selection criteria, comprising giving precedence to the overriding factor over the non-overriding factor, further comprising calculating an arithmetic combination of the numerical factor values.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the rendering a selection step further comprises applying global information to the chosen wireless technology selection criteria.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the global information includes priorities of data sets.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless technologies comprise at least 802.11a and 802.11b wireless technologies and the chosen criteria involve a network congestion factor.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless technologies comprise at least 802.11a and UWB wireless technologies and the chosen criteria involve a signal interference factor.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless technology selection framework further supports designating a set of weights applied to the factors and the wireless technology selection criteria comprise logical and/or arithmetic combination of weighted numerical factor values.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the weighted numerical factor values are combined to render an overall selection score for each combination of available wireless technologies.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising issuing a prompt for user intervention when no available wireless technologies meet a requirement designated by at least one of the chosen criteria.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising providing an interface through which a wireless technology selection criterion is configured dynamically by designating factors and/or weightings.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the rendering a selection step is performed in response to an event.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the event comprises expiration of a period.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the rendering a selection step is performed in response to an event associated with reassigning a weight to a factor referenced within a wireless technology selection criterion.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the reassigning a weight is carried out in response to a detected event.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the detected event corresponds to a change to a status of an application currently executing upon the computing device.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the detected event concerns a power source for the computing device.

16. A computer storage medium including computer-executable instructions that facilitate selecting a wireless technology among multiple available wireless technologies on a computing device having at least one transport driver and a plurality of network interface drivers, each network interface driver for establishing a network connection using an available wireless technology of the multiple available wireless technologies, the computer-executable instructions facilitating performing the steps of:

maintaining a wireless technology selection framework comprising a set of factors;

receiving one or more inputs to the wireless technology selection framework to designate a critical factor, an overriding factor, and a non-overriding factor;

acquiring a set of information regarding the status and/or capabilities associated with each available wireless technology;

rendering numerical factor values for the factors;

defining a set of wireless technology selection criteria, wherein one or more of the factors are referenced in at least one criterion;

dynamically choosing one or more criteria from the set of criteria; and

rendering a wireless technology selection based at least in part upon applying the numerical factor values to the chosen wireless technology selection criteria, comprising giving precedence to the critical factor over the overriding factor and the non-overriding factor, and giving precedence to the overriding factor over the non-overriding factor, further comprising calculating an arithmetic combination of the numerical factor values.

17. The computer storage medium of claim 16 wherein the rendering a selection step further comprises applying global information to the chosen wireless technology selection criteria.

18. The computer storage medium of claim 17 wherein the global information includes priorities of data sets.

19. The computer storage medium of claim 16 wherein the wireless technologies comprise at least 802.11a and 802.11b wireless technologies and the chosen criteria involve a network congestion factor.

20. The computer storage medium of claim 16 wherein the wireless technologies comprise at least 802.11a and UWB wireless technologies and the chosen criteria involve a signal interference factor.

21. The computer storage medium of claim 16 wherein the wireless technology selection framework further supports designating a set of weights applied to the factors and the wireless technology selection criteria comprise logical and/or arithmetic combination of weighted numerical factor values.

22. The computer storage medium of claim 21 wherein the weighted numerical factor values are combined to render an overall selection score for each combination of available wireless technologies.

23. The computer storage medium of claim 16 further comprising computer-executable instructions that facilitate issuing a prompt for user intervention when no available wireless technologies meet a requirement designated by at least one of the chosen criteria.

24. The computer storage medium of claim 21 further comprising computer-executable instructions that facilitate providing an interface through which a wireless technology selection criterion is configured dynamically by designating factors and/or weightings.

25. The computer storage medium of claim 21 wherein the rendering a selection step is performed in response to an event.

26. The computer storage medium of claim 25 wherein the event comprises expiration of a period.

27. The computer storage medium of claim 25 wherein the rendering a selection step is performed in response to an event associated with reassigning a weight to a factor referenced within a wireless technology selection criterion.

28. The computer storage medium of claim 27 wherein the reassigning a weight is carried out in response to a detected event.

29. The computer storage medium of claim 28 wherein the detected event corresponds to a change to a status of an application currently executing upon the computing device.

30. The computer storage medium of claim 28 wherein the detected event concerns a power source for the computing device.

31. A computing device having at least one transport driver and a plurality of network interface drivers, each network interface driver for establishing a network connection using an available wireless technology of multiple available wireless technologies, the computing device including an infrastructure supporting selecting a network and interface from a plurality of potential networks and interfaces, and wherein the interfaces potentially incorporate a variety of the available wireless technologies, the computing device comprising:

a wireless technology factor designation framework supporting specifying a set of factors;

an information gathering interface for acquiring a set of information regarding the status and/or capabilities associated with each available wireless technology; and

a processor programmed to perform a factor value rendering function for establishing numerical factor values for the specified factors based upon the information acquired, wherein the numerical factor values are different from the information acquired;

a criterion specification framework supporting specifying a set of wireless technology selection criteria, wherein one or more of the specified factors are referenced in at one criterion;

a criterion selection engine for dynamically choosing one or more criteria from the set of criteria at least in part by evaluating a criterion selection logic based on the information acquired;

a wireless technology selection rendering engine for rendering a wireless interface selection based at least in part upon applying the numerical factor values to the chosen wireless technology selection criteria, wherein applying the numerical factor values to the chosen wireless technology selection criteria comprises arithmetic combination of the numerical factor values.

32. The computing device of claim 31 wherein the wireless technology selection rendering engine further applies global information to the chosen wireless technology selection criteria when rendering selections.

33. The computing device of claim 32 wherein the global information includes priorities of data sets.

34. The computing device of claim 31 wherein the wireless technologies comprise at least 802.11a and 802.11b wireless technologies and the chosen criteria involve a network congestion factor.

35. The computing device of claim 31 wherein the wireless technologies comprise at least 802.11a and UWB wireless technologies and the chosen criteria involve a signal interference factor.

36. The computing device of claim 31 wherein the criterion specification framework supports designating a set of weights applied to the factors and combining logically and/or arithmetically weighted numerical factor values.

37. The computing device of claim 36 wherein the weighted numerical factor values are combined to render an overall selection score for each combination of available wireless technologies.

38. The computing device of claim 31 wherein the wireless technology factor designation framework supports designating an overriding factor.

39. The computing device of claim 31 further comprising a user interface for issuing a prompt for user intervention when no available wireless technologies meet a requirement designated by at least one of the chosen criteria.

40. The computing device of claim 36 further comprising an interface through which a wireless technology selection criterion is configured dynamically by designating factors and/or weightings.

41. The computing device of claim 36 wherein the wireless interface selection is performed in response to an event.

42. The computing device of claim 41 wherein the event comprises expiration of a period.

43. The computing device of claim 41 wherein the wireless interface selection is performed in response to an event associated with reassigning a weight to a factor referenced within a wireless technology selection criterion.

44. The computing device of claim 43 wherein the reassigning a weight is carried out in response to a detected event.

45. The computing device of claim 44 wherein the detected event corresponds to a change to a status of an application currently executing upon the computing device.

46. The computing device of claim 44 wherein the detected event concerns a power source for the computing device.

47. The computing device of claim 44 wherein the detected event concerns a change in a set of available networks.

48. The computing device of claim 44 wherein the detected event concerns a change in congestion/interference parameter values.

49. The computing device of claim 44 wherein the detected event concerns a change in connectivity of a network.